Eugene City Council Passes Iraq Resolution

March 12 the Eugene City Council voted 5-3 to pass a resolution calling for the U.S. Government to immediately commence a withdrawal of United States military personnel from Iraq. The resolution calls for Congress to use its “power of the purse” to vote against further funding of the Iraq occupation by U.S. forces – except for funds necessary to carry out a safe, rapid and orderly withdrawal that fully protects American troops from harm and to support Iraqi reconstruction efforts.

Eugene joins with Portland, Corvallis and over 200 other municipalities that have passed similar resolutions.

A standing room only crowd witnessed moving testimony from 15 people who made a compelling case for passing the resolution.

According to Michael Carrigan of CALC who led off the testimony, “We need to invest our human and financial resources in the futures of our children, not in the deaths of Iraqi children. The more than $107 million in taxes Eugene taxpayers have paid to support the war and occupation in Iraq, could have provided four years of Head Start for nearly 3,500 children; four years of medical insurance for more than 15,000 Eugene children and four years salary for nearly 450 Eugene public school teachers.”

Other speakers in favor of the resolution included Iraq war veteran Noah Mrowczyski,Suzanne Swift’s mother Sara Rich, Eugene-Springfield Solidarity Network staffer Bayla Ostrach who read a moving letter from a friend serving in Iraq, Terry Holvey who read a statement of support from her husband State Rep. Paul Holvey and spoke of the emotional anguish she experienced while her son served in Iraq, and other peace and justice activists.

In addition to Rep. Paul Holvey, Senator Vicki Walker, Lane County Commissioner Pete Sorenson and the following organizations endorsed the resolution:

Military Families Speak Out, Veterans For Peace Eugene Chapter 929, Veterans Against Torture, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, Lane County Democrat’s Peace Caucus, Eugene- Springfield Solidarity Network, SEIU Local 085, Whiteaker Community Council, CALC, Justice Not War Coalition, WAND, Code Pink, Eugene PeaceWorks, Oregon PeaceWorks, CISCAP, American Friends Service Committee, Oregon Action, Helios Resource Network, Rural Organizing Project, Committee for Countering Military Recruitment, Oregon Toxics Alliance, Pan Asian Community Alliance, Taxes for Peace Not War, Faith in Action, Lane County Bill of Rights Defense Committee, EQuality Network, Springfield Peace Action Network, Springfield Alliance for Equality and Respect (SAfER).

Please contact the following Councilors who voted in favor of the resolution and thank the mayor for her support:

• Bonny Bettman: Bonny.S.Bettman@ci.eugene.or.us, 344-3150
• Betty Taylor: Betty.L.TAYLOR@ci.eugene.or.us, 338-9947
• Alan Zelenka: Alan.Zelenka@ci.eugene.or.us, 344-5721
• Andrea Ortiz: andrea.f.ortiz@ci.eugene.or.us, 688-5588
• Chris Pryor: chris.e.pryor@ci.eugene.or.us, 484-6896
• Kitty Piercy: kitty.piercy@ci.eugene.or.us, 682-5010

It was a great day for Eugene.

For more information:

Michael Carrigan, CALC, 485-1755 or calcdev@efn.org

Urges Cessation of Combat Operations in Iraq and the Return of U.S. Troops (Resolution)

WHEREAS, U.S. involvement in Iraq has resulted in the deaths of more than 3,000 U.S. troops, 80 in Oregon, and the wounding and disabling of more than 22,000 U.S. military personnel to date; and

WHEREAS, the costs of the call-up of Oregon National Guard members for deployment in Iraq has been significant, as reckoned in lost lives, combat injuries, psychic trauma, grieving, as well as the dramatic disruption within the families of the dead and wounded, financial hardship for individuals, families and businesses, interruption of careers and damage to the fabric of civic life in many Oregon communities; and

WHEREAS, in October 2002, the United States Congress adopted a Joint Resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces in Iraq on the basis of an alleged imminent threat of attack by Iraq, using alleged weapons of mass destruction, and, in addition, on the basis that Saddam Hussein had played an active role in the 9/11 attacks on the United States, both of which bases have subsequently been shown to be unfounded; and

WHEREAS, the war and occupation has caused an estimated 650,000 Iraqi deaths, including men, women and children, according to an October 11 study British medical journal, The Lancet; and

WHEREAS, countless more Iraqis have been maimed, traumatized and wounded, or have suffered the destruction of homes, businesses, schools, sanitation and water treatment plants, hospitals, and, in general, much of their economic infrastructure; and

WHEREAS, the Iraqi people have held their own elections and called for a timetable for the withdrawal of the U.S. armed forces from Iraq; and

WHEREAS, more than $360 billion has been appropriated by Congress to fund the invasion and subsequent occupation of a country that posed no threat to the U.S., which funds were removed from education, health care, housing, nutrition and other social services in the United States, as well as humanitarian assistance abroad; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq highlights our dependence on imported oil for our energy needs and uses funds that could be better allocated to developing alternatives to fossil fuels; and

WHEREAS, the more than $102 million spent by Eugene taxpayers to date on the war and occupation in Iraq could have provided one year's Head Start for nearly 14,000 Eugene children; or one year's medical insurance for more than 61,000 Eugene children; or one year's Head Start for nearly 14,000 Eugene children; or one year's medical insurance for more than 61,000 Eugene children; or one year's salary for more than 1775 public school teachers in Eugene; or more than 900 additional housing units in Eugene, or nearly 5000 four- year scholarships at public universities in Oregon, according to the National Priorities Project; and

WHEREAS, the Oregon AFL-CIO, at their October, 2005, convention, approved a resolution calling for the immediate return of the Oregon National Guard; and

WHEREAS, the war and continued occupation have resulted in the devastation of Iraq's physical and social infrastructure and led to widespread and continuous resistance to a U.S. occupation that threatens the lives of Iraqi civilians, the men and women who compose the ranks of U.S. and other occupying forces; and

WHEREAS, according to recent polls, two out of three Americans disapprove of the way President Bush has handled the war in Iraq.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Eugene, on behalf of the people of Eugene, urge the United States government to immediately commence a rapid and orderly withdrawal of United States military personnel from Iraq; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Eugene, on behalf of the people of Eugene, urge the Congress of the United States to vote against further funding of the Iraq occupation by U.S. forces, commencing with FY 2008 (October 1, 2007), except for funds necessary to carry out a safe, rapid and orderly withdrawal that fully protects American troops from harm and to expedite necessary reconstruction in Iraq; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Council of the City of Eugene, on behalf of the people of Eugene, urge the United States government to pursue regional diplomatic efforts with the countries that border Iraq, including both Iran and Syria, with the goal of producing stability in Iraq; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the financial resources used to prosecute the war be redirected, as they become available, to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable portions of our population, including education, health care and full benefits for returning veterans, as well as to fund the development of non-carbon producing alternatives for our energy needs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution shall be sent to George W. Bush, President of the United States, the members of the Oregon Congressional delegation, the Oregon State legislature and Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski.

Oregon House Passes Iraq Resolution

The resolution, was co-sponsored by Eugene Representative Paul Holvey. It will now move to the Senate for consideration. The text of HJM 9 can be found at http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measures/hjm1.dir/hjm0009.a.html