Dear Mayor Healy:
I was surprised and disappointed that you did not attend 79th the U.S. Conference of Mayors from June 17-21st in Baltimore. Mayors took a stand on war policy for the first time since Vietnam and they said that urgent domestic economic needs should take priority. I request you to urge the City Council to pass the following adopted amended resolution in support of the Mayors across America:
Calling on Congress to redirect military spending to domestic priorities,
* Whereas, every member of the United States Conference of Mayors and the Americans they represent support our brave men and women and their families; and
* Whereas, the drawdown of troops should be done in a measured way that does not destabilize the region and that can accelerate the transfer of responsibility to regional authorities; and
* Whereas, the severity of the ongoing economic crisis has created budget shortfalls at all levels of government and requires us to re-examine our national spending priorities; and
* Whereas, the people of the United States are collectively paying approximately $126 billion per year to wage war in Iraq and Afghanistan; and
* Whereas, 6,024 members of the U.S. armed forces have died in these wars; and at least 120,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan since the coalition attacks began
* Now, therefore, be it resolved, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors supports efforts to speed up the ending of these wars; and
* Be it further resolved, that the U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on the president and the U.S. Congress to end these wars as soon as strategically possible and to bring these war dollars home to meet vital human needs, promote job creation, rebuild our infrastructure, aid municipal and state governments, and develop a new economy based upon renewable, sustainable energy.
I also kindly request, City Clerk Mr. Byrne to record this in City Communications.
Thanks
Riaz Wahid