National Resolutions Week: Military Spending (General Information)

Posted on Sep 16, 2012 by Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (MN ASAP)

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National Resolutions Week: Military spending

What Minnesota cities are being approached now?

Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth, Eagan, Lakeville, and Apple Valley. While we are approaching these cities, our success will depend on your involvement.

Contact Nathan at 218.310.7682 for more information.

National Resolutions Week — the first week in October — is the anniversary month of the Afghan War. It is a timely opportunity to call for moving money from the Pentagon to our communities and making a public stand. This effort was initiated by the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project and it’s supported by the New Priorities Network.

Here is a range of actions you can take, depending on your local reality.

* Try to get a military spending resolution on your local city council agenda during the first week in October – or if that’s not possible, later in October.

* If implementing the full strategy during October is not realistic for your group, please attend a city council meeting in your area, individually or as a small group. Get on the open microphone / public hearing section of your city council meeting. Typically speakers have 3 minutes to comment on agenda items / propose agenda items for upcoming meetings. Even if you live in a conservative area and your council won’t put our resolution on the agenda, this is your opportunity to raise the issues in solidarity with the national resolutions effort. Imagine if even 100 individuals in 100 cities around the country raised issues of military spending during the 11 year anniversary week of the Afghan War.

* Form a military spending resolutions working group or announce that you’ve formed one. Implement our strategy at your own pace. Connecting the dots between federal military spending and local austerity is an ongoing effort.

* Place an ad / letter to the editor in your local newspaper, using our talking points / graphics. We suggest raising money for ads by arranging to pass a donation bucket around your local peace group or church service.

* Email our resolutions week website to your friends locally and nationwide. Call sympathetic folks you know and have a discussion about our campaign. Do Facebook / Twitter posts on the national resolutions week. Read our talking points and make a quick Youtube video (1-3 minutes) reflecting on our talking points and campaign strategy.

Regardless of what action you or your group takes, please inform us at: reduce.redirect.war.spending@gmail.com. We will include actions out of your city on our national website, mass emails, and press releases.

How does a City Council resolution on military spending advance our issues?
It gives City Council members a chance to discuss how federal budgetary decisions impact local communities.

Questions of interest to local city councils:

Can we spend $1 trillion (+) on war without cutting essential services on the local level?

Tell us about “Community Development Block Grants.” Has your city seen cuts? What are the ramifications?

How much does the Federal Government spend on war and how much on local communities in the US?

How many local tax dollars have been spent to fund recent wars and an escalating Pentagon budget while local needs go unmet?

Peace movement victories are rare. With enough participation, our efforts will inspire a more serious discussion of military spending during the crucial phases of the 2012 election and beyond. The June, 2012 national resolutions week on corporate personhood helped to inject that issue in campaigns on all levels of government, leading into the 2012 election. Now it’s our turn to shine a brighter light on the 900 lb gorilla in the room, military spending and the trade-offs imposed at the local level.

Monday Meetings in St. Paul:

Rice Street Library (meeting room)
1011 Rice Street, Saint Paul, MN 55117

Sept 17
6-8 pm

October 1st
6-8 pm

Tuesday Meetings in Minneapolis:
Lunds (grocery store) meeting room

25 University Ave SE. Minneapolis
55414

September 18,
7:45-9:45 pm.

September 25,
7-9 pm.

October 2,
7-9 pm.