Whereas the military is itself the greatest consumer of petroleum we have[xiii],
Whereas economists at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have documented that military spending is an economic drain rather than a jobs program[xiv],
Be it therefore resolved that the ____________ of ___________, ________, urges the United States Congress to move our tax dollars in exactly the opposite direction proposed by the President, from militarism to human and environmental needs.
[i] "Trump to Seek $54 Billion Increase in Military Spending," The New York Times, February 27, 2017, click here
[ii] This does not include another 6% for the discretionary portion of veterans' care. For a breakdown of discretionary spending in the 2015 budget from the National Priorities Project, see click here
[iii] "43 Million People Kicked Out of Their Homes," World Beyond War, ldbeyondwar.org/43-million-people-kicked-homes / "Europe's Refugee Crisis Was Made in America," The Nation, click here
[iv] On February 27, 2017, Trump said, "Almost 17 years of fighting in the Middle East . . . $6 trillion we've spent in the Middle East . . . and we're nowhere, actually if you think about it we're less than nowhere, the Middle East is far worse than it was 16, 17 years ago, there's not even a contest . . . we have a hornet's nest . . . ." click here
[v] "Free College: We Can Afford It," The Washington Post, May 1, 2012, click here
[vi] "The World Only Needs 30 Billion Dollars a Year to Eradicate the Scourge of Hunger," Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, .fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2008/1000853/index.html
[vii] "Clean Energy Transition Is A $25 Trillion Free Lunch," Clean Technica, click here / See also: .solutionaryrail.org
[viii] "Clean Water for a Healthy World," UN Environment Program, click here
[ix] "Cost of High Speed Rail in China One Third Lower than in Other Countries," The World Bank, click here
[x] Non-military U.S. foreign aid is approximately $25 billion, meaning that President Trump would need to cut it by over 200% to find the $54 billion he proposes to add to military spending
[xi] Letter to Congressional leaders, February 27, 2017, click here
[xii] See click here
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