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Military Spending is the Elephant in the Living Room!

Published by jalbertini on December 19th, 2012 in Military, Public Events, Social Justice, Take Action!, Vigil leaflets.

What’s Your Priority?

Guns or Butter?

     More than 30 years ago, when Ronald Reagan took office the U.S. national debt was below $1 trillion and the top marginal tax rate was 70%. Today the top tax rate is 35% and the national debt is above $16 trillion. Now the super rich are squawking over even a small percentage increase in the top tax rate, and nobody in Congress or the White House are talking about major cuts to the war machine.

      The U.S. Senate recently passed a $631 billion dollar defense bill with a unanimous vote of 98-0. This bill includes $88 billion for war-funding and is $17 billion more than the Obama administration requested. Military related spending is actually much higher, because some items like nuclear weapons are hidden in the Department of Energy budget and much of the national debit interest is military related. Meanwhile, Congress is discussing massive cuts to social programs. Here are some social programs and their cost, considered to be “bargaining chips,” that have not been taken off of the table by either party:

  • Medicaid ($258 billion)
  • Food Stamps ($78 billion in 2011)
  • Supplemental Security Income ($47 billion)
  • Unemployment benefits extension in 2013 ($40 billion)
  • Pell Grants ($36 billion)
  • Section 8 Housing Assistance ($19 billion)
  • Job Training ($18 billion in 2009)
  • Head Start ($7.9 billion)
  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program ($3.47 billion)
  • Community Health Centers ($3.1 billion)
  • Title 1 Education Grants ($322 million)
  • Women, Infants, and Children, (WIC) ($7.2 million in 2011)

The total cost of these programs is roughly $511.5 billion. The beneficiaries are mostly low-income Americans, the elderly, children, students and the unemployed.And cutbacks to Medicare and Social Security are in the works too. Don’t let these attacks on children, the poor and the elderly happen.

The elephant in the living room that nobody wants to talk about is the War Machine!!!So let’s talk about it. Let Your Voice be Heard! Merry Christmas!

Tax the Rich! Feed the Poor NOT the War

Machine!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Emailja@malu-aina.org   http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Dec. 21, 2012 – 587th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Off

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