FOLLOW THE MONEY!
Tax Day is April 15th. Over half of every federal tax dollar goes to the military and corporations that profit from war.
The proposed US defense budget will cost the U.S. public two billion dollars per day. The U.S. has been at war over 8 years in Afghanistan, 7 years in Iraq, with the wars expanding into Pakistan, Yemen. Who’s next?
Meanwhile, counties and states are cutting back on basic services: Our kids can’t go to school on Fridays, library hours are cut, people are losing jobs, homes are being foreclosed, businesses are closing or barely hanging on.
Let’ look at some hard economic facts: In 1970, CEOs made $25 for every $1 the average worker made. An in-depth study in 2004 on the explosion of CEO pay revealed that, including stock options and other benefits, CEO pay is now $500 to $1. The U.S. already had the highest inequality of wealth in the industrialized world prior to the financial crisis — and it’s gotten even worse. Since the crisis, which has hit the average worker much harder than CEOs, the gap between the top one percent and the remaining 99% of the US population has grown to a record high. The economic top one percent of the population now owns over 70% of all financial assets, an all time record. The 400 richest Americans have more wealth than 50% of the U.S. population — that’s 155 million Americans combined. 43% of American workers have less than $10k for retirement
2009 was a record-breaking year for Wall Street bonuses, as firms issued $150 billion to their executives, much of that tax payer funded bailouts. That $150 billion bailout could have paid an annual salary of $30,000 to 5 million people. However, the real size of the Wall St. bailout is estimated to be $14 trillion. Trillions more, 25% of taxpayer dollars allocated to military spending goes unaccounted for every year, not to mention the billions spent on overcharging and outright fraud. During the War on Terror, the Economic Elite have used our tax money to build a private army that has more soldiers deployed than the US military. Private contractors regularly get paid three to five times more than soldiers, and have been repeatedly caught overcharging and committing fraud on a massive scale. Read more http://www.alternet.org/story/145705/
Had Enough?
Please visit our web site http://www.malu-aina.org to view the flier about the Islandwide roving peace vigil set for Saturday April 10 and Sunday, April 11. Bring a sign or wave one of ours at a location near you, or at all the stops. Please help pass the word by forwarding this message to your friends.
Here’s a summary of the roving vigil times and places:
On Saturday, April 10th 9-10AM Bayfront Hilo, 11-12AM Honoka’a (Hwy by Tex’s Drive In),
1-2PM Waimea fronting Foodland, 3-4PM Waikoloa Village by Shopping Center.
On Sunday, April 11th 9-10AM Volcano Hwy 11 Wright Road, 11-12 Na’alehu theater
1-2 Capain Cook across Manago Hotel, 3-4PM Kailua-Kona pier
Stop the Wars! Fund Human Needs!
1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties.
4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, etc.5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760. Phone (808) 966-7622. Email ja@interpac.net http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (April 9, 2010 – 447th week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office
