Tuesday December 13, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution putting the city on record as “urging the United States Government to reduce the military budget, end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and redirect the savings for domestic needs”.
The resolution, co-sponsored by Supervisors John Avalos (D11) and Eric Mar (D1) passed with eight supervisors voting “yes” and three voting “no”. The supervisors voting in favor of the resolution were: Avalos, Mar, Board President David Chiu (D3), Ross Mirkarimi (D5), Jane Kim (D6), Scott Wiener (D8), David Campos (D9), and Malia Cohen (D10). Those voting against the resolution were: Mark Farrell (D2), Carmen Chu (D4), and Sean Elsbernd (D7).
The Bay Area New Priorities Campaign (http://NewPrioritiesCampaign.org) initially drafted the resolution and brought it to the Board of Supervisors as part of the organization’s campaign to get similar resolutions adopted in cities and counties around the SF Bay Area.
The resolution notes that approximately 58 cents of every federal discretionary budget dollar in 2011 will pay for past, present, and future military expenses. It also notes that San Francisco faces falling federal and state support, causing cuts to essential city services and programs, such as food banks, adult daycare centers, city college, schools, and libraries.
Passing the resolution requires the SF government to urge California’s federal legislators to end the wars, provide jobs and adequate care for returning war veterans, reduce the military budget, and refocus national priorities on domestic job-creation and rebuilding national infrastructure. Copies of the resolution will be sent to President Barack Obama, the California Congressional delegation, the Governor of California, and the California State Legislature.
[See full text (PDF) of resolution]
[See Anti-Afghanistan-War resolution the SF Supervisors passed in 2009]
