Military Spending vs. Jobs, Health, Education & Environment

Annual Meeting Saturday, January 28 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm First Baptist Church in Newton 848 Beacon St (at Centre) Green Line “D”- Newton Center Pre-Register Now!

Neta Crawford

Judith LeBlanc

Together we’ve accomplished a lot this year: U.S. troops out of Iraq, the military budget on the table for real, new alliances. But we have much to do in 2012, with Afghanistan, Korea, Iran, Senate and House elections, and the urgent need to move the money from military to domestic spending.

Each and all of us, together, can make a difference. Join two inspiring women, a scholar and an activist, to learn how.

Professor Neta Crawford of Boston University, co-director of the Cost of War Project, will talk about the tragedy of American militarism and the cost in lives and dollars of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Read an interview about the Project’s findings, view Prof. Crawford’s interview on Democracy Now, and see the full study.

Judith LeBlanc, Field Director for Peace Action, will update us on Peace Action’s national campaign to Move the Money from the military to human needs and discuss building coalitions with human service, labor, and community groups. See her biography and read an article about the campaign.

We’ll elect new board members, discuss our work towards a nuclear-free world, and practice organizing skills in workshops. See the detailed agenda.

Workshop Topics: (more details)

• Bringing Peace issues into the 2012 Elections and Bird Dog Training
• Organizing Your Community to Move the Money
• What’s Behind the US-Iran War Scare?
• Making the Media Work for You

Join Massachusetts Peace Action as we review our progress in 2011 and chart the path for our work in 2012.

Refreshments will be served. Pre-Register now! Questions? 617-354-2169 or info@masspeaceaction.org
 

Um, we won. You won.

Not completely. The President didn’t outright reject the Keystone XL pipeline permit. My particular fantasy — that he would invite the 1253 people arrested on his doorstep in August inside the gates for a victory picnic by the vegetable garden — didn’t materialize.

But a few minutes ago the President sent the pipeline back to the State Department for a thorough re-review, which most analysts are saying will effectively kill the project. The president explicitly noted climate change, along with the pipeline route, as one of the factors that a new review would need to assess. There’s no way, with an honest review, that a pipeline that helps speed the tapping of the world’s second-largest pool of carbon can pass environmental muster.

And he has made clear that the environmental assessment won’t be carried out by cronies of the pipeline company — that it will be an expert and independent assessment. We will watch that process like hawks, making sure that it doesn’t succumb to more cronyism. Perhaps this effort will go some tiny way towards cleaning up the Washington culture of corporate dominance that came so dramatically to light here in emails and lobbyist disclosure forms.
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On Tuesday, November 15, Tell Senators Kerry & Brown:

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) is one of 12 members of a Congressional “Supercommittee” charged with cutting $1.2 trillion from the federal deficit by November 23. Sen. Kerry is negotiating a “deal” with Republicans that would cut more than $1 trillion from Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs that serve the poor and middle class.

Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) opposes any tax increases on the 1% or cuts to the military—the only way to avoid deep cuts to programs that serve the 99%!

They need to hear from us! Join us on Tuesday, November 15, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. for a rally and press conference in front of Sen. Kerry’s office at One Bowdoin Square, Boston (corner of Cambridge and New Chardon Streets; use Bowdoin or Government Center T stop).
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In an effort to get a debt reduction deal with Republicans, Democrats on the SuperCommittee, including Senator Kerry, have proposed massive cuts to Medicare and Medicaid benefits.  These programs are lifelines for seniors and low and moderate income people and we must stand firm against these cuts.   Yet, the Democrats have not proposed any cuts in runaway military spending.

Senior and labor groups will hold a Rally to Protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in downtown Boston Wednesday, November 9.  An 11:00 am rally at the Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St. (Tufts Medical Center T-stop) will be addressed by Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steve Tolman, 1199SEIU’s Veronica Turner, and AARP’s Deb Banda.   The seniors will then rally at Government Center to bring their message to Senators Kerry and Brown.   Call Massachusetts Senior Action Council at 617-284-1234 for bus transportation throughout Massachusetts.

Join Peace Action as we carry ”Fund Our Communities Not War” signs Wednesday to support the rally. The real budget buster is the Pentagon, which is still planning to continue the endless war in Afghanistan, build 2,400 unnecessary F-35 fighters for $385 billion, and build new nuclear weapons production plans and new generations of nuclear armed missiles, bombers, and submarines.  Massachusetts voters want Washington to invest in job creation and secure retirement, not runaway military spending.   Meet outside the Wang Theater at 10:30 or find us anytime during the day.

Spread the word! Use Peace Action’s new Move the Money Toolkit to get facts and materials to reach your neighbors.  The toolkit contains the facts on deficit cutting, background articles, leaflets and brochures, sample town resolutions, and ideas on moving candidates for office.

Put the message in your own words! Send an online postcard to Sen. Kerry this week, and help us circulate printed postcards — contact the Mass. Peace Action office for copies.

Want to dig deeper?  The Reclaiming Our Economy teach-in this Sunday at Northeastern University will feature more than two dozen thinkers analyzing the causes and solutions of our economic problems.