Infographic on military spending. Credit: Global Campaign on Military Spending, www.demilitarize.org .
 

By Leah Bolger, chair, Corvallis, OR WILPF Branch

Recently, the Charlottesville, VA City Council voted unanimously to oppose the Trump budget proposal because of its large increase in military spending. Trump’s proposed budget increases the military portion by 10 percent by taking away $54 billion from education, environment, science, and poverty. The issue was brought to the attention of the council by a local petition.

This is a great idea for Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS)!

This is an action that can be taken on by WILPF members everywhere. Even if your resolution doesn’t pass, the process of petitioning your city council will provide great opportunities to bring light to our outrageous military spending.

The step-by-step process of putting on a campaign, including a draft resolution, is outlined on the World Beyond War website. There, you will find complete citations, as well as arguments to counter those who will say that it’s not the business of a city council.

Charlottesville joins New Haven, CT and Montgomery County, MD in passing similar resolutions. Let’s see how many more resolutions WILPFers can get passed!