However, there is more work to do as Washington is not moving in the right direction. Today we have Federal budget sequester cuts hitting communities that have already faced years of local budget reductions. Yet the war in Afghanistan continues and Congress gives the Pentagon so much money that it votes to fund weapon systems and projects the generals do not even want! (Read story here.) How ludicrous is that? Unfortunately, with corporations spending millions on lobbyists and donations to push their influence on Capitol Hill, it makes complete sense.

The Jobs-Not-Wars campaign is organizing local actions or events from Friday, June 21st to Wednesday, July 3rd that highlight the disparities between runaway military spending and cuts to social spending in the federal budget, as these play out in our communities. We will place a spotlight on the priorities and needs of the majority of people. The aims of this initiative are:

To make visible the sites and corporations where military contracts enrich a few, or serve immoral and useless wars, and the places and people hurt by federal budget cuts to social programs;

To put forward the vision and prospect of converting military spending to projects that both generate jobs and serve desperately needed and socially constructive ends;

To help create coalitions of local people, especially involving communities, organizations, agencies and individuals who have not worked together before; and to reach folks that previous actions have not reached.

Join a scheduled event or plan one yourself: Take action. It’s going to take pressure from us, the people to move the nation in the right direction. Let’s empower and motivate each other to speak out. Help plan an event or action. You be the start of an event by planning one yourself. Have you been affected by budget cuts? Do you or someone you know have a story to tell? Contact us to help you connect to a local group and to tell you story.

As events are planned, the Jobs-Not-Wars campaign will post information on its website www.job-not-wars.org Check there often to find events near you. You can download this toolkit to help you organize. If you are involved in planning an event, be sure to send us information so that we can list it (info@jobs-not-wars.org)

Please donate to UFPJ to help us with this effort.

We will keep you updated.

The post Jobs-Not -Wars organizers are moving to the streets to take action. appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

A telling and sad statistic provided by Census Bureau reports that in 2011, 46.2 million or 1 out of 7 people live in poverty with almost 1 out of 16 people living in deep poverty.  The Census defines deep poverty as income 50% below the poverty line. Census figures show that in 2011, 6.6 percent of all people, or 20.4 million people, lived in deep poverty.

Today Pentagon spending accounts for more than 50% of Federal budget discretionary expenditures. Why should there be so much spending on war when people are suffering and our nation needs to invest in our future? It makes no sense. Priorities must change. Our nation needs a new foreign policy based on diplomacy and international cooperation; not war making. We need new budget priorities focused on job creation and supporting human needs and development.
Tell your friends, tell your family and tell the world!

Learn about Tax Evaders in this new video game. Many of these evaders are “’defense” contractors making billions in war profits from Pentagon bloat. Shockingly, the debate in Congress today is about cutting Social Security. The real question is why are we even discussing these cuts before going after the hundreds of billions that corporate Tax Evaders steal from our budget every year? A recent report reveals that we are losing nearly $100 Billion every year from corporate tax dodging

Participate in a Thunderclap. Join together to tell Congress, “Our tax $ should go to the programs we need, not to Pentagon waste. Make the call to #demilitarize http://thndr.it/Y3bwaP!

What is Thunderclap?

Thunderclap is a tool that lets a message be heard by saying it together. Join a Thunderclap, and you and others will share the same message at the same time together; spreading an idea through Facebook and Twitter that cannot be ignored.

Join with others to make sure our message is heard and seen!

On April 15, actions from street corner vigils, educational forums, informational leafleting and meetings with legislators will occur in 43 countries.
In the US, actions are planned in 28 states (*denotes in more than one location): DE, *MI, ME, *MO, WV, *VA, *NY, *VT, DC, *FL, WA, *WI, *MA, *OR, *PA, MD, *CA, *AZ, OH, RI, *IN, MT, *NH, TN, KY, *CO, IA, *NJ

To find locations and contact info, or list an event, go to GDAMS website. Our partners at the Coalition on Human Needs have listings for local events here.

The post Global Day of Action on Military Spending appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Peace and Justice Groups, Military Families, Veterans, Unions, Retirees, and the Unemployed are all supporting our Jobs Not Wars Petition demanding that Congress and our President Give Us Work Not War. If you have not yet signed, simply click here to Sign the Petition.

If you have already signed, we Thank You! Now it’s time to HIT THE STREETS! The Jobs-Not-Wars campaign is organizing local actions or events from Friday, June 21st to Wednesday, July 3rd that highlight the disparities between runaway military spending and cuts to social spending in the federal budget, as these play out in our communities. We will place a spotlight on the priorities and needs of the majority of people. Learn more about the initiative here.

Please continue to help Spread the Word by forwarding this Petition to all your friends and associates.  If you belong to an organization, no matter how big or small, who agrees with our Petition, ask them to Endorse the Campaign here.

A Quick Summary of our Petition’s Demands:

• End the War in Afghanistan Now
• Make Substantial Cuts to the Over-bloated, Out-of-Control Pentagon budget
• Create Good Paying Jobs
• Let the Bush tax cuts expire for the top 2%
• The wealthiest and corporations must do their fair share and pay a little more
• Protect our social safety net including Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid
• Rely on negotiation and determined diplomacy rather than military power

Click here for a downloadable copy of the Petition and bring it to your church, union, parent teacher meeting, and ask them to Sign the Petition. Hungry American children, the children of the poor and unemployed, are becoming the new face of America. All Our Voices are needed to fight against the influence of the very powerful, money laden Wall Street and Corporate CEOs and the Military Industrial Complex.

If you can afford to, please consider making a donation. Any size donation will be gratefully received – remember that even very small donations added together make a BIG difference. Thank you for your time and continued support

In Struggle,
Michael McPhearson
National Coordinator

The post Sign the Jobs Not Wars Petition and Join the June 21st-July 3rd actions appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

We rejected deficit reduction at the expense of working & middle class Americans, the poor & elderly.

We rejected more tax breaks for large corporations and the wealthy. Corporations and the wealthy have “raked in” all the benefits while everyone else has suffered economic loss.

One of the best ways to reduce the deficit is to put people back to work – it’s time to invest in our people and our communities.

Congress and President Obama must do the will of the people.

• End the War in Afghanistan now, bring all our troops home and care for them when they return
• Create jobs – invest in our communities and our people to grow the economy and put people back to work;
• Let the Bush Tax Cuts expire for the top 2%;
• The wealthiest and corporations must do their fair share and pay a little more
• Protect our social safety net including Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid
• Make substantial cuts to the bloated, out-of-control Pentagon budget
• Focus on negotiation and determined diplomacy rather than military power

We must invest in America’s future, create jobs and grow the economy.

Our priorities are clear: Jobs & Economic Growth, End the war in Afghanistan now, and substantial cuts to runaway Pentagon spending.

Keep the pressure on – remind Congress and President Obama that they work for the American people.

We will present the Jobs Not Wars Petition to Congress & President Obama around the time of the Inauguration.

The petition has been endorsed by more than 50 organizations, including UFPJ.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter

Tomorrow – December 5th – is a NATONAL CALL-IN DAY to members of the House and Senate and the White House.

Take a moment to call Congress and the President to tell them your priorities.  Click here for more information.

Call 1-866-426-2631 or 1-800-998-0180 on Dec. 5th to say NO cuts to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and vital services; make the rich pay their share; and redirect funds from the Pentagon to create jobs and invest in the economic security of our communities.

We’ll send you a message tomorrow to remind you to call Congress.

Forward this email to everyone you know – ask them to join you in signing the Jobs Not Wars Petition. There is strength in numbers. Don’t let our elected officials forget who they represent.

We can, and must do better for all Americans

PS: Don’t forget to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or email us at info@jobs-not-wars.org!

The post Sign the Jobs Not Wars Petition! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

House of Representatives Should Vote:

“YES” for Jobs Program, Federal Aid to States and Vital Social Services!

“NO” on current proposed FY 2013 Pentagon Budget!

Congress is poised once again to sacrifice domestic security in the service of unnecessary wars and the profits of defense contractors. The FY 2013 Defense Appropriations bill, which includes $519 billion for the Pentagon’s base budget and$88.5 billion for the war in Afghanistan is expected to reach the House floor this week. This represents 57% of all federal appropriations for the coming year. Click here for a more detailed account.

Under the Budget Control Act passed last August, if military funding is approved at this level it will mean significant cuts to vitally needed social programs, including nutrition, education, housing, job training and health care for the poor.

Since 2001, the Pentagon budget, including the wars, has grown almost three times as fast as appropriations for domestic programs.* These choices have cut or reduced the “safety net” for millions of Americans, weakened our domestic institutions, sacrificed the lives and well-being of our own soldiers, and brought immense suffering to people in other nations. New funding caps have squeezed domestic priorities even more. For example, adult job training, children’s mental health, substance abuse treatment, home heating assistance for the poor, community development funds and grants for adult education have all been cut from 2010 to 2012.

* (This calculation is adjusted for inflation and does not include the billions of dollars for veterans benefits, nuclear weapons, military construction and other military purposes that are budgeted in other appropriations bills.)

The proposed FY 2013 Defense Appropriations bill is harmful to our “national security” in multiple ways. Unfortunately too many members of Congress keep voting in favor of these unpopular measures, assuming that constituents are not paying attention.

Major reasons to deny passage of the bill:

• It insures that the costly and ineffective military approach to the threat of “terrorism” will be perpetuated -that Americans and Afghans will continue to die in the service of a failed military policy.
• It continues the use of “drones,” Special Operations and the illegal policy of assassination, which is killing civilians and making new enemies around the world.
• It deprives our states and cities of the funds they need to insure that all of their residents have access to adequate food, shelter, education and health care.
• It comes at the expense of investing in our future and funding infrastructure and public programs that are the most effective form of job creation.

House members will be voting on the FY2013 Pentagon Appropriations bill this week. They need to hear from constituents, urging them to:

1. Vote for amendments that eliminate funding for continued fighting in Afghanistan, for the use of drones, and for expensive  and unnecessary weapons systems.

2. Vote against the FY 2013 Pentagon Appropriations bill, unless it includes the amendments suggested above and substantially lower funding levels.

We insist on sufficient funding to meet urgent domestic needs – for jobs, education, health, nutrition and human services. At a time of severe recession, we cannot afford to squander another $608 billion for military purposes.

Speak Out Today!!

• Call your Member of Congress. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121.
• Send an email.
• Bring a delegation of constituents to their local office, with a written statement.
• Write a letter to the editor, alerting others in your district of the upcoming vote and your Rep’s position.

(Find contact information for your Rep and Staff here. And please share any feedback  rustiandgael@unitedforpeace.org!

As always, we ask that you please disseminate this message widely and quickly to family, friends and colleagues. Click here to send a letter to your Representative and to forward this alert!

Signed,

(Institutional affiliations are for identification purposes only)

Marc Becker, Historians Against the War
Medea Benjamin, Global Exchange
Randy Block, Gray Panthers
Leah Bolger, Veteran For Peace
Shahid Buttar, DC Guerrilla Poetry Insurgency
Jacqueline Cabasso, Western States Legal Foundation
Tim Carpenter, Progressive Democrats of America
Sr. Patricia J. Chappell, SNDdeN, Pax Christ USA
Christine DeTroy, Maine  Branch of Women’s Int’l League for Peace & Freedom.
Jane Swift Dugdale, Main Line Peace Action Bryn Mawr
Nancy Dwyer, Pax Christi LI
Rusti Eisenberg, United for Peace and Justice
Michael Eisenscher, U.S. Labor Against the War
Jodie Evans, CODEPINK
Shelagh Foreman, Massachusetts Peace Action
Desiree Fairooz, Virginians for Peace and Justice
Rebecca Griffin, Peace Action West
Jean Haskell, Grannie Peace Brigade
Robin Harper, Peace and Social Action Committee of Providence Friends Quaker Meeting
Tom Hayden, Center for Participatory Democracy
Mary Hladky, Military Families Speak Out
Sally Jones, Peace Action Fund NYS
Mark C. Johnson, Fellowship of Reconciliation
Barbara Larcom, Alliance for Global Justice
Ray McGovern, Retired Senior CIA Analyst
Kevin Martin, Peace Action
Duncan McFarland, United for Justice with Peace (Boston)
Michael McPhearson, United for Peace and Justice
Margaret Melkonian, Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives
Stephen Miles, Win Without War
Gael Murphy, United for Peace and Justice
Robert Naiman, Just Foreign Policy
Jim O’Brien, Historians Against the War
Dr. Charlotte Phillips, Brooklyn for Peace
Mike Prokosch, Mass. Coalition to Fund Our Communities – Cut Military Spending 25%
Shirley Romaine, Great Neck SANE/Peace Action
Mark Roman, CODEPINK Maine
Lisa Savage, CODEPINK Maine
Alice Slater
Jean Stokan, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team
David Swanson, War is a Crime
Sue Udry, Defending Dissent Foundation

The post Unchecked Pentagon Spending Threatens Our National Security appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.