santacruz coalition

On Tuesday, February 27th, the City Council of Santa Cruz, CA put Santa Cruz on record as the first community in the country to officially oppose the use of preemptive military force against the sovereign country of Iran, whether overt or covert!

By a vote of 5 to 2, the Council passed the resolution below, which also included strong language about an immediate withdrawal from Iraq!

Over 75 community members attended, and many spoke on behalf of the resolution – the council also received dozens of emails and phone calls supporting them in taking this action – there were no negative public comments or messages received.

Mayor Emily Reilly and Council Members can be reached at 831-420-5020 or emily reilly <ereilly@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us> mike rotkin <mrotkin@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us>, cynthia mathews <cmathews@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us>, ryan coonerty <rcoonerty@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us>, tony madrigal <tmadrigal@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us>, ed porter <eporter@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us>, lynn robinson <lrobinson@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us

(fyi: Ryan Coonerty and Lynn Robinson were the dissenting votes)

activist contacts include:
Sherry Conable  831-459-7259
Louis Lafortune  831-588-8487
Celia Scott  831-423-0796

this grassroots initiated action was organized and cosponsored by:
Veterans for Peace Chapter 11 of Santa Cruz, CodePink Santa Cruz, the Green Party of SC, the Peace & Freedom Party of SC, the Coalition for Impeachment Now!, Students Against War, Women in Black of SC, the United Nations Association of SC, the Buddhist Peace Fellowship of SC, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom of SC, and the People’s Democratic Club of SC

(passed by Santa Cruz City Council, 5 to 2, Feb 27, 2007)
RESOLUTION OPPOSING U.S. MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN IRAQ AND IRAN

Whereas, current U.S. foreign policy in the middle-east is clearly counterproductive with respect to the interests of the American people and the peoples of the middle-east; and

Whereas, the initial invasion of Iraq was based on deliberately falsified information about non-existent “weapons of mass destruction” and alleged ties between Sadam Hussein and Al Quaeda in Iraq presented by the Bush Administration to the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and the American people; and

Whereas, continued presence of the U.S. military in Iraq as an occupying army ­ a situation which has already gone on longer than the U.S. involvement in World War II — cannot possibly lead to peace and/or a stable and sovereign Iraq under the control of the people of Iraq; and

Whereas, the increase or “surge” in American soldiers proposed by the Bush Administration cannot lead to a successful outcome of the war in Iraq; and

Whereas, polls conducted by the most reputable and accurate U.S. polling organizations have shown that the vast majority of Iraqis want the United States military to leave their country and that a significant majority of the Iraqis, whom our soldiers are ostensibly there to protect, also now support killing American troops; and

Whereas, the Bush Administration is now circulating information of dubious authenticity about the involvement of the government of Iran in importing weapons and explosive devises into Iraq ­ a claim about which the U.S. commander on the ground in Iraq has cast serious doubt; and

Whereas, the Administration’s questionable information about Iran follows exactly the same pattern as their lies that led to the ill-considered and ill-fated invasion and occupation of Iraq; and

Whereas, the U.S. release of information about the alleged involvement of Iran in providing weapons in Iraq is clearly intended to justify an attack on Iran

Whereas, such an attack and widening of the U.S. war in the middle-east is almost certain to drive forces in Iran who are friendly to the United States into increased hatred and hostility toward the United States and its citizens, once again making potential friends into virulent enemies ­ as the Bush Administration has done consistently in their misguided approach to foreign policy; and

Whereas, the Bush Administration’s approach to the war in Iraq have cost the lives of over 3,000 American soldiers, the serious maiming of over 26,000 American soldiers, and the death and maiming of countless hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians as well as the waste of over $400,000,000,000 of American tax dollars that might have been put to much better use in serving the education, health care, job training, housing, human services, and other domestic needs of the residents of Santa Cruz and throughout the United States; and

Whereas, the vast majority of the American public, both through the electoral process in November 2006 and as demonstrated in public opinion polls, now have expressed a clear desire for the complete and rapid withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq; and

Whereas, significant numbers of local Santa Cruz citizens have asked the Santa Cruz City Council to represent their opposition to the continued U.S. military occupation of Iraq, the expansion of the war in Iraq, and its spread to neighboring countries; and

Whereas, the California State Legislature is now also considering actions to express its opposition to the current approach of the Bush Administration’s policies in the middle-east; and

Whereas, the Santa Cruz City Council has been asked by our local citizens to play a role in amplifying their support for strong Congressional action to oppose the current policies of the Bush Administration in the middle-east and to support the actions already taken by our Congressmember Sam Farr and others to that end:

Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the Santa Cruz City Council does hereby express its support for the strong leadership being taken by our Congressional Representative Sam Farr and other members of Congress to limit the war authority of the Bush Administration with respect to continuing and/or expanding the war in Iraq or taking, or supporting, or encouraging any military action against Iran, which includes support for Congressmember Sam Farr’s HR 33, Congressmember Barbara Lee’s HR 770 with respect to Iran and HR 413, HR 508, and HR 4232 [check final bill numbers] with respect to expanding U.S. troops in Iraq, and any other Congressional actions calling for the immediate and/or most rapid possible withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq, Iran, and the surrounding countries; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Santa Cruz City Council does hereby request that our California U.S. Senators Boxer and Feinstein join our Congressmember Sam Farr by providing leadership in the U.S. Senate in support of Congress re-establishing its Constitutional authority over U.S. foreign policy and war policy and funding; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Santa Cruz City Council does hereby request that our California State Legislators, Assemblymember John Laird and State Senator Joe Simitian, provide leadership in the California legislature in support of State Senator Carole Migden’s Senate Joint Resolution (SJR 1) calling for a rapid withdrawal of the U.S. military occupation of Iraq; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Santa Cruz City Council directs Mayor Emily Reilly to send copies of this Resolution to the President of the United States, our Congressional representatives, our California legislative representatives, the League of California Cities, and all local media outlets; and to arrange that a copy of this resolution be placed on the Santa Cruz City website.

Whereas, current U.S. foreign policy in the middle-east is clearly counterproductive with respect to the interests of the American people and the peoples of the middle-east; and

Whereas, the initial invasion of Iraq was based on deliberately falsified information about non-existent “weapons of mass destruction” and alleged ties between Sadam Hussein and Al Quaeda in Iraq presented by the Bush Administration to the U.S. Congress, the United Nations, and the American people; and

Whereas, continued presence of the U.S. military in Iraq as an occupying army ­ a situation which has already gone on longer than the U.S. involvement in World War II — cannot possibly lead to peace and/or a stable and sovereign Iraq under the control of the people of Iraq; and

Whereas, the increase or “surge” in American soldiers proposed by the Bush Administration cannot lead to a successful outcome of the war in Iraq; and

Whereas, polls conducted by the most reputable and accurate U.S. polling organizations have shown that the vast majority of Iraqis want the United States military to leave their country and that a significant majority of the Iraqis, whom our soldiers are ostensibly there to protect, also now support killing American troops; and

Whereas, the Bush Administration is now circulating information of dubious authenticity about the involvement of the government of Iran in importing weapons and explosive devises into Iraq ­ a claim about which the U.S. commander on the ground in Iraq has cast serious doubt; and

Whereas, the Administration’s questionable information about Iran follows exactly the same pattern as their lies that led to the ill-considered and ill-fated invasion and occupation of Iraq; and

Whereas, the U.S. release of information about the alleged involvement of Iran in providing weapons in Iraq is clearly intended to justify an attack on Iran

Whereas, such an attack and widening of the U.S. war in the middle-east is almost certain to drive forces in Iran who are friendly to the United States into increased hatred and hostility toward the United States and its citizens, once again making potential friends into virulent enemies ­ as the Bush Administration has done consistently in their misguided approach to foreign policy; and

Whereas, the Bush Administration’s approach to the war in Iraq have cost the lives of over 3,000 American soldiers, the serious maiming of over 26,000 American soldiers, and the death and maiming of countless hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians as well as the waste of over $400,000,000,000 of American tax dollars that might have been put to much better use in serving the education, health care, job training, housing, human services, and other domestic needs of the residents of Santa Cruz and throughout the United States; and

Whereas, the vast majority of the American public, both through the electoral process in November 2006 and as demonstrated in public opinion polls, now have expressed a clear desire for the complete and rapid withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq; and

Whereas, significant numbers of local Santa Cruz citizens have asked the Santa Cruz City Council to represent their opposition to the continued U.S. military occupation of Iraq, the expansion of the war in Iraq, and its spread to neighboring countries; and

Whereas, the California State Legislature is now also considering actions to express its opposition to the current approach of the Bush Administration’s policies in the middle-east; and

Whereas, the Santa Cruz City Council has been asked by our local citizens to play a role in amplifying their support for strong Congressional action to oppose the current policies of the Bush Administration in the middle-east and to support the actions already taken by our Congressmember Sam Farr and others to that end:

Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the Santa Cruz City Council does hereby express its support for the strong leadership being taken by our Congressional Representative Sam Farr and other members of Congress to limit the war authority of the Bush Administration with respect to continuing and/or expanding the war in Iraq or taking, or supporting, or encouraging any military action against Iran, which includes support for Congressmember Sam Farr’s HR 33, Congressmember Barbara Lee’s HR 770 with respect to Iran and HR 413, HR 508, and HR 4232 [check final bill numbers] with respect to expanding U.S. troops in Iraq, and any other Congressional actions calling for the immediate and/or most rapid possible withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq, Iran, and the surrounding countries; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Santa Cruz City Council does hereby request that our California U.S. Senators Boxer and Feinstein join our Congressmember Sam Farr by providing leadership in the U.S. Senate in support of Congress re-establishing its Constitutional authority over U.S. foreign policy and war policy and funding; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Santa Cruz City Council does hereby request that our California State Legislators, Assemblymember John Laird and State Senator Joe Simitian, provide leadership in the California legislature in support of State Senator Carole Migden’s Senate Joint Resolution (SJR 1) calling for a rapid withdrawal of the U.S. military occupation of Iraq; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the Santa Cruz City Council directs Mayor Emily Reilly to send copies of this Resolution to the President of the United States, our Congressional representatives, our California legislative representatives, the League of California Cities, and all local media outlets; and to arrange that a copy of this resolution be placed on the Santa Cruz City website.

As the winter deepens, the United States moves closer and closer to war. As the January 27 report from UN weapons inspectors approaches, the Defense Department is positioning troops in the Middle East for an immediate military campaign. Pentagon sources state that there will be possibily as many as 250,000 troops fighting in Iraq.

The protests were called to coincide with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, invoking his legacy to mobilize people from all walks of life to take action. People are planning to turn out to march in across the world on January 18.

Massive demonstrations and walkouts are planned for the day the bombs “officially” start falling. Human shield missions for peace are also getting underway, with dozens of Westerners going to civilian locations throughout Iraq. All across the US, from coast to coast, from churches to campuses to union halls, a movement is uniting in action against war on Iraq. Moreover, opposition to Bush’s war on the poor in this country, as well as on the rest of the globe, is growing, connecting the links between poverty and war enunciated by Dr. King.

In Washington DC, hundreds of thousands of marchers are expected on Saturday, January 18 in the largest US anti-war demonstration since the Vietnam War. A concurrent protest in San Francisco the same day is expected to draw crowds not seen in the city in a generation.

Further coverage is available from a SF IMC webcast on Saturday, and a documentary from Paper Tiger TV.

Two Iraqi labor leaders are featured speakers at a program offering local residents the chance to hear from workers who are struggling to end the occupation, sectarian violence, and the repression of women and working people in Iraq. Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein, the first woman to head a national Iraqi labor union, is President of the Electrical Utility Workers Union, and Faleh Abood Umara is General Secretary of the Southern Oil Company Union.
They will explain why unions oppose the proposed privatization law favored by the Bush administration and oil corporations. They will also address the role of unions in rebuilding Iraq, and the prospects for a stable, democratic, non-sectarian future.
The event is part of a national tour sponsored by U.S. Labor Against the War, United for Peace and Justice, and the American Friends Service Committee. Local sponsors include Central Coast Workers Against War, Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, Resource Center for Nonviolence, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Santa Cruz Peace Coalition, Families Against War, UC-AFT 2199, UPTE CWA-9119, and the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers. The event is endorsed by the Santa Cruz Green Party.
A sliding scale donation is requested—no one turned away.