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LA
City Council Anti-War Resolution
Adopted February
21, 2003
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LOS ANGELES ADOPTS GARCETTI RESOLUTION AGAINST WAR IN IRAQ;
CITY BECOMES 104TH AND LARGEST CITY IN THE NATION
TO PASS RESOLUTION FOR PEACE
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By a vote of 9-4 the Los
Angeles City Council passed Councilmember Eric Garcetti's resolution
calling on the Bush administration to pursue every diplomatic means
available and opposing a unilateral war on Iraq. Los Angeles Mayor
Jim Hahn concurred in the Council's action, signing the resolution
the same day, February 21.
Councilmember Garcetti stated: "The City of Los Angeles has a long
history of taking brave stands on international issues of conscience.
We stood up against apartheid early on in that struggle; we passed
resolutions in support of the Baltic Republics during the fall of
the Soviet Union. War, moreover, is not only a matter of foreign
policy. It will have direct effects on the Los Angeles -- from the
hotel workers who will be thrown out of work when a war starts and
our tourism industry halts to the federal anti-poverty and housing
programs which will disappear as our government pours 9 to 20 billion
dollars a month into a war effort."
Councilmember Garcetti continued: "This resolution makes Los Angeles
the largest city in the country to pass a resolution opposing unilateral
war. Whether in marches and rallies or in City Council meetings,
the people's voices have been heard."
On two separate days, City Council chambers was filled to capacity
with supporters of the resolution, and thousands of petition signatures
were collected by grass-roots activist group Neighbors for Peace
and Justice.
The full text of the final resolution, with critical leadership
from Councilmembers Ruth Galanter and Tom LaBonge, is below.
The middle resolved paragraph (regarding Homeland Security and HR
764) was voted on as a separate matter and passed unanimously by
all 13 members present. The last resolved paragraph (regarding funding
for services for the homeless) was introduced as an amendment by
Councilmember Jan Perry.
For further information, contact Josh Kamensky at 213 / 473-7013.
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R E S O L U T I O
N
RESOLUTION
REGARDING POSSIBLE U.S. MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ
WHEREAS,
any official position of the City of Los Angeles with respect to
legislation, rules, regulations or policies proposed to or pending
before a local, state or federal governmental body or agency must
have first been adopted in the form of a Resolution by the City
Council with the concurrence of the Mayor; and
WHEREAS,
the Congressional Budget Office estimates a military action against
Iraq will cost the taxpayers of the nation between $9 billion and
$13 billion a month, likely resulting in further cuts in federally
funded projects and programs that benefit our city and its residents
at a time when state and local governments are in crisis; and
WHEREAS,
that cost would be borne by the people of the City of Los Angeles,
who rely on federal funds for anti-poverty programs, for workforce
assistance, for housing, for education programs, for infrastructure,
and for the increased demands of homeland security; and
WHEREAS,
we recognize that Saddam Hussein has perpetuated great human rights
abuses with aims contrary to peace, and that the United Nations
Security Council accordingly approved a program of weapons inspections;
and
WHEREAS,
the strength of NATO and of the United Nations rests on consensus
and the rule of law; and
WHEREAS,
the United States should make every effort to work within the United
Nations framework and leave war as an option of last resort; and
WHEREAS,
war in Iraq would take the lives of untold Iraqis, the vast majority
of whom would be noncombatants; and
WHEREAS,
California is home to more veterans than any other state in the
nation, and Los Angeles has 597 employees, including 271 Los Angeles
Police Department (LAPD) officers, on military reserve who stand
to be called to active duty, and as veterans and patriots these
brave men and women know well the consequences of war and the human
costs involved; and
WHEREAS,
we support and appreciate the U. S. military personnel and law enforcement
officials serving at home and abroad against global and local terrorism;
and
WHEREAS,
this unquestionable pride in and support for these brave men and
women, who know well the human costs of war, prevent us from sending
them off to war easily or lightly before exhausting all diplomatic
means to avoid combat, and
WHEREAS,
the Council should work towards improving the quality of life for
all and enhancing public safety in Los Angeles and improving the
City's ability to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks,
NOW THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED, with the concurrence of the Mayor, that by
the adoption of this Resolution, the City of Los Angeles URGES the
President of the United States to exhaust all diplomatic options
available in dealing with the growing crisis in Iraq and exercise
great caution before resorting to using military force; and OPPOSES
a unilateral war against Iraq.
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, with the concurrence of the Mayor, that by the
adoption of this Resolution, the City of Los Angeles hereby includes
in its 2003-2004 Federal Legislative Program support for federal
funding for the initiatives outlined in correspondence attached
to the file and support for H.R. 764, the First Responders Expedited
Assistance Act, and any other similar legislation that would provide
additional funding to first responders in the City.
RESOLVE
to INCLUDE
in the City's 2003-2004 Federal Legislative Program SUPPORT for
federal legislation that acknowledges that veterans make-up 20%
of the homeless on Skid Row; these veterans served our country bravely
in past wars, sacrificing their mental and physical health only
to be forgotten upon their return and left to fend for themselves;
we must remember them and work to help them regain what they have
lost. We must dedicate our attention to the needs of the homeless
in our city, promote a renewed respect for these brave individuals
AND make GREATER EFFORTS TO OBTAIN FUNDING FOR THEM FROM OUR FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT and on a local level through the development of permanent,
affordable housing utilizing both Prop 46 and Housing Trust Fund
dollars.
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Mitch O'Farrell, Field
Deputy
Council District 13
3525 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323 / 913-4693
323 / 913-4474 fax
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EDITOR'S NOTE: For
more information about grassroots Anti-War efforts contact:
Suzanne Thompson
Campaign Coordinator, Neighbors for Peace and Justice
www.neighborsforpeaceandjustice.org
www.citiesforpeace.org
310 / 664-1142
310 / 399-2329 fax
thompsonsuz@attbi.com
Please also see: Grassroots
Anti-War Effort Gains Steam
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