MA Town Resolution talking points

Greetings Friends,

Below is a list of suggested talking points that you might find useful in proposing and supporting the "Bring the MA National Guard Home" Resolution. We are sending this to a general email list. If it doesn't apply, please disregard. If you have thoughts/talking points to add, please do so!

This is directed to those of us who are working short-term to move the resolution forward this spring. We are also hoping to establish a longer-term network of enthusiastic organizers who would be available to continue the "town meeting" struggle in the months and years to come. One hope is that we all gather this fall to create a resolution that addresses the current reality and is honed with the wisdom we have all gained through this rather short-term spring process.

In closing, we are extremely grateful for the work you have already done and would like to support your effort in whatever way we may. Please feel free to use the website, call us at AFSC, and link-up with other activist in your town that could be helpful.

Thanks again for all you do,

Gordon Tripp

TALKING POINTS

***Since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 364,000 Reserve and National Guard troops have been called for military service. In the spring of 2004 alone, 35,000 new Guard troops were sent to Iraq. National Guard troops make up almost one-third of the U.S. Army troops now in Iraq. Their deployment puts a particularly heavy burden on their home communities because many of them serve as "first responders," including teachers, police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. For example, 44% of the country's police forces have lost officers to Iraq. In some states, the absence of so many Guard troops has raised concerns about the ability to handle natural disasters. Stop-loss orders mean the possible deployment of Guard units for up to one and a half years.

Source: The Institute For Policy Studies.
http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2004/06/24_paying-price-iraq-war.htm
- (mounting cost of the Iraq war)
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0927-12.htm
- (top 10 reasons for the US to get out of Iraq)


***The Bush administration has requested an additional $82 billion in supplemental funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. An estimated $61 billion of the total is for the Iraq war. The taxpayer cost to Massachusetts is $6 Billion, $4.2 billion being from previously allocated funds, and $1.8 billion coming from new funding. To break it down even further, the taxpayer cost to Boston is $437.3 million, to Worcester is $115.2 million, and to Holyoke is $22.7 million.

Source: National Priorities Project
http://www.westernmassafsc.org/townmeetings/ma.pdf
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/Issues/Military/Iraq/highcost/costofwar.html
c
(For a list of taxpayer costs of all cities)


***7,146 "soldiers and Marines" from MA have been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, of which 28 have died, 3.9 per 1000. Massachusetts has 8,958 people, 0.14% of the population (slightly lower than the nation's 0.16% average), serving in the National Guard.

Source: Compiled by New Hampshire's Valley News, as a resource for Journalists, URL NEEDED- info on AFSC website-

***Massachusetts has sent almost 4,000 National Guard members overseas since Sept. 2001. In February, 2005, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney proposed boosting death benefits for families of state National Guard killed in the line of duty to $100,000 from $5,000.

Source: Reuters: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N21482568.htm, 22 Feb 2005

***Massachusetts spends approximately $5.8 million on its military divisions (National Guard) annually.

Source: National Priorities Project

***Other issues to raise include:

The families of National Guard service personnel often experience economic hardship as a Guard salary is much lower than pay for a civilian job. This economic hardship has a direct impact on their community's social service's (i.e., school lunch programs, food pantries, fuel assistance, etc.)

The economic hardship, combined with the stress of having a loved one away from the home, can cause heightened family upset such as academic trouble, domestic violence, and increased substance use.

Soldiers deployed to fight in the Iraq war may be subject to negative physical, emotional and psychological ramifications ranging from death to incapacitating physical injury to long-term post traumatic stress-related disorders.