Montgomery County, Maryland
Power for Peace
Cities and Counties for Peace

The "Cities for Peace" campaign is committed to bringing the troops home. It unites cities and people of many political ideologies. As of May 7, 287 cities, 10 counties and 17 states had passed peace resolutions.

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Total: $20,900 per Family
Source: Congressional Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff, Nov. 2007

Total: Almost $50,000 per Family
"Total costs" include both direct (appropriated funds) and indirect costs (e.g., interest attributable to appropriated funds), plus costs to the economy due to such things as displaced investment.
Why We Want the County to Pass a
Peace Resolution
It's a Local Issue!

As of April 2008, Montgomery County citizens have directly contributed $2.2 billion for the war in Iraq. U.S. military spending is almost as much as that of the rest of the world combined. Meanwhile, our infrastructure is collapsing, millions of Americans have no health care, a college education has become ridiculously expensive, and the economy is in recession. A good part of the reason for the economic situation is our occupation of Iraq, which has led to outrageous deficits, high and rising oil prices and displaced investment in the United States.

Our Montgomery County budget -- for schools, police, fire protection, parks, libraries and services for the most vulnerable -- is in disarray. If we stop spending our money for bombs, we will make it available for schools, health care, renewable energy and affordable housing.







Source: Congressional Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff, Nov. 2007
How Budget Problems in Montgomery County Are Related to Iraq Occupation

Less money is available from the state of Maryland

Tax receipts are down

County expenditures are up
Text of Letter from Rep. Lynn Woolsey to Mayors in her California District

March 19 marked the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.   Five years later, our country finds itself in an unwinnable quagmire, with our troops constantly in harm's way, and Iraq in the midst of a civil war.

As you know, I opposed this action from the beginning and have continued to speak out against this ill-advised and wasteful occupation.  I have held hearings in Washington, DC on Iraq, how we got there, and how we need to end this illegal U.S. action.  I introduced the first legislation calling for the President to bring our troops home.

In these efforts, the majority of my constituents have expressed their support for ending the occupation of Iraq.

From the beginning, cities and counties throughout the nation have joined their constituents in taking a stand against this occupation.   A few local governments in the Sixth Congressional District have done so, and I thank them.  Others have not taken the matter up or have stated that they will focus on strictly local issues.  Yet, this unwinnable situation is affecting every citizen - from our brave troops who are being wounded or killed to all of us who bear the brunt of the lost opportunity costs of at least $11 billion per month.

That's why so many of us continue to voice our opposition, day in, and day out.  We're fighting on behalf of every family who will lose a loved one while fighting in Iraq, every family who will struggle financially even though they live in the richest country in the world, and on behalf of the people of Iraq who want to control their own destiny.

To bring an end to the occupation and to halt the hemorrhage of tax dollars from local projects, I encourage local governments to add your voices to your constituents' by adopting resolutions sending a strong message to Washington - our troops have done everything that has been asked of them, and it's time to bring them home.

I urge the [city or county] to consider showing your support for ending the Iraq occupation by adopting such a resolution.

Sincerely,

Lynn Woolsey
Member of Congress


Do Local Governments Have Any Responsibility for Federal Actions?

The role of city and county councils in representing their constituents in Sacramento and Washington was made clear in 1967 when the California Supreme Court ruled in a case having to do with whether local government could take a position on the Vietnam War that:

As representatives of local communities, boards of supervisors and city councils have traditionally made declarations of policy on matters of concern to the community whether or not they had power to effectuate such declarations by binding legislation.  Indeed, one of the purposes of local government is to represent its citizens before Congress, the Legislature, and administrative agencies in matters over which the local government has no power.  Even in matters of foreign policy it is not uncommon for local legislative bodies to make their positions known. (Farley v. Healey, 67Cal.2d 325)

Representing local residents before higher levels of government is thus part of the job description of city and county councils. This of course does not mean that councils are required to adopt every request brought to them any more than they do on local issues.  Their constituents expect them to use discretion, examining each proposal on its merits and with regard to the proportion of local people concerned.  Not to consider these issues simply because they are not local  is to abridge the rights of their constituents to be represented by their city council at higher levels of government.  This occurs when councils either by custom or their own rules refuse to consider such issues. 

It has been said that city and county council members are elected to fill local pot holes, not make decisions on matters of state and national scope. If  people and their closest representatives do not participate in the decisions that affect their lives, then someone else will make them.  PeaceAction Montgomery holds that citizens should have access to every possible means that their institutions provide to defend their security and advance their well-being.  That is what democracy requires.


Fifteen Community Groups Say, "Let's Make Montgomery a County for Peace!"

The following organizations have asked the Montgomery County Council to pass a peace resolution:



Council Woman Valerie Ervin Introduces Peace County Resolution
Council President Mike Knapp Vows to Block Resolution, Prevent Vote

At the Town Hall Meeting held on Sept. 22 in Germantown, Valerie Ervin introduced her new peace resolution to the public. It is endorsed by Council members Marc Elrich and Duchy Trachtenberg. However, Council President Mike Knapp, who sets the Council's agenda, has said that he will not allow it to be discussed or voted on.

If you think the Council should have an opportunity to vote on the resolution, please send an e-mail to Council member Knapp at Councilmember.Knapp@montgomerycountymd.org.


Questions We've Been Asked About the Peace Resolution


Part of local government's job is to represent constituents before higher levels of government. Council members are the closest governmental representatives to the people, and thus the concerns they voice to both state and federal officials have special resonance.
 

The cost of the occupation is having an adverse, though largely unrecognized, impact on Montgomery County's budget. The resolution will draw attention to the economic costs. Also, the intense interest in the election provides us the opportunity to put our next president on notice that the Iraq occupation is still front and center in our political judgments.


Altogether, 5,900 Maryland National Guard members have been called to Iraq. Such deployments cause financial and emotional suffering and disruption to Maryland families, and they impair our State's ability to respond to emergencies. The legal basis being used to  federalize the Guard and send them to Iraq is no longer relevant to what the Guard is being asked to do; thus, their deployments are illegal. It is proper to use a resolution to draw the attention of our governor and state legislators to this important constitutional issue.


In June, one of the strongest anti-war voices in the Congress, Rep. Lynn Woolsey of California, urged all local governments in her district to pass peace resolutions. She wrote,"To bring an end to the occupation and to halt the hemorrhage of tax dollars from local projects, I encourage local governments to add your voices to your constituents'  by adopting resolutions sending a strong message to Washington - our troops have done everything that has been asked of them, and it's time to bring them home."  Rep. Woolsey believes that local peace resolutions shore up support to end the occupation, and she is in a position to know.

Click here for slide show: Economic Costs of the Occupation of Iraq to Montgomery County Citizens