Budget Banner Depicts US Spending!!

Activists Say Pay Under Protest

U.S. Bugdet Banner, Herbst Theatre, April 14

American Friends Service Committee and United for Peace & Justice-Bay Area

April 14 & 15 – Bay Area activists displayed a banner that depicted the proportion of the federal budget that is used for war and the preparation for war. 58% of the US discretionary budget is used for military spending, which doesn’t include the money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. War plus military spending totals $738 billion dollars for one year!

In these dire economic times we need to reconcile our spending with our values. Are we a nation that has endless money for military hardware, death and destruction; but cannot afford to care for the sick, the hungry, the poor, be they a child or an elder? Elizabeth Boardman, a local war tax resister said, “I can not and will not pay for war; if you share my concern then at the very least, pay under protest.”

“Militarism does not make us more secure. It is a prescription for financial ruin, wasted lives, global condemnation, and it creates the enemies it claims to vanquish,” said Michael Eisenscher of US Labor Against the War. “There is no military solution to ‘terrorism.’ Spending more on the military, …will not make us safer.”

Tuesday, April 14, 2009, 7-8 PM – Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

AFSC and UFPJ activists at Amy and David Goodman interview, Herbst Theatre, April 14, 2009.

Click above to see the banner details. Elizabeth wants to send a different message. David with his message.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 6-9 AM – Glen Park BART station, S.F. Commuters at Glen Park BART get to allocate their taxes as they would prefer. Barry hands out postcards to folks at the Glen Park BART station.  They can fill in their own priorities and mail to President Obama.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009, 4-6 PM – Balboa Park BART station, S.F. Sandra at the Balboa Park BART station showing folks where their taxes are going.