Signature Ad for 'Bring Your War $$ Home' Campaign to Run in Portland Press Herald

NPP Pressroom

Peace Action Maine
Brad Cummings
02/20/2011

Dear Maine Friends: Recently we had a meeting of our Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home. One of our key objectives in this campaign has been to create more discussion among the grassroots and our elected officials about the connection between endless war spending and the economic crisis in our state. As of today Maine taxpayers have paid $3.4 billion since 2001 as our share of war spending. As our new governor and state legislature threaten even more massive cuts in Augusta we are stepping up our activities to shine a light on war spending as a key alternative to destroying social progress. To that end we are planning a news conference and rally in Augusta Hall of Flags on March 28 (tentative date depending on availability of the site). The event will be from 11-3 pm. In addition we are going to purchase a full-page statewide advertisement in the Portland Press Herald newspaper. Due to a generous donation from a supporter we also plan to purchase radio ads around that time to get our message out to Mainers. We are writing to invite you to become a signer on the statewide newspaper ad. In order to pay for the ad, and to be able to make it affordable for everyone, we are asking you to pay what you can best afford between $15-$25 for each name. The advert will read as follows (subject to minor adjustment): We the undersigned are outraged that our nation remains at war after 10 long years of fruitless killing in Iraq-Afghanistan-Pakistan. It has been determined by the National Priorities Project (www.Nationalpriorities.org) that Maine taxpayers have paid $3.4 billion as our share of war spending since 2001. Imagine how those dollars could have been used to fund education, health care, and other human needs in our state. Imagine how many more of our tax dollars will be wasted as long as these wars continue. Thus we call upon all elected officials in Maine (local, state, and federal) to speak out now and call upon President Obama and Congress to Bring Our War $$ Home now. We must all begin to make the deadly connections between endless war spending and our economic crisis here at home. The advertisement will be accompanied by graphic illustrations and the names of each person who donates to fund the ads. It will also carry the web site and address of the Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home. The ad will run during the fourth week of March. Deadline for names and donations will be March 10. Please join us in sending this important message to the people of Maine and to our elected officials. Make your check out to "Global Network" and write "Signature ad" on the for line. Send your check to the post office box shown just below. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for your support. Please help us spread word about this ad in your community.