Around Town: Activist brings 'war dollars' measure to Town Meeting
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Amherst Bulletin
Scott Merzbach
09/24/2010
A campaign to have money going toward war efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan be returned for domestic priorities instead will be presented to fall Town Meeting.Town Meeting member Ruth Hooke this week said the "Bring the War Dollars Home" petition is part of a nationwide effort that recently met with success when the Northampton City Council adopted it."We're very concerned about the fact that we've had to cut teachers and police and our infrastructure is terrible, our roads are crumbling, because not enough money is coming to the states," Hooke said.According to the Northampton-based National Priorities Project, Amherst residents are paying or indebted for $128.7 million since the war efforts began in 2001.Though the idea is to stop funding the wars, Hooke said petitioners do not want to put service members in harm's way. Amendments will be crafted to ensure that members of Town Meeting are comfortable with the petition, she noted.The article also asks that U.S. Rep John Olver and U.S. Sens. John Kerry and Scott Brown oppose legislation for additional funding for military campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, attempt to influence the House of Representatives to terminate funding and support resolutions prohibiting an increase in troop levels in Afghanistan.Hooke said she hopes some of the money can be aimed at assisting with programs and services for returning soldiers.The resolution also calls for a public discussion about the cost of the wars, though Hooke said she hopes this can be done in advance of Town Meeting. Plans are developing for an Oct. 28 meeting at the Grace Episcopal Church on Boltwood Avenue, she said.
