CC Minutes - 03/12/07 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

3) “J. The more than $107,500,000 spent by Eugene taxpayers to date on the war and occu- pation in Iraq could nearly eliminate our backlog of road repairs; or could have provided one year of Head Start preschool for nearly 14,000 Eugene children; or one year of medical insurance for more than 61,000 Eugene children; or one year of salary for more than 1,775 public school teachers in Eugene; or more than 900 additional housing units in Eugene; or nearly 5,000 four-year scholarships at public universities in Oregon, according to the Na- tional Priorities Project.” 4) “Section 5. That the financial resource used to prosecute the war be redirected, as they be- come available, to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable portions of our popula- tion, including education, health care and full benefits for returning veterans, as well as to fund the development of non-carbon producing renewable alternatives for our energy needs.” Councilors Ortiz and Pryor accepted the friendly amendment. Councilor Poling said while he wanted to bring the troops home, he could not support the resolution as it was worded. He questioned why the council would take time to discuss an international issue when the City faced so many local problems. He related that constituents asked him this question. He stated that one reason he could not support the resolution was the statement asserting that $107 million in Eugene taxpayers’ money had been spent on the war. He pointed out that this tax revenue had not come out of the City budget; rather it was federal tax revenue. He noted that while the resolution mentioned some wonderful things that the money could be spent on, it made no mention of allocating money to public safety. Councilor Solomon wished to respectfully thank the people who spoke on behalf of the resolution. She underscored that when she ran for her position, she did so in order to make a difference in her neighborhood. She averred that if a citizen wished to influence national policy, he or she could do so by contacting Representative DeFazio, Senator Smith, and Senator Wyden. She said she had opposed these types of resolutions in the past and would oppose this one as well. Councilor Clark supported getting the troops home. He also felt his purpose was to serve local governance. He had heard constituents say that taking on an international issue was a waste of council time. He stressed that the City had pressing problems on which it could make a direct impact, while the war in Iraq was an issue it could have no direct impact on. He read a statement allegedly written by a soldier in Iraq in support of the war in Iraq. Councilor Pryor said he was 100 percent for local governance. He felt it was important to occasionally take some time to talk in regard to significant issues. He appreciated Councilor Zelenka’s amendments and he appreciated the section that advocated for providing enough funds to keep the troops safe while evacuating. He averred that if enough communities came together, a message could be sent. He indicated his support for the resolution. Councilor Ortiz declared that when she ran for the City Council it had not just been for local government. She said for her it was about the council taking a stand as leaders of the community. She stressed that her conscience indicated to her that supporting the resolution was the right thing to do. Councilor Taylor supported the resolution. She said she was grateful to the citizens who had spoken out in support of the resolution. MINUTES—Eugene City Council March 12, 2007 Page 6 Regular Meeting