Passed and Adopted by Arizona Democratic Party,   November 19th 2011 - End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Bring Our Troops and Tax Dollars Home
WHEREAS the financial resources available for use by governments at the local, county, state and federal levels in the United States are limited; and
WHEREAS the U.S. Congress has appropriated over one trillion dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001, and that our government is spending 2 billion dollars per week each and every week most of it borrowed against our national debt; and

WHEREAS according to the National Priorities Project, the tax payers of Arizona are paying or have become indebted for over 16.6 billion in total cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 and that the taxpayers in Arizona will pay and additional 1.5 billion, in proposed Afghanistan war spending for FY2011; and
WHEREAS the Arizona State government is facing a shortfall in the 10’s of millions of dollars in this year’s state budget, and while at the same time federal budget cuts are expected to reduce funding in Arizona for healthcare,  public schools, higher education, low income housing, job training,  transportation, and veteran housing vouchers and much more; and
WHEREAS over 6000 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq, and Afghanistan, and over 45,000 U.S. troops have been wounded in both conflicts according to the Department of Defense, and hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed in these conflicts and the ongoing warfare poses great physical danger to the people of the nations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan; and
WHEREAS civilian deaths from air strikes and night raids by international military forces in Afghanistan has led to alienation of local populations, and continued base building generates suspicion about the intention of international military forces; and

WHERAS the Democratic National Committee (DNC) at its winter meeting in Feb. adopted a strong resolution that put the Democratic Party on record… “the Democratic Party supports prioritizing job creation and a swift withdrawal of U.S. armed forces and military contractors in Afghanistan which must include a significant and sizable reduction no later than July 20011”; and

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Arizona Democratic Party support public discussion and dialogue about the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to our community; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the ADP officially send this resolution to President Obama and to all members of the Arizona Congressional delegation and call on all ten members of the Arizona Congressional delegation to oppose further funding of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and urge them to take leadership in the Congress to bring our troops safely home and redirect our federal tax dollars to the pressing educational, employment, health, housing, nutritional, infrastructure, energy, and environmental needs of our state and country; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call on our Arizona Congressional delegation to support federal funding for the over 2 million new Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans–particularly the thousands who have come home disabled or otherwise physically or mentally wounded–to ensure they receive health care, housing, jobs, education and other support services.