The Co$t of War:

The White House continues to push for war policy and Congress continues to fund it. While billions go to private contractors and war abroad, the people are left with local funding crises here at home. Congress did not reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, legislation that relies on timber receipts and federal lands compensations to fund approximately 4,400 school districts in 615 counties in 39 states. In Oregon this means that many rural counties are facing a loss of up to 60% of their general fund. At least one county is looking at declaring bankruptcy. Rural Oregonians are fighting back and demanding an end to war abroad, the funding of human needs, and the protection of civil liberties.

Rural Organizing Project’s Cost of War campaign is exposing the true financial and human cost of the war. Over the February 2007 Congressional recess, constituents in each of the 4 rural Congressional Districts in Oregon held People’s Town Halls in the Cost of War for our Congresspeople. With over 750 people in attendance and standing-room-only crowds at the Co$t of War Town Halls, the people of Oregon made it clear that the Cost of War is too high. Testimonials from Iraq veterans, military families in mourning, teachers, nurses, immigrants, youth, County Commissioners, and City Councilors held up the personal experiences and the community impact of lives destroyed by a war that has cost billions while social services and programs go unfunded here at home. Rural Oregon went on record with their own People’s Resolution that passed at every Town Hall calling for Oregon Members of Congress to cut off funding for the war in Iraq, to prevent the spread of warfare into Iran, and to publicize the cost of war to their constituents, and a pledge by participants to work together across the district.

To read a summary of each District’s Co$t of War Town Hall and review the resolution, click on the desired district below

District 2 Cost of War Town Hall for Congressman Walden

Saturday, Feb. 17^th, 2007, Redmond, OR

Congressional District 2 covers 20 counties including 7 that are designated frontier by the federal government to indicate the vast size of their land mass and the small population base. It covers, literally, two time zones and some of the counties have more cows than people, only one flashing traffic light, and takes over 8 hours to drive from one end to the other. Congressional District 2 is huge.

Over 175 people from this huge district jammed into the Redmond Senior Center on Saturday, February 17th, for a chance to testify about the local cost of war in Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District. From Redmond City Councilor Irv Nygren to Iraq War Veteran Kevin Hicks the call was clear to Oregon’s Congressional Delegation to vote no on any further appropriations for the war in Iraq. CLICK HERE

District 5 Cost of War Town Hall for Congresswoman Hooley

Sunday, Feb. 18^th, 2007, Lincoln City, OR

Congressional District 5 includes the 6 counties of Benton, Clackamas, Marion, Lincoln, Tillamook and Polk Counties flowing from the 1-5 corridor agricultural valleys through the mountains to the central coastal waters.

125 people packed the Lincoln City Community Center on Sunday, February 18^th for a chance to testify about the local cost of war in Oregon’s 5^th Congressional District. From Lincoln City Mayor, Lori Hollingsworth to military families and veterans the call was clear to Oregon’s Congressional Delegation to vote no on any further appropriations for the war in Iraq. CLICK HERE

District 1 Cost of War Town Hall for Congressman Wu

Monday, February 19^th, 2007, Forest Grove, OR

Congressional District 1 takes in the Northwestern counties of Clatsop, Columbia then extending down into Washington and Yamhill and a portion of Multnomah county. The Town Hall host team attempted to centralize the gathering by situating it in Forest Grove but Astorians still faced a 6 hour round trip commute to testify.

“Vets denounce war, demand withdrawal” CLICK HERE

District 4 Cost of War Town Hall for Congressman DeFazio

Saturday, February 24^th, 2007, Roseburg, OR

Congressional District 4 unites the south coast counties of Curry, Coos, Douglas and Lane with the south to central corridor counties of Josephine, Linn and parts of Benton County.

150 people packed the Douglas County Library on Saturday, February 24^th for a chance to testify about the local cost of war in Oregon’s 4^th Congressional District. From Josephine County Commissioner, Dave Toler, to military families and veterans the call was clear to Oregon’s Congressional Delegation to vote no on any further appropriations for the war in Iraq. CLICK HERE

Background

The road to the Town Halls started in May of 2006 when ROP members gathered for the Annual Caucus and Strategy Session. The theme was a People’s Convention to Rebuild America. Following Hurricane Katrina and the obvious inability of the government infrastructure to respond in crisis to the needs of its people, rural Oregonians gathered to discuss a platform for Rebuilding America that we had begun to use to document consensus on the following points:

Create Real Security: Close the gap between the rich and everyone else by putting people to work rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and decaying services and pay for this with fair tax contributions from corporations and the super-rich.
Withdraw from Iraq: The US occupation is a threat to security in America and in Iraq.
Protect the Rights of All: The US Constitution, Bill of Rights, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Geneva Conventions are the foundations of true security and safe communities. Protect the basic rights of all people regardless of citizenship status or nationality.
Build Sustainable Communities: Promote Energy Conservation. Public investments in energy efficiency and conservation will put people to work, reduce US dependence on foreign oil, build the economy, and protect the environment.

Of all these important issues, the war was held up as the issue upon which the others hinged most clearly. From that the Cost of War campaign was born.

In August of 2006, we sent letters to each of our Congresspeople asking them to communicate the current cost of war to their constituents in writing and in public through a town hall. When we heard nothing back from that request, except mild annoyance, we sent certified letters in December 2006 asking that each of the Congresspeople pick three dates during the February congressional recess when they could meet with us for a Town Hall on the Cost of War. This time we followed up almost weekly and though no dates were given to us, each of the offices, with the exception of Senator Smith's, were in dialogue with us. We let them know that if they did not select dates, that we would and that host teams in each district were starting to excitedly plan their Town Halls. In each case, Congressional offices did not give a date for the Town Halls; therefore, we selected the dates and communicated that to the Congresspeople's offices in mid-January.

To see the accounting of the Cost of War for Oregon, county-by-county Click Here

The Eyes Wide Open exhibit will be in circulation starting late summer. The exhibit displays boots representing Oregon soldiers killed in the occupation of Iraq and shoes to represent civilians killed. To read more about the Eyes Wide Open exhibit and sign up your community to host it, Click Here

We are Rebuilding America: the Country, Our Communities, and the Gulf Coast. Click HERE to learn more.