This Economic crisis

you CAN do something :

Engage with your community.
Plan a town Hall meeting in your
area! (contact us if you need help
newpriorities@gmail.com)
contact your congress people. a primer
www.house.gov www.senate.gov

Send the budget priorities postcard!

It's time for some NEW PRIORITIES!

We now spend almost as much on our military as the rest of the world combined and
yet we are less safe and less secure. ( www.newprioritiescampaign.org).

I endorse the Declaration of Principles of the Campaign for New Priorities

Print your Name

address

City
zip

signature

phone& email
 April 12th is Global Day
fyi! to Cut Military Spending
here we are in context!

corporate welfare?

Unless you are in the top 5% of wealthy Americans,

truly untouched by the economic crisis and uncon-
cerned about the deep stresses it is putting on our
federal, state and local budgets, as well as your fel-
low citizens, we can probably all agree that these are The question is what will we do to survive
the hard times while upholding our per-
some hard times. sonal values and the common values of our
democracy?

THE FEDERAL BUDGET

The Federal government is part of our every day life

either through direct programming or federal fund-
ing. We all benefit from federal services ranging
from the post office, the national weather service,
food and drug safety programs, environmental re-
search and protection, infrastructure such as roads,
trains, bridges, and administration of programs
such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security.

Right now we have a huge debt, a huge deficit and a

tottering economy. Some say narrowing the deficit
is the greatest priority. It may seem obvious ex-
penses ought not be greater than income. But some-
times debt is not bad. Properly spent it can stimulate “It is the inherited weakness
the economy. of the economy that caused
the deficit, not the other
There is a great need to spend more money way around.
especially on infrastructure.
Nationwide: The solution to the
deficit problem is putting
26% of our bridges are structurally deficient America back to work.” Sign up on line to endorse
or functionally obsolete the Declaration of Principles of the Campaign for New Priorities
33% of our major roads are in poor or
mediocre condition Joseph Stiglitz or email us. newpriorities@gmail.com
Nobel Prize Economist www.newprioritiescampaign.org
Water systems are in serious need of repair
–especially here in CA. March 14, 2011 Barron’s
Our public schools need $254.6 billion in repairs.

THE MILITARY BUDGET
Total national security spending
in the United States for 2011 is
proposed at $895 billion, or
close to 24% of the total United
States Federal Budget.
The cost of our wars since 2001
are conservatively projected at
$1.17 Trillion. Others calculate
$3 Trillion just for Iraq.
at what price security and at what
cost to the rest of our society?
for example: A study by the Brookings
Institution found, as a conservative es-
timate, that the U.S. spent $5.5 Trillion
dollars on nuclear weapons from
1940–1996 (in constant 1996 dollars).
Nuclear weapons spending during this
period exceeded the combined total
federal spending for education; train-
ing, employment, and social services;
agriculture; natural resources and the
environment; general science, space,
and technology; community and re-
gional development, including disaster
relief; law enforcement; and energy
production and regulation.
An outmoded nuclear arsenal does not
keep us safe from the real threats that
we face in the world today
‘Since 2001, military and se-
curity expenditures have
soared by 119 percent.
For most of that time, of
course, the United States has
been fighting two wars...
Even if the costs of the con-
flicts in Iraq and Afghanistan
are subtracted, the defense
budget has swelled by 68
percent since 2001. (All
money figures in this article
are stated in 2010 dollars.)
The U.S. defense budget is
now about the same as mili-
tary spending in all other
countries combined.”
Gregg Esterbrook
the new republic 11/10/10
Many were surprised by the
Obama administration’s commit-
ment to increase military spending
while cutting heating oil subsidies
to the poor. As Thomas D’Agostino
the head of the National Nuclear
Security Administration proudly pro-
claimed:
“Despite the economic challenges
facing our nation and the budget
pressures being felt throughout
the federal government, the Pres-
ident demonstrated his commit-
ment to our mission by proposing
an unprecedented investment in
ensuring the nuclear security of
our country and our allies”
at what price security and at what His nuclear disarmament rhetoric
cost to the rest of our society? not withstanding, a plan submit-
ted to Congress by President
Obama projects an investment of
“well over” $185 Billion by 2020
to maintain and modernize U.S.
nuclear weapons systems.
“The budget is the skeleton of the
state stripped of all misleading
ideologies.”
– Joseph Schumpeter
"A nation that continues year after year to spend
more money on military defense than on programs
of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
Martin Luther KIng Jr.
 THE FEDERAL
BUDGET FOR 2012
if you want to know more about the facts and figures related to IS $3.7 TRILLION .
the federal debt and deficit here are some fascinating links:
national priorities project: http://nationalpriorities.org/en/
center on budget and policy priorities: http://www.cbpp.org/
Projected income is $2.6 trillion
friends committee on national legislation http://fcnl.org/issues/checkbook/
that means a deficit of $1.1 trillion.

The cuts that Congress is making

will actually make the economy
worse.
Spending is not the main cause
of the federal deficit. The combi-
Taxpayers in State of California will pay $70.1 billion for proposed
nation of tax cuts and the recent
Department of Defense for FY2012.
economic downturn accounts for
For the same amount of money, the following could be provided: over two-thirds of the 10-year pro-
jected deficit. For comparison, the
47.3 million Children Receiving Low-Income Healthcare for One Year OR Recovery Act accounts for only one-
tenth of the projected deficit.
909,989 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR
919,997 Firefighters for One Year OR
Stimulus money in the civil sector
8.0 million Head Start Slots for Children for One Year OR creates jobs, which creates taxes,
24.9 million Households with Renewable Electricity - Solar Photovoltaic for One Year which create revenues, which re-
66.3 million Households with Renewable Electricity-Wind Power for One Year OR duce needs and spending on needs
7.4 million Military Veterans Receiving VA Medical Care for One Year OR such as unemployment insurance
and other so called ”entitle-
24.2 million People Receiving Low-Income Healthcare for One Year OR ments”.
750,686 Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officers for One Year OR
8.4 million Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR
12.6 million Students receiving Pell Grants of $5550
Spending is only one side of the equation
– lost revenue is the other. Lost revenue
from high unemployment can be recouped
by getting people working and paying
taxes again. The tax cuts for the very
wealthy and corporate loopholes create the
greatest losses.

Support New Priorities

End our Wars and Make Major Reductions in the Pentagon Budget
Increase spending on jobs for infrastructure, new technologies, education, health care, an
effective social safety net, environmental protection and all other efforts that enhance the
Common Good.
Tax the Rich, Large Corporations and Big Oil for Their Fair Share.
As you can see the largest share of the fed-
eral discretionary budget goes towards mil-
itary spending.
While it is true that military spending
creates some jobs it creates fewer jobs at
decent pay than than many other spending
choices.