Peace Action West & Tri-Valley CAREs – 2011-05-04 22:36:00
http://blog.peaceactionwest.org/2011/04/21/feed-hungry-kids-or-build-nuclear-bomb-plants/
Feed Hungry Kids? Or Build Nuclear Bomb Plants?
Katie Heald / Peace Action West
CALIFORNIA (April 21, 2011) — Republican Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan (R-WI) is threatening to take $500 million worth of food away from poor children because “we can’t afford it.” But Congress manages to find billions to spend on nuclear weapons every single year. I want to change those priorities, don’t you?
Because thousands of you spoke out earlier this month, together we got Congress to protect funding for nonproliferation programs. The final budget for 2011 provided a $190 million increase for programs that lock up nuclear bomb-grade material around the world, a major accomplishment when the Republicans were fighting to cut almost everything. Thank you!
Can you help us build on that success by telling Congress to block wasteful spending on nuclear bombs and new bomb factories in 2012?
Please click here to contact Congress today.
Even though we have fewer nuclear bombs in the US than we did at the height of the Cold War, we continue to spend more and more money on them every year. That’s insane! If we cut just a fraction of what we spend on these horrific, wasteful weapons, we’d still have plenty left over to provide lunches for poor children.
Current plans would spend $85 billion over the next 10 years, including $12 billion building two gigantic new bomb plants and $4 billion extending the life of old, outdated nuclear bombs. These projects don’t make sense if we are working to rid the world of all nuclear weapons. And meanwhile, efforts to lock up loose bomb-grade material, and to dismantle the weapons we already have, are chronically underfunded and behind schedule.
Instead of securing this material for good, some people would rather spend billions to build another factory that would put weapons-grade plutonium into nuclear power reactors.
ACTION ALERT: Take Action to Stop Funding for Nuclear Weapons!
Marylia Kelley / Tri-Valley CAREs
(May 4, 2011) — Some in Congress are talking about privatizing Medicare because “we can’t afford it.” But Congress manages to find billions to spend on nuclear weapons every single year. Take action now to change those priorities.
Tell Congress to block wasteful spending on nuclear bombs and new bomb factories in 2012.
Even though we have fewer nuclear bombs in the US than we did at the height of the Cold War, we continue to spend more and more money on them every year.
Current plans would spend $85 billion over the next 10 years to build new bomb plants and $100 billion to “modernize” the existing nuclear arsenal. These projects don’t make sense if we are working to rid the world of all nuclear weapons. And meanwhile, efforts to lock up loose bomb-grade material, and to dismantle the weapons we already have, are chronically underfunded. It is time to tell Congress to fix our priorities.
What can you do?
(1) Write a Letter to the Editor. Attend the Letter to the Editor Writing Party at the Tri-Valley CAREs office in Livermore this Thursday, May 5th. We will have handouts with facts to help you express your feelings about nuclear weapons and funding. We will also help you place your letter in the newspapers of your choice.
(2) Write a letter to Congress. Use the sample letter below to email or write a letter to your congressman or senator today.
(3) Donate to Tri-Valley CAREs. This will allow us to continue the opposition to these priorities in your name.
Marylia Kelley is Executive Director of Tri-Valley CAREs.
Sample Message to Congress
Representative/Senator ______________:
I urge you to support a forward-looking federal budget that reflects America’s commitment to eliminating the threat of nuclear weapons. While Congress is slashing important domestic programs, the proposal to increase nuclear weapons spending by almost 20% over 2010 levels to pay for new bomb factories and risky projects is unacceptable.
I strongly encourage you to:
• Stop funding projects that would increase the US capacity to produce new nuclear weapons. Planned new facilities at Los Alamos, NM (CMRR) and Oak Ridge, TN (UPF) are now projected to cost taxpayers many billions in the coming years.
• Stop funding the multi- billion dollar Life Extension Program for the nuclear B61 gravity bomb.
• Suspend construction of the mixed-oxide (MOX) plutonium fuel fabrication plant and its risky processing activities.
• Move the funds to nonproliferation programs that track down and secure nuclear material around the world, and to clean up the toxic and radioactive wastes caused by nuclear development.
• Increase funds for dismantlement and require increased dismantlement rates for nuclear warheads.
As you consider the FY2012 federal budget, please direct funding away from nuclear weapons activities and bomb plants, and toward securing dangerous nuclear material, cleanup and irreversible dismantlement of retired nuclear weapons.
Please write to tell me what action you will take on this issue.
Sincerely,
Your name:
Your address:
Your email:
To email you letter to CA senators and our local congressman click the following links:
Dianne Feinstein:
http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe
Barbara Boxer
http://boxer.senate.gov/en/contact/policycomments.cfm
John Garamendi
http://garamendi.house.gov/contact/email-me.shtml
UPCOMING EVENTS & ACTIONS
Thursday, May 5, 2011 at 6:30 PM
Letter to the Editor Writing Party
Write a letter to the editor on the first Thursday of each month. The subject for May is the Nuclear Weapons Budget. We will have fact sheets and handouts. And, if you want to write a letter on another topic, that’s great too. Exercise your creative voice in a supportive atmosphere.
Location: Tri-Valley CAREs Offices, 2582 Old First St., Livermore
More Info: (925) 443-7148
Friday, May 13, 2011
Final Day to Comment on LLNL’s Supplement Analysis to the Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement
All comments must be submitted to LLNL by Friday May 13th on its 2011 Draft Supplement Analysis of the 2005 Final Site-wide Environmental Impact Statement (SWEIS) for Continued Operation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The Draft Supplement Analysis evaluates 19 new or modified projects at LLNL and their potential impacts on the environment and summarily concludes that the impacts will be insignificant and that no further analysis is needed under the National Environmental Policy Act.
If approved, the Livermore Lab will move forward with these projects without additional environmental analysis until 2015, or later. However, a number of the projects have the potential to significantly impact the environment. Additionally, other programs were left out of the Supplement Analysis that also have the potential to significantly impact the environment. Thus, a full Supplemental EIS, or a new Site-wide EIS is needed to analyze these impacts. Click the following link to sign on to Tri-Valley CAREs’ Comment:
http://www.trivalleycares.org/new/SA sign on Comment.pdf
Thursday, May 18, 2011
Tri-Valley CAREs Meets
Tri-Valley CAREs monthly meeting at the Livermore Library. We welcome new and long-time members alike. Our monthly meetings are a place to get acquainted, get informed, and get motivated. Be sure not to miss it.
Location: Livermore Public Library 1188 South Livermore Ave. Community Room A
More Info: (925) 443-7148
Saturday, June 11, 2011: Be in a Parade!
Join Tri-Valley CAREs’ peace and environment entry in the Livermore Rodeo Parade. Kids welcome. We will have signs, banners, balloons and a float. Call or email Marylia for details.
Location: Downtown Livermore
More Info: (925) 443-7148
Click on our events page for more events
http://www.trivalleycares.org/new/events.html
Tri-Valley CAREs: Stopping nuclear weapons where they start.
2582 Old First Street, Livermore, CA 94551. Ph. 925-443-7148. www.trivalleycares.org
