Today at 12 Protest Social Security Paying for War

* Oakland vigil,Tuesday, June 20, noon--Social Security Paying for War
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You are invited to join the weekly vigil to call for an end to the U.S. war on the people of Iraq.
Tuesday, noon, Oakland Federal Building,
1301 Clay Street,
two short blocks from the 12th Street BART Station.

We expect to be joined by the Raging Grannies
and seniors from St. Mary's center with giant puppets.

This vigil was begun in the spring of 1998, shortly after Madeline Albright toured the country in her unsuccessful attempt to gain support for a war against Iraq.
After a civil disobedience action to oppose the proposed attack, Ecumenical Peace Institute/CALC and Mustardseed Affinity Group decided to organize a weekly vigil to call for an end to the sanctions which were causing the deaths of 5,000 Iraqi children each month.
The vigil has continued since that time and other sponsors have joined in the effort. The focus has changed, now calling for an immediate end to the war and the occupation.
Each week we hand out approximately three hundred flyers. Usually they are different each week, unless upcoming events are being announced.
Below you will see the text of the flyer for the week mentioned in the subject line of this message.
Please join us.

End the Occupation –– Stop the War
Stop the Killing in Iraq

Social Security Paying for War

Social Security is a trust fund. Working people pay into the fund; the fund increases in value; when the worker retires or is disabled he or she should receive a monthly check to live on.

During the Vietnam War, President Johnson stirred the Social Security trust fund into the general budget to conceal the fact that the Vietnam War was costing more than the U.S. budget could cover. A bank or an attorney who expropriated trust funds and used them for something other than for the benefit of the beneficiary would be in a heap of legal trouble.
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Now Social Security taxes go into the general fund and payments paid out of the general budget and are called “Entitlements”. Entitlements are under major attack as some kind of rip-off by the undeserving poor. Someone has forgotten that it’s our money.

Who is getting the money?
Bechtel, Halliburton, and other big contractors with connections to the administration.

How Much is it Costing Us?
As of June 19, 2006 the war in Iraq has cost the nation $289,648,924,342
Oakland’s share of the cost of the Iraq War so far is $363,674,349

The Social Security Trust Funds have produced large surpluses in recent years. (Did we know that?)
Hence, the total budget deficit is smaller than what it would be if we subtracted these surpluses. The Social Security system is funded through dedicated payroll taxes. Thus, using the Social Security surpluses to fund other types of spending, which is essentially what takes place, means that the policy-makers are using one type of tax to fund other types of activities.

Information provided by the National Priorities Project. The Cost of Iraq War Calculator is based on Congressional appropriations.
http://nationalpriorities.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=182


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Sign the Declaration of Peace http://www.declarationofpeace.org/
or call the local contact: Pace e Bene 510-268-8765
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PLEASE, call Congress 888-355-3588
Tell your representative. Not one more penny for war!
It's time to bring the troops home now!

Join the Vigil • Noon - 1:00 p.m. • Each Tuesday
Oakland Federal Building • 1301 Clay

Berkeley Women in Black • East Bay Coalition to Support Self-Rule for Iraqis
Bay Area Labor Committee for Peace and Justice • Peace & Freedom Party
Women for Peace • Mustardseed Affinity Group
Ecumenical Peace Institute • http://www.epicalc.org/ • (510) 548-4141