Past time that this was brought home

[the_future_modernes]

Tax Day and America’s Wars

Matt Ryan, the mayor of Binghamton, New York, is sick and tired of watching people in local communities "squabble over crumbs," as he puts it, while so much local money pours into the Pentagon's coffers and into America's wars. He's so sick and tired of it, in fact, that, urged on by local residents, he's decided to do something about it. He's planning to be the first mayor in the United States to decorate the façade of City Hall with a large, digital "cost of war" counter, funded entirely by private contributions.

That counter will offer a constantly changing estimate of the total price Binghamton's taxpayers have been paying for our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan since October 2001. By September 30, 2010, the city's "war tax" will reach $138.6 million—or even more if, as expected, Congress passes an Obama administration request for supplemental funds to cover the president's "surge" in Afghanistan. Mayor Ryan wants, he says, to put the counter "where everyone can see it, so that my constituents are urged to have a much-needed conversation."

...

Heads should swivel, he thinks, when faced with the $138.6 million Binghamton's taxpayers are out of pocket since 2001 for the Iraq and Afghan wars. And that's not even counting the city's share of the supplemental funds Congress will undoubtedly agree to this spring to cover the Afghan "surge" or the city's portion of the basic Pentagon budget for the same period.

For a small city with an annual budget of $81.1 million, $138.6 million would be a hefty sum, even in non-recessionary times. For the same amount of money, Ryan could fund the Binghamton city library for the next 60 years, or pay for a four-year education for 95% of the incoming freshman class at the State University of New York at Binghamton, or offer four years of quality health coverage for everyone in Binghamton 19 or younger, or secure renewable electricity for every home in the city for the next 11 years. If he was feeling really flush, he could fully fund one-third of New York State's Head Start slots for one year.

For the same sum, Ryan could also authorize a $2,900 tax refund for every woman, man, and child in Binghamton or pay the salaries of all of Binghamton's hard-hit public school teachers and staff for about two years.

For $138.6 million, Mayor Ryan could hire 2,765 public safety officers for a year, or simply refund the 12 police positions cut in the latest budget contraction and guarantee those salaries for the next 230 years. Ridiculous? These days, no one is laughing in Binghamton or other cities like it.MORE

I hope more people start doing this type of thing. I am sick and tired of my money going off to bomb the hell out of some other person while I keep hearing that there is no money for domestic social issues. Like schools.

the catholic church needs to STFU amd STFD and deal with this shit and stop trying to dodge.

[the_future_modernes]

Conn. bishops urge parishes to fight new sex abuse law

HARTFORD, Conn.

Connecticut's Roman Catholic bishops are urging parishes to fight legislation that would extend the statute of limitation in civil child sex abuse cases.

The bishops asked pastors to include a bulletin insert this week that warns of potentially "disastrous" financial fallout.

The insert says the bill could dredge up claims more than 70 years old and place all church institutions at risk, even parishes free of claims.

The insert is signed by Hartford Archbishop Henry Mansell, Bridgeport Bishop William Lori and Norwich Bishop Michael Cote.

Current law gives victims until age 48 to sue. The new law would allow people above that age to join in lawsuits filed by younger people.

State Rep. Beth Bye, a bill co-sponsor, said the bishops' letter was inflammatory and showed a lack of focus on abuse victims.

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Information from: The Hartford Courant, http://www.courant.com

And while they are at it...apparently the sharp criticism that the church is taking is all teh fault of...wait for it...THE JEWS.

HEADDESK

A retired Italian bishop has provoked fury by reportedly suggesting that “Zionists” are behind the current storm of accusations over clerical sex abuse shaking the Vatican and the Catholic Church.

Monsignor Giacomo Babini, the Bishop Emeritus of Grossetto, was quoted by the Italian Roman Catholic website Pontifex as saying he believed a “Zionist attack” was behind the criticism of the Pope, given that it was “powerful and refined” in nature.

Bishop Babini denied he had made any anti-Semitic remarks. He was backed by the Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), which issued a declaration by Bishop Babini in which he said: “Statements I have never made about our Jewish brothers have been attributed to me.”

However, Bruno Volpe, who interviewed Monsignor Babini for Pontifex, confirmed that the bishop had made the statement, which was reported widely in the Italian press today. Pontifex threatened to release the audio tape of the interview as proof. MORE

I don't see why this church should have any kind of moral authority ever again.