RESIDENTS OF OJAI CITY, UNINCORPORATED AREAS, VOTERS AND NON-VOTERS, YOUTH AND ADULTS ARE ALL INVITED TO SIGN. THIS IS NOT FOR SPECIFIC LEGISLATION, SO THERE IS NO \"STATUS\" TO ACCOUNT FOR. THIS ALSO DOUBLES AS A GAUGE OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR CREATING REAL PEACE! Sign to urge adoption of the following Resolution by the Ojai City Council: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OJAI URGING CESSATION OF COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AND THE RETURN OF U.S. TROOPS WHEREAS, the citizens of the City of Ojai and their local elected officials have the constitutional right to petition the national government on any matter of concern to the community ; and WHEREAS, the United States is currently spending $2 billion per week to occupy Iraq with the result that through year 2007, $12.6 million in tax revenues will have been diverted from the City of Ojai to support the war and subsequent occupation of Iraq , which at a cost of $1,500 per American citizen is equal to $44,425,500 diverted from the residents of the Ojai Valley; and WHEREAS, on October 22, 2007, the administration submitted a request for a further $45.9 billion in war-related spending for fiscal year 2008, a request which is on top of $147 billion already requested for the Department of Defense and $3.6 billion for other agencies for the fiscal year and would raise total spending for the Iraq War to approximately $611 billion ; and WHEREAS, this diversion of funds degrades the quality of life for Ojai City residents, the funds diverted to date having been sufficient to provide 5,170 people with health care, or to hire 234 public safety officers, or to build 1 elementary school, or to build 38 affordable housing units, or to hire 190 elementary school teachers or 188 music and arts teachers, or to equip over 22,000 homes with renewable energy ; and WHEREAS, on January 12, 2005, President Bush officially ended the search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq , thus terminating the mission that justified the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq; and WHEREAS, the occupation of Iraq compromises United States security both by inspiring widespread unrest with violent resistance, and by placing significant strains on the capacity of the United States Armed Forces and the California National Guard ; and WHEREAS, the occupation of Iraq has failed to effectively support the repair of the physical and social infrastructure that was devastated by the war with the result that the quality of life in Iraq is far worse today that it was prior to the invasion ; and WHEREAS, in the course of serving with honor and distinction in Iraq, approximately 100 members of the United States Armed Forces are killed each month, a total of nearly 4,000 having been killed and more than 28,773 having been wounded since the start of the war, with 16 of those killed being from Ventura County ; and WHEREAS, the loss of Iraqi lives is far greater, estimated as high as 1 million since the inception of the war ; and WHEREAS, polls show that more than half of the American people support an end to the occupation of Iraq and almost 60% of Iraqis support killing American troops ; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF OJAI AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The Council urges the President of the United States to immediately commence a rapid, humane, and complete withdrawal of United States military personnel, contractors supporting the military effort, and military bases from Iraq within 18 months. SECTION 2. The Council urges the United States Congress to appropriate medical, psychological, financial, and educational assistance for veterans. SECTION 3. The Council urges redirection of the financial resources used to prosecute the war in order to address neglected domestic needs including health, education, homeland security, and the balancing of the budget. SECTION 4. The Council, recognizing that the stability of Iraq is crucial to the security of the citizens of Ojai and to all Americans, urges the United States government to provide the people of Iraq with non-military material aid to support the security of Iraqâ

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