All- I made this call to Sen. Feinstein and hope you can, too. It is outrageous that the proposed budget includes billions for upgrading nuclear weapons while they consider cutting back on Social Security. I hope you can call this week, if not today. Thanks, Don -------- Original Message -------- Subject: IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA, TAKE ACTION TODAY! Date: Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:22:36 -0700 From: Jackie Cabasso <wslf@earthlink.net> Reply-To: wslf@earthlink.net To: *CALIFORNIA SENATE ACTION ALERT: PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!** * /*TODAY! April 9th: Call-in Day to Cut Nuclear Weapons Spending*/ // // In the past few years there’s been a lot of nice sounding rhetoric about eliminating nuclear weapons uttered by President Obama and various senior statesmen. Unfortunately, the rhetoric doesn’t match the reality. The U.S. government is officially committed to modernizing its nuclear bombs and warheads; the submarines, missiles, and aircraft that carry them; and the laboratories and plants that design, maintain, and manufacture nuclear weapons. U.S. policy and budget documents all manifest an intent to keep thousands of nuclear weapons in service for the foreseeable future, together with the capability to bring stored weapons back into service and to design and manufacture new weapons should they be desired. ** At the time of the Fiscal Year 2012 President’s Budget Request submitted to Congress in early February 2011, the administration anticipated spending approximately $88 billion for bombs and warheads and supporting infrastructure and about $125 billion for delivery systems over a ten year period. Independent estimates of total U.S. spending for nuclear weapons and related programs place the number even higher, at $31 billion or more annually. In FY 2013, the U.S. will spend more, in inflation-adjusted dollars, on nuclear warheads and bombs than it did during the average Cold War year! *Californians have an important role to play in calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and opposing austerity measures that will result in draconian cuts to social services. *Our Senator, Dianne Feinstein, is the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Energy and Water, the committee that oversees the nuclear weapons budget, and is one of the most important leaders in the Senate on the issue. *That is why an urgent Statewide Call-in campaign is starting today, Tuesday, April 9th, to show Sen. Feinstein that Californians want to cut spending on nuclear weapons! Please join people across California who are joining forces to call Sen. Feinstein starting today!* *Call Senator Feinstein at (415) 393-0707.* Here is a suggested message: My name is ________ and I live in _________.I urge Senator Feinstein to honor the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Call on Congress: “to terminate funding for modernization of nuclear warheads, delivery systems, and production facilities, to slash spending on nuclear weapons well below Cold War levels, and to redirect those funds to meet the urgent needs of cities.” ** *Please call Sen. Feinstein ASAP and help us keep her phone ringing off the hook.** * *More Information:* The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the nonpartisan national association of cities with populations over 30,000. At its June 2012 Annual meeting, the USCM unanimously adopted a resolution /Calling for U.S. Leadership in Global Elimination of Nuclear Weapons and Redirection of Nuclear Weapons Spending to Meet the Urgent Needs of Cities. /http://www.usmayors.org/resolutions/80th_Conference/international08.asp -- Jacqueline Cabasso Executive Director Western States Legal Foundation Working for Peace & Justice in a Nuclear Free World www.wslfweb.org www.disarmamentactivist.org www.facebook.com/WesternStatesLegalFoundation Twitter@JackieCabasso 510-839-5877