Agenda Packets - 2013/09/23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Wednesday, September 4, 2013 Mounds View City Hall Jim Ericson, City Administrator 2401 County Road 10 Mounds View, MN 55112 Dear City Policy Makers, Mounds View City Council Mayor: Joe Flaherty Council Members: Sherry Gunn Al Hull Gary Meehlhause Carol Mueller We are putting forward the Minnesota Arms Spending Alternatives Project (MN ASAP) Resolution for your consideration. We value your support and are asking that you vote yes to endorse: "Supporting Shifting Federal Funding Priorities from Wasteful Pentagon Spending to Meeting the Essential Needs of Our Local Communities." MN ASAP is a non-partisan citizen -based initiative using a simple resolution process to promote conversation about and build support for shifting wasteful Pentagon spending to meeting essential needs. The MN ASAP Resolution attempts to draw attention to the waste, fraud, and abuse that exists in some of our Pentagon spending. MN ASAP supports a strong national defense and does not wish to make budget cuts that would adversely affect our active service personnel, our Reserve and National Guard personnel or our military veterans. The MN ASAP Resolution does not ask for the abolishment of all defense spending, but for a "shift in Federal funding priorities from wasteful Pentagon spending to meeting the essential needs of local communities." Our local State Senator and State Representative have endorsed a similar resolution at the state level. The MN ASAP Resolution shows support for our 4th District Congresswoman's efforts to cut wasteful Pentagon spending by proposing an amendment to eliminate Pentagon funding to support NASCAR racing teams, suggesting that the money could be better used for our national defense. How would Mounds View benefit if some of the millions of tax dollars our residents have paid out for wasteful Pentagon spending could be reinvested in local Mounds View projects such as an upgrade of the County Road 10 Corridor, a new Public Works building, a new sound wall for Precinct #2 residents? How would Mounds View residents benefit if more money was made available for our roads and bridges, as well as for our local schools? How would Mounds View's new high school graduates, community members who have lost their jobs or are underemployed, and returning veterans benefit if the money was invested in higher education opportunities, which included lower costs for college and vocational training? Please consider the MN ASAP Resolution and vote "Yes" to endorse it. Sincerely, Bill Urbanski I Note: Supporting Materials included