Introduction to the Iraq War Referendum for the Oshkosh Common Council

“Should the United States begin an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, beginning with the National Guard and Reserves?”

Over 2000 citizens of Oshkosh have signed a petition requesting that the above advisory referendum be placed on the April ballot in Oshkosh. These signatures are being turned in to the City Clerk’s office this week. We ask you to please place this on the agenda of the Dec. 13 City Council so that you may vote to place this question on our ballot at the Dec. 27 meeting of the City Council.

The effort to put this question on the ballot is underway in over two dozen communities across Wisconsin. It stems from the growing national debate over why we are at war with Iraq and what we are doing there. While polls show an increasing percentage of people opposed to the war and in favor of withdrawal from Iraq, there is no poll more accurate than the ballot box. As Vermont did last year, Wisconsin citizens want to put this question to the voters in order to send our representatives a message about our support for, or opposition to, the Iraq War. Because Wisconsin does not have state wide citizen initiated referendums, petitioning through local elected bodies is the only means for citizens to place advisory referendums on our ballots.

Locally a group of two dozen citizens met at the Oshkosh Public Library this summer to discuss the possibility of joining the state wide movement here in Oshkosh. This was a non-partisan effort by individual citizens who care deeply about the issue. The Winnebago Peace and Justice Center assisted with coordination, but ultimately this was a labor of passion by individuals who committed their time and energy toward something they believe in.

Following is some information addressing concerns we have heard about the referendum: why this referendum is a local issue, why this referendum is more than just a local issue, and some facts about the war. If this information doesn’t address your concerns, we would be happy to discuss them further with you.

We strongly encourage you to take this issue and place it on your agenda, and we strongly encourage you to positively respond to this citizen initiated request for a public referendum on an issue that touches each and every one of us.

Thank you,

Jenni Ryan

Ronald Kane Hardy

Coordinators of the petition drive

Why this Referendum is a local issue

• Money – The estimated cost of the war in Iraq in terms of Oshkosh’s share of Federal Income Tax is $40 million dollars.(www.nationalpriorities.org) The impact of this $251,000,000,000 war is being felt locally as our city council and county board struggle through painful budget cuts, tax increases, and potential cuts in services.
• People – Our friends and family members are fighting in this war, whether in the Guard or in the U.S. Military. Our loved ones are coming back from Iraq injured, traumatized, or in the worst case dead. The strain on local families from having family members absent for years is difficult and painful.
• Safety – The Wisconsin National Guard is supposed to be available for natural disasters, security threats and unrest at home. When the federal government deploys the Wisconsin Guard to Iraq it affects our ability to provide safety and security here at home to our local communities. This was proven in Louisiana and Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina.
• Local personnel – Police officers, fire fighters, emergency medical technicians, teachers and others are in Iraq. This impacts our local communities as we lose these valuable people while they put their lives on the line in Iraq.

Why this Referendum is more than just a local issue

• This referendum is part of a state wide referendum effort. 27 communities across the state are working on putting this question on their spring ballots, including: Algoma, Baraboo, DePere, Casco, Eau Claire, Egg harbor, Ephraim, Evansville, Forrestville, Green Bay, Hartford, Hayward, Kewaunee, LaCrosse, Ladysmith, Luxemburg, Madison, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Monona, Portage, Shorewood, Sister Bay, Spring Green, Sturgeon Bay, Superior, Two Rivers, Wauwatosa, West Bend, Whitefish Bay.
• Similar referendums have been put on local ballots across the United States in the last year, including over 50 communities in Vermont.

Facts about the war

• Cost of the Iraq War: 251 Billion Dollars (Congressional Research Service)
• Local Contribution to the War through income taxes: $40 million dollars
• Total number of troops in Iraq: 130,000
• Of those, number of National Guard troops in Iraq: 60,000
• American forces deaths in Iraq War: 2,128 (an average of over 2 per day)
• American forces wounded in Iraq War: 15,881
• The National Guard and Reserves make up over 40% of the U.S. forces in Iraq
• National Guard soldiers are dying at rates 35% higher than other military