What is the cost of the war to our district?

I just wanted to say thanks to all the Council members who volunteered this weekend at the Radford Farmers Market for the "Cost of War Report" event.

Without you (Rick Robers, Tim Jackson, Melissa Londry, Teresa Volante, Laura Spielman & special guest, Sue England) we wouldn't have been able to hold such a successful event--signing up 13 new members to the council and generally spreading the word about how much the war in Iraq has cost Virginia's 9th district...

$679 Million so far, if you were wondering! That would've been enough to pay for healthcare coverage for 188,286 people (or 338,920 kids); Head Start for 94,124 additional kids; or 10,258 new elementary school teachers. I know, it's hard to fathom. Email me if you're interested in reading the full report from MoveOn.org (with data provided by the National Priorities Project.)

So if you're outraged and you want to do something about it, join us on Tuesday, August 28 at 7:45 p.m. for a candlelight vigil in Radford, VA. Go here for more details on how to convince Congress to "Stand Up in September."

Also, look out for a blurb about the Cost of War event in the upcoming August 23 issue of the New River Voice!