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STORY: Today a coalition of Houston anti-war groups proposed a resolution at City Council to add Houston to the other forty-three cities that have passed resolutions against the war in Iraq.
Peace activists filled the council chambers this morning taking turns to encourage the city council to pass the resolution condemning a war in Iraq. Council Member Michael Berry opposed the resolution brought to the city by Francis Farenthold her supporters. Carol Alvarado, who sits next to Berry in the chamber, and other council members seemed uncomfortable with a heated exchange between Berry and Farenthold: Berry: I would suggest that we stick to the issues that affect this ci[ty] ... Farenthold: Then what you might stick to is the economic consequences of this war on homeland security and on your own budget. This isn't any hare-brained idea that comes from a little group in Houston, Texas ... Berry: I'm not speaking to the merits of your point, I'm speaking to the issue of whether we should be advising the White House or Congress on international matters when our job, when we were elected to deal with issues within this city, and that's what our City Charter commissions us to do ... Farenthold: Let me say this: You will be dealing, and you are dealing with issues of homeland defense ... Berry: But Ms. Farenthold, we are not commissioned to speak with any greater voice than you are, so I would encourage you to speak as you wish, but for us to not to speak as a body when that is not what we were elected to do. Farenthold: That's your opinion, Councilmember Berry, and I will stick with 43 city councils that have spoken on this issue. Berry: "...and I will try to make sure that it's not 44." Ada Edwards spoke in favor of the resolution saying why it is important for the city. "But I think that we do have a responsibility to at least discuss this because it will be our sons and daughters in Houston, Texas and our clinics and so forth that will be affected by this in Houston, Texas." Economists at the National Priorities Project place the cost of a war at $100 billion and in Texas the war would cost taxpayers $5.5 billion. Houston announced last week a $67 million budget shortfall and Texas also faces a budget deficit. The coalition of peace groups needs a majority of council members to propose a vote on the resolution. City Council sources say that this could take one week or several months. David Stiles and Ellen Simonson, KPFT News, Houston.
E-mail David Stiles and Ellen Simonson at stiles138@yahoo.com and ellen_simonson@yahoo.com respectively.
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