By 
- In fiscal year 2015, the federal budget is $3.8 trillion. These trillions of dollars make up about 21 percent of the U.S. economy (as measured by Gross Domestic Product, or GDP). It’s also about $12,000 for every woman, man and child in the United States.
- The agreement took place before its deadline of 11:59 p.m., making it the forth consecutive on-time budget to be passed. According to Gov. Cuomo, the 2014-2015 New York State budget is a $140 billion spending plan that falls below two percent for the fourth consecutive year.
- City Council members approved $75 billion fiscal 2015 city budget early Thursday that was peppered with expanded services and new initiatives.
These three budgets reflect the massive spending on Mandatory spending, Discretionary spending and Debt Services of our federal, state and city governments. Absent in these expenditures is unfortunately a centralized funding for communal peaceful coexistence, even though expenses for Pentagon alone exceeds Two Thirds of a trillion dollars.
Now these are the questions all citizens must their government:
- Is the world safer?
- Is our nation safer?
- Are our states safer?
- Are our cities safer?
- Does massive spending on Pentagon without “Department of Peace” the most prudent investment to achieve peace and security?
Against this back drop, Peace December Movement will be launching a campaign this December called “Three Percent Plus”. The campaign would advocate for our federal, state and municipal budgets to include at least three percent (3%) allocation for Communal Peaceful Coexistence, as well as the establishment of “Department of Peace” at Federal, State and Municipal levels.
These petitions will be distributed at our “International Peace Lighting Day” on November 30, 2015. Thank you for your patriotic cooperation.