Fruit Pie Describes Atlanta Friends' Budget Priorities

Posted on 06/16/2011 @ 12:30 PM

Tags: Budget, Checkbook, Peaceful Prevention

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. Matt 12:33 NIV

Tom Kenworthy, Mary Ann Downey and Sue May visited Senator Saxby Chambliss's office in Atlanta on Wednesday to talk about military spending and budget priorities. They adopted a unique though increasingly popular strategy in lobbying about the federal budget: they brought a ‘budget pie’ with them. Like the pie that Washington State Friends brought to their representative, this pie was accompanied by a pie chart that showed how the federal budget is spent. The disproportionately large piece of the pie allocated the the Pentagon made it clear how the current United States' budget prioritizes war, not people.

The Georgia FCNL group was delighted to hear that Senator Chambliss agrees that cuts in the Pentagon budget should be considered in the Congressional process to reduce the federal budget deficits. Sue May and her colleagues asked that the Pentagon budget be reduced by a trillion dollars, over the next ten years. They also asked for increased funds for the peaceful prevention of deadly conflict in diplomacy and development, especially in emerging democracies. They conveyed their support of the United States Institute of Peace and the Complex Crises Fund.

They also asked the Senator to hold hearings in the budget committee to discuss the nature of national security. This would mean reevaluating: "What truly makes us secure?" FCNL constituents in Michigan, Florida, Iowa and several other states have been bringing this theme to Congress for several years. Food security, health security, economic security, these are the things that the vulnerable among us worry about.

You can make a pie too!

If you are also worried about the continued growth of the Pentagon budget at the cost of human needs programs and diplomacy, take action! Consider visiting your own senator or representative's office with a "Budget Pie." Or Take Action here, by sending an email to your legislator.

If you do make a budget pie, either for an event or a meeting with your legislator, tell us about it! We'd love to have a picture to help inspire others to take action.