cities weigh in on national policy
Iraq War Referendums Pass Decisively in Missoula and Helena
By Emily Darrell, 11-07-07
Yesterday two Montana cities approved non-binding referendums urging “Congress to authorize and fund an immediate and orderly withdrawal of the U.S. military forces from Iraq in a manner fully protective or U.S. soldiers.”
The referendums, similar to ones that have been passed in cities around the nation, appeared on city council ballots in both Missoula and Helena and were approved by 65 and 62 percent of voters, respectively.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Deborah Hayden a member of the Helena Peace Seekers. “I worked very hard to get [the referendum] passed.”
Hayden’s son is an Iraq veteran who she said has experienced chronic pain and emotional problems since returning from a one-year tour of duty in Iraq.
“He’s 26 years old,” she said “and he may be disabled for life.”
“I was against [the war] from the beginning, before my son even joined the army,” Hayden said.
Hayden believes that the passing of the referendum accurately reflects the dissatisfaction with the war she sees around her. Hayden said that since the start of the war her car has been covered in anti-war stickers and that she often wears anti-war pins and other accessories. “I’ve been virtually a rolling billboard saying ‘get out of Iraq’ . . . and not one person has said anything negative to me.”
She said the referendum is just one small part of the anti-war movement, but believes it will send a strong message to our state representatives and that it will have an impact. “We aren’t going to stop with this referendum,” she said.
Some Missoulians who opposed the referendum did so, not because of their feelings on the war, but because they believe City Council should not be dealing with issues of national policy.
City Council member Jack Reidy was one of the six council members who, in June of this year, voted against putting the referendum on the ballot. (The council was split evenly on this decision; Mayor John Engen cast the tie-breaking vote.)
“I’m in no way in favor of the war in Iraq,” Reidy said. “I just didn’t think it was City Council business.”
James Lopach, Chair of the University of Montana’s Department of Political Science, also believes that the referendum was inappropriate for a City Council ballot.
“I feel that referendums on local ballots should deal with local issues,” Lopach said, adding that the referendum could “harm the credibility of the City Council.”
“I like to think they’re concentrating their efforts on local issues.”
However, City Councilman Bob Jaffe believes that the Iraq War is indeed a local issue.
“To argue that this doesn’t affect the city of Missoula is just wrong,” said Jaffe, who co-sponsored the referendum with fellow Ward 3 council member Stacy Rye.
“It’s primarily a budget issue,” Jaffe said. “The city is somewhat dependent on our federal grant monies and there is only so much money to go around. We’re sucking the resources out of our community.”
Another concern about the referendum, as expressed by Lopach, is that it serves to further divided an already polarized City Council.
Jaffe agreed that the referendum has been a divisive and emotional issue. “In that aspect it’s unfortunate,” Jaffe said. “But taking up difficult issues is part of the job.”
Jaffe noted, however, that the council does try to limit weighing in on national issues.
“I don’t think we want to make it a trend,” Jaffe said. “We’re not going to take up abortion next.”
Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.
Comments
Does the missoula city council decide foreign policy? No. But ever since the council has been loaded with democrats (last night) all this whimpy anti-troopness has sissified our local government.
The bigger issue here is liberal hippies thinking they can do an all-mail ballot and increase turnout... this time to 46%. I got news for you folks: some people shouldn't vote. Just like letting the bumpkins on city council try to decide foreign policy, letting everyone in the city --unedicated, poor, or just wierd-- vote is setting-up our democracy for failure.
Some people shouldn't vote. There are alot of working class people that should just live contently with their day-to-day jobs and lives, and let the ruling class take care of things. That's what's wrong with this referendum, and this mail-in ballot: some people should just know their roles.
A referendum is bad for democracy? A little research in to democracy will probably do you some good.
"whimpy anti-troopness has sissified our local government", is that how issues are discussed at the college republican meetings? No wonder your antenna isn't receiving all the channels.
"some people shouldn't vote", "-unedicated, poor, or just wierd-". Gosh, that's a classic paragraph college republican. I think I've heard hundreds of republicans say the same thing with the same misspellings in their head. What's interesting is you call people liberals when they disagree with that statement. The rest of the county calls people who fight for all citizens to have the right to vote, Patriots.
My question to you college republican is; why aren't you in the military fighting in Iraq? You believe in the wisdom of Bush and the reasons are soldiers are there. You should enlist. Otherwise you are what is called a chickenhawk. You throw a tantrum about democracy and advocate sending our troops into harms way but refuse to serve next to them. Some people like me who have served in the military consider your actions and the actions of many republicans cowardly.