Arcata City Council Resolution: Impeach
Bush and Cheney
IndyBay.org
by Dave Meserve Friday, Jan. 06, 2006 at 6:33 PM
dmeserve@arcatacityhall.org 707-834-3612
On Wednesday, January 4, 2006, the Arcata City Council passed a resolution
demanding the impeachment or resignation of Bush and Cheney for crimes against
the Constitution.
The Arcata City Council last night adopted a resolution demanding the
impeachment or resignation of George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney for
violations of Constitutional and International law. The resolution charges Bush
and Cheney with the following impeachable offenses:
- (1) The crime of misleading the American people and Congress into waging an
unnecessary and brutal war in Iraq, in violation of the US Constitution and
International Law;
- (2) The criminal failure of the President to respond adequately to the
Hurricane Katrina disaster;
- (3) The crime of ordering the secret surveillance of American citizens by
the NSA, without any court warrant; and
- (4) The crime of torturing human beings, in violation of the Geneva
Conventions and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
The Resolution was written and brought before the council by Arcata City
Councilmembers Dave Meserve and Harmony Groves. The vote was 3-2 on the
council, with Councilmember Paul Pitino joining the majority and Councilmembers
Wheetley and Machi dissenting. Tonight's resolution reaffirms an earlier
demand for impeachment, passed by the Arcata City Council on October 6,
2004.
In her comments, Councilmember Groves stated that the resolution could help
encourage North Coast Congressman, Mike Thompson, to support impeachment. She
added that, "It is important to put the present situation into historical
context and let our elected officials know that we demand action in regards to
human torture, unfounded war, tax dollars spent inappropriately, and a lack of
swift and efficient action to deal with a major disaster on U.S. soil."
The resolution requests that Thompson (D-CA) join with others in Congress to
introduce Articles of Impeachment against George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney.
Copies of the adopted resolution will be sent to Congressman Thompson, Senators
Feinstein and Boxer and all members of the House Judiciary Committee.
In appealing for the votes of fellow Councilmembers, Meserve stated that,
"All elected officials swear to 'uphold, and defend the Constitution against
all enemies, foreign and domestic.' This obligates us to act when the President
violates the Constitution. We hope that other cities will join us in demanding
the impeachment of Bush and Cheney"
RESOLUTION NO. 056-34
A 2006 NEW YEARS RESOLUTION OF
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCATA
DEMANDING THE IMPEACHMENT OR RESIGNATION OF
GEORGE W. BUSH AND RICHARD B. CHENEY
Whereas, on October 15, 2003, the Arcata City Council unanimously approved a
letter to the House Judiciary Committee, requesting an investigation into
whether George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney committed impeachable offences in
the lead-up to the Iraq War, and
Whereas, on October 6, 2004, the Arcata City Council adopted a resolution
demanding the impeachment of George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney, and
Whereas, the Presidential crimes of misleading the American people and
Congress into waging an unnecessary war in Iraq, in violation of the US
Constitution and International Law, have been further confirmed in the past
sixteen months, and
Whereas, George W. Bush let the citizens of the United States of America
down when he and his appointed head of FEMA failed to quickly and adequately
respond to a major disaster on US soil, Hurricane Katrina, which killed at
least 1,383 people in the gulf coast region and left over 78,000 people
homeless, and
Whereas, George W. Bush recently admitted to and defended his practice of
ordering the secret surveillance of American citizens by the NSA, without any
court warrant, and
Whereas, our nation, under commander in chief of the military George W.
Bush, has conducted acts of torture against human beings, in violation of the
Geneva Conventions and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman
or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and
Whereas, Richard B. Cheney has defended the war on Iraq, the practice of
warrant-less domestic surveillance and the use of torture.
Therefore be it resolved, that the City Council of the City of Arcata
reaffirms its demand for the impeachment, or resignation, of George W. Bush and
Richard B. Cheney.
Be It further resolved, that we request that our Representative, Mike
Thompson join with others in Congress to introduce Articles of Impeachment
against George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney, and that copies of this
resolution be sent to Representative Thompson, Senators Boxer and Feinstein and
all members of the House Judiciary Committee.
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