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President's Message (Arlene Ellis)
Planning and Zoning (Astrid Monson)
Running to Win - A Preview
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Next National Study?
Report - Pat Shutt (Pat Shutt)
Committees and Board Assignments 5/25/87
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Next National Study?

Economic Conversion

Will "Economic Conversion" become a household word? If one West Coast League has its way, "economic conversion" will become at least a League household word. The Monterey Peninsula League is urging leagues across the country to join it in a campaign to make "economic conversion" a two year national study.

What is economic conversion? It involves the orderly redirection of resources from the military economy to socially useful economic endeavors and civilian growth industries. It (is a way to bring about a smooth transition to a peace economy for military-dependent workers and communities. It is a key to providing for the human needs of our citizens.

The LWVUS has long supported the concept that "national security" has many dimensions and "cannot be limited to military policy alone." One of these dimensions is our economic health. Sustained war spending has triggered devastating impacts on our economy and society:

  • turned the U.S. into the world's largest trade debtor nation

  • neglected the critical human needs of our citizens

  • drained talent from the commercial sector to defense industries by high wages and lavish funding, there-by sapping American competitiveness and its position as a leading economic power

  • created a "weapons constituency" which backs military spending to forestall layoffs and plant closings, often without regard to the merits of the weapons system to American security

  • spawned the view that arms controls threaten economic stability

  • led to the decay of America's infrastructure: roads, bridges, waterways, etc.

Many of the League's goals cannot be achieved without a re-ordering of our nation's priorities: economic conversion unlocks our future.

The Monterey League's conviction is that the LWVUS can play a significant rule in making economic con-version a logical and responsible bridge to a safer world. Leagues interested in promoting economic conversion, please write to:

Economic Conversion Committee LWV of Monterey Peninsula Box 1995
Monterey, California 93942

eds. note: This was received from the President of the Monterey Peninsula League of Women Voters with a request that we consider publication in our Voter.

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