I am here as always to exercise my constitutional right to speak as an American citizen, a Hartford resident and home owner and as a combat veteran of Viet Nam. I will first of all read the names of the KIA in Iraq and Afghanistan for the month of April. I do this because no one else will. It is fitting to do this as this month is the 35th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. The Wars are invisible as are the veterans and the dead. All of you on Council and every citizen in this audience are complicit by your Silence. Silence has become the weapon by which you rid yourselves of your guilt. I will now read the names of the dead.

As a contrast to the deconstruction and dismantling of the public schools and libraries of the city of Hartford we are financing the building of a new school in Senjaray Afghanistan near Kandahar. So we take from our own children, who have no Music, Art or sports and crowded classes, to build in a country, whose people we kill and who don’t want to be like us. The returning veterans and GI’s are telling you what is happening and you refuse to listen. One Iraq veteran has related to me this story. Truck convoys, driven by contractors, have to swipe a card at the gate as they enter. Every swipe pays $40,000 to the company, KBR, Triple Canopy, Dyne Corp, Blackwater(XE). On inspection by the GI’s it was found that half the trucks were empty.   This is only the tip of the iceberg of corruption and waste by the military and defense contractors.

How much of my tax dollar is diverted to this instead of to the city budget? Can any of you find out the answer? It is your fiduciary responsibility to find out. I will assist you with the handouts I have and provide you with the website of Nationalpriorities.org.

Understand one thing. The Wars are coming home everyday. As you sow you shall reap.

Dave Ionno
Veteran for Peace and Viet Nam Veteran against the Wars