FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 3, 2003

Contact: Julie Callahan, (408) 374-2668
Rob Molinar, San Jose Peace Center, (408) 297-2299

WITH WAR IMMINENT, COUNTY SET TO DECLARE ITS SUPPORT FOR PEACE

SUPERVISORS TO VOTE ON IRAQ RESOLUTION; RESIDENTS WILL SPEAK OUT

This Tuesday, February 4th, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors will decide whether to publicly oppose a preemptive U.S. war on Iraq. Local residents plan to pack the County chambers to express their opinions on the issue. With Bush likely to declare war on Iraq within two weeks, many feel this is their last chance to help avert a war.

The Legislative Committee of the Board approved the resolution last Thursday, after hearing from several of the more than 50 supporters who came to the midafternoon meeting. Supervisors Liz Kniss and Jim Beall, the committee's two members, pledged to vote for the statement at the full Board meeting. With the support of Supervisor Blanca Alvarado, who introduced the resolution, and positive statements from Supervisor Pete McHugh, supporters expect the Board to pass the resolution.

"Time is running out," said Louise Auerhahn, one of the organizers of the resolution campaign. "We hope that the Board will vote unanimously to oppose this unjust war. We want to show that the people of Santa Clara County are unified in our belief in human rights and our love of peace."

With a population of over 1.7 million, Santa Clara County would be one of the largest local governments to publicly oppose war on Iraq. It would join over 55 cities and counties nationwide, from Detroit to Philadelphia to Chicago, as well as Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Berkeley in the Bay Area.

A national campaign called "Cities for Peace" (www.citiesforpeace.org) has supported many of these resolutions. But Santa Clara's started locally, initiated by members of a recently formed group called South Bay Mobilization to Stop the War (SBMSW). Other organizations, in particular United for Peace in San Jose, the San Jose Peace Center, and numerous Christian and Muslim faith-based groups, have been instrumental in moving the resolution forward.

"Everyone is concerned about what will happen if we go to war with Iraq," said Louise Auerhahn, a member of South Bay Mobilization To Stop War. "The County resolution is a chance for our community to start a dialogue about those concerns. Hopefully it will also be an opportunity to make our voices heard in the national debate."

The Board of Supervisors meeting will be Tuesday, February 4th, beginning at 9:30 am, in the board chambers of the County Building at 70 W. Hedding Street, San Jose. The Iraq resolution is currently item #14a on the agenda.

South Bay Mobilization to Stop the War: http://www.sanjosepeace.org/sbmsw.htm
# # #