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Politics & Government

Conference of Mayors Calls for an End to Iraq and Afghanistan Wars

Under leadership from L.A.'s mayor, city leaders say funding would be better spent at home.

Under the leadership of conference president and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the U.S. Conference of Mayors called Monday for a speed up in the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It's time to bring our investments back home," said Villaraigosa. "We can't be building roads and bridges in Baghdad and Kandahar, and not in Baltimore and Kansas City."

According to the National Priorities Project, the wars are costing Los Angeles taxpayers $1.8 billion in tax dollars this year alone. That is $1.8 billion from a city that has had to furlough teachers, eliminate overtime pay for cops, and cut funding for parks. Even the Venice Neighborhood Council has been hit.

Find out what's happening in Venice-Mar Vistawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The mayors' resolution passed before President Obama’s Wednesday announcement of the details of his Afghan drawdown. It was intended to coax the president into announcing a larger withdrawal.

The last time that the 1,200-member conference ventured into international politics was when it called for a withdrawal from Vietnam.

Find out what's happening in Venice-Mar Vistawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It’s good to see the mayors recognizing that the $126 billion a year that the wars currently cost American taxpayers would be better spent at home.

Obama's announcement will be broadcast live at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

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