THE GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA
www.cagreens.org
CONTACT: Dave Meserve, Arcata City Councilmember, 707-834-3612
Posted January 09, 2006
Released January 05, 2006
Arcata, California
The Arcata City Council has 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
let our elected officials know that we hold them accountable for human torture, unfounded war, tax
dollars spent inappropriately, and the 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.
