Petition for a Connecticut State Economic-Conversion Commission

Petition for a Connecticut State Economic-Conversion Commission

1. A significant amount of Connecticut industry relies on contracts from the Department of Defense for weapons systems. Often the jobs held in weapons factories are well-paid, union jobs with good benefits. Yet the number of these jobs in CT is declining.

2. Studies have shown that the for a given amount of money fewer jobs are created in the capital-intensive weapons industries than in education, health care, and other occupations with equally high wages and benefits.

Therefore, we the undersigned, in order to save existing high-skilled jobs, to generate more and retain a highly skilled workforce call for the Connecticut General Assembly to create an Economic Conversion Commission.

This Commission would be charged to research how Connecticut can transition from dependency on the production of weapons of war to a state that leads the nation and world in producing the green economy of the future: It would research alternatives to employment in manufacturing weapons in favor of products that our current highly-skilled workforce can fabricate using both existing and new plants, products that enhance our national security and well being, enhance our quality of life and ensure a sustainable economy. The Commission would be charged to find employment opportunities in areas of true national security such as education, health care, mass transit, renewable energy products and environmental protection, and to press for enactment of its proposals in our state.

We call for such a Commission to be composed of representatives among others of state legislators, academics, labor including those in the weapons industries, peace, environmental and business organizations.

Name-Printed Signature Address email
1.__________________________________________________________________________________
2.__________________________________________________________________________________
3.__________________________________________________________________________________
4.__________________________________________________________________________________
5.__________________________________________________________________________________
6.__________________________________________________________________________________
7.__________________________________________________________________________________
8.__________________________________________________________________________________
9.__________________________________________________________________________________
10._________________________________________________________________________________

Please return this petition to: Joe Wasserman, 87 Shadow Lane, West Hartford CT 06110, or Miriam Kurland, 269 Wormwood Hill Rd, Mansfield Center, CT 06250, or Greater New Haven Peace Council, PO Box 3105, New Haven, CT 06515