Check this out! Personally, I think the word "ban" is a bit too strong to describe the action in San Francisco, but most of the more liberal publications are using that word. In actuality, if I understand correctly, this is a way for the city to go on record that they * oppose military recruiting in schools * and ... want to fund alternatives to military service, such as education /training. We need to be thinking of writing a resolution like this to present at the primary in February and get it on record in the Democratic party platform! San Francisco Voters ban Military Recruiters in Schools By a strong 60-40 margin San Francisco voters approved Proposition I, which bans military recruiters from public schools. The measure also asks the city government to consider funding scholarships for education and training that could provide an alternative to military service (but doesn't mandate any such funding).

Text of the resolution is here in PDF http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/election/Guides/PropI_Legal%20Text.pdf

LEGAL TEXT OF PROPOSITION I

Notice is hereby given by the persons whose names appear heron of their intention to circulate the petition with the City and County of San Francisco for the purpose of putting before the people of San Francisco for the November 8, 2005 election a declaration of policy stating that: the people of San Francisco oppose U.S. military recruiters using public school, college and university facilities to recruit young people into the armed forces. Furthermore, San Francisco should oppose the militaryÔøΩs ÔøΩeconomic draftÔøΩ by investigating means by which to fund and grant scholarships for college and job training to low-income students so they are not economically compelled to join the military. A statement of the reasons of the proposed action as contemplated in the petition is as follows:

Whereas, over 1500 American soldiers have died and tens of thousands have been injured physically and psychologically in Iraq; and, Whereas, a study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Columbia University School of Nursing and Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad estimates that 100,000 Iraqis have died as a result of the U.S. invasion and occupation; and,

Whereas, the U.S. government is forcing soldiers to serve in Iraq for longer than their contracts require with such devices as ÔøΩstop-lossÔøΩ orders; and,

Whereas, the ÔøΩNo Child Left Behind ActÔøΩ forces all high schools that receive federal money to give personal records of all children to the military for the purposes of recruiting; and,

Whereas, the federal Solomon Amendment specifically orders colleges and universities that receive federal money to violate their own legal policies of non-discrimination against gays and lesbians by allowing recruiters for the military, which bars gays and lesbians from serving openly, on campus; and,

Whereas, a de facto ÔøΩeconomic draftÔøΩ forces tens of thousands of low and middleincome students to join the military in order to get money to go to college or get job or technical training; and,

Whereas, the Pentagon budget, over $400 billion per year, plus $300 billion more over the last three years for the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, is draining desperately needed resources for schools, health care and jobs; and, Whereas, the people of San Francisco voted by 63% to pass Proposition N in November of 2004 calling on the Federal government to ÔøΩbring the troops safely home now;ÔøΩ and,

Whereas, the Federal government shows no sign of ending the occupation of Iraq or bringing the troops safely home and, in fact, is threatening military action against other nations;

now, therefore, be it Resolved, that the people of San Francisco oppose U.S. military recruiters using public school, college and university facilities to recruit young people into the armed forces. Furthermore, San Francisco should oppose the militaryÔøΩs ÔøΩeconomic draftÔøΩ by investigating means by which to fund and grant scholarships for college and job training to low-income students so they are not economically compelled to join the military.