Final Woodbury County Democratic Party Platform 2004
David West   - Chair

Preamble

            We are justly proud of our Democratic party, its heritage, and its accomplishments. No part of that heritage is more valuable than our belief in the right and worth of each individual. We believe, fundamentally, that every citizen of the United States must have a fair opportunity to attain this society's benefits and receive equal protection under the law, Only by acting resolutely on these beliefs, can we as Democrats remain true to our traditions and worthy of our heritage,

            We, the people of the Democratic Party, are a diverse group, joining together around the principles we all hold dear. We are the party that includes persons from all walks of life. We freely welcome those who join in our concern for human dignity, social justice, and quality of life for all people. We are the party seeking to practice wise stewardship of all our resources - human, economic, and environmental. We are the party working toward a brighter, healthier, and inclusive future.

            We believe government at all levels must be progressive, fair, open, honest and accountable to all people.

            We believe all persons, without exception, have fundamental human rights. These include life, liberty, shelter, nutrition, health care, education, reproductive choice, fair public trial, and freedom from arbitrary arrest, torture and exile.

            We believe each person should be empowered to live a full and independent life and should be viewed as an equal and contributing citizen.

            We believe in equal civil rights for all. We reject discrimination based on age, gender, race, religion, national origin, ethnic or cultural background, sexual orientation, marital or economic status, and mental or physical disability.

            We believe Americans benefit when family farmers produce food and fiber. They must receive a fair price for their product. The economic and social health of Iowa and the nation is dependent upon the survival and success of the family farm.

            We believe that urban communities, with their diverse populations of working men and women, retirees, homemakers, small business owners, and corporate shareholders, exist in an interdependent relationship with farmers and rural communities.

            We further believe that the well being of each segment of the population contributes to the well being of all; therefore, we must work together for our mutual benefit.

A. EDUCATION

            Funding of Schools

1.     We support providing adequate funding for our public education system which will allow us to maintain our rich tradition of high quality education in Iowa at all levels.

2.     We believe congress should appropriate full funding levels for special

3.     education authorized under existing federal legislation.

4. We strongly urge the President and Congress to repeal the Elementary and Secondary Education   Act (ESEA), most often called the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA). In the alternative, to fully fund the ESEA to authorized levels so that all children can achieve to their fullest potential. The "one size fits all" approach in the ESEA actually leaves too many children behind.

4. We strongly urge the President and Congress to suspend sanctions against schools until the act is fully funded.

5. We strongly urge the President and Congress to grant states flexibility in measuring schools and their progress.

6. We strongly urge the President and Congress to grant states flexibility on ways to improve schools.

7. We support increasing state revenues by $400 million to provide adequate funding for schools to meet educational needs of Iowa’s children in the near future and for the next generation, as well as maintaining other programs that are critical for the well being of the state.

8. We support more funding for all areas of education - to provide for smaller class sizes and to guarantee better pay for teachers.

            Student Assistance & Professional Development Programs:

1. We believe that the government should pay for the first two years of college tuition/higher education for qualified persons.

2. We believe that those students seeking a career in teaching should have their college loans forgiven if they stay and teach in Iowa.

            3. We support a strong Iowa Tuition Grant Program for post secondary education.

4. We support adequate funding for top quality professional development for teachers as an    essential means for improving achievement levels of all students.

            Alternative Schooling

            1. We oppose diverting public monies away from public schools to fund vouchers, tuition tax credits, or private for-profit education businesses.

B. GOVERNMENT AND LAW

1. The Democratic Party supports working collaboratively across party lines on developing legislation in order to benefit from the insights of legislators across the political spectrum.

2. We believe that the Democratic Party, its legislative leaders, and members should refrain from participating in legislative "working groups" to develop laws for the State of Iowa, and instead use the legislative committee process open to the public and the press.

3. We support allowing adequate time before a vote is taken in committee for public awareness and             comment on proposed legislation, especially on issues having major impact on the citizens of Iowa   and issues that are controversial in nature.

4. We support openness in the legislative process, allowing the public and the press to attend   committee meetings and other meetings that deal with legislation.

5. We support allowing the public to testify on all bills legislative committees are voting on and   publicly posting the time, place, and agenda for all legislative committee and subcommittee meetings at least 24 hours in advance.

C. THE REUNIFICATION OF INDIAN FAMILIES AND CHILDREN

1. We consider the welfare of children and the strengthening of families to be among the Party's highest priorities.

2. We sup-port the efforts of the Native American community to unify Native families through strict adherence to the Iowa Indian Child Welfare Act by the Iowa Department of Human Services (IDES).

3. We call upon Governor Tom Vilsack to issue a moratorium on all Native American parental rights termination cases across the state of Iowa pending oversight and review of practices associated with the Indian Child Welfare Act.

C. LAW & PUBLIC ORDER

1. We support raising the beer excise tax from .19 to .38, increasing it from 1.78 to 3.56 cents on a serving.

2. We support passage of a statewide keg registration bill that would require that all purchasers of kegs of beer give their name, address, phone number, ID, and date of return to the seller of beer.

3. We support repeal of the Patriot Act to assure the freedoms in the Bill of Rights remain in effect and maintain the right of American citizens to dissent.

4. We support Iowa legislation that affirms Iowans constitutionally guaranteed civil rights and liberties and opposes enforcement of the USA Patriot Act in any way that would infringe on those rights and liberties.

5. We call for the people of Iowa to show their commitment to welcome a diverse population.

6. We call for the people of Iowa to demonstrate their commitment to expanding cultural diversity by strongly supporting the civil rights of all of its residents.

7. We call for the people of Iowa to work together to convince business and industry and our most    valuable commodity, our youth, of the benefits of establishing their businesses, working, and raising a family in Iowa.

8. We encourage legislators to vote for a bill on its own merits. A bill should fail if it does not stand on its own without federal coercion or "blackmail."

9. We believe the federal government should not coerce states into passing laws by withholding federal funds.

E. TAXES

1. The federal government should work toward reducing the deficit by rescinding some or all of the tax cuts made during the Bush administration. .

2. We support rescinding the Bush-Cheney tax cut gifts to the wealthy and businesses, making appropriate reductions in war costs and the military budget, increasing federal funding for basic social and educational programs and for states whose budgets have been burdened by Bush-Cheney  policies, and simultaneously striving to reduce the federal deficit and eventually balance the federal budget again

3. We support increasing revenue to eliminate the revenue shortfall in the Iowa budget that has resulted in the state’s inability to fund the basic functions of government (education, health care for the elderly, public safety, etc.) that support our values.

4. We support increasing taxes in a progressive manner to eliminate the revenue shortfall in the Iowa budget that has resulted in the state’s inability to fund the basic functions of government that support our values.

5. We support giving a tax deduction or other fiscal incentive for those men and women who provide child support payments without fail.

 F. ENVIRONMENT

We believe the future of our quality of life in Iowa requires the Democratic party to play a leadership role in protecting air environment that will:

            1. Provide full funding of the REAP program at $20 million in FY-05.

2. Hold corporate agri-businesses accountable for environmental problems they create.

3. Fully implement and enforce the clean water and clear air acts prior to 2001 to control corporate animal factories.

4. Support energy independence through renewable and efficient energy technologies.

5. Oppose drilling and exploring for any natural resources in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to keep our last natural wild areas for future generations to admire.

G. AGRICULTURE

            1. We support major reform of America’s agricultural policy that will :

2. Reverse farm consolidation, restore production diversity and regain the functioning of food systems.

3. Provide vigorous anti-trust expansion regulation to strictly prohibit vertical integration and concentration in food production, processing and retailing.

H. FAIR TRADE

             We believe that NAFTA has led to the loss of thousands of Iowa jobs therefore:

1. We oppose NAFTA and any other trade agreement that grants corporations new rights and protections.

2. Ensure trade agreements that allow the U.S. and other nations the right to control food and farm policy to support sustainable farming practices.

I. ECONOMY AND LABOR

1. We support the Employee Free Choice Act to protect the rights of workers organize for their good.

2. Resolved: We oppose all efforts by the President, Congress or Department of Labor to end overtime pay.

3. Resolved: We support fair trade opposed to "free trade." We oppose the exploitation of workers and he environment that is often a component of so-called "free trade." We call for a renegotiation of NAFTA and we oppose the Free Trade Area of Americans (FTAA) agreement, which would extend NAFTA to 31 additional countries in the Western Hemisphere.

            4. We believe in raising the minimum wage for the State of Iowa.

5. Retirement (IPERS): We support funding the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) at a level that supports the actuarial based assumptions. Therefore, we support increasing the contribution rate by 1% per year for the next four years and maintaining the current ratio of 60% funding by the employer and 40% by the employee.

6. Fair Share: We support state legislation to allow private and public sector workers in Iowa to negotiate "fair-share" clauses that ensure that all workers covered by and benefiting from a negotiated union contract would share in the cost of service provided.

            7. We oppose privatization of public services.

            8. We oppose the deregulation of utilities, airlines, communication and e.t.c..

9. We believe that government programs be put in place to help people become first time homeowners.

10. Whereas, our country is suffering grievously from the unemployment resulting from the export of jobs to countries, which have slave, level wages and benefits, unsafe conditions of work and deficient or entirely lacking environmental standards.  Therefore, be it resolved that our country make no further bilateral, regional or global trade agreements without insisting on an enforceable level playing field between the parties in these important regards.

J. HEALTH CARE

1.We believe that Medicare prescription drug benefits should be strengthened through government negotiations with drug companies.

            2. We believe restrictions on importation of drugs be lifted.

3.. We believe people with disabilities should be provided with home care services.

4. We believe that all persons involved in childhood development are adequately trained and resources be provided and equitably distributed between rural and urban communities.

5. We believe that school districts, long term care facilities and other like organizations be allowed to group purchase medical insurances.

6. We believe that persons with substance abuse and mental illnesses be given the right to health           care and rehabilitation not incarceration for non violent crimes.

7. We believe that legislation be passed requiring insurance companies cover mental illness in exactly the same fashon as physical illness, and providing parity to for all insurance plans regardless of employer size of self employment.

8.  We urge the enactment of a Universal Health Care Coverage for all Citizens of the United States equal to the Basic Level of care provided by Medicare Parts A & B, with the same subsidies currently provided to Medicare eligible persons.

K. HUMAN RESOURCES

1. We believe that the Notch Baby issue should be reexamined under the Social Security program.

2. We believe the Social Security program must be preserved as a social insurance program.

3. We encourage the federal government to explore all avenues, including the allocation of budget surpluses, to ensure long-term solvency of the Social Security program for future generations.

4. We support legislation to raise existing income limits for the retired drawing Social Security so they can maintain a quality standard of living.

L. VETERANS AFFAIRS

Because the Democratic Party believes in a government that consistently and fairly serves and protects ALL people, Iowa veterans support the following resolution to be adopted at the Democratic Caucus.

            1. We believe mandatory funding for veterans’ health care.

2. We believe full concurrent receipt – receiving retirement pay without a tax on disability compensation.

3. We believe enhanced specialized treatment and research for service-related illnesses, such as mental illness, spinal cord injuries, and Agent Orange.

4. We believe full accounting of POW/MIA’s and a quick declassification of documents

5. We believe acknowledgement of the third Friday in September as POW/MIA Recognition day.

            6. We believe in increasing support to homeless veterans.

            7. We believe in veteran’s preference in training programs and employment.

            8. We believe in a state-funded Iowa veterans’ cemetery.

M. IMMIGRATION

1. We believe in a unified Iowa voice against out of state anti-immigrant groups that seek to divide our communities.

2. We believe in the reduction of illegal immigration through the institution of legal channels of entry and earned legalization for law-abiding immigrants who share our values and will come to achieve, belong and contribute to the United States of America.        

3. We believe that we will continue to work together in coalition with immigrant, labor, community, business, and religious groups to promote a welcoming Iowa and protect the civil and human rights of Iowa’s immigrant families.

N. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

1. We believe that we should develop international good will as a means of combating terrorism.

2. We believe that the United States should work towards mending our relations with the United Nations and our European allies.

            3. We believe in strengthening international disarmament treaties.

4.     We believe in eliminating wasteful military spending.

5. We believe that our country must investigate and appropriately punished any who were responsible for the false intelligence that led us into the Iraq war, and any who knowingly distorted or misused sound intelligence so as to make the country believe falsely that we were under a serious and immediate threat to our security.

6. Be it further resolved that we reject utterly the dangerous and unjust foreign policy of preemption and that we do everything in our power to regain the support of the world, especially of the Muslim countries, for the true war on terrorism against Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda.