Platform

Idaho State Democratic Party Platform

Adopted June 12, 2010

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.”

Robert F. Kennedy

SUMMARY:

I.  STATEMENT OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES

Idaho Democrats believe that we need strong leadership to make Idaho a great place to live.  We believe in building community, providing opportunity, and acting responsibly to protect democracy and personal freedoms.  We exclude no one and respect and listen to the ideas of all.

Idaho Democrats, individually and collectively, are united, focused, and committed to taking the bold steps necessary for Idaho families to build strong communities that are the heart of our democracy.

II.  WE STAND FOR THE FOLLOWING VALUES:

A.  Community

As a community, we are more than a collection of individuals.  Communities must protect those who cannot protect themselves.  We must care for and advocate for the common good as stipulated in the Preamble to the Constitution.

B.  Democracy

We believe in the need for an accountable and responsible government.  We demand honesty, integrity, competence, participation and openness in government.

C.  Opportunity

We believe opportunity brings prosperity.  We will create jobs in Idaho by promoting innovation and providing quality education for all.

D.  Justice

We will work to ensure that public and private institutions are free from corruption and that all citizens are treated equally and fairly.  We affirm our commitment to social and economic justice.

E.  Freedom

We will protect individual privacy and freedom guaranteed by our Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

F.  Responsibility/Stewardship

We must protect Idaho’s superb quality of life.  We must keep our air and water clean.  We must protect Idaho’s wildlife and natural resources for future generations.

G.  Accountability

We, as Democrats, support accountability, fiscal responsibility, and transparency in government.

DETAILS:

I. STATEMENT OF DEMOCRATIC VALUES

Idaho Democrats believe that we need strong leadership to make Idaho a great place to live. We believe in building community, providing opportunity, and acting responsibly to protect democracy and personal freedoms. We exclude no one, and respect and listen to the ideas of all.

Idaho Democrats, individually and collectively, are united, focused, and committed to taking the bold steps necessary for Idaho families to build strong communities that are the heart of our democracy.

II. WE STAND FOR THE FOLLOWING VALUES:

A. Community

As a community, we are more than a collection of individuals. Communities must protect those who cannot protect themselves. We must care for and advocate for the common good as stipulated in the Preamble to the Constitution.

1. Families:

a. We believe that families, whether traditional or non-traditional, are the foundation of our society and should be supported.

b. We support public policies enabling and creating incentives for workplace flexibility and practices that help employees meet challenges related to pregnancy, child care and other family issues.

c. We share, through government, the responsibility to assist those families in need.

2. Health Care:

a. To ensure quality of life and good health for all Idahoans, we support access to a simple, affordable, quality health care system and we support the 2010 health care reform as a good beginning.

b. We support parity in our approaches to medical, dental, and mental health care.

c. We consider the treatment of substance abuse to be a medical necessity.

d. We believe access to contraception and comprehensive education are part of appropriate medical care.

e. We support evidence based medical decisions between a physician and patient.

f. We support comprehensive private and public funding of health care research for cures of chronic, and/or catastrophic diseases.

g. We support the re-instatement of District Health and Welfare offices and timely payments to Medicaid providers.

h.   We support policies that will keep abortion safe, legal and rare.

3. Peace and National Security:

a. We strongly support those serving in the military and their families, at home and abroad, in wartime and in peace.

b. We support diplomatic solutions to conflict as the first line of a strong national defense.

c. We believe in the systematic withdrawal of Idaho and other U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

d. We believe our national security will be enhanced by becoming independent of foreign oil.

e. We support a strong national defense and believe it is the constitutional role of government, not private contractors, to perform military duties.

4. Veterans Issues:

a.  Idaho Democrats honor our veterans and accord them the respect and dignity they deserve.

b. We support full funding for timely and appropriate medical and mental health care as well as educational benefits for veterans and their families.

5. Americans with Disabilities Act:

a. We support the Americans with Disabilities Act and the right of people with disabilities to experience the same rights and privileges enjoyed by non-disabled Americans.

6. Tribal-State Relations:

a. We recognize the necessity and value of meaningful consultation, collaboration, and coordination with Indian Tribal government within the State of Idaho. This interaction will be guided by state and federal laws, as well as treaties, statutes, executive orders, judicial decisions and the laws of each Tribal government.

b. We respect Tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, and self-government of the tribes of Idaho.

c. We encourage economic development on reservations and will work with the Tribes to achieve sustainable sources of revenue for Tribal communities.

7. Safe Communities:

a. We must effectively address violence in our communities and provide adequate funding for community-based violence prevention programs to deal with challenges such as spousal, child, and elder abuse, school violence, gangs, and hate crimes.

b. We support a criminal justice system that protects our communities, treats victims with respect and dignity, preserves the rights of the accused, and holds accountable those who commit crimes.

c. We support rehabilitation of offenders, including job skills training and substance abuse treatment and ex-offender programs that will reduce recidivism and the cost of prisons.

d. We support Drug Courts and Mental Health Courts throughout our state.

e. We support suicide prevention programs in our communities and in our schools.

8.  Arts & Humanities:

We believe a full and rewarding life includes access to, and the opportunity to participate in, the arts and humanities.

B. Democracy

We believe in the need for an accountable and responsible government. We demand honesty, integrity, competence, participation and openness in government.

1. Government:

a. Government should play a limited role in our private lives but is the essential framework for our coexistence in a civil, tolerant society. Government should be accountable and transparent at all levels.

b. The letter and spirit of open meeting laws must be followed.

c. We support legislation or a constitutional amendment that will clarify that corporations do not have the same rights as individuals.

d. We support the right of communities to self-govern, including but not limited to, the right to vote on local option taxes without the impediment of a “super-majority.”

2. Elections:

a. We affirm our belief in a government of, by, and for the people and support campaign finance reform such as public financing of campaigns.

b. We support reforms that will restore integrity and promote wider participation by individuals in the political process. A legitimate voting process must provide a paper trail.

c. We oppose any laws or practices that limit the rights of citizens to vote or impede easy access to the polling place, such as needing to present photo identification as a requirement of voting.

d. We support the right of independents to vote in primary elections. The right of all Idahoans to keep their political party preferences private and to vote in all elections must be preserved.

e. We support statewide vote-by-mail.

3. Communication:

a. We support stronger regulations to limit media consolidation.

b. We recognize the value of Idaho Public Television to Idaho and our communities and support state funding of IPTV.

c. We support state-wide internet access and network neutrality.

C. Opportunity

We believe opportunity brings prosperity. We will create jobs in Idaho by promoting innovation and providing quality education for all.

1. Economy:

a. Democrats are committed to environmentally sustainable economic progress that provides people with rewarding jobs at livable wages under safe working conditions with secure benefits, workers’ rights and shared responsibilities, adequate training, respect, and dignity.

b. We believe a sustainable economy and job growth both depend on a positive climate for small business development.

c. We will work to restore America’s manufacturing capacity to bring back balance in our trade with other nations, so that our economic destiny is in our hands and not in the hands of other countries.

d. We must stimulate the ongoing economic stability of Idaho’s rural communities by consistently working toward the expansion of rural Idaho’s entrepreneurial support systems and infrastructure, including high-speed internet access, while protecting natural resources.

e. We support regulation of mortgage and credit lenders to prevent predatory practices, but encourage credit and opportunity for business growth.

f. We support financial reform and other regulations to ensure a corporation does not become “too big to fail.”

g. We are committed to economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

h. We support the in-state processing of our agricultural and natural resources.

2. Education:

a. We underscore our commitment to quality public education, both affordable and accessible to all.

b. We support reform of education funding so that it meets the state constitutional mandates and is protected from tax variability.

c. We recognize that it is a constitutionally mandated obligation of government to provide sufficient safe modern educational facilities and resources. We deplore the failure of Idaho’s Supreme Court and legislature to enforce this mandate. We believe legislators must act to assure that such facilities and resources are provided for Idaho children.

d. We believe that charter schools must provide students with equal access and be accountable to the public in the same manner as other public schools.

e. We support statewide community colleges in order for students throughout Idaho to have affordable access to higher education.

f. We support stronger state funding of affordable public higher education and increased financial assistance to students to maintain equitable access.

g. We support state funding of a voluntary high-quality prekindergarten program for Idaho.

i. We appreciate and respect educators in our state and support increasing teachers’ salaries to retain and recruit highly qualified teachers.

j. We believe that increased funding in education is paramount to the economic recovery of Idaho.

k. We support math and science education to enhance our global competitiveness.

3. Labor:

a. We support the working people of Idaho and acknowledge that they are the driving force of our economy. All workers have the right to form and join unions, and to bargain collectively. We support the extension of bargaining rights with binding arbitration to all employees, public and private. We support the principles of the Employee Free Choice Act; and we support repeal of the so-called “right to work.” We oppose any and all laws restricting the rights of employees to organize.

b. We oppose any system of compensation requiring employees to exchange fair employment practices for higher pay.

c. We will work to increase the state and federal minimum wage to livable levels and to reduce exemptions to minimum wage coverage.

d. We support competitive salaries and benefit levels for state employees.

4. Agriculture:

a. We support Idaho farmers and ranchers and their rural values.

b. We encourage partnerships with Idaho farmers and supporting them in their efforts to become sustainable.

c. We support the country-of-origin labeling of all agricultural products.

d. We support preservation of productive agricultural lands and advocate smart-growth agricultural planning and zoning to prevent loss of our agricultural heritage.

e. We encourage buying and processing locally grown/raised food products.

D. Justice

We will work to ensure that public and private institutions are free from corruption and that all citizens are treated equally and fairly.  We affirm our commitment to social and economic justice.

1. Human and Civil Rights:

a. We recognize there is one race, the human race. We believe human rights, civil rights, diversity and civil liberties are essential to the well-being of all individuals in a democratic society; and support allocating sufficient resources to preserve those rights.

b. We oppose discrimination in all forms on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability or age.

c. We abhor and condemn the use of torture – physical or emotional – for any reason and in any circumstance.

d. We support comprehensive immigration reform that is enforceable, allows needed workers to legally enter the United States, protects the integrity of the family, and provides a legal path towards citizenship for law abiding workers.

E. Freedom

We will protect individual privacy and freedom guaranteed by our Constitution and The Bill of Rights.

1. We support the rights to own and use firearms as granted in the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article I of the Idaho Constitution.

2. While we are a party of many faiths and personal beliefs, we support the constitutionally-guaranteed separation of church and state that is part of the foundation of our society and assures freedom of religion for all people.

3. We oppose the intrusion of government into personal issues of reproductive rights.

5.  We support policies to protect personal health decisions.

F. Responsibility/Stewardship

We must protect Idaho’s superb quality of life. We must keep our air and water clean. We must protect Idaho’s wildlife and natural resources for future generations.

1. Public Lands:

a. We support the preservation and protection of the integrity of our wild places and access to public lands.

b. We oppose any attempt to sell our public lands. Idaho is not for sale.

c. Recognizing that the federal government owns much of Idaho’s land, we support federal funding to counties based on the amount of acreage that is federally owned.

2. Environment and Natural Resources:

a. We support policies and their enforcement to provide wise management and a sensible balance of stable, sustainable development and the long-term protection of our natural resources and rich biodiversity.

b. We support the regulation of polluting industries that negatively impact our soil, water, and air such as pesticide use, cyanide-based mining processes, mercury pollution, Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) and the introduction, production, and storing of radioactive waste in our environment.

c. Democrats seek sustainable, harvestable salmon and steelhead populations in Idaho to support fishery-based jobs and riverside towns.

d. We support responsible management and protection of Idaho’s plants and wildlife.

e. We support recycling, re-use, composting and other waste management programs to reduce landfill waste and to encourage better resource management.

f. We support programs to reduce excessive and wasteful consumption.

3. Energy

a. We strongly support incentives for energy conservation, construction of energy-efficient buildings, and research and development toward innovative clean energy. In recognition of the tremendous potential for renewable energy, we believe that renewable and sustainable resources are key to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.

b. We encourage the development and use of energy-efficient mass public transportation systems and infrastructure to support non-motorized forms of transportation.

c. We support policies and laws promoting sound energy practices, permanently protecting our environment and addressing the problems of global climate change.

d. We support the responsible development of a broad portfolio of energy production that will contribute green alternatives for power production to drive future economic development.

G. Accountability

We, as Democrats, support accountability, fiscal responsibility, and transparency in government.

1. We will spend taxpayers’ dollars efficiently and effectively on programs that will return lasting value to our communities.

2. We support a fiscally-responsible and equitable tax system that will adequately fund necessary obligations of government.

3. We support the elimination of the sales tax on groceries, with a corresponding adjustment in taxation, so as to not short change public services.

4. We support a periodic and thorough review of all sales tax exemptions.

5. We urge the Idaho Legislature to assure compliance with Article VII, Section 5 of the Idaho Constitution with respect to collecting taxes in a “uniform manner.”