Pierce County Republican Party 2016 Platform

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Daniella Ferguson
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Preamble: Republicans in Pierce County, Washington affirm that it is the proper role of government to protect our unalienable rights and principles of individual liberty and responsibility on which

1 Preamble: Republicans in Pierce County, Washington affirm that it is the proper role of government to protect our unalienable rights and principles of individual liberty and responsibility on which our state and our country were founded. We seek policies that empower individuals, families, and businesses to pursue prosperity with freedom from government intervention. 1. Government and Property Rights "Government has an inborn tendency to grow. And, left to itself, it will grow beyond the control of the people. Only constant complaint by the people will inhibit its growth." Ronald Reagan We believe in a strong America that leads the world in the concepts of freedom, individualism and liberty for all. We affirm the Washington State Constitution that states, No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. Therefore, no government agency should participate in asset forfeiture. We support the Washington State Constitution and the Pierce County Charter that gives the right to the initiative and referendum process to its citizens. We object to any attempt by the government through legislation, ordinance, or the courts to intimidate or obstruct those individual rights and processes. We do not support the use of eminent domain used in situations that principally benefit commercial interests or whose main purpose is to increase tax revenues. We believe in individual private property rights and the right of property owners to determine the best use of their land with limited government intervention. We support strong laws to protect individuals rights and property by requiring Federal and State agencies to uphold contractual and historical land rights for water, grazing, forestry, agricultural, and land management. We support poll voting, ending the practice of vote by mail and other indirect methods like electronic voting. We also support the county s right to request proof of the individual s right to vote. We believe the government has no right to involve itself in the life, health, family life and business practices of its citizens. PCRP Page 1

2 We support candidates who are trustworthy, have integrity, and high moral character, and who support the party platform as well as the state and federal constitution they swear to uphold. We support securing the safety and sovereignty of our state and nation by supporting efforts to identify and eliminate fraud and waste in government. 2. Economy, Jobs and Taxes The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money. Margaret Thatcher We believe economic prosperity and government fiscal viability is rooted in a strong and vibrant private sector economy. The private sector has the proper role of job creation, not government. And, only strong private sector job growth will alleviate a stagnant economy. Business enterprises should succeed or fail based on their financial health in the free market, not by government intervention or bailouts. Government is not a philanthropic entity. We support corporate structures based on sound economic value and goals, but not the development of Social Purpose Corporations. We support Washington State becoming a Right to Work state where employees are not required to pay union dues, fees or donations simply to obtain or keep a job. We object to card check union elections and prevailing wage laws. We believe in limited collective bargaining for government employees who choose to unionize. Washington State should eliminate the action of collection and distribution of public sector employees union dues. We believe wages should be determined by the employer, not artificially set by government. We oppose a state income tax and the Washington State death tax. We support the right of citizens to vote on whether to increase or decrease taxes. We support elimination of sales tax on all government purchases, especially taxpayer supported construction projects. PCRP Page 2

3 We believe levy initiatives should clearly state the real and long term out-of-pocket costs to the voters. We support replacing the Federal tax system with a simplified tax structure. We support a Washington State Constitutional Amendment that requires a two-thirds (2/3s) majority vote to increase taxes. 3. National Defense and Homeland Security Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far. Theodore Roosevelt The United States of America is a sovereign nation. Therefore, we should never relinquish its sovereignty to a foreign nation or international body. We believe in maintaining a strong national defense to discourage attacks on our homeland, including a strong nuclear deterrent. We oppose environmental and land use policies that interfere with maintaining our national borders and national defense. We support the federal and state government enforcing our current immigration laws and securing our national borders. We welcome legal immigrants who wish to become citizens of the United States and build a better life for themselves in America. We believe issuance of visas into the United States should be paused until vetting and tracking procedures are improved and modernized. We believe our state and nation should honor all promises and obligations to our men and women in uniform who have or are defending us. 4. Education: The philosophy of the classroom today will be the philosophy of government tomorrow. Abraham Lincoln We believe the primary authority and responsibility of educating our children resides with the parents. The state may set minimum graduation requirements, but education priorities and curriculum should be determined at the local level. PCRP Page 3

4 We object to the Department of Early Learning s attempt to take over the raising of young children (birth to 3 rd grade) and controlling child care providers. This department needs to be eliminated. We support parent s rights to withhold their children from classes and surveys that offend their family morals or beliefs. We support the immersion of non-english speaking students into English language classes. We support the elimination of the federal Department of Education. We support basic education to reflect its original intent; reading, writing, and arithmetic based, as opposed to outcome or performance based. We believe gender identity, sexual expression, and sexual orientation should not be taught or promoted in government public schools or early learning centers. We support educational standards that can be measured and reject experimental policies. Therefore, we reject the notion that Common Core State Standards and Race to the Top are beneficial to our children. We object to the collection and use of intrusive data tracking systems in the educational system. We support the enforcement of strong penalties against teachers and other government employees who go on strike. 5. Transportation Mass transportation is doomed to failure in North America because a person s car is the only place where he can be alone and think. Marshall McLuhan We believe that investment in transportation infrastructure is critical to the Washington economy. Congestion relief should be the highest priority for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). We believe the WSDOT s primary focus should be on safe & cost effective methods of moving people and commerce, and not on social engineering, such as three (3) person minimum occupancy lanes and dual toll lanes. PCRP Page 4

5 We believe an individual has the right to choose their own mode of transportation. Government should not impede or adversely impact individual choice. We support requiring timely financial and performance audits of transportation agencies and projects, with the findings publicly reported and corrected. We believe motor vehicle taxes should be used solely for improving and maintaining roads and highways for motorized vehicles. We support the construction and maintenance of general purpose roads over taxpayer-funded trains, light rail and concepts such as complete streets. We encourage the free market private sector development of efficient, green energy sources and vehicles free of government grants, subsidies, or mandates. We support competitive bidding to include out of state companies. 6. Personal Liberty and Religious Freedom, The First Amendment of the Constitution was not written to protect the people of this country from religious values; it was written to protect religious values from government tyranny. Ronald Reagan We support the Washington State Constitution, Declaration of Religious Freedom, that states, Absolute freedom of conscience in all matters of religious sentiment, belief and worship, shall be guaranteed to every individual (Article 1 Section 11) We believe the right of citizens to defend themselves, their families and their property, to include the keeping and bearing of arms as provided in the 2 nd Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, shall not be infringed or impaired. We support that a citizen s right to free speech shall not be infringed upon. Every person may speak freely, write and publish on all subjects, being responsible for the abuse of that right. We support the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and, therefore, reject government mandates that force organizations and individuals to partake in actions that go against their religious beliefs. PCRP Page 5

6 We support greatly reducing citizens' dependence on government programs that do not actually solve core problems, and places a debt burden on current and future generations. 7. Marriage, Family and Life Family has been the cornerstone of every great society in history. Its dissolution has been followed by the fall of those societies. Rick Bauer We affirm that marriage between a man and woman is the cornerstone of a functional, civil society and is the fundamental basis for the family structure. We believe the best environment for the adoption of a child is placement with a legally married man and woman. We believe parents and families hold the primary responsibility for guiding their children through the use of education, care, love, discipline and training. We believe families, churches, and local communities make for a strong civil society. These entities should be the principle providers of charity as opposed government. We believe in the sanctity of life from the moment of conception to the moment of passing. Therefore, we reject the use of tax dollars to end life at any time. We affirm that a person s race, age and gender is determined at conception and these laws of nature cannot be changed. 8. Energy and Environment: Today s scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality. Nikola Tesla We believe the U. S. Department of Energy no longer serves the public s interest and should be dismantled. We believe dependence on foreign oil endangers our national security, sovereignty and economy. We support the development of pipelines, refineries, drilling and viable alternative energy solutions through private investment. PCRP Page 6

7 We support the environmentally safe development of oil, coal, hydroelectric, natural gas and nuclear energy. We also support the exploration of primary water resources, and the rights of the people in Pierce County to protect domestic water resources through the initiative/referendum process. We believe the free market, rather than government, offers the best solution to the continued improvement of our energy resources and our environment. We do not believe anthropogenic (man-made) climate change has been scientifically substantiated. Therefore, we do not support public policies written to fund, subsidize or implement this theory. We support efforts to maintain fish runs, while continuing the current operation of our dams. 9. Health Care If you cannot afford politically, morally or economically the solution to a perceived problem, then it s not a solution. Jonah Goldberg We believe the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, has weakened our medical care system, leading to escalating costs, decreased quality and rationing of care, job loss and should be repealed. We believe in individual choice and that competition, sale of health insurance across state borders, tort reform, health savings accounts (HSA), and increased preventive care are essential to lowering the cost of health care. We believe our health care system should be accessible, restoring the doctor/patient relationship. We support health insurance premiums and medical expenses should be fully tax deductible without having to meet income limitations. We reaffirm the Right of Conscience for health care providers and medical professionals. PCRP Page 7

8 10. International Issues An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile hoping it will eat him last. Winston Churchill We believe that only the U.S. Constitution and our nation s laws should be used in our courts to adjudicate cases. Furthermore, we believe deference to any other legal system would entirely diminish our sovereignty and, therefore, reject the intervention of foreign legal systems. We acknowledge that America s mission is to serve the world community by being a model of freedom. We, therefore, reject global agendas that seek to undermine our sovereignty such as sustainability (Livable Communities, Vision 2040, Agenda 2030), conservation (Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, International Wildland Urban Interface Code, Heritage Sites) and ecosystem services (carbon credits). We also reject the efforts of agencies that promote them such as The United Nations, United States Environmental Protection Agency, Human Rights Campaign, American Planning Association, etc. We support strengthening our alliance with the nation of Israel and other historically friendly nations. We promote healthy trade interchange with competitive countries that promote fiscal and monetary policies supporting balanced trade. We support the repeal of taxes on imports and exports that undermine our region s competitiveness, such as the Harbor Maintenance Tax. We believe the Iran deal is unconstitutional because President Obama cannot guarantee it is nonbinding under international law. PCRP Page 8

9 The 2016 PCRP Platform Committee gave a do Pass on this Resolution and incorporated it into the 2016 PCRP platform. Protecting Our Children 2016 PIERCE COUNTY CONVENTION RESOLUTION * Whereas preserving fundamental privacy and public safety is a primary purpose of state government; and * Whereas biological sex is defined as the physical condition of being male or female as determined by a person s chromosomes and identified at birth by that person s anatomy; and * Whereas government entities include any city, county, city and county, public university system, community college district, school district, special district, or any other political subdivision or governmental instrumentality of, or within, the state; and * Whereas some schools and school districts have adopted policies forcing K 12 students to share bathrooms, locker rooms, and showers with students of the opposite biological sex who are confused about their sexual identity; and * Whereas the Obama administration falsely claims that a U.S. Civil Rights law known as Title IX requires male students who think they are girls and female students who think they are boys to be treated contrary to their biology; and * Whereas this arbitrary and dangerous interpretation of Civil Rights law is vigorously challenged by numerous legal scholars and has never been tested in court; and * Whereas extreme gender teaching is encouraging children as young as preschool that they must choose their gender, which may include either male or female, both male and female, neither male or female, or gender fluid (continually changing gender identity); and * Whereas the privacy, modesty, and safety of students and the public are being deeply violated by policies that mix individuals of the opposite biological gender in private facilities; therefore BE IT RESOLVED that school districts designate student restrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms as being exclusively for youth exclusively by biological male sex only or biological female sex only; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Washington legislature require that all government buildings provide that restrooms, locker rooms, and shower rooms accessible by multiple people at the same time designate them for the exclusive use of the biological male sex only or by the biological female sex only, and that no business establishment shall be subject to criminal, civil, or administrative penalties for requiring employees, patrons, students, or any other person to use facilities in accordance with their biological sex. This does not apply to restroom facilities constructed for single use, or families, or assisting young children or the physically impaired. PCRP Page 9

Resolutions Results from the 2018 CRC State Assembly & Convention

Resolutions Results from the 2018 CRC State Assembly & Convention 1. Jobs and Economy Be it resolved the Colorado Republican Party supports President Trump s and the Republican Congress s tax cuts to grow the economy, increase jobs and wages, and to protect individuals