|
2006 PIERCE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PLATFORM We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed. -Declaration of Independence 1. Public Education We envision an educational system that will ensure that every child has the opportunity to realize his or her highest potential. We believe the key to that opportunity lies in the classroom. 1.1 Education Roles and Rules a. We believe the primary authority and responsibility for educating children resides with parents. b. We hold school boards accountable to parents and voters for the successful management of resources and curricula selection to assure all children acquire basic academic skills. c. We support the right of parents to have enrollment choice among the schools in a public school system, as well as a right to choose private and/or home schooling. d. We support the right of parents to review curricula at their children’s schools, and to withhold permission for their children to attend a specific class or course which offends family morals or beliefs. e. We believe the state’s role in public K-12 education should be limited to funding, accreditation of schools, certification of teachers, and granting of high school diplomas. f. We support curricula, materials, and programs which emphasize our common traits as Americans.
1.2 K-12 Education a. We support testing to demonstrate competency before grade promotion or the granting of a high school diploma. b. We support contracts which allow school districts to dismiss, in a timely fashion, any employee who fails to meet that district’s standards. c. We support alternative teacher certification for professionals who can use their knowledge and expertise to teach in our schools. d. We support enforcement of penalties against teacher unions which strike illegally. e. To assure non-English speaking students achieve their full potential, we support providing them with concentrated special instruction in English. f. We support a safe school environment for students and staff, but Zero Tolerance programs must be tempered with common sense. g. We believe that our children should be taught that abstinence is the only guaranteed method of preventing sexually-transmitted diseases and pregnancy. h. We believe that homosexuality should neither be taught nor promoted as an acceptable lifestyle. i. We believe school-based medical care should be limited to first aid for illness and injury. j. We believe it is essential to teach U.S. History, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States. k. We support a voucher program for parents to send their children to private schools. 1.3 Higher Education a. We support availability of state and federal financial loans for all students who qualify academically to attend public and private colleges and universities. We support strong enforcement policies for loan repayment. b. We believe that community colleges, colleges, and universities should not be a routine substitute for education that should be provided in the K-12 system. c. We support college and university admissions based on merit, giving preference first to applicants from Washington, then from out of state, and then from out of country. d. We support academic freedom and the free expression of all varying viewpoints on our campuses. 2. National Defense "We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, we will not fail." President George W. Bush
a. We believe we are at war, and we support President Bush in all aspects of this War on Terrorism, including the government’s responsibility to monitor the communications of terrorists and their allies. b. We believe in a strong and free America, a nation leading the world in the expansion of peace, freedom, and human rights. c. We believe we must gain control of our borders to win the war on terrorism. d. We believe in the concept of “peace through strength”, therefore we support the National Missile Defense System. e. We believe that under no circumstances should the national sovereignty of the United States be subjugated to any foreign or international body. f. We continue to support and honor all past and present promises and obligations to our troops and veterans. g. We support the Patriot Act as reaffirmed in 2006. 3. Responsible Stewardship a. Private property rights are essential to the concept of democracy and freedom. b. We support sensible environmental protection and restoration through cooperation of government with property owners; sound, peer-reviewed scientific methods; and the limitation of government agency rule-making. c. We support efforts to maintain fish runs without destroying the dams. 3.1 Energy a. We believe achieving energy self-sufficiency can be environmentally sound and requires market-driven solutions using American ingenuity and technology, including development of additional safe nuclear power. b. We encourage the careful opening of new areas for oil exploration, and the building of new environmentally sound oil refineries. 4. The Family a. We believe the family is the cornerstone of our American society. b. We believe that a family consists of persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption. c. We believe that marriage is defined as the union between one man and one woman. d. We believe that children are the responsibility of both parents. 4.1 The Family and Government a. We believe that government policies and programs should be designed to strengthen the family. b. We believe Congress should permanently abolish the IRS “marriage penalty”. 5. Life Issues a. We support promoting adoption in cases where the mother does not want her child. b. We oppose the public funding of abortions, except in the case of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. c. We believe in the sanctity of life d. We support the ban on partial birth abortions. e. We oppose non-emergency medical procedures performed on minors without parental or guardian consent. f. We support the policy of informed consent, thus we believe that anyone considering an abortion must be given complete, factual information on the development of the baby from conception to birth, a complete description of the proposed abortion procedure, followed by a three-day waiting period. 6. Health Care and Medical Insurance a. Republicans believe that free market solutions provide the best health care for Americans. b. Free competition among insurance carriers with a minimum of mandated coverage represents the best method to bring about increased health care access and reduced premiums. c. We support the expansion of individual medical savings accounts. d. We support research on post-birth stem cells only and oppose all forms of human cloning. 7. Justice and the Legal System 7.1 Criminal Justice a. We believe individuals who commit crimes must be assured of swift and appropriate punishment including restitution for victims and their families, as well as productive hard labor. b. We support the death penalty for capital crimes. c. We support tough sentences for offenders who commit crimes against children and/or sex crimes. d. We oppose the legalization of any currently illegal, addictive, or mind-altering drug. e. We support legislation to change the “not guilty by reason of insanity” plea to “guilty but insane”.
f. We believe that individuals who commit crimes while impaired by alcohol or illegal drugs should be held accountable. The plea of “temporary insanity” as a defense for crimes committed while the offender is intoxicated or under the influence of illegal drugs should be eliminated. g. We oppose the legalization of prostitution. h. We believe the laws against pornography should be harsher, and rigorously enforced. i. We believe that foreign and domestic terrorists, including, but not limited to those who do violence in the name of religion, the environment, or animal rights, must be punished to the full extent of the law. j. We support the “fair share” dispersion of work release prisoners and sex offenders statewide. k. Auto theft and identity theft should be enforced as felonies, beginning with the first offense. 7.2 Civil Justice We support efforts to implement responsible reform of the Civil damage awards system (Tort Reform). 7.3 Juvenile Justice a. We support the option of adult sentencing for juveniles who commit crimes of violence, sexual offense, and Class A felonies. Juveniles should be held accountable for the monetary costs of their crimes beyond their 21st birthday. b. We support the parental right to commit minor children for confined drug treatment. c. We support intervention programs as an option for first time offenders. 8. Transportation a. We believe it is crucial to have a transportation system that can move people and goods efficiently. b. We support the elimination of government restraints on the private sector’s ability to apply creative solutions to the need for more efficient, convenient, high-capacity transportation infrastructure and transit modes. c. We encourage private sector ownership, management, and financing of public transit, bridges, and ferry systems. d. We support prioritizing highway projects, and using public money efficiently to reduce congestion and maintain infrastructure. e. The present motor fuel taxes should be used only to expand and maintain the state highway system. f. Road tolls should be voted on by the locality which is affected. 9. Government and Taxes 9.1 Efficiency and Accountability a. Washington State taxes are too high. We support zero-based budgeting and prioritization of government services. b. We believe that President Bush’s economic stimulus package is working, and we support making it permanent. c. We support reform of the federal tax system, replacing it with a simplified system that would encourage honesty, industry, thrift, and economic growth, as well as family and financial security. d. We support a property tax based on the original purchase price of the property. In the absence of that, we believe that the basis for assessing property should be actual use, not “highest and best use.” e. We support the elimination of sales tax on all taxpayer-supported projects. f. We support the elimination of the Washington State death tax. g. The B & O tax should be based on net profit, not gross revenue. 9.2 Regulatory Reform In order to create a business-friendly environment and stimulate economic growth, we support: a. Reduction and simplification of government regulation. b. Meaningful involvement in the rule-making process by those being regulated. c. Legislative review of proposed and ongoing rules. 10. Citizen’s Rights a. We support the individual’s right to keep and bear arms and ammunition. b. We believe in the right of private property owners to receive just compensation at fair market value for any loss of use of their land due to government regulations. We support local land use planning which requires meaningful notice to and involvement of landowners. c. We support the rights of workers to organize and engage in collective bargaining as long as union membership is completely voluntary. We urge Washington State to adopt a “right to work” statute that would prohibit compulsory union membership. d. We support equal rights for all citizens of the United States; however we do not believe in special rights based on sexual orientation, race, or gender. e. We believe the right to vote is essential to our liberty and that our voting process must be protected against fraud and abuse. We believe that strong measures which assure that only currently qualified voters are allowed to participate in elections must be put into effect. We further support: 1. Re-registering all voters in the State 2. Valid identification and proof of citizenship to register to vote 3. The rights of all citizens, who so desire, to vote in a polling place near their residence. 4. Show valid photo identification to vote 5. Protecting the integrity of the vote of our active military personnel 6. Prohibition of counting ballots prior to 8:00 pm on election day. 11. Social Security a. We support rescinding the income restrictions and penalties for collecting Social Security benefits and on individual retirement accounts. b. We support an optional, personal, partial, non-government run privatization of the Social Security retirement benefit system. 12. National Language In the interest of national unity, harmony, and to provide opportunity for social and economic success for immigrants and their families, we support the designation of English as the official language of the United States of America. We are a nation of immigrants with diverse backgrounds. We respect those differences, but we must share a common language to assure equal opportunity for individuals, to understand and respect each other, and to work together for the common good. 13. Immigration a. We must substantially increase border security and control through additional personnel, technology, and physical barriers. b. We support the enforcement of current laws concerning illegal immigrants and legal visitors. c. We support enactment of a meaningful guest worker program to allow those who wish to participate in our economy to do so in a legal and responsible way. d. The state and local governments must cooperate with each other and the federal government to enforce immigration laws. PRESENTED BY THE 2006 PIERCE COUNTY REPUBLICAN PLATFORM COMMITTEE BETH JENSEN CHEW, CHAIR BOB JEWELL, 2nd LD RICK BAUER, 2nd LD LOUIS TIBBS, 25th LD MARSHALL KIRKPATRICK, 25th LD DENNIS FAULK, 26th LD STEVE CAIN, 26th LD BEA CHRISTOPHERSEN, 27th LD ANDY HALL, 28th LD JANE MILHANS, 28th LD ROBERT WEBSTER, 29th LD ALICE BRYNESTAD, 31st LD IAN FORAKER*, 27th LD DOUG KOTRBA*, 29th LD PADDY O’HALLORAN (OBSERVER) * Unable to participate |
Pierce County Republican Standing Rules PCRP BYLAWS Platform
Paid for and authorized by The Pierce County
Republican Central Committee
739 St Helens Tacoma WA 98402 253-383-1795
FAX 253-383-1796
Not Authorized by any Candidate or candidate committee
2007 Pierce County Republican Central Committee