Adopted by the Whitman County Democratic Convention
Pullman, Washington, April 19, 2008

01-PREAMBLE

We hold that democratic principles are the foundation of a safe, stable, and prosperous future and that these principles must be woven into the fabric of our social, cultural, and economic lives. We declare our commitment to human rights, justice, and opportunity for all. We respect the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States that support economic opportunity, social and civil justice, and personal freedom, security, and privacy. We are dedicated to achieving peace, prosperity, and opportunity and a government based on responsible optimism.

Our platform rests on the principles that there should be:

• security for all citizens;
• accessible and affordable health care for all Americans;
• rebuilding our reputation in the world as a cooperative and just country;
• reversal of the decline of civil liberties in our country;
• recognition that diversity strengthens our nation;
• recognition that we are responsible for our ethical, economical, environmental and educational legacy;
• We adopt this platform to ensure that the voters and candidates for public office understand and support our goals.

02-AGRICULTURE AND RURAL COMMUNITIES

Agriculture is the number one industry in Washington, and farmers are the ‘Stewards of the Land’.

We believe:

• that a viable agriculture and a sound rural infrastructure are essential for maintaining the economic stability and civil defense of our nation;
• that we must have a transportation system that sustains local community development such as the continuation of our inland waterways for agricultural purposes and continuation of our railway infrastructure;
• that the Columbia and Snake Rivers, including the dams that were primarily constructed under Democratic leadership, support the economic health of the Pacific Northwest;
• that any decisions about breaching, removing, compromising, or encroaching on our waterways should be based on sound, credible economic and scientific information;
• U.S. agriculture subsidies should be aimed at sustaining agricultural production and family farms;
• that there is a strong need for new and sustainable development in rural areas and for the use of various approaches aimed at obtaining resources for such development.

We support:

• programs that provide an economic stimulus for survival, protection, and improvement of rural communities, including development of affordable high-speed internet access and rural transportation ;
• governmental programs, especially those of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that assure the survival of family farms;
• funding for agricultural commodity programs to assure long-term, economic viability of agriculture, availability of high quality food, and economic security of the nation;
• conservation and environmental programs and economic incentives that help conserve agricultural land and natural resources such as soil, water, forests, and wildlife habitat;
• action by the State of Washington to process the backlog of water rights applications and future applications as soon as possible to allow water resources to be utilized for ecologically sound agricultural use that will stimulate diversity in the rural economy;
• international programs that reduce global warming, which will drastically jeopardize local farming;
• development of domestic and international marketing opportunities for crop and animal products and international trade agreements that assure fair marketing and fair employment practices;
• enforcement of antitrust laws that apply to agribusiness;
• management of ocean fisheries to prevent dangerous depletion;
• substantial land grant college funding of research in sustainable, non-toxic farming techniques;
• strong organic farming standards;
• clear labeling of food including nation of origin, genetically modified organism status, irradiation status, and organic status;
• governmental testing and labeling of imported and domestic agricultural products to assure marketability of high quality, safe food;
• inspection of all animals at risk of Mad Cow Disease and other new plant and animal diseases that may enter the food processing chain;
• farm production of renewable energy including biodiesel, ethanol, methane, and solar and wind power.
• governmental support for agricultural research and extension programs to develop, improve, and protect crops and livestock and improve quality, marketability, and safety of agricultural products.

03-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CORPORATE POWER, AND MEDIA REFORM

We believe:

• corporations are not legal persons entitled to equal protection under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution;
• business friendly laws can be beneficial, but laws used to create monopolies are not beneficial;
• corporations should not exert an undue influence on our body politic or use our Constitution in the courts to thwart our democratically enacted laws;
• the public owns the broadcast airwaves and the Internet, which should be managed to serve the public.

We support:

• revoking the charters of corporations that repeatedly violate our laws;
• a government created by, of, and for the people, not just for corporations;
• using diversity of ownership as the centermost principle of broadcast licensing;
• strengthening media ownership regulations to avoid corporate domination of our airwaves;
• encouraging minority and community media ownership;
• ensuring that media license holders provide diverse programming;
• increased funding for public broadcasting including documentary films and noncommercial news;
• establishing a system for community-level, non-profit, and non-commercial radio and TV nationwide;
• enforcing antitrust laws;
• international trade based on fair trade including living wages and environmental protection;
• export of manufactured goods and products of our skilled labor and less emphasis on export of raw resources;
• holding corporate officers and board members accountable for the actions of their companies;
• fair practices related to mortgages and regulating and monitoring associated business practices.

We oppose:

• the Supreme Court precedent that corporations are people, and further oppose corporation rights as persons under our constitution and their associated constitutional rights, including the First Amendment right to make political contributions in the corporate capacity;
• tax breaks to corporations and other corporate welfare, unless a verifiable public interest is served.

04-EDUCATION

“It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provisions for the education of all children.”
The Washington State Constitution – 1889. This duty also applies to all people living in the United States.

We believe:

• public schools bring together people of diverse experience, ability and background for the purpose of learning;
• a sound understanding of democracy, liberty, freedom, government, human rights, and the constitution should be primary components of a good education for all residents of the United States;
• that federal and state funds should be used for education in public schools, and public funds should be used exclusively for public schools and not for private or religious schools;
• education and learning are life long endeavors, and that Washington State and the U. S. have a responsibility to provide access to affordable, quality higher education, and they should provide support for reeducation of those that may loose their jobs through company or government action;
• publicly funded education at all levels strengthens our democracy, provides a fully educated and skilled workforce, and strengthens our ability to compete in the global economy.

We support:

• a stable funding source for all basic, gifted, special education state and federal programs;
• the proper use of the phrase “No Child Left Behind” as it was originally intended and not as it is used by the Bush Administration to divert attention from providing adequate support of our public schools and teachers and to take money from public schools and divert money to private schools;
• repeal of the section about accountability in “No Child Left Behind” and allowing each state to determine its own measures of student achievement;
• schools that are safe from violence, bullying, harassment and retribution;
• inclusion of all students into the school environment regardless of race, ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic status, disability, or geographic origin;
• full-time counselors and school nurses in every school;
• state of the art school facilities that are adequately maintained and regularly certified as safe and healthy by public health authorities;
• full funding of Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assisted Programs (ECEAP) so that early childhood education is accessible to all;
• reducing repayment of college loans for graduates that choose public service careers;
• including Fine Arts Education in the Basic Education Act of the State;
• providing facilities and programs that advance vocational and technology education;
• providing greater access to higher education for all, through financial aid and work-study programs;
• a simple majority of the voting electorate to approve or pass school levies and bonds;
• the rights of public education employees to organize, engage in collective bargaining, and strike without fear of reprisal or replacement;
• age-appropriate, research-based health and values education concerning issues of sexuality and alcohol/drug abuse for K-12;
• methods of funding educational capital projects other than logging public land;
• equal opportunities for dissenting opinions whenever military recruiting is conducted in public schools.

We oppose:

• Charter Schools;
• voucher payments to private schools;
• use and passing of one required, high-stake test as a condition for receiving a high school diploma when all other academic requirements have been met;
• commercial exploiting of students in our schools (e.g. “junk food” and advertising);
• unconstitutional organized prayer in public schools;
• teaching of pseudo-sciences such as intelligent design, which is not based on scientific facts.

05-ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY

Every individual has a fundamental right to clean air, pure water, safe food, and a healthy natural environment. No government should make any law, regulation, treaty, or agreement infringing upon these rights. Our goal is to create a sustainable society in which future generations are assured of abundant renewable energy, pure water, clean air, and fertile soil to maintain our quality of life and to meet the needs of a strong economy.

We support:

• conserving and developing clean, efficient, renewable, and natural sources of power;
• eliminating tax breaks to nonrenewable-energy companies, except for pollution control equipment;
• strong measures that reduce greenhouse gases in the U.S. and strong treaties to reduce global warming;
• federal government restoration and cleanup of all contaminated public or private lands and water;
• long-term policies that give priority to the preservation of biodiversity, protection of ecosystems and
• watersheds, and restoration of wild salmon and other endangered species;
• reducing the use of pesticides and other persistent toxic chemicals;
• increasing governmental support for organic farming and preserving agricultural land;
• programs to reduce polluted urban and agricultural run-off into waterways and aquifers;
• full disclosure by companies and by the government of the health and environmental effects of all potentially harmful chemicals and substances that they and others produce, store, or release;
• higher Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and extending the application to SUVs;
• current state laws that require voter approval of large public energy projects before bonds are issued;
• strong public policy that restores full funding for the National Parks and other forest services and preserves wilderness, old-growth, road free areas, wildlife corridors, wetlands, and other environmentally sensitive areas;
• efforts to reduce waste and to promote the reuse and recycling of materials;
• making polluters pay for cleanup by reinstating the federal tax on toxic waste under the Superfund Program;
• strengthening the Growth Management Act, and supporting neighborhood and community planners in their efforts to protect our quality of life;
• upgrading our outdated electrical grids so that power can be distributed efficiently and reliably;
• revising the 1872 Mining Act to provide fair market compensation to the public and limiting exploration and extraction in environmentally sensitive public lands;
• utilizing biomass conversion to process American farm products and byproducts into renewable energy, including biodiesel and ethanol;
• educational programs that promote awareness of environmental and energy issues.
• developing home and business owned solar power and wind power;
• developing bio-fuel and electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles;
• cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and protecting the Columbia River from nuclear pollution;
• action by individuals, governments, tribes, and corporations to protect and conserve our environment and repair degraded areas;
• tax incentives for those that use and conserve alternative sources of energy in homes and businesses;
• delaying development of nuclear power until environmentally safe, long-term waste storage is guaranteed.

We oppose:

• trading of energy and pollution credits;
• tying funding of school construction to destroying old-growth forests or non-sustainable resources;
• expansion of nuclear power until environmentally safe long-term waste storage can be guaranteed;
• waste disposal and oil exploration in wildlife refuges, wilderness areas, or other environmentally sensitive areas;
• importing and storage of new nuclear waste to the Hanford Nuclear Reservation;
• exempting military bases from environmental regulation.
• use of Bonneville Power Administration revenue to retire federal debt;

06-FOREIGN POLICY

The United States must work cooperatively with other countries to promote a sustainable, non-violent world in which the human rights of all peoples are respected. Critical issues including international terrorism, environmental degradation, and nuclear proliferation can only be resolved in cooperation with the world community. While national self-interest is a legitimate element of foreign policy, it must be tempered by respect for other cultures, economies, and national aspiration. The United States should seek to uphold human welfare and the environment for all people worldwide.

To promote democratic ideals abroad, it is imperative that we:

• support conflict resolution by nonviolent methods;
• support a multilateral approach to foreign policy;
• support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• proclaim that the executive and legislative branches of the U.S. shall abandon the doctrine of pre-emptive warfare and shall make nonviolence the primary principle of foreign policy.

We believe:

• in prohibiting U.S. companies operating abroad from engaging in practices that would be prohibited in the U.S. and prohibiting the dumping of products and importing products made by exploiting the environment, local communities, and people;
• multinational corporations, their affiliates, subsidiaries, and/or franchises must operate within the international rule of law;
• WTO and NAFTA, as now operated, undermine the constitutional power of our Federal and State governments and fail to adequately promote human rights, labor rights, and environmental protection worldwide, and the U.S. should re-negotiate the treaties or exercise its right to withdraw;
• military contracts should be awarded based on fair, competitive bidding and not on the basis of past associations, political contributions, or other types of cronyism;
• in human and civil rights throughout the world and oppose the support or creation of regimes that restrict those rights;
• effective diplomacy and negotiation cultivate better communication and understanding among nations;
• and declare that there is irrefutable evidence that the war against Iraq was an unjustified war based on false and misleading statements and faulty thinking, and that it has led to the death and injury of thousands of innocent people, including service men and women, and has made the United States and other nations less safe from terrorism;
• that “extraordinary rendition,” abducting of foreign nationals and their detention in secret overseas prisons where they may be tortured, is illegal and immoral;
• citizens of the United States, especially civilians, have the responsibility of assuring that the U.S. constitutional checks and balances be used to prevent misuses of power;
• that it is the military’s core task is to “provide for the common defense,” not to provide the President with a general-purpose instrument untouched by Congressional oversight;
• the response of the world community to the ongoing genocide in Darfur has been inadequate, and the United States should work closely and persistently with other countries to develop multilateral approaches to stop that and future genocide;
• the United States, as the wealthiest country in the world, has a responsibility for providing assistance when international poverty occurs;
• it is the responsibility of the U.S. Congress to assure that our military is used for the common defense and not for commercial ventures or spying on political opponents;
• the United States should restore worldwide family planning programs;
• the Guatanamo Bay detainees should be immediate charged, prosecuted, or released;
• the National Guard is for state purposes and not for misuse by the President of the United States and should remain under the direction of the governors.

We support:

• the International Criminal Court;
• the United Nations Land Mine Treaty and oppose use of cluster bombs, which act like land mines;
• the Biological & Chemical Warfare Conventions;
• the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty;
• the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty;
• the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty;
• the Space Preservation Treaty;
• the Child Soldier Treaty;
• the U.S. foreign policy that empowers and supports the right of all people to self governance and self determination;
• the 7th Convention to End Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW);
• the Kyoto Protocol on Global Climate Change and world cooperation to prevent global warming;
• international agreements aimed at preventing sexual exploitation and abuse of children;
• the Charter of the United Nations on international treaties and conventions;
• the Code of Conduct on Arms Transfers, including trade in small arms;
• international conventions and agreements against genocide;
• strong National defenses but not military aggression for advancing political and economical goals.

We support and affirm:

• the initial intent and promise of improving the economy of Afghanistan, especially the infrastructure and agriculture and eliminating opium trade, and developing a free country without torture;
• developing and implementing an equitable and rapid exit strategy from Iraq;
• nonviolent initiatives aimed at rebuilding civil society and encouraging democracy in Iraq;
• encouraging strict health, safety, and environmental standards worldwide;
• the end of military support to countries that violate human and civil rights;
• honoring and upholding the rights, welfare, and healthy environment of all indigenous people;
• increasing federal funding for combating world hunger and the HIV/AIDS epidemic worldwide;
• working cooperatively with all countries through the United Nations, upholding the Geneva Convention, paying the U.S. financial obligations to the U.N, and ratifying human rights conventions;
• a call for all governments and corporations to immediately stop production, stockpiling, testing, and using uranium, depleted uranium, or other radiological weapons;
• closing the School of the Americas, a.k.a. The Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation;
• fair trade among nations based on sound environmental principles, worker rights, and welfare removal of artificial barriers;
• eliminating excessive, unnecessary, and redundant weapons programs, such as Star Wars and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Shield, from the military budget, and investing savings in pressing domestic needs;
• that the United States should commit to vigorous, serious, and persistent, even-handed engagements aimed at peacefully resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and ensuring security and a good quality of life for all Israeli and Palestinian people.

We oppose:

• bombing Iran when there is no immediate danger of a nuclear attack against the United States or the using military force to create regime changes in Iran;
• the Bush Administration’s illegal commission of torture and other war crimes;
• the embargo on Cuba;
• use of the National Guard for any purposes other than defense and response to natural disasters;
• use of secrecy, psychological operations and disinformation/manipulation campaigns that leave the U.S. citizenry less informed that the rest of the world.

07-GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL REFORM

Government embodies the people and must reflect our values as citizens. Our government must be fiscally sound, operate ethically, refrain from establishing or supporting religion, and be open, transparent, and accountable to the people. Citizen participation is a right and duty of citizenship, and free, open and verifiable elections are the key to our democratic process. Only substantial election reform can restore faith in the election system and continual diligence can maintain our election system.

We believe:

• in equal voting rights and that voting systems should accurately register the votes of all citizens, and provide a viable paper record for voter confirmation and post-election audit or recount when necessary;
• taxes are the price of civilization, but they must be levied fairly and spent frugally;
• a strong American economy depends on a balanced budget, and deficit spending should not be used instead of tax cuts for the rich;
• our government is of the people, by the people, and for the people and not just for the rich, large corporations, or large political contributors;
• all regulatory agencies should be fully funded;
• no foreign powers should have control over our ports and ports should continue to be secured and controlled by the U.S. Government;
• developing and producing military weapons should be under control of the U.S. government and not foreign corporations.

We support:

• making Election Day a national holiday;
• immediatly restoring voting rights of felons who have completed their sentences;
• public financing of all election campaigns;
• laws requiring all broadcast license holders to provide adequate free airtime to political candidates as a condition of their FCC license;
• fair, voter-verifiable, fully transparent and auditable voting systems;
• encouraging colleges and universities to register students to vote;
• full Congressional representation for residents of the District of Columbia;
• inclusive campaign and debate process that does not exclude credible third party candidates;
• enforcement of sunshine laws and transparency in sessions that discuss and make policy;
• campaign reform that regulates the use of paid signature gatherers in the state initiative process;
• aggressive congressional investigation of improper connections between government and industry;
• universal voter registration of all U.S. citizens who are eligible voters;
• enforceable legal protection of the privacy of an individual's personal information;
• a review of all Washington laws on “eminent domain” by Washington Democratic Legislators and revision of those laws to insure that no private property is taken for private purposes and that all seizures are compensated for in a fair and equitable manner;
• equal rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender [LGBT] individuals and oppose any effort in the form of legislation, initiative, or referendum to take away the rights of LGBT individuals in Washington State.

We oppose:

• any practice that reveals election results while the polling places are still open;
• secretly adding projects to bills “earmarking funds” without the knowledge of other legislators;
• privatizing, outsourcing, or off-shoring of governmental, public services;
• outsourcing of U.S. port management to foreign countries;
• outsourcing of U.S. military activities and prevention of the prosecution of military contractors.

08-HEALTHCARE

The Democratic Party has had a long history of supporting programs for maintaining a healthy population, and we believe access to quality health care is a basic human right for all people in the U.S. and essential to national safety, homeland security, and well-being.

We support:

• continuing effective Medicare and Medicaid programs, and we oppose any effort to eliminate or weaken the current programs, such as privatization or modifications that might bankrupt the systems;
• creating a universal, publicly funded, single-payer, not-for-profit, comprehensive health system that preserves consumer choice;
• parity of mental and physical health coverage;
• amending the Medicare prescription drug benefit to permit access to less costly, effective drugs;
• eliminating discrimination against low income patients in the delivery of equal health care;
• a strong Patient Bill of Rights;
• improved long-term care of the consumer’s choice (including home care and hospice), and ensuring living wages and training for caregivers;
• regulating and inspecting institutional and residential health care systems;
• regulating and inspecting the national medical insurance industry;
• increasing the funding of programs on nutritional education, prenatal care, reproductive health education, and suicide prevention and disease research and control, including stem cell research;
• dedicating tobacco settlement monies only to tobacco-related health care programs and tobacco use prevention;
• protecting the privacy of jointly-owned (patient/facility) medical and mental health records, and prohibiting the sale or disclosure of personal medical or pharmaceutical records;
• protecting a woman’s right to private consultation regarding reproductive decisions. Physicians should be allowed to perform reproductive procedures without fear of retaliation, even in the event of legislative changes;
• a reasonable medical malpractice rate structure, preserving a right to a jury trial, and ensuring fair awards for preventable medical errors. Insurance company stockholders, rather than healthcare providers, will bear the burden of investment losses;
• repealing the Global Gag Rule that cuts $34M from the United Nations and international family planning agencies;
• legalizing marijuana use for medical purposes;
• our moral obligation to care for our veterans, especially preserving the existing Veterans Administration Hospitals and clinics and increased funding for the long-term care of veterans;
• public health policies based on sound scientific guidelines, following the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control, and organized plans for an effective response to major epidemics;
• funding and support of international family planning agencies within the United Nations.

09-HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL RIGHTS

We believe:

• that the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all human beings are the foundations of freedom, justice, and peace in the world;
• food, shelter, medical care, education, and jobs are basic human rights;
• each person has a right to live free from fear of personal injury;
• public policies, laws, or regulations cannot dictate an individuals beliefs or practices nor force individuals to participate in religious expressions and activities against their beliefs;
• the people of the U.S. have a constitutional right to nonviolent expression of views regarding governmental actions, and they should not be intimidated by federal, state, or local authorities, or spied upon without judicial authorization;
• the Patriot Act was created out of an irrational reaction to the terrorist actions of 2001, and therefore, the Act should continue to be evaluated to remove components that are unconstitutional and affect liberty including, but not limited to:
• free speech zones ;
• indefinite detention;
• no fly list;
• enemy combatants status;
• denial of access to counsel;
• suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.

We support:

• the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1990;
• affirmative action. Those who suffer the burdens of discrimination must be afforded legal means and economic opportunities to overcome such injustice;
• the rights of senior citizens and individuals with disabilities to direct their own lives in housing, education, and all other life choices, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;
• religious freedom and the constitutional separation of church and state, and we oppose organized prayer in publicly funded schools;
• the right for medically assisted death with dignity with suitable safeguards for terminally ill patients;
• a woman’s right to choose as protected by Roe vs. Wade and the Washington State Reproductive Freedom Act;
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• he right to confidentiality of medical records and genetic information;
• the right to know regarding government operations and actions and the right to see past records of presidents, vice presidents, or other executive officials and oppose the establishment of a secret, shadow government;
• the right to bear arms, which includes a personal responsibility to support training of safe use and storage of firearms and ammunition to protect others and to register firearm transactions.

We affirm:

• that the Geneva Conventions must be applied to all detainees, foreign or domestic, no matter where they are held and no detainees be tortured;
• the right to sovereignty over our own bodies. We support family planning and women’s reproductive rights, regardless of age or ability to pay;
• that the state should not interfere with couples who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities, and commitment of civil marriage, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

We oppose:

• discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodation, military service, insurance, licensing, or education based on race, religion, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, size, political affiliation, or national origin;
• confiscation of personal property without due process or for the purpose of use by other private individuals or corporations;
• harassment, intimidation, and domestic or sexual violence, and support strong legislation, treatment programs, and education designed to reduce these ills.

10-HUMAN SERVICES

We believe:

• ensuring adequate human services is one of the highest priorities of government, especially for those on the margins of society, such as the children, elderly, impoverished, homeless, mentally ill, disabled or those with addictions;
• quality affordable childcare, education, training and substance abuse treatment must be provided to help working parents leave welfare;
• A caring community provides a safety net of social services to meet all people’s basic needs regardless of their national or racial origin so they can attain their full potential;
• public assistance and Medicaid are necessary to safeguard the vulnerable poor and people with disabilities who cannot reasonably provide for themselves;
• family planning and science-based sex education are effective tools that must be available to give individuals and families control of their reproductive lives;
• education and access to birth control and family services are necessary to minimize the need for abortion.

We support:

• ending homelessness and ensuring that all people have access to safe and affordable housing;
• programs to enable more widespread home ownership;
• raising the Social Security tax cap to income above $90,000 to avoid a future funding shortfall;
• welfare reform that will reduce poverty, not just the welfare rolls.

We oppose

• privatizing Social Security or reducing its benefits.

11-IMMIGRATION

We are a nation of indigenous people and immigrants, with each individual contributing into our dynamic and diverse culture. We believe in the right of all people, regardless of country of origin, to be treated fairly, respectfully, and with dignity.

We Support:

• English as the official language of the United States and providing information and instructions in major, additional languages for those in need of education, social services, employment access, or voting guides;
• protecting the integrity and safety of our borders while recognizing and assuring the basic human rights of immigrants;
• legislation that considers cultural pluralism and assures education, social services, and access to resources to all U.S. employees;
• fair and humane treatment of all people in the United States;
• developing a path to legal status and eventual citizenship for undocumented immigrants that are already in the U.S. and have not committed major crimes;
• access to human services without discrimination based on immigration status;
• green card status and ultimately citizenship to foreign graduate students who receive degrees from U.S. Universities and possess technical or scientific skills that will benefit the U.S. public;
• safe and adequate housing, medical care, education, and sanitary facilities for immigrant workers;
• policies that provide civil and/or human rights or educational opportunities for immigrants and their children regardless of their status.

12-INDIAN TRIBES AND TREATIES

Treaties made between sovereign Indian nations and the United States government must be upheld and preserved. Indian tribes share a common history with others in the United States, and their separate domestic governments are part of our national identity and community. Education of the American public regarding treaty-based rights of tribal groups is vital to respectful and civil relations between the tribal governments and the U.S. government.

We believe:

• native tribes must be dealt with on a government-to-government basis and that they must be accorded respect by all levels of the U.S. government, including recognition and adherence to relevant treaties and agreements between the governments.

We support:

• tribal and individual funding of social programs for human services such as for reducing poverty and alcoholism.

13-LABOR & ECONOMIC JUSTICE

Economic justice for working families is essential for the realization of a democratic society. Economic justice includes fair taxation, fair pay, fair economic and trade policies, worker rights, fair social security and retirement programs, and care of economically disadvantaged.

We Believe:

• a strong economy is based upon jobs that provide safe working conditions, a fair and living wage, and health and retirement benefits, and the benefits are obtained by workers’ rights to organize unions for collective bargaining;
• American workers who “blow the whistle” on safety hazards, environmental violations or other violations of the law or regulations must have access to courts and protected from retaliations.

We support:

• Fair Taxation:
• progressive tax systems at both the federal and state level;
• incentives, including targeted tax credits, to businesses that provide family wage jobs with adequate healthcare and pension benefits, and special programs such as on-site daycare;
• fair system of paying for growth with impact fees; we oppose the cost shifting of these expenses onto the general public;
• a balanced budget, repeal of tax cuts for the ultra rich, and investment in job creation, healthcare, and education.
• Fair Pay:
• minimum wage that is a living wage;
• equal pay for equal work;
• maintaining state and federal prevailing wage laws;
• reducing the wage gap between rural and urban areas of the state, including ensuring adequate housing, wages and health care for farm workers;
• protecting overtime pay.
• Fair Economic and Trade Policies:
• only multilateral trade agreements that are conditioned on environmental standards, human rights and workers rights that support democratic transparent processes;
• economic policies conducive to the growth of small business and a strong independent farm system;
• strict enforcement of all contracting laws, holding violators responsible for payment of all taxes and penalties.
• foreign trade agreements that put the rights of workers above the rights of a corporation and the rights of local governments above the rights of a corporation.
• Worker Rights :
• the rights of workers to a safe and healthy workplace, free from harassment;
• the rights of all workers to organize and use mediation, arbitration, and the right to strike without fear of reprisal or replacement;
• a workers’ Bill of Rights that includes rights of assembly, association, and free speech, due process, freedom from discrimination, democracy within unions, and freedom from employer intimidation;
• the right of new bargaining units to request mandatory arbitration on the first contract;
• the repeal of the anti-labor Taft-Hartley Act, which has tilted labor law in favor of employers;
• the automatic recognition of a union, based on signatures of a majority of those represented (card-check);
• full funding for enforcement of employment standards, child labor laws, and worker safety laws;
• protection of whistleblowers, (including Federal employees);
• responsible and responsive bidder language in all public-financed works that includes contractor responsibilities on fair wages, health insurance, retirement and training;
• the 15% set-asides for using state certified apprentices on public works projects.
• Social Security and retirement programs:
• a separate and dedicated Social Security Trust Fund;
• continuation of the full social security without privatization;
• employer legal obligations and commitments to pensions and other retirement programs;
• maintenance of Social Security benefits for disabled and dependent survivors;
• passage of HR 615 of the U.S. House of Representatives, which provides for those born between 1917 and 1926 (referred to as the Notch Babies) to receive their fair Social Security payments while they and/or their spouses are still alive to enjoy their benefits.
• economically disadvantaged:
  • welfare reform that will reduce poverty, not just the welfare rolls;
  • funding childcare for citizens transitioning off welfare;
  • public assistance safeguarding the vulnerable poor who cannot reasonably provide for themselves;
  • increased affordable and low-income housing, with emphasis on home ownership;
  • unemployment and retraining benefits for workers laid off or locked out by their employers.

We oppose:

• tip-credit minimum wage;
• efforts to eliminate restrictions on the working hours of teenagers;
• U.S. corporations going offshore in order to evade U.S. laws and taxes;
• the privatization or out-sourcing of public services;
• profiteering, misuse of private data and predatory lending by financial institutions;
• right-to-work laws;
• use of permanent replacement workers during strikes;
• supplanting public employees with low-wage, low benefit contract employees or prison labor;
• stealing of retirement and health funds from their employees by companies and employers and evading of taxes and employer obligations by moving to foreign countries;
• privatization of Social Security.

14-LAW & JUSTICE

We recognize that civil order is necessary for survival of a free and democratic state. Civil order can occur only when Justice treats the least among us the same as the greatest in all legal matters. We also recognize that in the pursuit of civil order, we cannot abandon the legal principles upon which a free and democratic society relies. We affirm liberty and justice for everyone residing in the U.S. according to the Constitution and believe that criminal justice and human rights are linked.

We believe:

• prevention of crime is as important as reaction to crime;
• people have an obligation to resolve conflicts in a non-violent manner and violence should not become an accepted fact in our communities;
• authorities and communities must work together, assume responsibility for safety and prevention of crime, and make neighborhoods livable;
• government must help alleviate the social conditions that contribute to crime;
• comprehensive crime prevention must include youth programs;
• property forfeiture should be permitted only after criminal conviction, not on arrest or by seizure;
• corporate officers and board members should be held responsible for the actions of their companies;
• President Bush lied about being informed of the vulnerability of New Orleans’ levees before Hurricane Katrina occurred, and President Bush and Vice President Cheney lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, set the stage for torturing prisoners in violation of United States and international law; and therefore, the Congress of the United States should initiate proceedings for their impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

We support:

• new approaches to controlling drug addiction focused on treatment and education as opposed to incarceration;
• the stringent enforcement and maintenance of current state and federal laws regulating the ownership of firearms, while respecting the rights of responsible gun owners;
• abolishing capital punishment;
• adequate state funding for indigent defendants in all criminal cases;
• DNA testing to free the innocent and convict the guilty in criminal prosecutions;
• review of mandatory sentencing guidelines and “three-strikes” sentencing, especially for nonviolent offenses;
• drug courts;
• eliminating all forms of racial profiling by government or law enforcement;
• eliminating the conditions closely linked to crime and violence by investing in nonviolent conflict resolution, education, health care, social services, and living wage jobs;
• diversion for adult misdemeanors and juvenile offenders, when possible, to alternative victim/offender restorative mediation under the oversight of prosecuting attorney offices;
• a statement to the Washington State legislature requesting that they pass an appropriately and properly worded bill on impeachment of George Bush and Richard Cheney because of their violation of state and federal laws and the U.S. Constitution and forwarding the statement to the U.S. House of Representatives requesting that they initiate impeachment proceedings against George Bush and Richard Cheney.
• impeaching or prosecuting members of the Executive Branch of the U.S. government, especially the Attorney Generals Office, who have ordered violations of law and the U.S. Constitution;
• appointing Independent Special Counsels to investigate and prosecute appointed government officials for violating the U.S. law;
• prosecuting President Bush for the use of “signing statements,” that violated laws that were passed by the Congress of the United States and signed by The President.

15-MILITARY

Democrats have always answered their country’s call to duty and are proud of their military contributions to the nation. We believe that our military men and women are the best our nation has to offer, and the active duty reserve, and National Guard should always have leadership worthy of them. The core task of the U.S. Military is to “provide for the common defense. We pledge support of our troops and honor our veterans who act in the service of our country. We will continue to press for the money and resources necessary to ensure that our veterans receive all that this nation has promised and owes to them.

We Support:

• our military members serving at home and overseas, and a safe, speedy return for those in combat areas;
• abolition of the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and legislation to ensure homosexuals serving their country have equal status with all other service members;
• repeal of the Survivor’s Benefit Plan (SBP) Social Security offset when a widowed military spouse reaches age 62, and elimination of the Veterans Authority disability offset from military retired pay;
• restoration of full, no-cost treatment at military medical facilities for retirees, just as they were promised when they joined;
• complete funding of all Veterans Authority hospitals and medical treatment facilities for disabled veterans and increased funding for long term care;
• government compensation for National Guard and Reserve members activated for more than 14 days of combat operations, and payment of the difference between their non-military and military pay;
• full instruction of all American personnel regarding their rights and responsibilities under the Geneva Convention;
• the rights of all persons in the military to serve free of sexual harassment and sexual assault and the prosecution of sexual offenders.

We affirm:

• the right and responsibility of each woman in the military to make her own reproductive decisions and her right to follow through on those decisions at non-military medical facilities, and at her own expense, and if needed, the Uniform Code of Military Justice should be revised to guarantee the right;
• that Veteran’s programs should be regarded as entitlement programs;
• that senior civilian leaders and military leaders must accept responsibility for actions by lower ranking military personnel, such as torture in prisons.

We oppose:

• using our military resources in unauthorized, unjustified, pre-emptive wars.

16-TRANSPORTATION

We believe transportation systems (commercial, personal, or mass transit) that are efficient, flexible, and visionary are a key to a healthy economy and environment.

We support:

• investments in public infrastructure that broaden both rural and urban transportation choices and reduce dependence on the automobile;
• improved facilities for non-motorized movement of people such as pedestrian paths, bicyclists, and people in wheelchairs;
• equity and parity in state funding for all forms of transportation (i.e. buses, ferries, light rail, heavy rail, monorail, etc.);
• public involvement at all levels in developing transportation plans and systems;
• multiple funding sources including fuel taxes, excise taxes and user fees, which are as progressive as possible, are appropriate for funding essential transportation projects;
• having multiple airports in major urban areas;
• elimination of all tax subsidies that benefit motor vehicles not meeting gas mileage guidelines or that are not being used for their original intent;
• tax credits given to those with vehicles that exceed gas mileage guidelines or use alternative fuels;
• inclusion of ferry routes as major collector roads for planning and funding purposes;
• revising safety standards for tires based on their real safety performance for new and retread passenger tires, medium and heavy vehicles;
• safer intersections for vehicles and pedestrians through better design, improved traffic control measures, and where warranted, revision of existing practices for traffic control devices to permit longer phasing to pedestrian signals to enable safer crossing at high volume roadways;
• recognition that aviation, both private and commercial, is a key form of transportation in our state;
• research, development, production, and use of alternative fuels, electric and hybrid vehicles, and other fuel conservation methods and targeting tax incentives for energy conservation.

We oppose:

• tariffs paid solely by ferry riders that exceed the subsidies for operating other components of the state highway system;
• decisions regarding major airport expansion without public input, review and vote.