King County Republican Central Committee 2008 Platform

Preamble
The United States of America was founded upon the principles of Limited Government, Personal Liberty and Individual Responsibility under God. As Republicans, we believe that the role of government is to defend these principles and secure the rights of its citizens. We agree that government should “establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.” Nevertheless, we reject the notion that government can, or should attempt to, guarantee or limit individual achievement. We believe that from freedom comes opportunity; from opportunity comes growth; and from growth comes progress and prosperity.

Citizens’ Rights

  • Government has no power or authority of its own except for that which is delegated by the people. All power and authority not explicitly delegated to government is retained by the people. We declare that:
  • The will of the people must be respected. Those rights guaranteed to the Washington citizenry of initiative, referendum, and recall are necessary protections against an unresponsive government and must not be abridged;
  • The fundamental right to own property must never be abridged;
  • Freedom of speech, as guaranteed in the Constitution, includes religious and political speech in the public forum;
  • The use of quotas or preferences to favor one person or group over another violates the right to be treated equally under the law; and
  • Both the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Washington protect the right of each individual citizen to possess firearms.

Government
Our three-branch form of government with its system of checks and balances, as established by the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Washington, is the best in the world. We believe in a strict constructionist interpretation of the two founding documents with full consideration of original intent. The roles and limitations of each branch are clearly defined as: Legislative in making law, Executive in administering and enforcing the law, and Judicial in deciding cases according to the law. We believe that government exists to serve the people, and not the other way around. But above all, we believe in limited government. We support:

  • Less government interference so that individuals can have more choice in how they lead their lives and spend their money;
  • Free market solutions for such current issues as the environment, healthcare, transportation, housing, and education; and we favor private initiatives to provide social services rather than relying on the government;
  • Regular, independent performance and fiscal audits of government agencies by the State Auditor; and we call on the agencies to make public the findings and give serious consideration to fully implementing each audit recommendation;
  • Full government compliance with the Public Disclosure Law and the Open Meetings Act and we condemn attempts by government officials to withhold information about their activities from the public by such tactics as claiming “attorney-client privilege” or otherwise violating the intent of these laws;
  • The Federal government protecting our Constitution by providing for the national defense, defending our borders, and preserving our sovereignty;
  • Enforcement of current laws and more stringent sentences for car thieves, drug dealers, murderers, and other serious offenders; and
  • Stronger sentences for violent sex offenders and strict supervision of released sex offenders.

National Security
We believe in a strong and free America, a nation that leads the world in demonstrating the values of peace, freedom, and human rights. We recognize that there are masses of people that want to enjoy our freedoms, but we must gain control of our borders, prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and win the war on terrorism. We believe in working with all nations to promote freedom, but under no circumstances should the sovereignty of the United States of America be subordinated to any foreign or international body. We believe:

  • Local and state government must support and coordinate with national efforts to provide for our safety and security;
  • Our intelligence agencies must be strengthened and empowered to work together and to cooperate with immigration authorities and local law enforcement;
  • Our national security must take precedence over international commerce, including securing our key infrastructure, ports and utilities;
  • It is important to support the efforts of our military and our allies in Iraq, Afghanistan and the world in building the foundations necessary for freedom;
  • Open access for military recruiters in public and private schools is proper and lawful;
  • Continuing to honor all past and current obligations to our troops and veterans is our duty;
  • Gaining control of our borders and adopting a firm immigration policy is vital to national security;
  • The historical doctrine of pre-emption in U.S. conflicts is worthy of support; and
  • Israel, as a sovereign state, has a right to defend itself against foreign enemies and state-sponsored terrorism. We support Israel in the war against terror in their homeland.

Restoring Election Integrity
Fair and open elections are vital to retaining our liberties and preventing our republic from becoming a tyranny. We believe it is the duty of government to provide valid elections by ensuring only legally registered citizens vote, only legal ballots are cast, that all legally-cast ballots are properly and impartially counted, and that both voters and elections officials adhere to the letter of the law. We also believe that citizens have the right to actively monitor all aspects of the elections process and challenge irregularities. In order to restore the integrity of our elections, we believe it is necessary to:

  • Require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote;
  • Ensure that only legitimately registered residents of King County vote;
  • Verify the accuracy of current voter rolls, including reregistering each voter if necessary;
  • Use balloting techniques and technologies which are secure and verifiable;
  • Ensure that the original, unaltered paper ballot as submitted by the voter remains the official record throughout the entire voting, canvassing, and certification process;
  • Establish consistent standards for determining voter intent;
  • Enact the charter amendment to make the Director of Elections an elected position;
  • Investigate and prosecute all credible cases of election fraud; and
  • Uphold the right of the Republican Party to appoint its own poll workers and recruiters.

Property Rights
We believe that increasingly onerous and unjustified land-use regulations are affecting our ability to maintain a sustainable economy. Washington State and local governments have responded to rapid population growth by devising a Growth Management Act that violates the property rights guaranteed to state citizens under its Constitution. The implementation of this act, such as the Critical Areas Ordinance in King County, has taken property and violated usage rights without just compensation. The resulting regulations and fees have substantially increased the cost of housing.

We support:

  • Repealing the Growth Management Act and replacing it with sensible legislation that balances property rights and responsible stewardship of the environment;
  • Respect and protection of individual property rights, including restriction of eminent domain to public works projects, as opposed to the U.S. Supreme Court decision, Kelo v. New London;
  • Full market compensation for reduction in use rights by the government;
  • Property tax reform that does not force people from their homes and property due to spiraling property tax increases; and
  • Preservation of historic water rights.

Education
Parents have the primary responsibility and authority for educating their children. To that end, the education system in Washington State is responsible for assisting parents in preparing children to become intellectually mature and productive citizens. We need education reform that give parents more choices and requires stronger accountability of schools. It is a top priority for our state and nation to restore student proficiency in reading, writing and mathematics. There is cause for alarm that our public school standards are not addressing the science and technology needs of the future. Our students are less prepared than those in other industrialized nations in these subjects. Excellence in education can be reached through this practical agenda:

  • Abolish the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) and replace it with a widely used, nationally recognized, test that is scientifically valid;
  • Provide more alternative pathways for those students who are not successful on standardized testing because they still have the potential to succeed in life;
  • Require that students meet strict academic standards before being passed from grade-to-grade;
  • Require annual academic and fiscal performance audits of each public school;
  • Fund public schools appropriately, with vouchers for other choices, whether public, private or home-based;
  • Require all children to master the English language. Provide and adequately fund language programs focused on integrating non-English speaking students as quickly as possible;
  • Prohibit teaching in public school programs that encourages sexual activity, and promote abstinence until marriage as the most effective way to prevent teenage pregnancies, absentee fathers, abortion and sexually transmitted diseases;
  • Eliminate programs that promote homosexuality and sexual promiscuity as acceptable alternative lifestyles;
  • Teach a view of our nation’s history, ideals and accomplishments with academic integrity, relying on unedited, fundamental founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Washington to be part of high school curriculum;
  • Protect home-schooling from government interference; and
  • Continue funding the arts and physical education.

Transportation
An effective transportation system is critical to our economy and quality of life. Roads, rail, air, and sea transportation all play important roles in moving people and products in King County. Government transportation policies should be responsive to the needs of the people and the economy and should improve the freedom of citizens to live and work where they choose. Immediate action and wise investment in our transportation is needed. We support:

  • Linking transportation spending to congestion relief;
  • Limiting the use of transportation revenue to funding only transportation projects;
  • Alternatives to fixed-rail passenger systems, which are costly, inflexible, and inconvenient. Most mass transit funding should be spent expanding bus transportation into neighborhoods;
  • Development of alternative programs including staggered work shifts, telecommuting, increased carpools and vanpools, and other lower cost, effective programs;
  • Measures to increase freight mobility, including increasing heavy rail capacity and creating freight-only lanes/corridors;
  • Focusing increased capacity on the most heavily used highways;
  • Public/private partnerships and outsourcing to manage and fund new projects and to improve the current transportation, with particular focus on safety and congestion; and
  • Use of tolls only on new capacity highways and only to fund that particular highway.

Health Care
In a compassionate society, it is appropriate to assist those in need; however, primary responsibility for health lies with the individual. Lack of affordable health care is a serious issue that demands immediate solutions. Health coverage is one of the fastest rising costs facing business and citizens. Health insurance is one of the most heavily regulated sectors in our economy. These two factors are linked. Increasing state regulation plays a major role in driving up the cost and reducing the accessibility of health care coverage.

  • State mandates are a particularly egregious example of legislative intrusion in the market with bad results. Innovative solutions built on free market principles are the best way of increasing access, affordability and quality within our health care system. We support:
  • Private insurance which allows individual choice of providers, policies and coverage through Consumer-Directed Health Plans such as Health Savings Accounts, Health Reimbursement Arrangements and Flexible Spending Accounts;
  • Reform of Washington Medicaid by turning enrollees from passive recipients into active health care consumers by allowing enrollees to use Medicaid money to purchase health insurance or to enroll in a Medicaid HSA plan that rewards healthy living habits;
  • Restoration of variable-benefit plans, from basic to comprehensive, according to personal preference, with the option of lower premiums, higher deductibles and co-pays which will reduce unnecessary utilization;
  • Tax credits for individual health insurance premiums and tax deductibility of pharmaceutical expenses;
  • Eliminating those regulations that unnecessarily increase the cost of health care and prescription drugs;
  • Meaningful malpractice liability reform;
  • The right of any health care worker to refuse to provide a service which would violate his or her conscience or professional judgment;
  • Parents’ right to health care information concerning their minor children, and prior parental consent for all medical procedures, treatments and pharmaceuticals;
  • Adult and umbilical cord stem cell research; but we oppose embryonic stem cell research;
  • Reforming Medicare by eliminating price controls and giving elderly Americans a choice among competing private plans; and
  • The consumer’s right to buy health insurance across state lines.

We oppose:

Government-mandated health care benefits; and

Legalization of harmful street drugs.

Economy
We believe that free enterprise is the foundation of our country’s economic system. The government does not create wealth. Our government must refrain from burdensome regulations that obstruct free enterprise. Freedom diminishes under excessive taxation. We oppose a Washington State income tax. We believe in allowing people to keep more of what they earn.

Foreign trade is essential. It expands our economy, creates job opportunities, and improves our competitive innovations. Free markets, rather than government, drive the adaptation of the economy to foreign competition. We caution against a mood of protectionism that impedes our exports as well as our imports. We support bilateral trade agreements that open markets for our trade, and establish fair ground rules. Enforcing existing product safety rules can ensure the well being of American consumers for imported goods. We believe economic opportunity is best achieved by:

  • Reducing excessive regulation on businesses in Washington State, and by examining existing regulations to ensure that they are currently relevant and reflect the intent of the law;
  • Reducing taxes and fees on businesses and individuals; eliminating the B & O tax;
  • Making President Bush’s tax cuts permanent;
  • Enacting tort reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits;
  • Abolishing the current income tax and replacing it with one that is simpler, fairer and more transparent;
  • Eliminating the Federal Estate Tax and Washington State’s Estate Tax; and
  • Promoting policies that facilitate the success of small business, which is the growth engine of the American economy.

Border Security & Immigration
The United States has the world’s most vibrant economy, and a system of laws and government that ensures freedom. Our country is a beacon of hope for peoples around the world, many of whom live in countries with oppressive regimes and limited economic opportunities. We cherish America’s heritage as an immigrant nation while understanding that our nation has the right and need to secure its borders, and to determine residency and citizenship requirements.

Border Security

It is imperative that the United States have secure borders. Any person coming into our country must fully comply with all U.S. entry laws. Secure borders, coasts and airspace help prevent terrorist attacks, smuggling of drugs and other illegal activity. We support:

  • Adequate Congressional funding of border security efforts and prompt completion of the border fence;
  • Enforcement by Homeland Security of existing laws; and
  • Improved security screening of incoming passengers, freight and commercial shipments.

Immigration

One result of America’s freedom and opportunity is the desire of countless millions to come to our shores to seek a better life for their families and themselves. Legal immigration and temporary work visas, if properly implemented, can bring people with needed skills to help build stronger businesses, a more vibrant economy, and increase the wealth and quality of life for all Americans. We support:

  • Completion of comprehensive background checks prior to granting of legal status;
  • Improved employer access to high-skilled workers in high-demand fields (currently H1B visas), which will help ensure that future business growth stays within our borders;
  • Better accounting for the whereabouts of illegal immigrants;
  • Streamlined programs for Temporary Workers;
  • Enforcement of existing immigration and employment laws, including by local authorities;
  • Better tools and incentives for employers to verify employment status; and
  • Rational reform of Family Reunification laws that would provide disincentives to those who would abuse this process.

Family
The traditional family is the cornerstone of a free society. Strong caring families with both a father and mother provide the ideal environment for raising and preparing children to become positive, contributing members of their community. We recognize that not all families have both parents in the home. We commend the many single parents, grandparents, and others, such as extended family members and adoptive parents, who accept the responsibility of preserving families. It is the right and responsibility of parents to provide for and direct all matters concerning the health, welfare, education and moral training of their minor children.

  • We are opposed to the courts limiting a child or children to one parent when both are equally capable and desire to take an active part in their children’s upbringing; except when there is proven criminal wrongdoing, abuse or neglect. Our laws must strengthen and sustain family rights and the traditional family structure. We support:
  • Protecting the institution of marriage and its benefits to society by defining marriage as between a man and a woman;
  • Legislative action to make Shared Parenting the presumption for child custody arrangements, preserving the rights and responsibilities of parents and the benefits of family relationships for children; and
  • Eliminating government practices and policies that diminish the role of family and personal responsibility.

Life
We believe human life is precious and must be respected in our culture and our laws. We stand with the founders in declaring that everyone has a fundamental, unalienable right to life. We support:

  • Protection of innocent human life, pre-born or born, through all stages of life, sickness and disability; and
  • Legislative prohibitions on human cloning, infanticide, euthanasia, partial-birth abortion and assisted suicide.

Environment
The Republican Party has a long tradition of promoting responsible stewardship of our environment, such as the landmark Republican legislation that created our National Parks system and established the Environmental Protection Agency. We all need clean air, water and land. We believe it is possible to have these without seriously damaging our economy or compromising our standard of living. We support:

  • Environmental policies based on sound, well-established science;
  • Commonsense practices in forest, wetlands, fisheries, and wildlife management, promoting multiple uses of natural resources in most circumstances;
  • Improved and affordable access for citizens to enjoy the public lands;
  • Shoreline management programs that protect property owners while respecting water quality; and
  • Private property rights, which are the foundation of liberty and which deserve consideration in all environmental policy decisions.

Social Security
Social Security was designed in 1935 as a supplemental income program for retirees. The increase in American life expectancy and expansion of benefits has made the system unsustainable. We must recognize the Social Security system cannot be the primary means for funding retirement; that responsibility rests with the individual. We need to take a fresh look at the program with an eye for the needs of current and future retirees in the 21st Century. We support:

  • More choices in retirement accounts, such as private Social Security accounts that belong to the holder, established with appropriate rules for investment; and
  • Social Security alternatives that include an option for individuals who wish to remain in the current system.

King County Republican Central Committee Platform Committee Members

Chris Morgan, 1st District Don Riecks, 33rd District Lori Sotelo, 41st District

Kevin Murch, 5th District Len Boscarine, 34th District Phillip Bevis, 43rd District

Ruth Gibbs, 11th District Ralph Kosche, 46th District

Dave Marks, 31st District Greg Howe, 37th District Dave Marsh, 47th District

Dan Thwing, 32nd District John Vasko, 39th/45th District John Olson, 48th District