2008 Platform Committee Report

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2008 Platform Committ= ee Report

Clayton County Convention

Agriculture

Resolution 1<= /i>

Wher= eas, the people of Iowa have the right to clean w= ater; and Whereas, Iowa= has some of the dirtiest water in the nation, and state records show there = have been nearly 600 manure spills in just the past 12 years. Whereas, experience has shown that factory farms, which produce millions of gallons of raw waste each year, can have a negative impact on people’s quality of life, health, local economy, and our air and water; and Whereas, Iowans should ha= ve the right to local control, which means that local people- who know their a= rea the best- would have the power to decide whether or not a factory farm can build in their area. Whereas, other states including Minnesota, Nebraska and Missouri have local control over the s= itting of factory farms, giving communities more control over the quality of their water; therefore be it resolved that the Iowa Legislature pass legislation giving all Iowans the ability to exercise local control over sitting of fac= tory farms.

Resolution 2<= /i>

Wher= eas, the high cost of the farm program, especially title 1 of the farm bill and it n= ot benefiting small farmers. Therefore be it resolved that we, support payment limitation= s as stated in the Grassley-Dorgan Amendment to the Farm Bill.

Resolution 3<= /i>

Wher= eas, the increase interest in use of renewable energy using agriculture products, we must keep soil conservation in mind to fulfill future land use. Therefore b= e it resolved to support continual land and water conservation for future generations.

Resolution 4 =

Wher= eas, the threat of climate change is ever increasing and scientific methods have been proven to control this rapid and serious change. Therefore be it resolved t= hat Congress and the President move promptly and aggressively to confront clima= te change by supporting scientific proven endeavors.

Resolution 5 =

Wher= eas, oil companies received $30 billion in exploration, field development and ______ grants from the federal government and now are posting record profits for a= ny industry. Therefore let it be resolved that the funds be used for development and research of alternative energy sources and conservation efforts.

Resolution 6 =

Whereas, organic farmer requires land not subject to pesticides and h= erbicides and because organic farming is the future for healthy food sources.<= /span> Therefore be it resolved that = all land coming of the CRP program be given 1^st option to return to cropland only as organic agriculture with subsidies remain the same. <= /o:p>

Resolution 7<= /i>

Wher= eas, a high amount of factory farms are harming our environment mostly our water. Therefore let it be resolved that farms and simi= lar business have liability insurance to repair and correct damage caused by spills.

Resolution 8<= /i>

Wher= eas, a high amount of plastic bags are being thrown away and found in rural ditche= s. Therefore phase out plastic bags from grocery stores and thus encourage reu= se or use of cloth bags.

Resolution 9 =

Wher= eas nanotube ultracapicitors are very scalable, the technology can be used in c= ars, houses, buildings, trains, etc. They can accept electrons from any intermit= tent power source (solar, wind, tides, etc.) They are the key link in all sustainable, clean energy futures. Therefore, the industrialized countries = of the world, led by the US, needs to immediately fund massive research and development to bring this missing link to the world.

Resolution 10=

Wher= eas the challenge our environment is experiencing therefore, put a moratorium on the construction of coal fired power plants.

Resolution 11=

Wher= eas we are in an energy crisis therefore expand the use of renewable energy and cr= eate incentives for energy conservation.

Resolution 12

Wher= eas the increasing use and demand of ethanol is causing depletion in our soil there= fore favor and fund the use of other source of bio-mass to produce ethanol with = less harm to our soil.

Economy, Commerce & Labor

Resolution 1<= /i>

Whereas a concern for workers safety and health because of increase in mandatory hours therefore limit number of mandatory hours of overtime.

Education=

Resolution 1<= /i>

Wher= eas special education is not fully funded therefore we call on congress to supp= ort full federal funding of special education.

Resolution 2<= /i>

Wher= eas schools are dealing with continuous federal budget cuts, providing quality education may become a faint memory. Therefore taking scarce public resourc= es away from public school such as public money to fund vouchers, tuition tax credits or private, for-profit education business should not be allowed.

Resolution 3<= /i>

Wher= eas the No Child Left Behind Act is underfunded and counterproductive to assessing = and improving student achievement. Therefore, we urge congress and the Presiden= t to amend the No Child Left Behind Act to allow the use of multiple sources of evidence to assess student learning and school effectiveness, to restore a class size reduction program to give students more individualized attention= , to increase the number of highly qualified teachers in our nation’s publ= ic school and to fully fund its obligations to America’s public school students.

Resolution 4<= /i>

Wher= eas the environment is becoming more delicate and younger generations should learn = how to care for it. Therefore, environmental studies should be a part of the co= re curriculum in grades K-12 and should include hands on activities to better = the home, school and the community.

Resolution 5<= /i>

Wher= eas higher education costs are increasing for middle class families and everyone should have a right to pursue knowledge. Therefore, one year of service to the nat= ion (community) will be compensated with payment of 2 years of tuition.

Resolution 6<= /i>

Whereas higher education is becoming too costly even for working citi= zens to afford. Therefore, companies would receive tax advantages for supporting and paying= for college credits for employees thus enabling students/employees to receive higher education.

Resolution 7<= /i>

Wher= eas K-12 educators in the US<= /st1:place> have the highest class contact hours compared to any other industrialize nation. Therefore to improve education there must be more daily time for teachers to adequately prepare for their classes and asses student learning= .

Government & Law=

Resolution 1<= /i>

Whereas unfunded mandates such as No Child Left Behind, harm rural districts unproportionately. Therefore there be no unfunded mandate where the total cost to taxpayers exceeds $10,000.

Resolution 2<= /i>

Wher= eas U.S. Legislators are in congress for too long taking chance away from those who would want to serve but realize the impossibilities of beating an incumbent. Therefore setting term limits for U.S. Senators and Representat= ives as follows: 2-four year terms for Senators and 2-two year terms for Representatives.

Resolution 3 =

Wher= eas the Social Security system is in disarray and will be depleted in a few decades= and Social Security reform is urgent. And no benefits currently allowed should = be reduced. Therefore the earnings on SS wages be r= aised to 1, 000, 00 from current levels to raise additional Medicare and Social Security funding.

Resolution 4<= /i>

Wher= eas the high cost involved in political campaigns don’t encourage middle class citizen to run for office. Therefore we need mandatory public financing of = all candidates. With these pending limits we can take special interest money ou= t of the election.

Resolution 5<= /i>

Wher= eas Iowans want their voices heard therefore we would like to remain the first caucus in the nation.

Resolution 6<= /i>

Wher= eas, big money and special interest contributions unduly influence our state's elect= ion process and legislative policies; and

Wher= eas, this influence violates the rights of all Iowans to equal and meaningful participation in the democratic process; and

Wher= eas, voluntary voter-owned election laws in other states have helped to restore democracy and public confidence in the election process;<= /p>
Ther= efore, Iowa pass a volu= ntary voter-owned elections law. Under this law an election system will be established in which candidates could choose to no longer raise money from private sources. Instead, each participating candidate would receive a set amount of money from a publicly financed election fund. Spending by the candidate would be limited to the amount they get from the election fund.

Health & Human Services

Resolution 1<= /i>

Wher= eas pursuing the issue of chronic disease and making it a centerpiece of the Am= erican health care system, we will be able to fundamentally change the way health = care is viewed. The results will yield more competitive industries, savings at e= very level of the health care system, and Iowans able to focus on living longer = and healthier lives. Therefore we urge every presidential candidate, senator, congressperson, state representative, mayor, city councilperson, school boa= rd member, and citizen to make the prevention and treatment of chronic disease= a major issue in this year’s election.

Resolution 2<= /i>

Wher= eas an increasing amount of those who have served our country are not receiving the help they need to transition back into society. Therefore no veteran of any military service of the United States of America be forced to live without proper health care, nor should they or their families be without adequate housing.

Resolution 3<= /i>

Wher= eas our country is one of the riches in the world but yet homelessness is an issue = that still exist. Therefore Congress and the President work tirelessly and promp= tly to eliminate homelessness in this nation by the end of the decade.