Jackson County Platform 2008

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Jackson County Platform 2008

Agriculture a= nd Environment

  &nbs= p;       1. Be it resolved that the bottle bill be expanded to include all beverage containers, that is, fruit = and water bottles, etc.=

   &nbs= p;        2. Be it resolved that agricultural a= nimal identification system be ended.

   &nbs= p;        3. Be it resolved that the Iowa legislature= pass legislation giving all Iowans the ability to exercise local control over the location of factory farms to protect the right of people to clean water. (Minnesota<= /st1:State>, Nebraska, and Missouri have such laws.)

   &nbs= p;        4. Be it resolved that the FDA (which inspects for our food supply) receive increased funding to employ more inspectors to oversee our food supply.

   &nbs= p;        5. Be it resolved that solid limits w= ill be placed on farm program payments with a limit of $75,000 per entity or corporation.<= /span>

   &nbs= p;        6. Be it resolved that the law requir= ing ‘Country of Origin’ labeling for food be made mandatory and enforced. (Dioxin use is illegal in the U.S., but is used in other countries.)

Economy, Comm= erce, and Labor

        &= nbsp;   1.&nbs= p; We support a national “high speed internet” for all = that includes universal access.

   &nbs= p;        2. We support allowing the IPERS contribution rate to be determined by the system’s actuary within a l= imit of 0.5 percent per year, creating an independent board of trustees, and fun= ding to make the COLA for pre-1990 retirees and the favorable experience dividend for post 1990 retirees sustainable forever.

   &nbs= p;        3. We support increasing the minimum = wage.

   &nbs= p;        4. We support legislation that expand= s the scope of bargaining for public sector employees.

   &nbs= p;        5. We support legislation amending Ch= apter 731 and the pertinent parts of Chapter 20 of the code of Iowa to allow private and public sector workers in Iowa to negotiate ‘fair-share= 217; clauses that ensure that all workers covered by and benefiting from a negotiated contract would share in the cost of the service provided.

   &nbs= p;        6. We support legislation that allows= Iowa workers who= are injured on the job to choose their own medical care providers.

   &nbs= p;        7. We support a prevailing wage law f= or Iowa construction workers on government jobs because of its beneficial effects on the economy, the quality of the construction, and worker safety.

   &nbs= p;        8. We support equal pay for women. (This issue should be revisited.)<= span style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>

   &nbs= p;        9. We support the completion of the f= our lane divided Highway #30 from DeWitt to Cedar Rapids.

   &nbs= p;        10. Be it resolved that we support pro= viding incentives to employers to provide benefits for part time workers. Large corporations get tax breaks,= move jobs overseas, and CEOs have huge salary increases, some of the money shoul= d be directed to helping the working poor.

   &nbs= p;        11. Be it resolved that we support kee= ping jobs in the United S= tates and that companies moving jobs overseas will not be given tax breaks.

   &nbs= p;        12. Be it resolved that we support reinstatement of usury laws that cap the interest rates charged by credit c= ard companies and other lending agencies.

Education

        &= nbsp;   1.&nb= sp; We support programs that address problems of low adult literacy = and that such programs include reading, math, writing, and English instruction.= These programs would target high s= chool drop outs, the unemployed, the underemployed and immigrants.

   &nbs= p;        2. We support programs that help stud= ents and families with college expenses such programs may include refundable tax credits, lower tuition rates, or service work for tuition credits.

   &nbs= p;        3. Be it resolved that a legislative committee will investigate the Iowa Student Loan Corporation and the current interest rate structure for college loans with the intent of reducing the interest rate on those loans.

   &nbs= p;        4. We support maintaining professional salaries for educators and increasing the wages of support professionals in= our public schools.

   &nbs= p;        5. Be it resolved that preschool for = 3, 4 and 5 year olds be paid for by taxes so that sch= ools do not have to compete with each other for grant money that isn’t alw= ays available from year to year. Preschool programs will have funding that does not take money from o= ther school programs.

   &nbs= p;        6. Be it resolved that we urge Congre= ss 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 increase the number of qualified teachers = in our public schools, and to fully fund it obligations to America’s pub= lic school students.

  &nb= sp;         7. We call on Congress and the Presid= ent to support full federal funding of special education and Head Start Programs.<= /span>

   &nbs= p;        8. We oppose diverting public money f= rom public schools to fund vouchers; tuition tax credits; or private, for-profit education businesses.

   &nbs= p;        9. We support making the teacher qual= ity appropriations part of the school finance formula.

   &nbs= p;        10. We support education in healthy lifestyles and nutrition.

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Government an= d Law

        &= nbsp;   1.&nbs= p; Be it resolved that we support increasing the amount for ‘child credit’ and the ‘earned income tax credit’ on income taxes.=

   &nbs= p;        2.= Be it resolved that any veteran over the age of 62 making less than $50,000 a year will not have to pay income taxes.

   &nbs= p;        3. Be it resolved that social securit= y will continue for the benefit of all citizens.

   &nbs= p;        4. We support the Iowa law against the death penalty.

5. Be it resolved that legislation sh= ould be passed in the State of Iow= a to prohibit the use of all mechanical restraints including but not limited = to shackles, leg irons, handcuffs, and belly chains on pregnant women in correctional facilities during transportation to the hospital during labor = and childbirth. Such legislation = should also limit the use of restraints during the third trimester of pregnancy and post partum recovery, except in extreme cases where the prisoner poses a physical threat against herself or others.=

6. Be it resolved that parents/guardi= ans will receive income tax deductions for child care expenses and/or adult day care expenses.

   &nbs= p;        7. Be it resolved that a voter verifi= ed paper trail be available for all voting machines and that those records wil= l be maintained for five years and subject to audits to ensure an accurate recor= d of all votes cast during an election.

   &nbs= p;        8. Be it resolved that the Iowa Democ= ratic Party supports the Voter Owned Iowa Clean elections Act (VOICE) and Fair Elections Now Act, to establish an election system in which candidates could choose to forego fundraising from private sources, accept spending limits a= nd receive a set amount of money from a publicly financed election fund.

   &nbs= p;        9. We support abolishment of the law = that states if a person has HIV they cannot become a U. S. citizen.

   &nbs= p;        10. Be it resolved that Federal fundin= g will be available for the health care, housing, mental health care, and educatio= n of qualified veterans.=

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Health and Hu= man services<= /span>

        &= nbsp;   1.&nbs= p; Be it resolved that we support universal single payer health insurance for all citizens that reduces access barriers, such as pre-existi= ng conditions, to all populations.

   &nbs= p;        2. We support refocusing our health c= are system through disease prevention, care management, and targeted incentives= to encourage self management and prevention.

   &nbs= p;        3. We support education that promotes healthy lifestyles and disease prevention in schools and places of employme= nt.

   &nbs= p;        4. We support high quality care for t= hose with chronic diseases by encouraging innovations in treatment, research, and care which will result in better treatments to prevent and lessen the toll = of chronic diseases.

   &nbs= p;        5. We support improvements that accel= erate the quality and availability of health information technology throughout the health care system.=

   &nbs= p;        6. Be it resolved that funding will be provided so that people are not homeless.

   &nbs= p;        7. We support legislation that prohib= its pharmaceutical companies from advertising on television, the radio, newspap= ers, and magazines and that money saved to be used to reduce prescription drugs prices.

   &nbs= p;        8. We support legislation prohibiting health insurance companies such as Welln= ess Blue Cross/Blue Shield from using profits to purchase the naming rights to buildings and that the $53 million dollars in profit to be used to reduce premium costs.

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International= Affairs

        &= nbsp;   1.&nb= sp; Be it resolved that we will bring the troops home from Iraq and <= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Afghanistan.

   &nbs= p;        2. Be it resolved that steps will be = taken to resolve problems associated with illegal immigration with compassion.

  &nb= sp;         3. Be it resolved that steps be taken= to diplomatically resolve the crisis in Darfur.

National Demo= cratic Party

        &= nbsp;   1.&nb= sp; Be it resolved that= we support the elimination of the Super Delegates in the National Democratic Party.