We, the members of the Democratic Executive Committee of Charlotte County, in the hour of our nation’s great need, do hereby state and support the long held ideals of the Democratic Party. We believe the purpose of government, as stated in the preamble to our Constitution, is “to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” `All people of the United States of America must be the solution to our problems, for we are the government.

1. WE STAND FOR a strong national defense, building and maintaining strong international alliances, and sharing sacrifices in times of war and national emergencies.

2. WE STAND FOR an early end to the unjustified invasion and occupation of Iraq.

3. WE STAND FOR the protection of equal civil rights and liberties for all.

4. WE STAND FOR a person’s right to privacy, as guaranteed by the Constitution, including a woman’s right to choose, as established by Roe v. Wade.

5. WE STAND FOR the preservation of Social Security.

6. WE STAND FOR affordable medical care for all, and the defense of Medicare and Medicaid!

7. WE STAND FOR economic justice for all. We stand with America’s working men and women. We will protect their right to organize, and their access to sick leave, retirement and unemployment benefits, and, above all, jobs.

8. WE STAND FOR improving public school education so that it is second to none.

9. WE STAND FOR every person’s right to vote, and every vote counted and verifiable.

10. WE STAND FOR religious freedom and the separation of church and state.

11. WE STAND FOR energy independence.

12. WE STAND FOR stewardship of a clean, healthy and safe environment.

13. WE STAND FOR a balanced budget and the reduction of the national debt.

14. WE STAND FOR restoring, improving and maintaining benefits for veterans.

15. WE STAND FOR affordable housing.

16. WE STAND FOR honest and open government!

1. STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE

We Democrats state unequivocally that we (have and) will always stand for a strong defense of our homeland! No party has a monopoly on the will to safeguard our homes, our institutions, our freedoms! In today’s world, it is not only foolhardy, but dangerous to act alone. We pledge to work in concert with the United Nations, NATO, the Organization of American States, and any government pledged to eradicate terrorism anywhere in the world. Democrats believe that before resorting to war, the best hope of achieving national security through peace is to work closely with our traditional allies and alliances, and to utilize the world forum of the United Nations and its proven peace keeping capabilities. Democrats pledge to work for the elimination of nuclear threats by peaceful means, if possible. The security of our nation’s borders, airports, road and rail systems, ports of entry, water supplies, communications systems, electric grids, nuclear plants, chemical plants and plants handling hazardous materials must be a national priority. Security begins at home! Democrats encourage legal immigration into our country, and insist that existing immigration employment laws be strictly enforced.

2. THE WAR IN IRAQ

ENDING THE WAR IN IRAQ IS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE FACING AMERICANS TODAY. DEMOCRATS CANNOT SUPPORT ANY CANDIDATE FOR NATIONAL OFFICE WHO DOES NOT MAKE AN END TO THE WAR A MAJOR ISSUE.

The human and economic cost to support this war places a needless and unacceptable burden on the American people, and will further erode support for our critical domestic priorities. Furthermore, the presence of U.S. troops on Iraqi soil is fueling the insurgency and increasing the violence. It has driven America’s reputation among the world’s nations to historic lows. The Iraqi people must be allowed to determine their own future, free from external interference.

Following a safe and orderly withdrawal of U.S. troops, we must work with the United Nations and other official international organizations to send in, with Iraq’s approval, a peace keeping force to maintain stability in the region.

3. CIVIL RIGHTS

Democrats are unwavering in support of equal civil rights for all Americans. We led the fight to pass the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, and will work to ensure renewal of the Voting Rights Act in 2007.

Constitutional rights must be guaranteed to all Americans, regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, national origin or sexual orientation. We will oppose any attempts to divide the American people with discriminatory laws, whether national, state or local. We support the enforcement of all civil rights laws.

4. PRIVACY RIGHTS AND A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” The fourth amendment to our Constitution clearly ensures our rights to privacy. It is incumbent on all Americans, regardless of party affiliation, to guard these rights jealously, letting no individual, no branch of government, usurp those rights.

Our stand on a woman’s right to manage her own body is clear. Democrats support a woman’s right to make choices! It is unconstitutional to compel women with unwanted pregnancies to bear unwanted children. Democrats advocate sex education in our public schools, making our young people aware of the potential consequences of unprotected sex.

5. SOCIAL SECURITY

The most successful and far-reaching social program The United States has ever known, Social Security has helped millions upon millions of Americans. Spearheaded by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and passed by a Democratic Congress in April of 1935, its intent was to act as a safety net for the aged, children, and the physically handicapped. For seventy years it has fulfilled that promise. It has brought dignity to those Americans who have worked all of their lives, but were not able to accumulate enough wealth to provide for their own care in their later years. The program is a monument to all that is good in America, and Democrats will resist any attempt to water down its original purpose, divert its funds to other programs, or change it in such a way that will benefit special interests.

6. AFFORDABLE MEDICAL CARE

In the wealthiest, most powerful nation on earth, no one should have to choose between seeing the doctor and paying the rent. Democrats are committed to making sure that every single American has access to affordable, quality, effective health care. We believe that health care decisions must be left solely to patients and doctors.

We believe that women should not be discriminated against by medical insurance plans, medical research or pharmacies.

However, in 2001, the Republican administration announced its new Federal policy to sacrifice embryonic stem cell research to right wing ideology. In contrast, the Democratic Party strongly supports the expansion and funding of this humane research.

WE STAND IN DEFENSE of Medicare and Medicaid, as originally enacted by the Democratic congress in 1965; but the new Medicare Prescription Drug Act of 2003, and implemented in January, 2006, stacked the deck against taxpayers and beneficiaries, in favor of the pharmaceutical and health insurance industries. For example, this Program prohibits Medicare from negotiating fair drug prices with drug companies, breaking up the purchasing power of 41 million beneficiaries. It allows private insurers, together with drug companies, to make many crucial decisions about drug benefits – including what drugs will be covered and at what cost to beneficiaries.

Medicaid is a program financed jointly by federal and state governments and pays physician and hospital bills, nursing home care, prescription drug costs and other health care costs for lower-income mothers and children, frail seniors and people with disabilities. Each state is given total discretion on how to structure benefits, eligibility, service delivery and payment rates subject to any guidelines established by federal law. Currently, clinics are being closed, but Democrats will work to restore cuts to the Medicaid Program.

7. ECONOMIC JUSTICE FOR ALL

The strength and economic success of America came about as the great middle class grew out of the industrial revolution. As their numbers grew, they were able to demand and win, through collective bargaining, better wages, retirement benefits, medical leave, seniority rights, and job security. Their children were able to attend college, thereby improving their chances to realize the American dream.

We Democrats pledge to fight to retain those benefits that helped create the middle class, and do renew that promise to those Americans struggling for a better life. In a world with a global economy, we must find ways to provide jobs for all Americans. We owe that to our working men and women.

Democrats must and will fight to repair our tax system. It is unconscionable for our wealthiest citizens and largest corporations to get the largest tax cuts, while the middle class struggles to make ends meet. Democrats will end the giveaways to the rich, while making the tax burden fair for all.

It is unconscionable for the pharmaceutical companies to reap unheard of profits, while poor and middle class Americans are forced to spend an ever increasing percent of their income on health care. Today, good paying jobs grow scarcer, the middle class gets smaller, and is dangerously close to collapse. Democrats will work to increase the minimum wage. Democrats will work with our major industries to create and keep the jobs in America. Democrats will work with colleges and universities to make our graduates the best in the world.

8. PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION

The Republican education plan “No Child Left Behind” has become a hollow slogan, and its failure continues to leave more children behind. Currently the U.S. education program ranks 17th in the industrialized world. In Florida, the graduation rates and achievement on national test scores rank near the bottom of all states.

Our tax dollars must be used to support a strong and effective public school education. A quality public school education is the right of all American children. Public school education is not only the key to their future, but to our future as a nation.

Democrats support smaller class sizes and a safe environment where each student is given an equal opportunity to learn, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or culture. Appropriate resources must also be provided for the physically and mentally challenged.

We must continue to improve teacher salaries and teacher education programs, so that each teacher is academically qualified in their respective field.

Future testing results should be used to measure programs and remediate weaknesses, not as a punitive device. Under performing schools need help, not punishment. Testing should be a means to detect specific deficiencies to be addressed and corrected by employing effective instructional strategies.

9. RIGHT TO VOTE AND EVERY VOTE COUNTED AND VERIFIABLE

The Voting Rights Act is generally considered the most successful piece of civil rights legislation ever adopted by a Democratic United States Congress. The Act codifies and puts into effect the 15th Amendment’s permanent guarantee that, throughout this nation, no citizen shall be denied the right to vote on account of race or color. This Act comes up for renewal in 2007.

Democrats are determined to reform the voting system to create federal standards for our elections. These voting procedures must include verification, accountability and accuracy. Being able to audit results must be considered mandatory, as can be done with an optical scanner.

Democrats want to increase access to polls with Election Day registration, shorter lines and early voting. When the polls open on Election Day, all Americans over the age of eighteen should be able to cast a vote with confidence. It is a right we take for granted, one that defines our nation as a democracy.

It is very important to note that on November 14, 2005, this country experienced a setback. The United States Supreme Court declined to review a case challenging Florida’s 137-year-old ban on voting by people with felony convictions. The decision forecloses all federal judicial redress of a discriminatory policy that bars more than 600,000 Floridians from the polls. However, we as members of the Florida Democratic Party, pledge to work through the state courts to remedy this wrong. The party will also make every effort to overturn the Florida State law that prohibits manual recounts.

10. SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

Democrats will defend fervently the constitutional right to practice religious beliefs according to our own traditions, without government controls or interference. Many decisions we make as individuals and families must remain beyond governmental imposition of any religious or theological beliefs. The separation of church and state is guaranteed in our Constitution. We expect our leaders to conduct themselves with honesty and moral integrity, in accordance with their religious traditions. Our leaders are responsible for the social welfare of the governed, but are constitutionally barred from using government resources to impose their faith on or to the detriment of the public and public institutions.

11. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

Democrats believe America will never be energy independent as long as it willingly relies on unstable foreign sources. We must aggressively fund programs to develop non-pollutant forms of energy, such as ethanol, wind, water and solar. We support strong measures to foster conservation. Fossil fuels, which took millions of years to create, are finite, will not last forever, and must be conserved.

It is our duty to future generations to find and implement alternatives NOW to our present wasteful energy policies, both in the private, industrial and government sectors. Strong moral and ethical practices within the energy and transportation industries, as well as within the government, are required. Democrats will stop the subsidies to the oil industry, and transfer those revenues into research for alternate sources of energy. These practices will alleviate our dependence on foreign oil, and will protect our environment while offering new economic opportunities to all Americans.

While the world’s needs for increased energy sources grows and must be addressed, we must be mindful of the environmental effects of drilling for oil in sensitive and pristine areas of our nation. It is for that reason Democrats oppose drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Gulf waters off the coast of Florida.

We Democrats will think globally, and act locally, nationally and internationally to promote family planning, protect trees and wildlife habitats, and reduce air and water pollution, and dramatically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

12. STEWARDSHIP OF THE ENVIRONMENT

The earth is on loan to us to protect for future generations. It is not ours to destroy, ignore or bargain with. What damage has been done must be undone. What damage that could be done must be prevented. Clean air and clean water are a right and a necessity of life. Greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced substantially, and careless and improper disposal of materials, wasteful fuel and energy consumption, irresponsible environmental practices, and industry’s callous attitude toward the environment must be stopped. We as a people must hold our government, energy and transportation companies to a high standard. Stronger regulations are required to assure the future of a healthy environment

Scientific evidence of the destruction of the environment, be it global warming, emissions, de-foresting, water pollution, etc., can no longer be ignored by us or the international community. We must work together to protect our natural resources and reverse the effects of generations of indifference and ignorance.

13. BALANCING BUDGETS AND THE NATIONAL DEBT

Democrats argued in the national election of 2000 that the projected Federal budget surplus should be applied to reducing the national debt. Over the past five plus years the annual Federal budgets have run record deficits and the national debt has increased from $5.6 trillion to over $8 trillion and growing. That equates to over $28,000 for every man, woman and child that will be passed on to succeeding generations. An alarming percentage of the debt is owed to foreign interests. Democrats pledge to govern within current income, refrain from additional borrowing and pay down debt whenever there is a surplus.

Democrats believe in balancing government budgets. New or existing government programs must be paid for either through taxation or cuts in spending, not by borrowing.

Supporting tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy is improper. And it creates an ongoing budget deficit and endangers social programs.

14. OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR VETERANS

There is a covenant between those who serve in defense of our nation, and those who are served. We are indebted to the men and women of our armed services. In return for their hardships, we are obligated to provide special pay, incentives, educational and job opportunities and medical care for line of duty injury and illness – for as long as is needed. Cutting benefits to those who have served is immoral and unacceptable.

15. AFFORDABLE HOUSING

In high growth areas, commercial development surpasses affordable housing. This creates an imbalance between jobs and housing, and drives up prices in the local housing market. This imbalance leads to long commutes and traffic congestion. Shortages in the local housing market affect the available labor pool, which in turn affects the competitive position and economic health of a community.

What is affordable housing and who is it meant to benefit? It is designed to accommodate the housing needs of middle income families. It is achieved by a joining of both the public and private sectors.

This is the combination that enables the creation of Affordable Housing, which includes affordable rental properties, with an overall commitment to building communities. Democrats strongly support this goal.

A necessity for the establishment of a successful and affordable housing program must contain a commitment by the public and private sectors to create and maintain a transportation system that will move the majority of the population in the developed areas to and from their workplace.

16. HONEST AND OPEN GOVERNMENT

This document has taken every care to present a reasoned, positive approach to solving America’s problems. It refrains from criticizing our political opponents, either for their views, or votes, or preferences. The very nature of our democracy however, is at stake. Democrats must speak out to condemn, in the harshest way, the lies, untruths, secrecy, spying, manipulations, stonewalling, no-bid awards to favored contractors, unlawful acts, fear tactics, and the trashing of our Constitution. For reasons that include control of the oil in the Middle East, the current administration in Washington, while lying about weapons of mass destruction and a “mushroom cloud”, plunged us into a catastrophic war that has, to date, seen 2400 plus American service people killed, thousands severely wounded and maimed for life, and tens of thousands innocent Iraqi men, women and children dead.

Republicans have proved they are long on philosophy and short on governance. Too much power in Republican hands has led to secret deals, unlimited fund raising, gerrymandering of voter districts to preserve power, and abuses by elected officials. We reject calls to “stay the course” on failed policies and “business as usual” in Congress. We not only seek to change the party in power, but to begin serious reform of Congress and political campaigns.

A Democratic administration will obey and honor the laws of the land, ending the eavesdropping on ordinary and innocent Americans, without a court order. This administration has raised the “alert” level every time a spotlight has exposed another outrageous and/or unlawful act they’ve committed, and ignored the laws of the land, and the Constitution, claiming that this president has that right in times of emergency. Democrats will end that kind of governance. Our nation’s future, and our children’s future depend on it!