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| - 2008 - KING COUNTY DEMOCRATS PLATFORM PASSED 4/13/08 OUR VALUES We are the Democrats, the party of the people, the party of good government. We cherish the American heritage of opportunity and inclusion. We pledge ourselves to the pursuit of the Constitutional guarantees of liberty and justice for all. We believe good government serves and protects all of its people by cooperative efforts both at home and abroad. We believe it is our duty to pass a better world to future generations. We are dedicated to: Creating peace Counteracting global climate change and its effects Protecting the environment for ourselves and future generations Health care for all High-quality public education Fighting poverty and ending homelessness Economic justice, with living-wage jobs and fairness in tax policy Fiscal responsibility, integrity, openness and accountability in government Redesigning the criminal justice system to emphasize rehabilitation Preserving the rule of law and keeping our judicial system free of politics Respecting religious liberty by upholding the separation of church and state Protecting human rights at home and abroad Equal rights for all SUMMARY OF KING COUNTY DEMOCRATS PLATFORM – 2008 Agriculture: We are committed to programs that recognize and support farmers as the stewards of this nation’s precious agricultural lands. Such programs must preserve family farms, strengthen rural communities, ensure the availability of high-quality food, and maintain the viability of the land. Civil and Human Rights: The rights guaranteed by our Constitution and by international human rights law are at the heart of the American identity and should not be compromised for any reason. Their preservation requires our vigorous defense. Economic Justice and Tax Fairness: We are committed to creating strong communities based on fairness, opportunity and prosperity for all. “Taxes are the dues we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society.” –President Franklin Delano Roosevelt Education: A free, universal public school system is the backbone of our democratic society. We support excellent-quality public education, pre-school through university, with equal access for all. Environment and Energy: Our well-being and very survival depend on worldwide clean air, clean water, safe food, and sustainable ecosystems. Environmental protections strengthen our economy. Foreign Policy and National Security: The United States should lead by example and work within the world community in a spirit of peace, cooperation, generosity and democracy. Government and Political Reform: We are committed to a democracy that encourages maximum participation, a voting process that is fair, transparent, and open to all citizens, and a principle that requires responsibility by both voters and those they elect. Health Care: Health care is a basic human right. Our government should assure, and guarantee by law, accessible and affordable health care for all. Human Services: A caring community provides a safety net of social services to meet people’s basic needs so they can attain their full potential, especially those on the margins of society— children, the elderly, and people who are impoverished, homeless, mentally ill, disabled, or living with addictions. Immigration: Immigrants strengthen America. All immigrants should be afforded full human rights and a fair, safe, and timely path to legal status. Labor: We believe in the dignity of work and demand fair wages and benefits in return. We insist on the right of all workers to join labor unions, to bargain collectively, and to take part in setting their working conditions. Law and the Justice System: The rule of law is a prerequisite for democracy. A good government provides for the safety and security of all with care, even-handedness and respect for the individual. Media Reform: An informed citizenry and a diligent media are essential for a democratic society. Military: We pledge support to our troops and honor to our veterans who act in the service of our country. Washington citizens have always answered their country’s call to duty, and we are proud of our military contributions to the nation. Transportation and Land Use: Transportation and land use policies should ensure equal opportunity and quality of life for all. Reducing our dependence on the automobile is key to achieving better communities and reducing the impacts of transportation on the environment. 2008 - KING COUNTY DEMOCRATS PLATFORM PASSED 4/13/08 Agriculture We are committed to programs that recognize and support farmers as the stewards of this nation’s precious agricultural lands. Such programs must preserve family farms, strengthen rural communities, ensure the availability of high-quality food, and maintain the viability of the land. 3. Sustainable agriculture and aquaculture that includes crop diversity and conservation, and environmental efforts that preserve agricultural land and natural resources are critical to the viability of food, fuel, and forest production into the future. In addition, sustainable agriculture and forestry not only improve our environment and potentially mediate climate change, but provide local jobs that cannot be outsourced. 4. Organic farming and reduced use of herbicides, pesticides, and other toxic materials are critical to a healthy population. Clear labeling of food, including where and how produced and any genetic modification, is essential for consumers to make informed food choices. 5. Local farmers’ markets promote the local economy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels in the transport of foods. 6. School meal programs should use locally produced foods. 7. Renewable energy production from methane, solar, and wind on farms should be promoted. Zoning and incentives for such production should be instituted. 8. Inspections of both domestic and imported foods and livestock should be increased to ensure the quality of food put on Americans’ tables. 9. Biofuel production that is sustainable and reduces greenhouse gas emissions should be pursued. 10. Farm subsidies that favor large corporate farmers should be phased out. Civil and Human Rights The rights guaranteed by our Constitution and by international human rights law are at the heart of the American identity and should not be compromised for any reason. Their preservation requires our vigorous defense. 1. Discrimination of any kind is wrong. Those who face discrimination must be afforded the legal means and economic opportunities to overcome such injustice. 2. Laws should ensure that prejudice does not present a barrier to obtaining education, employment, promotion, housing, insurance or any other social or economic good. Affirmative action is an important technique for addressing and correcting the present effects of race and gender discrimination, and we support efforts to restore it. 3. The rights of people with disabilities to equal access to public accommodations, employment, transportation, telecommunications, voting, and government services, as provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must be protected and enforced. 4. A woman’s reproductive rights, including the right to choose, regardless of age or ability to pay, must be protected in the United States and abroad. 5. Privacy is a basic human right that government and business must recognize and respect. 6. An individual should have the right to choose medically assisted “death with dignity,” with suitable safeguards. 7. Senior citizens’ human rights and exercise of their civil liberties should not be abrogated. 8. The rights and responsibilities conferred by marriage should be available to all committed adult couples regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. 9. Human trafficking, especially of children, must be stopped. 10. Federal recognition of the Duwamish tribe must be restored. 11. Provisions of the USAPATRIOT Act and Protect America Act that infringe on constitutional rights and freedoms must be repealed, and warrantless governmental eavesdropping stopped. 12. Cultural pluralism makes this country strong, and we oppose efforts to legislate English as the official language. 13. Freedom of religion and its separation from government are basic to this country’s foundation. 14. Our nation must guarantee the individual’s right of conscientious objection, including the right to refuse to support injustices, without fear of reprisal. 15. The Military Commissions Act must be repealed, and all detainees, regardless of citizenship and no matter where arrested, captured, or detained, must be accorded: a. A presumption of innocence until proven guilty. b. The right of habeas corpus, or release from detention within 7 days unless charged with a crime or classified as a POW in a declared war. c. Legal representation (including the attorney-client privilege), and communication with loved ones. d. Humane conditions, including protection from physical or psychological torture. Economic Justice and Tax Fairness We are committed to creating strong communities based on fairness, opportunity and prosperity for all. “Taxes are the dues we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society.” –President Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1. Small businesses create jobs and strengthen the middle class; government policy should foster them. 2. Government has a public trust to use tax dollars wisely and be accountable for their use. Fiscal responsibility precludes passing debt on to future generations. 3. Public services should not be privatized, downsized, outsourced or moved offshore. 4. Washington State needs a more progressive tax system, including personal and corporate income taxes and an estate tax; reduced sales and business and occupation (B&O) taxes; and subjection of property taxes to circuit-breaker legislation that would assist low-income homeowners and renters. 5. Special-interest tax exemptions—excluding charities—should automatically expire after 10 years. 6. Economic policies and business practices should promote the creation of living-wage jobs and a sustainable economy. 7. The Social Security system is the core of most retirement planning; we oppose its privatization. 8. The cap on income subject to Social Security tax should be removed. 9. Government should protect pensions and the rights of pensioners. 10. We support creation of a national service program, including, but not limited to, the building, repairing, and maintenance of the nation's infrastructure. 11. Consumer protections should be expanded and strengthened, including the following: a. The annual percentage rate of interest on payday loans, typically 391%, should be capped at 36%, as it is for the military. b. Victims of predatory mortgage lending should be rescued before taxpayers bail out banks and mortgage companies. 12. Federal, state, and local governments should support equal employment opportunity and equal pay for equal work. 13. Corporations are artificial entities and should not have the same rights and privileges as natural persons. 14. The charters of corporations that repeatedly violate laws and regulations should be revoked. 15. Research and development of new-technology industries should be promoted. 16. The Bush tax cuts for the wealthy should be allowed to expire. Education A free, universal public school system is the backbone of our democratic society. We support excellent-quality public education, pre-school through university, with equal access for all. 1. The primary purpose of our school system is to produce informed, reasoning, and thoughtful citizens prepared to participate in our democratic society. 2. A stable source of education funding must be implemented per our state's constitutional requirement to amply fund public schools, enabling: a. Reduction of class sizes to levels that provide optimal learning experiences. b. Expansion of pre-school, including Head Start and after-school programs. c. Full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. d. Provision of vital support specialists such as school nurses and counselors. e. Inclusion of music, the arts, and library programs and specialists. f. Vocational education, with shop and technological programs, in both middle school and high school. 3. Careful attention must be devoted to curriculum content. Rational, data-based science must be taught at all levels. Mathematics instruction must include both arithmetic fluency and critical thinking skills, with proficiency measured using international standards. Social sciences, particularly civics and world history and cultures, should not be neglected. 4. Although standardized testing is important to evaluate the success of school programs and, to a certain extent, individual student achievement, it should not so drive teaching methods or curriculum that schools are forced to teach to the test. The “No Child Left Behind” Act should be repealed; the WASL should be reviewed and refined. 5. All high school graduates in Washington must have access to higher education, regardless of means. Community colleges and technical schools should be tuition-free, and we support expansion of work/study and other programs that offer further education in exchange for public service. 6. To attract and maintain outstanding teachers, the state must provide competitive salaries for faculty and staff at all levels, including higher education. Salary and benefits for parttime college instructors should be based on qualifications and seniority, pro-rated according to credit-hours taught. 7. All public education employees, including part-time faculty, have the right to organize, engage in collective bargaining, and strike, without fear of reprisal or replacement. 8. Publicly-funded charter schools and voucher programs for private schools are unacceptable because they drain needed resources from the public sector and thereby erode educational opportunities. 9. Schools must be made safe from violence, bullying, and harassment directed at students or staff. 10. Restraints must be placed on aggressive military recruiting in public schools, and opposing views afforded equal access. Environment and Energy Our well-being and very survival depend on worldwide clean air, clean water, safe food, and sustainable ecosystems. Environmental protections strengthen our economy. 1. We must respect the web of life, of which we are a part, and preserve it for future generations. 2. Global warming is the foremost threat to survival of the earth as we know it. Government and individuals must take aggressive action now to reduce our production of greenhouse gases. 3. We can and must establish clean, sustainable, and renewable energy sources while protecting our environment through: a. Increasing fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles. b. Supporting widespread research and use of energy-efficient and renewable sources of power, including wind, solar, and other innovative technologies. c. Opposing development and oil exploration in any wildlife refuge. d. Promoting intelligent economic incentives for energy conservation and clean energy systems, and repealing tax breaks for oil companies. e. Ending the trading of energy and pollution credits that maintain abuses of resources. f. Encouraging the development of alternative technologies that do not contribute to toxic environmental overloads. 4. Managing population and growth intelligently, limiting urban sprawl, and preserving farmland, wildlife habitat, and natural resources are essential to our economic and environmental well-being. 5. Public lands must be managed as a public trust and preserved for their scenic beauty and majesty. 6. Environmental laws and regulations must be strengthened and vigorously enforced. 7. It is the sovereign right of the people, and necessary to their well-being, to make laws that protect their health, safety, and welfare. The government should make no rule, law, treaty, or agreement limiting the application or effect of national, state, or local laws or regulations protecting clean air, clean water, food safety, or worker safety. Foreign Policy and National Security The United States should lead by example and work within the world community in a spirit of peace, cooperation, generosity and democracy. 1. Our nation must have an effective, comprehensive plan to ensure our security while protecting our constitutional rights and the human rights of all. 2. The U.S. government must: a. Demonstrate our commitment to peace, never initiating unprovoked war, b. Work with other nations to eliminate terrorist networks, and c. Resolve international conflicts through diplomacy and international institutions. 3. We must complete a timely withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq in such a way as to do the least harm to the peoples of the region and to promote stability. We must support the rebuilding of Iraq and Afghanistan and provide humanitarian relief for the well-being of the Iraqi and Afghani peoples. 4. The United States should support organizations that promote human rights, adherence to international law, democratic elections, health and safety, peace, commerce and cultural understanding. The United States should participate cooperatively in the United Nations and pay our full U.N. dues. 5. The United States must lead international efforts to prevent genocide. Our government should sign and ratify the U.N. agreement forming an International Criminal Court, and honor the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 6. Our government should provide our fair share of effective foreign aid to reduce poverty and improve health, education, and access to safe water and food. We must restore programs that support family planning worldwide. 7. The United States must sign the Mine Ban Treaty, ratify the Kyoto Protocol and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and comply with the Geneva Conventions, the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions, and other international treaties protecting civilian populations. 8. All governments that possess nuclear weapons should reduce or eliminate their nuclear arsenals. Our government must renounce the development of new nuclear weapons and act to strengthen international control of fissile material, arms reduction and nuclear nonproliferation. 9. Our government should not engage in overt or covert efforts to destabilize other nations’ governments. 10. The government of the United States should work with transnational corporations and lending institutions, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank to generate imaginative and creative steps to deal with Third World debt. 11. Existing international trade agreements should be renegotiated to incorporate—and future international trade agreements should incorporate—human rights, labor rights, environmental laws, transparency at all levels, and basic democratic procedures accountable to the public. 12. The United States should use its full influence, through serious, constructive and persistent engagement, to promote negotiations and other actions that lead to a successful and sustainable resolution of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, based on mutual recognition, that ensures security, economic growth, and quality of life for the peoples of the sovereign state of Israel and a sovereign state of Palestine. Government and Political Reform We are committed to a democracy that encourages maximum participation, a voting process that is fair, transparent and open to all citizens, and a principle that requires responsibility by both voters and those they elect. 1. We must restore the balance of power among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of our Federal government. 2. We should establish a cabinet-level Department of Peace and Nonviolence whose Secretary will advise the President on issues both domestic and international in scope, giving peace a place, voice and budget at the highest levels of the U.S. government. 3. We must curtail the influence of special interests on our political processes. Campaigns should be publicly financed so that qualified citizens have an opportunity to run for office regardless of their income level or resources. Until that is attained, contribution and spending limits should be an integral part of campaign finance reforms. 4. We must preserve the integrity of our electoral processes throughout the nation. All elections should be conducted either with carefully supervised paper ballots or open-source software, with a verifiable record of all votes. 5. The sources of campaign funds, including "issue advertising" and separately controlled campaigns (such as independently controlled political action committees), must be fully disclosed. Monetary contributions should not be given the protected status of free speech. 6. We support reforms that would result in election of the President of the United States by popular vote, accurately reflecting the will of the majority of our nation’s voters. 7. We must significantly shorten the process of selecting Presidential nominees and allow for accessible and meaningful citizen participation. Health Care Health care is a basic human right. Our government should assure, and guarantee by law, accessible and affordable health care for all. 1. A comprehensive, single-payer national health care plan should be established for all. 2. Our health care system must cover everyone at a cost we can afford. To do this, we must change both our system of paying for health care and the way we organize and deliver that care. Medicine should be an ethically-based profession, committed first and foremost to serving patient and public health needs. 3. To be most effective and efficient, the plan should emphasize prevention, primary care, and chronic disease management, using evidence-based guidelines where possible. 4. Benefits should include outpatient and inpatient services; acute and long-term care; home care and hospice; mental health care and substance abuse programs; dental, visual and hearing services; family planning with contraceptive care; and rehabilitation, all according to health care needs. Prescription drugs, medical supplies, durable medical equipment and medical technology should be covered, with attention to assuring effectiveness, appropriate usage and cost containment. 5. Until a national plan is established, our state should work to develop and implement our own high quality, affordable, universal health care plan with the emphasis and benefits enumerated above. 6. We are entitled to freedom of choice in our own health care, including the right to choose our own personal doctor and a “medical home” to provide coordinated care with continuity. 7. We need to increase the supply of health care providers. We should grant incentives for working in primary care and with underserved communities and populations. 8. We must establish a unified electronic medical record system to reduce errors and enable a more seamless transfer of information from one portal of care to another, while providing a more accurate way to assess clinical outcomes and compare treatment approaches. Patient privacy must be safeguarded throughout. 9. Public health policy should be based on sound scientific guidelines and follow recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 10. The budget for the National Institutes of Health for funding medical research must be restored to its former level. Funding and support for medical research should be based on scientific merit, not a political agenda. Human Services A caring community provides a safety net of social services to meet people’s basic needs so they can attain their full potential, especially those on the margins of society—children, the elderly and people who are impoverished, homeless, mentally ill, disabled or living with addictions. 1. Ensuring compassionate human services must be among the highest priorities of government. 2. The Federal poverty level is a misnomer, since agencies serving poor people generally use twice the poverty level to determine neediness. The poverty level should be redefined to reflect actual living costs below which health, safety and human dignity are at risk. 3. The only worthwhile welfare reform is one that reduces poverty, not just the welfare rolls. Quality affordable childcare, education, training and substance abuse treatment must be provided to help working parents leave welfare. 4. We must work actively to end homelessness and ensure that all people have access to safe and affordable housing. 5. State public assistance for people with disabilities (General Assistance-Unemployable or GA-U) must be more than doubled. The current level of $339 a month has not been increased for more than 15 years—it offends human dignity. 6. Family planning and science-based sex education are effective tools that must be made available to give individuals and families control over their reproductive decisions and minimize the need for abortion. 7. Any religious institution that receives public funding for providing services must not discriminate in hiring and firing and must not encourage or require any profession of faith or act of worship to receive services. 8. Preventing child abuse and neglect must be a priority for our state. The foster care system must be restructured and adequately funded and administered. 9. Most of our elders prefer not to go into nursing homes; in-home elder care alternatives and family respite should be fully funded and promoted. 10. The state should fund the Family Medical Leave Act. Immigration Immigrants strengthen America. All immigrants should be afforded full human rights and a fair, safe, and timely path to legal status. 1. We support policies to more fully integrate immigrants into a community of greater shared prosperity, opportunities and higher living standards for all. 2. United States immigration policy must undergo comprehensive reform, protecting the integrity of our borders while recognizing the basic human rights of immigrants and protecting them with due process for all proceedings. 3. We must discourage illegal immigration and encourage lawful immigration by adjusting quotas and speeding processing of applications for entry, asylum, temporary work permits, and lawful permanent residence ("green cards"). 4. We must provide fair and humane treatment of those entering the United States, reuniting families of all kinds and crafting a fair path to legal status and eventual citizenship for immigrants already here. 5. We must put effective border control measures, consistent with individual liberties, into operation. 6. We oppose using local law enforcement as agents of immigration enforcement. 7. We oppose any effort to deputize, commission, finance, or otherwise encourage vigilante border militia groups in the United States. 8. We support provisions to improve wages and working conditions of immigrant workers, including safe and adequate housing, medical care and education, to protect them from exploitation and to protect American workers from being undercut by an illegal and exploited workforce. 9. We must allow access to human services without discrimination based on immigration status. 10. We must work with other nations to improve the social, economic and environmental conditions which are incentives to illegal immigration. Labor We believe in the dignity of work and demand fair wages and benefits in return. We insist on the right of all workers to join labor unions, to bargain collectively, and to take part in setting their working conditions. 1. We must raise the minimum wage to a living wage that moves families and individuals out of poverty. 2. We support the creation and enforcement of a Workers’ Bill of Rights that includes: a. A safe and healthy workplace with rights of association, assembly and free speech, and due process including protection for whistleblowers and union activities. b. Democratic and fair elections within unions. c. Health care for wage earners and their families. d. A work environment free from all forms of discrimination and harassment. e. Job training, education and other services when employers outsource, downgrade, or eliminate jobs. 3. The National Labor Relations Board must be reformed to include streamlining the appeals process and instituting meaningful financial penalties for employers found to have engaged in unfair labor practices. 4. The union-restricting Taft-Hartley Act should be repealed. 5. “Right-to work” laws should be repealed. 6. Tax breaks and incentives should be repealed for companies that move jobs off-shore. 7. Extended unemployment benefits, retraining opportunities and protection from reprisal or permanent replacement should be provided for workers locked out or on strike. 8. Accurate unemployment statistics must include persons whose benefits have been exhausted or who have given up looking for work. 9. We should provide and ensure safe and adequate housing, sanitary facilities, medical care and education for migrant and seasonal workers and their families. 10. We oppose coerced overtime work as well as overtime work without overtime pay. 11. We support federal, state, and local funding that provides or enables education and training for individuals who are displaced, unemployed, or underemployed. Law and the Justice System The rule of law is a prerequisite for democracy. A good government provides for the safety and security of all with care, even-handedness and respect for the individual. 1. Criminal justice should emphasize prevention and rehabilitation over incarceration alone. Prisons should provide inmates with education, training, therapy and meaningful work. 2. Our nation must invest in children and work actively to abolish poverty in order to eliminate a major cause of crime. 3. Drug addiction isn’t cured by incarceration. We support widespread drug education, treatment and community-based aftercare for every offender who needs it. 4. The death penalty should be abolished. 5. Mandatory and indeterminate sentencing should be ended, and nonviolent crime removed from the “Three Strikes” list. 6. Racial profiling by law enforcement must be eliminated. 7. White-collar crime should be given jail time on the same basis as other non-violent crime. 8. Asset seizures should be based on court conviction rather than mere arrest or presumption of guilt. 9. Operation of prisons should not be privatized. 10. Possession of small amounts of marijuana should be decriminalized. 11. Adults are responsible for safeguarding guns in the home. We support mandatory safety training for hunters and other gun owners (including safety locks or secure storage), universal gun registration, and licensing, background checks and waiting periods on all gun sales (including sales at gun shows and between private parties), and a ban on fully automatic weapons. Media Reform An informed citizenry and a diligent media are essential for a democratic society. 1. Government should vigorously oppose concentration of media ownership and elimination of local programming. It should encourage multicultural media and minority media ownership. 2. Public radio and public television deserve adequate, stable funding free of political pressure. 3. A shield law to protect journalists from being pressured to reveal their sources is necessary for the public’s right to know. 4. Whistleblowers must actively be protected and made whole if they lose their livelihoods; a whistleblower fund should be established for this purpose; whistleblower laws must be strengthened and enforced. 5. A Freedom of Information Act that results in delays of years is no freedom at all; FOIA time limits must be enforced and the act funded. 6. We oppose government-funded propaganda disguised as news and government intimidation and cynical manipulation of the news media. 7. False claims of “national security” suppress investigative journalism; inappropriate classifications should be promptly adjudicated. 8. An informed public must have uncensored access to reporting from theaters of war, so long as it does not endanger our troops. 9. Internet neutrality, including all users and content providers having equal access to Internet service without discrimination or prioritization on the basis of source, destination, or technology, is fundamental to preserving the value of the Internet to the public. 10. Cable companies should fairly compensate local governments for their use of the public right-of-way. 11. The FCC should encourage low-power broadcasting for educational and non-profit institutions. 12. The Fairness Doctrine for broadcast media during election campaigns should be reinstated and made applicable to cable networks to promote balanced political coverage. Military We pledge support to our troops and honor to our veterans who act in the service of our country. Washington citizens have always answered their country’s call to duty, and we are proud of our military contributions to the nation. 1. We demand the money and resources necessary to ensure our veterans receive all this nation has promised—and owes—them. 2. Defense must be provided by America’s armed services, not by mercenaries or contractors unaccountable to the public, the law, or the Uniform Code of Military Justice. 3. Troops should be supported by establishing mandated breaks between overseas tours, strict time limits on each tour of duty in a combat zone, and strict limits on total number of combat tours. 4. Equal treatment for all service members should be enhanced by abolishing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and passing legislation to ensure that gays and lesbians serving their country receive equal treatment. 5. The government must honor our veterans’ service by restoring full, no-cost treatment at military medical facilities for all veterans, as they were promised when they joined. 6. The government must fully fund VA mental health treatment, including treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries. 7. An independent medical and vocational rehabilitation panel should fully review all the military partial disability ratings since the start of the Iraq war and occupation. 8. The military must increase its instruction of all American personnel in their rights and responsibilities under the Geneva Conventions, and these responsibilities must be enforced to the highest levels of command. 9. Religious, racial, sexual, and gender-based harassment or assault must not be tolerated, and offenders must be disciplined. Transportation and Land Use Transportation and land use policies should ensure equal opportunity and quality of life for all. Reducing our dependence on the automobile is key to achieving better communities and reducing the impacts of transportation on the environment. 1. Air quality and health considerations must be considered in all transportation and land-use decisions. 2. We must fund essential public infrastructure projects and services. Building more highway capacity will not solve congestion. 3. The ferry system is a critical part of the overall transportation system and must be adequately maintained. 4. We must fund practical public transportation choices that reduce dependence on the automobile. We must modify the 18th Amendment to the Washington State Constitution to allow funding of all transportation purposes, not just “highways.” 5. Government must institute measures to reduce pollution and dependence on oil, including increased fuel efficiency standards, revised zoning and building codes and housing policies, provision of public transit services and more HOV lanes, and improved facilities for pedestrians, people in wheelchairs, and bicyclists. 6. Viable neighborhoods include open space, playfields, parks, and libraries. 7. The best communities are affordable to a wide range of incomes. 8. Coordinating the planning and implementation of transportation facilities and services across agency and jurisdictional boundaries is the best way to efficiently and costeffectively meet the region’s transportation needs. The priority for funding and implementation of transportation facilities and services should be movement of people and freight, not cars. 9. Congestion pricing including tolling and managed lanes—to pay for critical facilities, manage traffic, or pay for transit services—should identify and correct any disproportionate adverse effects on low-income and minority populations. In order to encourage their use, transit, vanpools, and carpools should not be charged.
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