Resolutions

Continuing AND Current Resolutions of the Mesa County Democratic Party

The Democratic Party has a long and proud history of hope, opportunity, and progress toward a better life for the citizens of these United States .  The Democratic Party is rooted in the ideas of our founding fathers as set forth in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This platform builds on these foundations.

CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS

This We Believe:

1. A healthy economy is dependent upon hard working men and women receiving a fair living wage for their labor. 

2. Working people have the right to organize and bargain collectively without fear of intimidation or permanent replacement during disputes. 

3. A strong public education system, pre-school through college, with adequate and equitable funding and independence from political whims is the core element of modern society. 

4. The health of an economy is dependent on the health of its environment, and it is necessary to have a clean environment to attract and keep good paying jobs. 

5. A healthy economy relies on appropriate maintenance of our public infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water, sewer, earth friendly transportation system, and funding of police, fire protection and school facilities. 

6. While violent criminals definitely need to be imprisoned, more resources need to be devoted to programs that prevent crime, provide rehabilitation, and reduce repeat offenses. 

7. A system of universal health care coverage is needed to repair a badly broken and ineffective system currently unable to provide appropriate health care to Americans. 

8. National security should not be used to limit those individual civil liberties guaranteed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights on which this country was founded. 

9. The Constitutional guarantee to a right of privacy extends to decisions involving a woman’s reproductive choices, and affordable and well informed choices should be available to all. 

10. It is important for government to support community amenities including art and culture, parks and recreation, libraries, historic preservation and the acquisition of open spaces. 

11. The integrity of the voting system and its accessibility must be preserved at all levels of government with results being verifiable. 

12. Freedom of speech and press are the most vital of our constitutional rights.  It is essential that we speak and write our concerns, regardless of current popular sentiment.  We strongly oppose the concentration of our media in a few partisan hands. 

13. The fundamental principles of freedom of religion and separation of church and state must not be compromised. 

14. Social Security and Medicare reform must preserve benefits for current and future generations. 

15. The right to equal treatment must be available to all persons regardless of race, creed, religion, gender, age, disability or sexual orientation/gender identity. 

16. A grateful nation needs to provide its veterans with the best possible care, and, when necessary, rehabilitation. 

CURRENT RESOLUTIONS

This We Believe:

1. The proposed “Right to Work” initiative would destroy unions’ ability to be a voice on behalf of working families in Colorado and would lead to more government interference in businesses and workplaces. 

2. The impact on local government caused by energy related mineral extraction must be accompanied by a fair and equitable distribution of severance tax revenues.  An increase in the severance tax rates to make them more comparable to neighboring states is long overdue. 

3. The financial crisis in this state precipitated by the interaction of the TABOR Amendment, the Gallagher Amendment and Amendment 23 needs to be addressed by constitutional reform. 

4. Enhanced early childhood education and better identification of and programs created for gifted and talented students will benefit all citizens of the state. 

5. In today’s world, post secondary education is critical in order to create the opportunity for success.  Higher education must be available to all who seek it.  Funding for higher education statewide and in Mesa County is not adequate and needs to be addressed by the legislature. 

6 The issues related to immigration demand a comprehensive solution.  Issues to be addressed include dislocation caused by international trade agreements, the need to secure our borders, the importance of an adequate workforce for the agriculture and tourism industries, and fair treatment of individuals involved in these industries. 

7. It is time for Mesa County to have a Recreation Center accessible to all. 

8. Full disclosure of the sources of funding for all political advertising and activities is necessary.  We call for open, honest and fair campaigning, and the elimination of anonymous advertising. 

9. Democratic candidates should reject the abuse of power, violation of American’s civil liberties, and contempt for the Constitution demonstrated by any administration. 

10. School districts must instill in our young people a community spirit by teaching and modeling fairness, tolerance and participation in the political process. 

11. The development and use of renewable energy resources and technologies is essential to achieving lasting national security and energy independence. While recognizing that the transition to this new energy economy will require increased use of natural gas, we insist that all energy exploration in Mesa County must be undertaken with the utmost regard for the continued protection of our health, our water, our air and our environment.  

12. The future of our community lies with our young people and their future is jeopardized by a lack of support services for children.  The high rates of suicide, methamphetamine abuse and other self destructive behaviors, and high rates of physical and sexual abuse of children in Mesa County speak to the importance of placing greater attention on the needs of our children. 

13. Required automobile insurance needs to be affordable to all drivers, regardless of their economic status, citizenship or nationality.  Credit scores should be eliminated as a factor in setting rates since it unfairly affects those who most need the insurance. 

14. Economic development and jobs are important for the health and well being of Colorado ’s residents, but we oppose subsidies and incentives that do not clearly result in the creation of new living wage jobs. Furthermore, companies that move their manufacturing facilities off shore should lose any subsidies or tax breaks they may have received. 

15. The No Child Left Behind act has proven to be ineffective.  Accountability is important, but replacing teaching time with excessive testing benefits no one.  

16. The support of our troops in harms way is compromised by the privatization of the armed forces instituted by this administration.  Organizations such as  Black Water and other friends of the administration have made obscene profits while short changing the young men and women serving their country. 

17. Real science needs to be reintroduced to national health research in this country.  Limitations placed on the use of federal funds in seeking advances in health care must be based on hard scientific facts rather than personal beliefs.  New strains of viruses and antibiotic resistant bacteria are potentially huge threats to the nation, and greater efforts at developing prevention are sorely needed. 

18. Educational vouchers and tax credits divert tax dollars away from public education and give them to unregulated and untested private schools, thus diminishing the financial support for Colorado ’s public schools. 

19. A credible and thoughtful land use planning process is essential to prevent uncontrolled urban sprawl, and to protect our outstanding land and water resources. 

20. Mesa County and its municipalities should do more to provide affordable housing. 

21. The Government Penalty Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) of the Social Security Act need to be repealed.  These two laws unfairly penalize public employees who have dedicated their lives to public service by taking away benefits they have already earned. 

22. The lax enforcement of federal legislation dealing with the treatment of our elderly population living in nursing homes needs to be addressed.  These vulnerable and voiceless individuals need to be protected from institutions willing to take advantage of their situation.

23. There should be a new, independent investigation into the events of September 11, 2001 .