Maui County Democratic Party
2010 Platform

We Democrats are the oldest political party in America and the youngest in spirit. We will remain so, because we believe we can use the tools of government to improve the lives of all of us.

Time and again, for almost two centuries, the Democratic Party has made government work – to build and defend a nation, to encourage commerce, to educate our children, to promote equal opportunity, to advance science and industry, to support the arts and humanities, to restore the land, to develop and conserve our human and natural resources, to preserve and enhance our infrastructure, to relieve poverty, to explore space. We have achieved difficult and vital goals.

We recognize that the capacity of government is limited but we regard democratic government as a force for good and a source of hope.

At the heart of our party lies a fundamental conviction, that Americans must not only be free, but they must live in a fair society. We believe it is the responsibility of government to help us achieve this fair society.

A society where all people can find jobs in a full-employment economy and where those jobs pay a living wage with safe working conditions. Because economic justice for working families is essential for the realization of a democratic society, we will work to establish:

• A minimum wage well above the poverty level, with no tip credit toward minimum wage.
• Living wage and benefits for farm and rural workers
• Fair economic and trade policies which protect human rights,workers rights, unionization and environmental protection
• Protection of small businesses and independent farmers
• Strict enforcement of union contracts and worker rights to unionize, to strike without job loss, to have a safe workplace, to mediate and arbitrate disputes, to have freedom of speech and association, and repeal of the anti-labor Taft-Hartley Act by 2012 at the latest.
• Fair representation and democracy within unions;
• Automatic recognition of unions based on card checks
• Automatic dues payment to unions
• Full funding for enforcement of labor standards, strict child labor and occupational health and safety laws.
• Strong protection for whistleblowers (including Federal employees)
• Responsible bidder language in all public financed works on fair wages, health, retirement and training, with 15% set asides for state certified apprentices.
• Repeal of all “right to work” laws.
• Strict laws against off shore tax and unionization avoidance.
• Strict laws against profiteering, predatory lending, and misuse of private data.
• Preservation of publicly funded social security and no privatization of essential government services
• Tax credits for early childhood development programs
• Fair, progressive taxation at state and federal level
• Tax credits for business providing healthcare, pensions and childcare
• Protection of un-documented workers from prosecution, deportation or job loss for reporting an employer for violating labor laws.
• Workers reporting employer labor violations to receive a portion of any fine assessed on employer.

We must become a society where we consider ourselves stewards of the air, land, water (wai) and ocean. Where our natural resources are not only conserved but where we repair the damage that has been done and leave our children a legacy and the hope of a healthy planet.

The environment is the public trust and care of our “commons” is one principal of social justice. We must prevent the unsustainable exploitation that will damage our common resources and have a negative impact on the economic benefits of a healthy ecosystem(s). To achieve this we will:

• Implement the principles of our Democratic party founders who included the words “preserve, protect and enhance our environment” in our unique Hawaii State Constitution.
• Rebuild, protect and refurbish our parks and public resource infrastructure.
• Fairly allocate our water resources to benefit humans, flora, fauna and sustainable agriculture.
• Insure our watersheds remain healthy as they are our most important economic resource.
• Conserve and fund legacy lands, create state and national seashores.
• Expand environmental education and career opportunities that we may instill a sense and duty of stewardship to our children.
• Adequately fund our resource protection divisions such as DOECARE and other conservation and shoreline management agencies.
• Adequately fund invasive species control agencies, agricultural inspection departments.
• Enhance marine conservation zones.
• Restore public trust resources, parks and the ability to have safe, clean, outdoor camping experiences.
• Treat our public resources as an economic beneficial interest worth protecting as environmental capitol to be saved and enhanced. If protected, enhanced and restored, these resources will create a credit balance in sustaining our Island ecosystems and planet for future generations.

Finally, Hawaii must end it’s addiction to imported oil. To accomplish this we can model the relationships between labor and the green economy in building a new energy future. Labor and Environment are bound by the concept of social justice. A healthy environment is one that benefits human kind as much as a healthy and fair labor policy benefits the worker. Green jobs will create a sustainable future. To achieve this we will;

• Create a new green energy future.
• Increase our use of sun, wind and wave energy. The 250 million we spend a year on oil imported from Indonesia could better be spent on the construction of solar energy plants.
• We will phase out diesel oil electric plants. We must invest in agriculture research to grow less water consumptive biofuel crops.
• We will encourage the use of photo voltaic electrical systems.
• We will invest in green energy and power by encouraging feed in tariffs that result in a fair price for renewable energy.
• We will decouple our electric companies so that they no longer are competitors for new renewable energy companies but managers of the electrical transmission lines and grid.
• We should provide funding for the public utilities commission to adequately and effectively work with energy utility dockets for energy independence.
• We will set goals and pursue federal funding to encourage renewable energy independence so that Maui and Hawaii can be the sustainable renewable energy model to the world.

A society where taxes are clearly based on ability to pay

A society where the equal rights of women are guaranteed in the Constitution including the right to make their own reproductive decisions without interference of the government.

A society where both public and private discrimination based upon race, sex, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, economic status, philosophical persuasion, or physical disability are condemned and where our government moves aggressively to end such discrimination through lawful means.

A society where we recognize that the strengthening of all types of families and the protection of children are essential to the health of the nation.

A society where the elderly and the disabled can lead lives of dignity, where Social Security remains an unshakable public commitment and affordable health care is available to all citizens

A society where quality education, proper nutrition, quality medical care, affordable housing, safe streets and a healthy environment are possible for every citizen

A society where the livelihoods of our local food farmers are as stable as the values thy instill in the American character

A society where a strong national defense is a common effort, where protecting human rights and lives is a basic value of our foreign policy, and where we ensure that future by ending the nuclear arms race.

This is our purpose and our promise.

2010 Resolutions