OCDP Statement of Principles

This is the OCDP Statement of Principles originally draft by Tom Henkel, October 10, 2005.

The following general principles provide the foundation for the policies and goals of the Orange County Democratic Party:

=Funding the Govenment=

We believe that effective local, state, and Federal government that represents and serves the needs of all our people must be adequately funded by a fair progressive tax system, for our common wealth should be used for the common good and betterment of all Americans.

=Federal Programs=

We believe that the social contract between the Federal government and its people, that resulted in such programs as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, the GI Bill, and such laws as the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Disabilities Act, non-discrimination in the workplace, must be preserved and strengthened to include single-payer universal health insurance for all members of society.

=Education and Democracy=

We believe that the heart of our democracy is a strong and properly funded public school system.

=Living Wage and Affordable Housing=

We believe that taxpayer-funded programs that stimulate economic growth and job creation must insure that all workers earn a true living wage and housing development includes affordable housing.

=Local Government's Primary Responsibility=

We believe that local government has a primary responsibility to insure safe and healthy communities.

=Government and the Environment=

We believe that all levels of government have a primary responsibility to insure and preserve a healthy environment that sustains life.

=Elections=

We believe that fair and honest elections that maximize voter participation are prerequisites for our democracy.

=Separation of Church and State=

We believe that the doctrines of the separation of church and state and the right to privacy protects religious freedom and the right of individuals to make their own moral decisions without the interference of government so long as the rights of other persons are not infringed upon.

=National Defense=

We believe that our national defense is strengthened by returning the primary war-making responsibility to Congress, by properly equipping our military forces, by supporting the needs of veterans, and by insuring that all levels of government are adequately staffed and well-trained to respond to natural and other sudden disasters.

=US and Multilateralism=

We believe that to better achieve a world at peace, the US government must pursue a multilateralist foreign policy that supports the United Nations and such treaties as the Kyoto Accords, Nuclear Test Ban, Antiballistic Missile, and the Geneva Conventions.