Democratic Party Platform 1978

Chapter 1

PREAMBLE

1. The 1978 State Democratic Party Platform is dedicated to the well being of all citizens of Maine. The Platform, presented herein, is based on reasonable expectations for all people and a philosophical approach to achieving the goals of the Party.

2. For the first time in the history of the Maine Democratic Party, Platform Committee members were democratically elected from all geographic regions of the state. Primary inputs to the platform have come from 15 public and county hearings held throughout the state. A draft platform was provided for comments at each Democratic town caucus. Inputs from the caucuses were seriously considered in the final drafting of the platform.

3. We have attempted to achieve a balanced public expression of the views of Maine Democrats and their objectives for the next two years. We are convinced that within the resources of each community a good education is the right of each citizen. Equal rights, regardless of economic, social, or ethnic background is an inherent right of all. for the less fortunate, those in need, and senior citizens is a must. This, coupled with the ability to live in dignity and with self respect is a major concern. Jobs for those able to work must be provided to raise the economic level of all. Small business, farms, fisheries, and the independent forest industry are the character of ’s economic base. The future of Maine lies with the motivation and stimulation of these industries. Government must serve the people and its effectiveness can be largely measured by how fairly it levies taxes.

4. We recognize that in any statement of broad goals, not all of them can be achieved in a single day, a single year, or even a decade. We have prepared this platform as a statement of goals, acknowledging that once these objectives enter the political process, good ideas must compete with each other, and priorities must be within the limits of our resources.

Donald Parsons
Platform Chairman

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Chapter 2

AGRICULTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF ’S RESOURCES

Sec. 20. AGRICULTURE/FISHING

1. AGRICULTURE

A. We support a sales tax exemption for the purchase of new commercial equipment used by the agriculture, poultry, fishing, and logging industries.

B. We favor efforts to stimulate grains production within the state.

C. We oppose any elimination of tariffs on the importation of processed or fresh potatoes into the state.

D. We recommend the re-establishment of SBA loans to agriculture.

E. We recommend the study of the feasibility of state purchase of developmental rights in preserving valuable agricultural land.

F. We support and encourage the application of chemical free, energy efficient, organic and biological small farming methods.

2. FISHING

A. We support continued efforts by the Department of Marine Resources to promote the marketing and harvesting of under-utilized species.

B. We recommend that the Department of Environmental Protection develop and enforce stringent safeguards to protect ’s valuable fishing industry from oil spills and pollution.

C. We support expanded research into the possibility of a red tide detoxification program.

D. We encourage the Maine Congressional Delegation to support workable and sensible quotas for the commercial fishing industry.

E. We encourage the Department of Marine Resources to address the issue of lobster management.

F. We encourage expanded efforts by the Department of Marine Resources and the University of Maine for aquaculture research and development.

Sec. 21. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. We support the development of an extensive marketing program for State of Maine tourist attractions, industrial advantages, and products.

2. We support the provision of central locations at which applications for all state licenses and permits may be obtained.

3. We support governmental efforts at every level to adopt policies and promote programs designed to protect and foster the development of new and existing small businesses.

4. We support basic revision and simplification of the burgeoning paperwork and complex regulations issued by local, state, and federal agencies.

5. We support a financial commitment by the state to fund the redevelopment of our inner cities.

6. We advocate the development of an overall state growth and development plan, annually reviewed and updated, directed toward defining long term growth and development goals and the coordination of state policy in such areas as transportation, energy, housing, human services, commerce, industry, fishing, tourism, and agriculture.

Sec. 22. LAND AND WATER USE

1. We encourage improved land use tax exemptions to increase agricultural usage.

2. We recommend that the State of Maine establish a research capability in the Gulf of Maine Fishery , sufficient to provide adequate data for decision making in this area.

3. We support public and private efforts to enable Maine ports to be upgraded.

4. We support adequate staffing of the enforcement section of the Department of Environmental Protection.

5. We support the upgrading of the state laboratory service to allow adequate in-state testing for air, land, and water contamination.

6. That the state take strong and immediate action to insure the quality of the state’s ground Water aquifers and take such actions as may be required to provide for the protection of those aquifers.

Sec. 23. FOREST RESOURCES

1. The forest is one of Mane’s most important renewable resources. Greater productivity and utilization of this resource are major components of a prosperous economy for all Maine citizens. In order to achieve this:

A. We call for a fully integrated approach to forest management in Maine, including its protection from fire by the most effective and efficient scans available.

B. We support a comprehensive forest resource inventory to be undertaken as a basis for future decision-making.

C. We recommend more intensive silvicultural management on all ownerships to increase long-term productivity.

D. We support integrated insect and disease management which ends primary reliance on chemical control measures.

E. We support expanded markets for forest products with emphasis on higher-value added products in the secondary manufacturing sector.

F. We believe that the promotion of co-operative management and marketing organizations among small land-owners, woodsworkers, and others can make an important contribution to this overall effort, while maximizing the return on the investment to all Maine citizens.

Sec. 24. ENERGY

1. We favor the support and implementation of a National and State Energy Plan such that energy requirements and their sources of supply over the next 50-100 years can be projected on a rational basis. We favor strong conservation measures and increased reliance on non-polluting, non-environmentally damaging, and economically feasible sources of energy.

2. We favor no further construction of nuclear power plants in the State of Maine until such time as the long-term management of high level radioactive wastes has been demonstrated by:

A. The removal of the existing hundreds of tons of radioactive spent fuel from the Maine Yankee spent fuel pool at Wiscasset, Maine .

B. The reprocessing of this fuel and the ultimate storage of the separated high level radioactive waste.

3. We support the funding of programs designed to conserve energy in public institutions.

4. We favor stronger efforts to develop economically feasible hydroelectric power sites on Maine rivers including Dickey-Lincoln Dam and feasibility studies for the construction of a Quoddy Tidal Power project in order that more jobs may be created by generation of hydroelectric power which is clean, low-cost, and self-renewing, and that Maine may become less dependent on oil which at present accounts for approximately 80% of the energy consumed in Maine, since oil promises not only to become increasingly expensive, but soon depleted as an energy source for our people.

Sec. 25. TRANSPORTATION

1. We support legislation to obtain a more favorable business climate for Maine businesses and consumers by advocating that the PUC and ICC grant more favorable freight and toll rates to Maine businesses.

A. We support funding the improvement and upgrading of primary roads.

B. We recommend study of the feasibility of improved railway service.

2. We support the extension of public mass transportation services to meet the inter-urban and rural transportation needs of Maine citizens.

3. We support the construction of a limited access highway between Houlton and Fort Kent to facilitate safer transportation and better access to market areas which would encourage the location of industry in Northern Maine.

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Chapter 3

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Sec. 30. PREAMBLE

1. Cultural resources are a vital element in ’s economy and environment. Their impact relates not only to education, but to business and industry, professions and jobs, trade and tourism. The economic potential in the development of Maine ’s cultural resources has long been overlooked.

A. We support the concept of cultural services as a recognized entity in state government.

B. We recommend that the 109th Legislature find the means for overall policy direction, effective structuring, and economical management of ’s cultural resources.

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Chapter 4

EDUCATION

Sec. 40. PREAMBLE

1. There needs to be a coming together of the community and its schools. The community needs what the schools can give, but the relationship has been strained recently by financial problems and political pressures. The Democratic Party reemphasizes the principle that a good education is the right of each citizen, and will work to reconcile the schools with the community by directing criticism into constructive ideas.

2. The following ideas are presented only after consideration of two criteria: will they enhance the quality of education in each community throughout the state, and do they meet with financial priorities at a time when so many demands are made on every Maine taxpayer.

Sec. 41. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION

1. In order that the greatest possible use be made of parents and other interested community members in all activities of our schools, and in order to enrich these activities with the participation of talented and experienced human resources in the community:

A. We encourage schools to develop committees, composed of community members and educators, formed along lines similar to the Craft Committees of our vocational schools, to participate in the evaluation and planning for all the offerings of our schools.

Sec. 42. ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION

1. The core of basic public education is the day to day experience of students in grades K-12. Unfortunately, not all students can, for various reasons, fully participate in the core system. In order to provide a richer mix of developmental experience and access to that experience:

A. We propose that programs leading to the night school diploma and/or equivalency certification be made an alternative to all youths, depending on their needs.

B. We emphasize that the school is not only responsible for discouraging a student from dropping out, but, when the dropout is imminent, for providing guidance so that the experience will be as positively productive as possible and so that the student feels he/she will be welcome when he/she wishes to return.

C. We also emphasize that the educational, vocational, and career-related experiences of the dropout be the shared planning responsibilities of the student, parents, educators, and any other interested parties.

Sec. 43. FUNDING

1. The Democratic Party stands committed to education as an equal partnership responsibility of the local community and the state, and to the funding of that education by the state at a level of 50% or higher.

Sec. 44. CERTIFICATION

1. The Democratic Party recognizes that the interests of Maine students are best served by qualified and skilled educators.

A. We urge the 109th Legislature to mandate a study by a committee representative of the various constituencies affected by certification procedures and requirements, with the intent of improving standards of certification of educational personnel.

Sec. 45. CURRICULUM

45.1 EQUAL RIGHTS

1. The Democratic Party recognizes that in education, as elsewhere, conscious and affirmative efforts are necessary to insure steady progress toward preparing our children for a wider range of life opportunities.

2. The Democratic Party also recognizes that the progress of the human rights movement and the civil rights movement depends, in large measure, on our children’s awareness of the history and direction of those movements and of the lingering sex and minority biases still influencing our children’s lives.

A. We urge the 109th Legislature to vigorously support and monitor affirmative action efforts. We understand the purpose of such efforts to be the achievement of equality of opportunity. We particularly emphasize that in the matter of access to education opportunity at all levels, and in the selection of teachers at all levels, there must be neither preferment nor penalty by reason of race, sex, or ancestry.

3. We encourage the inclusion of the talented and gifted child in all programs for exceptional children.

45.2 ENERGY

1. The Democratic Party recognizes that matters regarding the use of both traditional and new energy sources have profound and long-range implications for our society.

A. We urge the 109th Legislature to authorize the exploration of ways in which the conservation of energy and related topics shall be a part of every student’s education.

45.3 CONSUMER EDUCATION

We urge the 109th Legislature to authorize the exploration of ways in which consumer education shall be included in every public school curriculum.

45.4 ART/MUSIC

1. The Democratic Party recognizes that an early and continued acquaintance with art and music is extremely important to the intellectual and emotional development of each child. We also realize that, for many children, the only opportunity for exposure to the benefits of the arts is in the local public schools.

A. We encourage the concept that each child from K-8 have one hour or more per week of art and music instruction by a qualified art teacher and a qualified music teacher.

45.5 PHYSICAL EDUCATION

1. The Democratic Party recognizes that a well-balanced education should be concerned with the physical development and well-being of the individual.

A. We urge that there be a greater emphasis in our physical education programs on participation in life-time sports activities, providing students with skills to remain physically active throughout their lives.

B. All high school students who participate in the various State Principal Association sponsored state athletic tournaments be granted equal meal allowances regardless of sex or sport.

45.6 NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION

1. The Democratic Party recognizes that preventive medicine is the best medicine. The United States Select Committee on Nutrition released in February 1977, Dietary Goals for the United States, a plan recommending among other things: increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables and grains, reducing fat and cholesterol; and reducing the amount of salt and refined sugar as a viable means of contributing to national health. We support these recommendations and urge an educational program to implement the select committee’s report.

Sec. 46. POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

1. The Democratic Party recognizes the importance of a system of higher education which meets the needs of the citizens of Maine now and in future years.

A. We encourage the 109th Legislature to fund post-secondary education at a level that will, at a minimum, provide additional state funds to withstand losses through inflation.

B. We support the concept that the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine should include a student of the university, who shall be elected by his/her peers.

C. We urge that expanded opportunity be provided within the University system for citizens to obtain a education in the areas of medicine, veterinary medicine, and dentistry.

D. We would encourage the University to provide courses leading to a degree in law as a regular part of the Continuing Education Division of the University of Maine.

E. We support the policy that all credits be transferable within the University of Maine system.

F. We urge the 109th Legislature to provide adequate funding to meet the educational needs of the adult learner by providing present adult education programs on a more equitable basis throughout the state.

G. We support greater fiscal flexibility for the Vocational Technical Institutes and urge legislation which will allow the VTI’s the financial resources to quickly respond to the training needs of new and expanding industry.

47. EDUCATIONAL POLICY

1. The Democratic Party recognizes that basic educational policy making is a function of locally elected school officials.

A. We stand for the proposition that state government should not interfere with the responsibilities of municipal school officials except where necessary to insure minimum standards, equal rights, and equal opportunities.

2. We endorse the proposition that every child completing grade K-12 in our schools shall have at least a fundamental grasp of basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.

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Chapter 5

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION. PUBLIC FINANCE AND NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Sec. 50. GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION

1. The internal and external organization of each branch of government, executive, legislative and judicial, directly affects the ability of government to serve the people who are responsible for its existence. The Democratic Party strongly endorses efforts by any branch of government directed to serve the people of Maine quickly, efficiently, and directly. The measure for good organizational structure must be service.

2. In efforts to improve the service to Maine people by their government, the Democratic Party recommends the following actions:

A. With the inclusion of stringent safeguards to privacy, federal and state governments should begin now to allocate the funds which, in a five year period, would bring them to the current state of development in communications and data storage of public information, with the goal of all such efforts directed toward prompt, swift, and complete service to the people.

B. The government’s ability to produce studies, reports, and papers is astounding. As a first step toward curbing at least the duplication of such efforts, an efficient catalogue system, and retrieval system from that catalogue, should be instituted so that before any new work is done, a complete search for existing documents can be readily accomplished.

C. Maine should strive toward the use of common information forms internally, and make use of any opportunity to use common forms with the federal government.

D. In order to more accurately reflect the wishes of Maine voters, we advocate amendments to current state law to require that run-off elections be held between the top two vote-getters in any primary where no one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast.

E. The Democratic Party shall report to the people of Maine, within thirty days of Legislative adjournment of each session, on the progress, or lack thereof, in the accomplishment of the recommendations in this platform. The report shall also include a statement covering the actions taken by the Party toward the implementation of the recommendations included in this platform.

Sec. 51. PUBLIC FINANCE

1. One measure of the quality of any government is the means it uses to obtain the revenue needed to carry out its goals. The tax structure of a nation or a state reflects the sense of equity and fairness of its government. The tax structure should not be used to carry out social policy under the blanket of tax reform, unless it is made clear that this is the purpose. The tax structure must rest firmly within the concept of ability to pay, thus maintaining the traditional Democratic position that progressive taxes, such as the personal and corporate income tax, are more fair than regressive taxes, such as the property tax.

2. The Democratic Party recommends the following policies and actions in the area of public finance:

A. The Treasurer of the State of Maine should invest all state funds within his/her responsibility for short or long term investment, to the greatest extent possible considering prudent investment practice and availability of markets, within the State of Maine.

B. The Legislature should undertake an immediate study to determine the feasibility of the State establishing a self-insurance program for all state vehicles, property and equipment.

C. State government should undertake more stringent administration of the Maine Unemployment Compensation Fund to assure its continued availability, and to repay its debt.

D. The Legislature should mandate an effective “zero based budgeting” requirement for all agencies of state government which requires line item justification for all expenditures (federal and state) contemplated by any agency in the biennium.

E. The Legislature should form a budget committee modeled on the budget committee in the U.S. Senate which would set budget priorities and tax policy at the beginning of each legislative session.

F. We urge consideration of, and research into, the establishment of a State Bank, for the purpose of encouraging and enabling economic development and other socially desirable goals.

Sec. 52. NATIONAL AFFAIRS – DOMESTIC POLICY

1. To strengthen the character of our nation and our state, general national policies must all deal directly with the problems of rural, urban and suburban America. To neglect one segment of the nation at the expense of another is to deny our unity as a people. Within this concept, we propose the following:

A. We support the enactment and implementation of an effective program of national health insurance which will include universal and complete health care coverage, mechanisms for the control of spiraling health care costs, and is administered in the public sector.

B. We support the repeal of item 807 of the International Trade Agreement which allows dual tax status for multinational corporations.

C. We strongly support President Carter’s efforts to reform the Civil Service System.

D. We urge further revision of the Social Security System directed toward meeting its original goal of providing our elderly with secure incomes, responsive to rising costs of living, without imposing undue burden on those least able to pay.

E. We stand for a full employment policy that guarantees every American, willing and able to work, the right to a job, with the government providing employment in those instances where the private sector cannot supply sufficient jobs to meet the need. We support the concepts embodied in the so-called Humphrey-Hawkins bill, but express concern that more forceful steps should be taken in terms of defining “acceptable” levels of unemployment, and in assuring counter-cyclical aid to those areas most harshly affected by adverse economic conditions.

F. We support expanded financial support for scientific and technical research and development, funded by state and federal governments. Such Increased support should be for both pure and applied research and development.

G. We urge the passage of a national returnable/refillable container bill.

H. We support legislation to grant the citizens of the District of Columbia full Congressional representation.

I. We urge the reform of the United States Postal Service to make it more accountable to the needs of American citizens.

J. We support the basic right of employees to unionize and to support legislation to make the mechanisms of unionization more available, effective, and equitable.

K. We urge the extension of effective anti-trust enforcement throughout New England .

L. We urge the passage of federal legislation to allow individual states to decide whether or not to permit the storage of radioactive nuclear wastes.

M. We believe that a strong position in defense of human rights is as vital to domestic policy as it is to foreign policy. While we agree that a revision of the federal criminal code is necessary, we express concern about the passage of S-1437/HR-6869 in its present form as it threatens some of our basic rights as citizens and the principles upon which our nation was founded.

Sec. 53. NATIONAL AFFAIRS – FOREIGN POLICY

1. America’s role in International Affairs is a duty Democrats willingly accept, based on our belief in an interdependent world, where the revolutionary beginnings of our country, its economic well being, and its dedication to the principles of individual freedom and the democratic process, can provide inspiration and economic and social assistance, as well as leadership in an increasingly smaller global village. In the field of foreign policy, we adopt the following:

A. We endorse and commend President Carter’s policy that the concept of human rights, as enunciated in the basic documents of the American governmental system, the United Nations Charter, and the Helsinki Agreement, shall be an integral part of all United States foreign policy actions and decisions.

B. We support the adoption of the Panama Canal Treaties between the United States and Panama .

C. We support the US role as an honest broker in the quest for permanent peace in the states of the Middle East , based on the foundation of the state of Israel ’s right to exist.

D. We state our continued support, and urge the expansion of US and international programs designed to provide the basic needs of health, nutrition, and education to all peoples.

E. We urge continued, vigorous pursuit of strategic arms limitation agreement(s) directed toward immediate reduction, and eventual elimination of nuclear armaments in the context of an overall global strategy toward universal nuclear disarmament.

F. We advocate the continuing support of the United Nations in its efforts to promote international peace.

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Chapter 6

JUSTICE AND EQUAL RIGHTS

Sec. 60. PREAMBLE

1. The State’s obligations to respect the life, liberty, and property of each of its people, and to accord to each of them the equal protection of the laws, are among the deepest moral commitments of our society. They are a reflection of all that we hold sacred. We put forward the following positions on various issues and institutions involved in applying these fundamental values of justice and equal rights at this point in our State’s history.

Sec 61. EQUAL RIGHTS

1. We recommend the following positions:

A. The Maine Democratic Party reaffirms its support of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and endorses efforts to secure ratification in those states which have yet to act, and therefore wishes to participate only in those National Party Activities as are held in the states which have ratified the Amendment. We support H.J. Res. 638, to extend by seven years the ratification period of the ERA.

B. We recommend the extension of the Human Rights Act to protect all people who are victims of invidious discrimination.

C. We urge the Legislature to fund the Human Rights Commission adequately.

D. We believe that when people are required to bear the full responsibilities of adults, they should be allowed to enjoy the full privileges of adults.

Sec. 62. DIGNITY AND PERSONAL SAFETY

1. In order that all human beings, regardless of age, condition, or special status, be assured of dignity, life, and personal safety, we endorse the following positions:

A. We will support measures to assure the well-being and to preserve the most basic rights of human dignity and life of the aged, feeble, impaired, friendless, and unprotected people in our society.

B. We believe that our social service programs are intended for the support and well-being of the aged, feeble, handicapped and helpless people in our society and that the use of cost-benefit-analysis as a criterion for evaluating these programs should not make us lose sight of the real needs of these unprotected people.

C. We are disturbed by the rising tide of violence in this nation. It is therefore imperative that our government proceed with effective positive policies in addressing our social problems, particularly in the areas of child abuse, spouse abuse, capital punishment, and other behavior that continues to devalue human life.

D. We urge the Legislature to review and revise Maine ’s rape laws with special attention to the inclusion of spousal rape as an offense, and graduated penalties for graduated degrees of assault. We further urge funding for the emergency care of rape victims.

Sec. 63. JUSTICE

1. Recognizing the importance of our courts and law enforcement agencies, upon whom we must rely for an impartial system of justice, both criminal and civil, we submit the following recommendations:

A. We support equal enforcement of the law regardless of social, political, or economic status, and regardless of gender.

B. We recommend a high standard of training for law enforcement personnel, which includes education in human relations.

C. We recommend continuing attention to the problem of our juvenile justice system, including the development of appropriate dispositional alternatives for juveniles regardless of sex.

D. We recommend that as a necessary condition of providing adequate judicial services to all people under the jurisdiction of this state, our judges and other court officials be provided with resources sufficient to perform their tasks.

E. We encourage and support a speedy and equitable solution of the Indian Land Claims Case. Given the possibility of severe economic impact on the State of Maine on land claims large and small, it is the consensus of this convention that any settlement of the Indian Land Claims case be limited to total federal responsibility, with no Maine lands involuntarily contributed to a settlement.

F. We support increased training, compensation and resources for prosecutors to promote professionalism and encourage experienced counsel to seek and retain these positions.

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Chapter 7

Sec. 70. PREAMBLE

1. Jobs are the solution to poverty, to hunger, to filling the ever-present needs of workers for income to feed, clothe, and shelter their families. From jobs come the tax revenues government must have to provide essential services and progress to help its citizens. To complete this cycle, we urge the establishment of a full employment and training program.

Sec. 71. MINIMUM WAGE

1. We must provide a wage floor which is necessary for “the maintenance of the minimum standard of living necessary for health, efficiency and general well-being of workers”. If the minimum wage worker working full-time, year-round is to provide his/her family with more than a poverty wage today he or she must be paid at least $3.00 per hour.

Sec. 72. PUBLIC EMPLOYEES

1. The right of collective bargaining is a fundamental right of all workers. Public employees have been enjoined, harassed, dismissed, and otherwise mistreated in their attempts to organize and bargain collectively with their employers. Unfortunately, continued efforts by public employees to change intolerable conditions through union organization and collective bargaining are too often limited by repressive legislation and judicial decisions.

A. We urge legislation which would guarantee the right of all public employees to organize and bargain collectively.

B. We support actions that strengthen collective bargaining but reject all proposals that would compel workers in private or public employment to work against their will under terms imposed, directly or indirectly, by government.

Sec. 73. NATIONAL ISSUES

1. The National Labor Relations Act continues to contain Section 14(b) permitting States to restrain union security. We support the concept that states should not be permitted to circumvent the national labor policy by denying unions and employers the freedom to freely negotiate union security clauses in accordance with federal law.

2. We support the adoption of legislation and administrative policies to recognize pregnancy related disabilities as normal employment disabilities covering such job related protection as on the job security, normal sick benefits and insurance commission changes to give proper coverage for at-risk employees.

3. We support the efforts of Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Union (ACTU) in their boycott against JP Stevens products, knowing that this company has willfully mounted an unlawful campaign against their workers who have signed union preference cards.

4. We advocate national policies controlling tariff and import policies on both workers and goods, giving more adequate consideration to Maine workers.

5. We strongly urge all Maine people to purchase American made products, in efforts to retain jobs here in America .

6. We support improved enforcement and administration of federal safety laws in order to insure every worker a safe and healthy workplace.

7. In order to achieve full employment, a basic pre-requisite is an effective and comprehensive employment and training program. We suggest areas that would provide training and employment could be in hospitals and other health care facilities, recreation facilities, sanitation, pollution controls and other activities necessary at the state and community levels.

Sec. 74. STATE ISSUES

1. We support enactment of a law which would re-establish the 12-week penalty waiting period in the voluntary quit and discharge for misconduct sections of the Maine Unemployment Compensation Law.

2. We support legislation revising the so-called “Mini Hatch Act” to give state workers their full political rights as citizens of Maine.

3. We support a labor relations law which could form an effective vehicle by which Maine agricultural employees can exercise their right to organize and bargain collectively. Farm workers need a labor relations law and a strong enforcement mechanism if they are ever going to have the same right to bargain enjoyed by employees in other industries.

4. We support affording unemployment compensation benefits to all public employees, farm workers, and domestic workers now denied benefits.

5. We urge that all state positions authorized by the Legislature be filled within 3 months of their becoming open or vacant.

6. The Democratic Party supports present statutory provisions for collective bargaining which have established stable relationships between teachers and school boards to the benefit of education in this state. Legislation to deprive teachers of negotiating rights now available to them would not serve the best interests of students, teachers, or the public.

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Chapter 8

SOCIAL SERVICES

Sec. 80. PREAMBLE

1. The Maine Democratic Party continues to be the protector of those members of our society who are less fortunate. To this end, we advocate programs and policies that maintain and promote the independence, self-dignity, and self-respect of Maine citizens. We look forward to the day when every citizen has sufficient income so as not to depend upon state and federal welfare programs. Until this goal is attained, however, we must develop a comprehensive system of social service delivery, unlike the present piece-meal approach which is geared toward immediate problem solving without a look to the future. This incremental system tends to cause gaps to develop in programs where those in need do not receive the help they require.

2. Above all else, all social services should be provided in a manner that will enable recipients to gradually attain self-sufficiency without disruption of services.

3. There are numerous general problems in the present social services delivery system which deserve immediate attention:

A. State and private agencies, using present resources, should improve information and referral services to potential recipients so that those in need can avail themselves of programs.

B. The federal, State, and local governments should work together towards a single comprehensive social service system to end the wasteful and inefficient duplication of services that now exists.

C. Lack of adequate housing has been identified as one of Maine ’s major social problems. Government, in cooperation with the private sector, must continue to make available more housing for low and middle income people, with emphasis on the rehabilitation of existing housing facilities.

D. Local governments should have greater participation in the distribution of federal Title XX human services dollars.

Sec. 81. HUMAN SERVICES AND WELFARE

1. The Democratic Party sees the need for reform of the current federal and state welfare systems to better aid those in need of help, while also eliminating any people from taking advantage of the system. We therefore suggest:

A. The Legislature should undertake a careful study of the effect of any national welfare reform package on the State of Maine.

B. The time lag between application for, and receipt of social services, in particular AFDC benefits, should be shortened to a maximum of 30 days.

C. The state and federal governments should take a greater share in the funding of local general assistance so as to relieve the overburdened local property tax.

D. The federal government should assume a greater share of the costs of all human service and welfare related programs.

E. We support the right of all women, regardless of income status, to have medically safe abortion procedures.

Sec. 82. FAMILIES. CHILDREN. AND YOUTH

1. We support the establishment of emergency shelters with adequate staffing to identify and assist victims of family violence.

2. We reaffirm our support of comprehensive day care facilities being made available to every family on the basis of need.

3. We recommend support programs be designed to help mothers, fathers, and expectant parents to better fulfill the responsibilities which accompany parenthood.

4. We support a greater national effort toward job training and placement for displaced homemakers.

Sec. 83. OLDER PEOPLE

1. Our policies toward older people have been geared to their weaknesses and not their strengths. Unfortunately, this has created a feeling of dependence rather than usefulness, for many. We propose the following to remedy this:

A. The recently passed legislation to abolish mandatory retirement in the public sector in Maine should be extended to the private sector by 1979.

B. We favor expanded supportive services which assist older people to remain in their homes and to assist them in functioning independently in their communities.

C. We advocate continued state support of services that reduce the cost of energy, drugs, and housing to older people on fixed incomes.

Sec. 84. HEALTH

1. Maine’s health care system, while improving, has yet to adequately satisfy the need of our rural citizens.

A. We advocate a more active role by the State, using the existing resources of the Maine Health Systems Agency, in surveying the health needs in rural areas. We encourage proper medical education incentive programs to attract physicians and physician extenders to those areas of need. We also encourage local construction of rural health clinics.

B. Because the State of Maine ranks very low nationally in regard to good dental health, we advocate a strong emphasis toward public education and free dental clinics to solve this problem, utilizing existing federal grant programs.

C. We support the development of a health care system which guarantees quality medical care for all Americans regardless of economic or social status.

2. Because, the decisions regarding reproduction are constitutionally guaranteed to the individual and because, the goal of social service agencies is to increase the independence and dignity of Maine’s poor, rather than decrease their choices or block the exercise of their liberties, and because we recognize that the medical and family planning needs of Maine’s poorest citizens should be provided in a fair and non-judgmental manner, we recommend the following:

A. Expanding the guidelines within which the state may provide assistance for any and all family planning decisions, within the scope of the 1973 Supreme Court decision.

Sec. 85. MENTAL HEALTH

1. We believe that the mental health and mental retardation delivery system should be improved in order to ensure that all those with mental health and mental retardation problems can be served.

Sec. 86. CORRECTIONS

1. Maine ’s correctional system has undergone stress during the past few years. To correct those deficiencies:

A. We recommend programs of rehabilitation based on love, acceptance, and fairness for the serious juvenile offender. We strongly urge the wider use of foster homes.

B. We support continued appropriations of seed money to ensure federal matching funds for the Maine Criminal Justice Planning Assistance Agency

2. We recommend alternative sentencing opportunity as, for example, restitution of loss to the offended party.

* * * * *

RESOLUTION

Whereas, Governor James B. Longley has recently endorsed the concept of a constitutional amendment directly relating total State expenditures to some version of total income;

Whereas, this proposal is conceived in an obvious attempt to destroy a tax system on the ability to pay;

Whereas, this proposal if enacted promises to place public employees in direct competition with each other for the limited amount of dollars that would be available:

The Democratic Party of the State of Maine goes on record at this time in opposition to all such constitutional proposals that the the [sic] ability of State Government to be responsive to the needs and priorities of the people of this State.

Source: Maine State Law Library.

COMMITTEE ON PLATFORM AND RESOLUTIONS

Donald J. Parsons, Chairman Linda Dyer, Vice-Chairperson
Robert C Lenna, Vice-Chairperson
Paul I. Bernard, Secretary

AGRICULTURE & MANAGEMENT OF MAINE’S RESOURCES

Linda Dyer, Chairperson
Donna Mundy, Secretary
Lois Haines
Kathryn Moura
Edward Manning
Muriel Vebsky
Michael Gibbs
Donald Dostie
Charles Majors
Harlan Doak
Afton Farrin, Jr.
Ken Tozier
Phyllis Roberts
Woody Jones
Frank Wood

EDUCATION & CULTURE

Mavourneen Thompson, Chairperson
Mark Terison
Carol-lynn Waugh
Judy Curtis
Michael K. McGovern
Louis Golob
Charles Hance
Michael E. King
Marvin Rosenblum
John Lindlof

GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION, PUBLIC FINANCE, & NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Robert O. Lenna, Chairperson
Edward Whittier, Vice-Chairperson
Earl Baldwin, Secretary
Deborah Hibbard
Nancy Kandutsch
Robert Barry, Jr.
Clem Berry

JUSTICE & EQUAL RIGHTS

Mary Beliveau, Chairperson
David Soley
Jane Holmes
Nancy Randall Clark
Bob Hark
Emily Saunders
Ronald Colas

LABOR & MANPOWER

Judy McAllister, Chairperson
Richard Abram, Chairperson
George Hess
Roger Hare
Anne Perkins
Patricia Gorman
Clayton Smith
Charles McEvoy

SOCIAL SERVICES

David Brennerman, Chairperson
Gwen O’Connor, Secretary
Paul T. Bernard
Katie Anderson
Armand Duquette
Jim Matthews
Bill Hodsdon
Betty Herron

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