Democratic Party Platform 1992

DEFINING PRINCIPLES

We, the members of the Maine Democratic Party, adopt this platform as an affirmation of our belief in Democratic government. Though the issues of the day may change, the principles upon which this party rests remain as relevant today as they were when presented and defended by those who came before us. We are proud that we are the party which led this Nation and this State out of the Great Depression, through the Second World War, in the fight for equal rights for all citizens, and to a concern for maintaining the earth’s fragile environment. We stand today, as we have for generations, on these basic principles:

1. Ours is a government of the people, with the policy preference of participating citizens reflected in the decisions of our elected leaders;

2. Government policies should guarantee to each American adequate health care, safe housing, and necessary human services;

3. All persons should be treated equally and their basic rights guaranteed and protected;

4. We owe it to ourselves, to our children, and to their children to protect our environment and conserve our natural resources;

5. Economic policies should strive toward a full-employment economy, with each worker receiving fair compensation for his or her labor in a safe working environment;

6. Planning for economic development and the encouragement of profitable businesses constitute key elements in striving for a healthy economy;

7. A well-funded, accessible education system is necessary not only to provide opportunities to our young but also to allow for the continued development of our society;

8. Government should be funded through a fair, equitable, and progressive system of taxation that provides adequate funds for needed services;

9. The objective of American foreign policy should be to ensure the security and promote the interests of all of our citizens and to promote the ideals of freedom, peace, democracy, and mutual cooperation and respect throughout the world.

Preamble to the 1992 Platform

The 1992 election will stand as a ‘defining moment” in the history of the State of Maine and of the nation. Citizens will elect leaders and in so doing set our government’s course as we head into the 21st century. The choice could not be clearer.

For the last six years in our state, and for the last twelve years in Washington, the executive branch has been dominated by Republicans who have set a clear agenda: aid the wealthy, restrict citizens’ rights, ignore those in need, wish away pressing problems. They have severely cut or eliminated programs to house the people without homes and to serve the needs of children, the elderly, people with disabilities and people who are disadvantaged. They have reduced support for the educational and other needs of Maine and its municipalities. They have ignored the needs of working people and have attacked their unions. They have packed the courts with judges who regard social and human rights issues with indifference if not downright hostility.

The Democratic Party offers a different course. We are the party of all of the people, of the working class, of the laborer and the farmer, of the citizens who have been devastated by the current recession brought on by the Republicans’ ignoring pressing economic problems. We are also the party whose political leaders have been willing to face tough political problems, not to lie about them or wish them away. And we are also the party of compassion, the party that knows that government exists for the greater good, that we cannot ignore those who need help.

Government in Augusta and in Washington faces difficult choices in the years ahead. But for the voters the choice should be clear. Our party offers principled programs aimed at solving pressing societal problems. We do so with clear understanding that we cannot offer all things to all people; we know that governmental services must be paid for, that priorities must be set. Above all we know that those who govern must be honest to, open with, and reflective of those they serve. The other party has built up unprecedented deficits in Washington and shortfalls in Augusta, while ignoring pressing problems, basing programs on politics not principle, and deceiving the people about the state of both Maine and the nation.

This platform of the Maine State Democratic Party clearly sets out our vision of Maine and the Nation as we face the next century. It is inclusive. It is comprehensive. But it also sets priorities and clearly outlines where a government run by Democrats will serve the people better:

1. We call for the prompt establishment of a universal national health care system, financed by the federal government through a system of progressive taxation;

2. We advocate reform of the workers’ compensation system that protects Maine workers and assists employers;

3. We will push an economic development package that encourages business to profit in Maine and provide more jobs for Maine workers;

4. We renew our commitment to equal rights for all citizens and our opposition to any forms of discrimination;

5. We believe the federal government should be the employer of last resort and that every legal resident of the nation should be entitled to a job, education, or training opportunity.

6. We advocate equal access to the opportunities afforded by quality education, from pre-school through post-secondary, to guarantee our citizens informed, productive, and contributing lives.

7. We will press for a comprehensive review of the tax system in the state and in the Nation, favoring a progressive system that provides enough revenue for needed government policies without overburdening working people or discouraging new investment;

8. We stand firmly for our belief that women’s reproductive rights should not be abridged by intrusive governmental policy;

9. We stand for restructuring the federal budget to reflect the changing international system;

10. We will work toward solving shortfalls in Maine and the budget deficit in the Nation by reordering priorities toward government programs that serve those less able to help themselves—the very young and the very old, the poor, the homeless, the disadvantaged—and away from programs that are wasteful or no longer needed.

On each of these issues, the Republicans have shown their priorities and how they will govern. We can do better. We will do better. With that one promise, the Maine State Democratic Party presents the following detailed platform, in which we acknowledge the problems we face and state clearly the principles on which we will govern and the directions we will pursue.

I. Health. Housing. and Education

The Maine State Democratic Party believes that a government should be judged on its ability to provide for the basic needs of its citizens—for their health care, for their shelter, for their education, for their employment, for the human services necessary to maintain dignity and quality of life. Nothing that government does is more important than action in these areas.

Health Care Our country is in a health care crisis. Thirty-seven million Americans are without health insurance; millions of families are one health care emergency away from fiscal ruin; our senior citizens live in dread of the debilitating illness that will strip them of their life’s savings. We must do better.

Maine Democrats urge prompt establishment of a national health care system, to be administered by the Federal government and paid for through progressive taxation (thus eliminating private insurance premiums and provider billing to individuals), covering all U.S. residents and containing a strong cost-control mechanism. Health care should emphasize preventative maintenance, screening for the early stages of disease, and prenatal care. A better system must be found to govern malpractice suits and insurance.

Today, newly trained physicians often have loan debts so large that they are forced into primary care practices which systematically exclude un-insured and under insured individuals. We support a system for the reduction of student loan debt for physicians who will provide medical services to these medically underserved or un-insured individuals.

We favor increased funding for research, prevention, detection, and treatment of AIDS; an expanded program of public education regarding AIDS; free, voluntary, and confidential ADS testing; and provision of hospice facilities for terminally ill ADS patients, regardless of their age.

Housing Every American has the right to a safe and affordable home in a decent living environment. We call for the institution, improvements and continuation of housing programs for rental units, private ownership, cooperatives, low maintenance elderly housing, and homeless shelters and transitional housing through state-administered direct aid, Maine State Housing Authority programs, and financial aid to private agencies and non-profit groups.

We support legislation to protect mobile home residents from unreasonable rent increases and arbitrary and unfair park rules, and to prohibit discrimination against mobile home residents.

Education Effective education is the foundation of democracy. A life-long learning experience perpetuates a literate culture and guarantees a free, informed, productive, and responsible citizenry.

Through public funding we must provide each student with an equal opportunity for a quality education. In order to make the funding formula equitable for all communities within the state, we advocate an increase in state aid to public schools from 56% to 65%, with revenues from the state lottery designated specially to education, as was the original intent.

Salaries of educators must reflect the importance of the profession and must at least be consistent with Maine’s economic ranking in the nation.

We must support the University of Maine system and the vocational-technical colleges through sustained funding for programs, development, research, and salaries for our teaching professionals. Student assistance programs must be expanded to enable all qualified students to take advantage of post-secondary studies. We further support a national trust fund from which students can borrow for a college education, so long as they repay their loans either as a small percentage of future income or with an appropriate number of years of voluntary national service.

We demand full funding for all federal and state mandates and urge expansion of federal support for early education programs, such as Headstart.

We urge continuation of strong support for public radio and television, libraries, museums, historical preservation organizations, art organizations, and the like as educational and cultural tools.

Curricula and program, including assessment and other forms of diagnostic testing, must be developed and implemented, to insure each student’s educational development according to individual needs. Included must be programs to teach parenting skills from pre-natal through adolescence, opportunities such as on-the-job experience and involvement in direct community service, and labor education to raise public awareness of the contribution made by all Maine workers to the quality of life in this state.

II Human Services

The Maine State Democratic Party believes that the provision of basic human services to those in need is one of the most important functions of government at all levels.

The Department of Human Services must be made to function more effectively through responsible leadership and programs to foster independence and initiative. Personnel must be increased, to assure that cases, especially those of child abuse and neglect, are addressed in a more timely manner. There must be simplification of forms and establishment of direct lines of communication for information and help. We must supply sufficient funding for support and enforcement of the program for collecting delinquent child support payments.

Children We must provide prenatal care and education throughout pregnancy to reduce infant mortality and birth defects. We must promote healthy families by providing appropriate family support systems on a voluntary basis and in a timely manner when intervention is necessary. We must establish subsidies and other incentives for quality day care to be provided by social agencies, employers, and private agencies. We must initiate additional programs to address child abuse and neglect.

We must increase services to aid youth who have an emotional and/or behavioral disability; provide shelters, support, and counseling for youth without homes; and increase financial support for children in foster care, as well as counseling for foster parents.

The Elderly We propose increased funding for home-based and/or nursing home care; state income tax credits or deductions for those who provide vital services; state income tax credits or deductions for insurance premiums for long-term care; and increased incentives to attract and retain nurses and other professional and non-professional health care workers.

People with Mental Illness and People with Other Disabilities We urge continued support and, where needed, expansion of the system of regional mental health centers to provide prompt, adequate services to all who need them; high quality and frequently monitored care at the state mental health institutions; and increase in the number of group homes for both the people with chronic mental illness and/or other disabilities; and an increase in day programs, vocational opportunities, and similar support programs.

We call for the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation and the Governor’s office to cease its immediate plans and procedures to close Pineland Center and to downsize Augusta Mental Health Institute and Bangor Mental Health Institute and instead, actively and immediately involve all affected parties in planning for the delivery of services now being provided by Pineland Center, Augusta Mental Health Institute and Bangor Mental Health Institute. Affected parties should include, but not be limited to consumers, parents and guardians, community providers, staff of services, other interested parties, and the department.

Substance Abuse To combat the scourge of drug abuse, we propose substance abuse education programs for grades K through 12; provision of a full range of treatment and rehabilitation services, publicly funded for those in need, for those afflicted by abuse; and increased funding for residential treatment programs, halfway houses, counseling, and employment services. We favor license suspension and mandatory rehabilitation programs for those convicted of driving under the influence. We are opposed to arbitrary drug testing of the general public.

To combat the scourge of drug abuse including tobacco and alcohol, we propose substance education programs for grades K through 12; provisions for a full range of treatment and rehabilitation services, publicly funded for those in need, for those afflicted by substance abuse; and increased funding for residential treatment programs, halfway houses, counseling, and employment services. We favor the license suspension and mandatory rehabilitation programs for those convicted of driving under the influence. We are opposed to arbitrary drug testing of the general public. Since smoking is the leading cause of preventable premature death, we strongly support efforts toward making Maine a smoke-free society by the year 2000.

Ill. Labor

The Maine Democratic Party is the party of working people. Currently our labor laws, in contrast to those of every other industrial democracy, fail to protect workers’ right to organize, to protect gains made in the past, and to improve their status in the future. As a result, at least 35 million Americans live in poverty; real wages have declined since 1980. In Maine the Republicans seek to balance the state budget on the backs of state employees, a policy we vehemently oppose. We similarly disapprove of the Governor’s treatment of state employees and of his blaming state employees for his own ineptness in handling the current economic crisis.

Workers’ Compensation We advocate creation of a state-run workers’ compensation insurance system, incorporating aspects of systems that are currently operating successfully in other states. The system should link workers’ compensation rates for employers to the safety records of those employers; should financially assist employers to meet safety standards; should include the right of reinstatement to the previous job or equivalent; should retrain workers for jobs of equivalent levels of pay, with the difference made up by the employer; and should restore all rights lost. Any proposal to reduce health and disability benefits available to injured workers on the basis of physical disability, pre­existing condition, age or gender should be vigorously opposed as a violation of principles of the Democratic party; and we condemn and vigorously oppose a renewal of the failed petition drive to force enactment of the so-called “Superman Law.”

Workers’ Health and Safety We advocate state legislation with adequate funding for workplace health and safety programs, including inspections of both public and private sector employers. We support the right of employees to refuse to perform duties that a reasonable person would consider a threat to health and safety. We also support restoration of the right to sue in the case of employer negligence. We advocate state and federal penalties for workplace aggravated assault in cases of injuries resulting from employers’ intentional, willful disregard of OSHA standards.

The medical leave act should be improved to include continuation of health insurance benefits during leave.

We advocate increased penalties for sexual harassment in the workplace and greater employer responsibility to educate employees about harassment.

We urge legislation guaranteeing workers’ participation in the development of a leading workplace program to control and minimize the use of toxics.

Improved Standard of Living We support increasing and maintaining the federal and state minimum wage at a realistic living wage; strengthening the federal and Maine’s plant closure and severance pay laws to make clear that parent companies and their successor companies are liable for the severance pay obligation of employees of corporate subsidiaries; and providing adequate funding for federal and state job retraining programs for permanently laid-off workers to give them realistic job skills.

We support the $9.9 million job training bond issue to be voted upon in November to provide tuition expenses at the Maine Technical College System for up to 3,000 unemployed Maine residents that will produce $194 million in wages and more then $9.7 million in income and sales tax revenues within 4 years following implementation of this program.

We also support efforts to make the private pension system more responsive to the needs of workers through expanded pension coverage, sufficient funding for such plans, and restrictions on the use of those assets for non-pension purposes.

We call for creation of federal and state public-works jobs in infrastructure development and other areas of unmet public need.

Discrimination We support all efforts in the public and private sectors to end employment and pay discrimination based on gender, age, minority group membership, disability, religious preference, or sexual preference; to strengthen Maine’s comparable worth law, and to enact such legislation on the federal level; and to redress inequities through affirmative action programs.

Rights of Public Sector Workers We must modify current laws to provide federal and state workers with expanded organizing and bargaining rights; to provide for the right to binding arbitration on all issues in contract negotiations; and to create meaningful penalties against federal or state managers who commit unfair labor practices. We must clarify the federal and state right to agency shop/fair share. We must take the necessary steps to assure that collective bargaining agreements cannot be infringed by either the Governor or the Legislature.

We support a prohibition of contracting out of public employee jobs. We support full-funding of health insurance for retired school employees and retired state employees. We are opposed to raids on the funds of the Maine State Retirement System. We support the repeal of any federal law that restricts the political rights of public employees.

We support reform of state law to ensure that contracts for state services which are contracted to the private sector shall provide that all employees be covered with health, welfare, and pension benefits at least equal to those covering state employees.

Collective Bargaining and Peaceful Resolution of Disputes We must strengthen the laws outlawing professional strike breaking and strike-breaking companies, provide unemployment insurance to locked out workers; prevent employers from engaging in tactics intended to incite violence; and pass legislation outlawing the permanent replacement of striking workers.

The federal labor laws must be amended to eliminate equalities between the rights of workers and the power of employers by eliminating so-called double-breasted employers, allowing employees to express their will through successful organizing and bargaining, preventing employers from interfering with employees’ rights by discrimination and discharge, and preventing the hiring of replacement workers during labor disputes.

Part-Time Employees must have the right to receive the same benefits on a pro rata basis as are offered to full-time employees.

Drugs in the Workplace We call for reform of the current state laws on workplace drug testing to provide more adequate protection of employee rights while insuring public safety and employer interests. Workplace education and employee assistance programs must be implemented which protect the worker’s confidentiality. Treatment and rehabilitation, rather than discipline, must be the primary means of correcting problems of substance abuse.

Day Care We call for development of affordable and accessible, quality day care to meet the needs of working families, and federal legislation to provide standards and assistance in the provision of day care centers.

Lost Jobs We must pass legislation to prevent jobs from being shipped out of the country through unfair trade practices. Fair trade practices must be mandated for corporations to continue doing business in the United States so that they can no longer arbitrarily close companies in the United States and send American jobs to foreign countries strictly for profit. Reforming unfair IRS Tax Laws such as IRS Law 936 allowing companies to do business in Puerto Rico at a tax exempt status should be repealed.

We must pass legislation to provide for the planning (through local committees with labor, management, and community representation) and implementation of conversion of military production facilities and bases that are to be closed to productive civilian use in such a way as to maintain jobs at equal or better skill and pay levels and minimize the social disruption to the local community. Any conversion legislation must mandate and fund advance planning committees of management, labor, and community representatives.

IV. Agriculture

We must encourage and provide appropriate incentives for those Mainers working in agriculture.

Family Farms We must promote policies to stem the tide of selling or of conversion of small farms to larger farms or to non-agricultural uses. We must promote and protect small farms and farm co-ops and develop policies that enable small farms and family farms to survive financially. We must create local marketplaces and means for local farmers to transport their goods to such marketplaces.

Agricultural Lands We advocate revision of the Maine Constitution to allow local communities to create incentives that may exceed state incentives to protect open space and operating farms. We must promote land-use planning as a means to protect open spaces, natural resources, and agricultural lands. To this end we favor development of a graduated speculation tax, designed to reduce speculative land buying that parcels up or reduces our open spaces and natural resources and removes agricultural lands from production.

V. Economic Development

We believe that the State has an obligation to create and retain quality jobs for Maine people through economic development that is in keeping with Maine traditions and with the natural and human resources that make our state unique. Funding for the Department of Economic Development must be increased to a level that will enable us to plan proactively to make our state competitive in the market place. This means outreach programs that will employ our scientific and technological expertise to identify a diverse economic base appropriate to each region’s needs and strengths, while encouraging healthy competition, innovation, export of Maine products, and initiative at the local level. Development must be sustainable and must not jeopardize the ability of future generations to meet their own needs with equity and justice.

We support the $79 million job creation – job preservation bond issue to be voted upon in June that will create and save more than 4,440 jobs and generate more than $47.4 million in new wages and more than $36.7 million in sales tax and other revenues.

Planning for a Strong Economy We must implement and fully fund comprehensive planning laws to help local communities plan for their future. We must work with Maine communities, business, and labor to explore conversion of defense-spending-dependent industries to peacetime economy enterprises. We must fund economic development efforts that emphasize year-round, high-wage employment opportunities not only for today but also for tomorrow.

We support recently enacted legislation creating the Economic Development and Business Assistance Coordinating Council to facilitate and coordinate regional economic development strategies and to coordinate economic development organizations throughout the state.

Development Policies and Commerce We must provide access for Maine producers to domestic and foreign markets. We must promote Maine products in Maine, in the U.S., and in overseas markets through a State-sponsored “Made in Maine, USA” marketing program. We must develop an affordable and accessible state-of-the-art telecommunications system.

We advocate tax incentives only for enterprises that offer tangible benefits to the State of Maine, with priority to economically depressed regions of Maine. We urge a tax to discourage short-term speculative investment.

We must promote worker-owned and -operated businesses and cooperatives. We must defend our communities from corporate abandonment by funding feasibility studies and takeover loans for worker-owned companies.

We support a more active role in promoting intrastate tourism, especially in counties such as Aroostook, Washington, and Oxford Counties.

VI. Transportation

The Maine State Democratic Party supports transportation systems that will ensure a sustainable economic future, will provide balanced options for the movement of people and goods throughout our State, and will reverse the tendency of transportation systems to have a negative impact on our health, on our unique communities, and on our natural resources.

Goals of a Transportation Policy Maine’s transportation policy and operations must promote transportation that is energy-efficient and that will minimize the harmful effects of transportation on public health, air and water quality, and other natural resources. We must reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and single-occupant automobile travel. We must reduce our reliance on new highway building by making better use of existing roads and by developing strong traffic demand management, transit/intermodal systems. We must provide the best modern, statewide passenger rail system that will serve our residents, workers, and tourists, that will tie to local transit, bicycle, and water systems, and that will effectively link us with Canada and our Nation.

Maine’s transportation plan must harmonize with the goals of existing local comprehensive plans and must promote land-use planning. Our transportation must be diversified to meet the needs of both urban and rural populations and the unique mobility requirements of the elderly and disabled, including improved public transportation between major employment centers and rural areas of the state where needed. We must arrange for public participation in decisions relation to transportation capital investment, planning, and projects.

VII. Human Rights and Justice System

The Maine State Democratic Party is committed to the principle that all persons are equal, and we oppose any discrimination against any person. We encourage the promotion of economic opportunities for all persons, and we are particularly concerned by the degree of discrimination still existing in both the public and private sectors. Under the laws of a just society the government must share responsibility for the care of the disadvantaged and the disenfranchised.

Human Rights We support an Equal Rights Amendment to the Maine Constitution and the United States Constitution, to be worded as follows: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged on account of sex.” Similarly, we support an amendment to the Maine Human Rights Act to extend protection from discrimination to gay men and lesbians in the areas of housing, employment, public accommodations, and credit. Further, we oppose all AIDS-related discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, health care, and education.

We demand that every woman have the right to birth control information and counseling and access to abortion, regardless of income, recognizing that reproductive choice is a matter of personal conscience and should not be further regulated by government. We call for adequate funding for shelters and counseling for victims of domestic violence, rape, child abuse, elderly abuse, and abandonment.

The Justice System We remain unalterably opposed to capital punishment in the State of Maine and in the Nation. We support additional funding for rehabilitation services, psychological services, substance abuse treatment, and vocational training in prisons, correctional centers, and youth centers. We also support research and implementation of alternatives to incarceration for offenders, with follow-up services.

We call for establishment of a Family Court System. We seek legislation calling for on-scene arrest and jail sentences for perpetrators of crimes of domestic violence. We favor implementation of inter-state agreements by appropriate agencies to force payment of child support orders.

We favor continuation, with appropriate funding, of legal services for any individuals with limited income, including juveniles, as a means of promoting equal justice under law.

We favor implementation of a seven-day waiting period for the purchase of handguns in Maine. We call for mandated collection of statistics on crimes of violence motivated by hate or prejudice.

We call for the Department of Corrections and the Governor’s office to immediately cease efforts to privatize the Maine Youth Center, and affirm that operation of all state corrections facilities should remain directly in the hands of the state.

VIII. Natural Resources and the Environment

The Maine Democratic Party believes that our economic health and the future of our State depend on sound management of our natural resources and protection of our environment. Tourism, recreation, agriculture, shellfishing, and industries based on renewable resources all rely on our constant vigilance for their survival.

Conservation We support continuation of recycling legislation, with enhanced recycling goals. We urge legislation to stimulate the market for diverse recycled products. We support a ban on non-recyclable containers, as well as on Styrofoam packaging and products and chloro-fluorocarbons that produce substances that deplete the ozone layer. Likewise we urge a reduction in the burning of fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. We support educational efforts and incentives for towns and cities to institute recycling efforts.

The U.S. Government should encourage conservation of oil by consuming less oil instead of depleting oil reserves by exploration and drilling for oil in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and in other places where such activities could damage environmentally sensitive areas by the inevitable accidental oil spills.

We must maintain water conservation policies to provide for the purity of our water resources now and into the future. We must promote systems that enable thorough source separation and conversion of water materials generated in our state into recycled, reclaimed, and composted materials that are compatible with sustaining our environment.

Marine Resources We must vigorously and aggressively protect Maine’s lakes, aquifers, and marine resources. In order to ensure safe drinking water and in order to protect all of our fisheries, including coastal water fisheries, clam and shellfish beds, and other tidal area fisheries, we support a statewide testing program for all water sources—especially coastal waters and public water sources—for possible contamination and in order to locate the sources of any pollutants found.

We must promote management practices which will protect and sustain Maine Fisheries and the jobs which depend on them, vital components of Maine’s economy. Current commercial fishing practices such as gill netting and shellfish dragging deplete fisheries, destroy marine habitats, and needlessly kill marine mammals. We must encourage conversion to practices such as long lining, trapping and aquaculture. We must examine exports of fish products for their potential impact on fisheries depletion. We must consider the creation of marine wildlife sanctuaries off-shore.

Forest Resources We support vigorous and aggressive enforcement of laws and regulations that require sound forest management practices, including the concept of biodiversity. We urge the prohibition of massive deforestation—through international agreements and understandings—that contributes to global warming and acid rain. We advocate maintaining the maximum number of processes toward finished products from our raw materials before they leave the state, thus putting to maximum use both our labor pool and our raw materials.

Energy. We urge establishment of a commission, composed of public and private sector representatives, to identify and solicit sources for Maine’s present and future energy needs.

We must effectively manage all power production, including cogeneration and small power production commonly found in Maine. There must be extensive research into the health risks related to any power project now or in the future, including Maine Yankee and the proposed A.E.S. coal power plants in Bucksport.

We call for a statewide moratorium on construction of large coal-fired facilities in the absence of an international treaty on global warming, a national energy plan adopted by Congress, and a long-range state energy plan.

We favor shutting down the aging Maine Yankee Power Plant as soon as possible and not allowing the upcoming retrofitting of the facility. We favor repeal of the Price-Anderson Act, which limits producer liability for nuclear power plant accidents. We oppose new construction of nuclear power plants in Maine and in the United States.

We must adopt energy conservation, incentives; incentives for use of wind, water, and passive or active solar power; and educational programs to pursue standardized alternatives.

We advocate that the U.S. Government sponsor Research and Development (R&D) on alternate sources of energy such as active and passive solar energy, wind energy, ethanol, hydrogen, and battery powered automobiles, and promote such R&D in the private sector by tax incentives. Funding for this R&D will come from the peace dividends which will result from decreased funding for military R&D.

Waste Management We must promote greater research efforts to develop safe ways to dispose of the wastes that our country produces, including toxic, nuclear, and municipal wastes. We support sources reduction legislation that educates, gives technical and monetary assistance to, and regulates the producers of hazardous waste. We advocate a requirement that corporations doing business in Maine and owning their own waste facilities be held liable for any cleanups or accidents at such facilities.

We strongly recommend the Maine Low Level Radioactive Waste Authority must adopt a set of consistent rules for site selection approved by the Attorney General’s Office that are at least as strict as those mandated by the EPA for Hazardous Waste Sites; before any final LLRW sites can be finalized.

Environmental Protection We support a comprehensive environmental education program, including field experience opportunities, that can be integrated into the curriculum, K-12. We must provide teaching materials to our schools that emphasize the importance of the environment.

We advocate that the D.E.P. retain its present level of funding and not be integrated into any other department, despite the economic climate of the state.

We support “trading debt for nature swaps” through which environmentally critical lands can be protected throughout the world. We advocate a policy through which a specified percentage of cars produced by a manufacturer must be non-gasoline-powered by the year 2000 (as is currently the policy in California).

Clean Air We urge our Congressional delegation to continue their vigorous efforts to cause the federal ozone standard to be lowered to the State of Maine standard in order to hasten the day when bad air from elsewhere will cease to be a terrible burden on the health of the inhabitants of coastal Maine.

Agriculture We must support a sustainable agricultural policy that requires ecologically sound, non-polluting practices; renews and develops healthy soil, clean air, and clean water; conserves energy; and minimizes toxins.

We advocate promotion of and assistance with organic farming methods. We must assist in marketing organic goods, so that consumers can more easily know which goods are chemical-free.

We favor protection of wetland areas and incentives for farmers and landowners to maintain them. We must manage runoff from farms, to protect pollution of wetlands. We must prohibit the discharge of raw sewage.

Animal Rights We support withholding federal funds from any project that proposes to treat animals inhumanely or subjects animals to unnecessary invasive, painful, or potentially lethal procedures, for any purpose other than the direct safeguard of human health or life.

IX. Government Organization

The Maine Democratic Party reaffirms the important role public service plays in the lives of all Maine citizens. We believe that the organization of our government requires constant vigilance, to assure that public officials are responsive to the citizenry. However, change for the sake of change benefits no one.

Organization of Government We support the adoption of an amendment to the State Constitution providing for the recall of elective public officials. The recall procedure should not be initiated for frivolous reasons, but in clearly defined cases of malfeasance, misfeasance, or violation of oath of office by a public official.

We advocate increased municipal control over county budgets.

We advocate full state financing of any municipal programs that are mandated by state law. We call for a review of all present state mandates that place the primary of exclusive financial burden on municipalities, with the expectation that all non-funded mandates be made optional, thus easing the financial burden placed on property tax payers.

Legislative Branch We oppose limiting the tenure of elected officials, since term limits deprive the government of the services of experienced politicians, leaving legislative bodies vulnerable to undue influence by unelected staff and special interest lobbyists. More fundamentally, term limits are undemocratic, since they deprive the voters of their basic right to choose between experienced and inexperienced candidates. The proper way to get rid of an undesirable incumbent is to defeat him or her at the polls.

We strongly support “Full Disclosure for paid Lobbyists”, both on State and Federal levels. This disclosure shall include but not be limited to; ID badges, how much money a lobbyist spends on a bill, and who a lobbyist spends money on while lobbying for or against a bill.

Electoral Process We advocate moving the date of the non-presidential primary election from June to September. We also advocate the imposition of meaningful campaign spending limitations on all candidates for elective office.

The Federal Government Honoraria or gifts of substance should be banned at the national level of government.

We advocate repeal of the Hatch Act.

We support statehood for the District of Columbia.

We advocate that there should be a U.S. Government agency – which is independent of the Department of Defense (DOD) – responsible for planning tests and analyzing test results relating to new weapon systems to verify the extent to which such weapon systems meet the intended improvements over older weapon system. This agency and the responsible DOD project engineer will cooperate with each other in the planning and evaluation. The agency will report the uncensored test results and their evaluation to both the executive department and to the appropriate congressional committees.

X. Taxes

The Maine Democratic Party supports a total review of the tax structure, including but not limited to the proportions of funds raised from sales, income, and property taxes and the current components of those taxes, particularly the snack tax and the corporate tax exemptions. We call for a similar comprehensive review of the federal tax structure, including the Social Security system.

We call for making any changes in the tax structure progressive in nature. We oppose regressive means such as sales and fuel taxes, that unfairly burden low income people or people living and working in certain regions of the state or country.

Tax System We call for elimination of the restriction on deductibility of IRA’s. We oppose any preferential tax rate on capital gains, unless reinvested within a specified time and in a way directly linked to job creation.

Social Security and Related Funds We support a strong Social Security system with cost-of-living adjustments. We oppose any proposals, such as funding other programs from this fund, that would weaken the long-term commitments of the system.

We support a similar commitment, with cost-of-living adjustments, to those other retirement systems for which the Federal government is responsible, including those which pertain to government employees. We also support a like commitment to the Maine Retirement Fund, especially during the current budget crisis.

XI. International Security

The Maine State Democratic Party believes that the primary objectives of the United States foreign policy are to ensure and promote the security and interests of the American people and to advance the ideals of freedom, peace, and democracy in the world. This requires maintenance of strong and up-to-date armed forces capable of deterring and, if necessary, prevailing against any threat to the physical security of the United States. However, we also recognize that in the present world climate, especially with the end of the Cold War, threats to American security are becoming increasingly non-military in nature. And problems at home that also affect our security persist.

Therefore, we call for a massive shift in federal budget priorities to respond to our nation’s real security needs in the post-Cold War era. Specifically, we call for an end to the expenditure of US tax dollars for the defense of Western Europe and an end to the continued production and testing of new nuclear weapons systems. We call for the reduction of the US military budget by at least 50% in the next five years. We call for redirection of the money saved by these cuts to the purposes of rebuilding our economy, meeting human needs, protecting and restoring the environment, reducing the federal deficit, and assisting demobilized troops and defense-dependent industries, workers, and communities as they shift from military to civilian enterprise.

The increasing dependence of our nation’s economy on the strength and openness of the world’s economy, the persistence of poverty on a global scale, an ever-expanding population, recurrent famine in Asia and Africa, and the impending ecological catastrophe force us to acknowledge the futility of basing our national security on military might alone. We must upgrade our concerns over non-military threats to American security and place them on a par with military ones, for we recognize that, ultimately, the peoples of the world will either learn to prosper together or perish together.

International Organizations We must support and work to improve the effectiveness of such international organizations as the United Nations and the World Court, dealing with such issues as veto power in the Security Council, voting power in the General Assembly, and jurisdiction of the World Court. We must work within the framework of these organizations to deter aggression, using diplomatic and economic means whenever possible. War must always be a last resort, after all other means have clearly failed.

Control of Arms Sales We should support the agreement among the five permanent Security Council members to limit their sales of conventional weapons to other countries. We advocate extension of the agreement to cover sales by all countries and to establish verification procedures. We should also support sanctions against any country that violates the agreement. Our own government must exercise greater vigilance to prevent illegal arms sales by American companies, and violators should be prohibited form selling products of any kind in our domestic market.

Disarmament We support efforts to achieve a worldwide moratorium on nuclear weapons testing. We support worldwide negotiations for the elimination of all nuclear, chemical and biological warfare weapons and of facilities for their production.

Use of Force We must encourage the negotiated settlement of disputes, whether between nations or within a single nation. We support the use of such means as United Nations peacekeeping forces and supervised referendums. We encourage reconciliation and cooperation among estranged ethnic or religious groups, recognizing that all peoples are deserving of respect and that some nations were constructed arbitrarily and without the consent of the inhabitants.

Human Rights Human rights’ records of countries which receive American aid should be considered an important factor in determining the continuation or level of that aid.

War Powers Act We support enforcement and strengthening of the War Powers Act. SDI We oppose any testing or deployment of the Star Wars program

Democracy If the U.S. is to maintain its leadership in the cause of world peace and democracy we must avoid any and all attempts to undermine or overthrow the elected governments of other countries. Intelligence agencies must confine their activities to intelligence gathering only. We believe that the CIA should be disbanded and our intelligence needs rethought outside of the Cold War institutional bias.

We believe that our national interests were jeopardized by excessive press restrictions during the US invasion of Grenada, the US Invasion of Panama, and the US operations in the Persian Gulf. Accordingly, we call upon Congress to strengthen the ability of our media to report on military actions in a full and timely fashion with appropriate safeguards for the security of operations and personnel.

Cruise Missiles We urge our elected representatives to do everything in their power to halt the testing of Cruise missiles over Maine and other areas of population.

Draft Registration and Public Service We support the repeal of draft registration.

We support a period of one year of public service by all citizens between the ages 18 and 25.

XII. International Trade

Opening Foreign Markets Our government should foster conditions in which American businesses and workers can compete effectively in global trade. Unfortunately two successive Republican administrations have failed to safeguard this vital component of our economic security. Massive trade deficits and the steady export of American jobs abroad paint a dismal picture of economic abandonment by the Bush Administration in matters of foreign trade. Nations which enjoy free access to their markets. Penalties for failure to abide by free and fair trade principles should be commensurate with the magnitude of the offense, with special consideration given to the effect of unfair trading practices upon American workers.

International Trade Agreements The Maine Democratic Party recognizes that the United States cannot dictate trade policy to the world. We support American participation in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) as it seeks to lower trade barriers and eliminate unfair subsidies. Bilateral negotiations such as the United States and Canada and the United States and Mexico Free Trade Initiatives as well as efforts to create a North American trade zone should be approached in such a way that the security of the American worker and environmental safeguards are not jeopardized.

XIII. Global Environment

International Safeguards for the Environment Maine Democrats agree that the environmental record of George Bush has been a travesty and that we must work to improve upon it. The United States must take a more active role in promoting international agreements that take immediate and effective actions against practices such as the production of chloro-fluorcarbons, the burning of fossil fuels, and massive deforestation—practices which produce substances that deplete the ozone layer and contribute to global warming through the greenhouse effect or cause acid rain.

Birth Control Many of the strains on the environment (global warming, destruction of the rain forests, acid rain) are a direct result of population pressure. The United States should cooperate with other nations toward the stabilization of the world’s population. The right of third world women to family planning access should not be a pawn of the foreign policy of the United States.

Products We support halting the sale abroad of environmentally damaging products and dangerous consumer items which are illegal in the U.S.

AIDS We support existing international organizations addressing the AIDS crisis.

Taxes We urge a smokestack tax on facilities producing airborne pollutants that contribute to acid rain.

XIV. Special Foreign Policy Concerns

We have the following concerns applicable to particular areas of the world:

Eastern Europe We applaud the courage of the Soviet and other eastern European peoples in freeing themselves from dictatorship, and we rejoice in the progress they have made towards the achievement of democracy. We pledge our assistance and cooperation as these countries strive toward democratic futures.

Middle East Months of diplomacy reached fruition with the opening of the Middle East peace talks in Madrid and historic face-to-face negotiations between Israel and a joint Jordanian-Palestinian delegation, Israel and Syria , and Israel and Lebanon . For the first time since President Carter’s Camp David Initiative real opportunities for Middle East peace exist.

We believe that the goal of American foreign policy should be to maintain the momentum in the peace process and to allow those involved in the negotiations to work toward true and enduring peace. An enduring peace can only result if those living in the region are convinced that their security and their rights are established and preserved. Such a solution cannot be imposed from the outside but must be agreed to by the participants. Thus, while many Americans share a vision and hope of a peaceful Middle East, the appropriate role for our government is to allow the negotiations to proceed with our support but not our interference.

South Africa We are cautiously optimistic about the apparent willingness of some within the white minority regime to turn back from the dead end of apartheid and begin the journey towards abolition of the racist system and the establishment of equal rights for all South Africans. We support negotiations for a new constitution and for elections in which all South Africans can freely participate. Sanctions against South Africa should be removed only as the minority regime makes substantial progress towards these goals.

Asia We must send a strong message to the Chinese government that we cannot condone its treatment of its people. We support economic sanctions aimed at freezing exports to China at the level that existed on the date of the Tiananmen Square massacre. We support sanctions to reduce the massive trade deficit that we are currently inflicting on ourselves as China’s largest trading partner.

We believe that the US should work vigorously through the United Nations to reverse the illegal annexation of East Timor by Indonesia .

We believe that the US should work through the United Nations to free Tibet from China

Latin America We respect the desire for self-determination on the part of the people of Central America and the Caribbean .

We oppose the forced deportation of Haitian refugees and call for Haitian refugees to be treated fairly under our system of justice.

Source: Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library