* Maine 1988 Republican Platform *
PREAMBLE
The Republican Party of the State of Maine, with reverence for God, pride in our leadership, and confidence in the guiding principles of our party, offers this PLATFORM as a place where all Republicans from every ethnic and racial background, every age and economic level, can STAND to support our commitment to freedom, peace through strength, and equal opportunity for all citizens of Maine and our great nation.
WE BELIEVE:
That the source of our nation’s strength is the right and the freedom of every individual to achieve the highest goal that his creative ability can reach, so long as responsibility and respect for the rights of others are observed.
That government exists to protect and encourage this freedom, to promote its spread throughout the world, to assist those who cannot provide for themselves and to do so at the level closest to the people. It therefore should use restraint in its fiscal and regulatory policies toward individuals and business, while assuring equal opportunity and justice for all.
That the Republican Party has room for new ideas and varying points of view, with a strong commitment to the family unit wherein morality, compassion, and the work ethic can be taught. The Republican Party has the leadership and the opportunity to translate these ideals into successful principles of government.
The Platform Committee recommends:
I. FOREIGN POLICY AND DEFENSE
The Maine Republican Party believes that the prime responsibility of the United States Government is to keep America strong, free and at peace. We urge a continuation of the strategic arms negotiations and support the continued research and development of the Strategic Defense Initiative.
We support the maintenance of a strong conventional land, air and sea defense capability and we strongly oppose the expansion of communism, particularly in this hemisphere.
II. TAXATION AND FISCAL POLICY
The Maine Republican Party commends the Republican leadership which has brought about a strong national economic recovery with much lower inflation and interest rates, without sacrificing necessary defense, and has greatly improved the fairness and equity in our federal tax structure.
We support a balanced budget, by constitutional amendment if necessary, and line-item veto power for both the President and the Governor. We also support full conformity of state and federal income tax structure, and indexing of tax brackets to protect the Maine taxpayer from inflation. We support property tax valuation based on actual current use.
III. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT
The Maine Republican Party supports aggressive marketing of Maine ’s industrial, marine, and agricultural products, as well as efforts to develop new industrial and commercial opportunities, and vigorous promotion of tourism and the arts.
Maine should have a well-planned statewide economic development policy which would encourage private capital investment by eliminating unnecessary regulation, improving the legislative climate, and assisting in finding and training Maine workers. We support increased cooperation between state and local authorities, and the concept of “job opportunity zones” in disadvantaged areas.
Republicans believe in free enterprise; we strongly support small business, entrepreneurs, and the simplification of excessive government regulations.
IV. TRANSPORTATION
Maine Republicans believe an improved public and commercial transportation system of roads, rail, bridges and airports, with special emphasis on economic corridors, rural and collector roads, is vital to the economic health and growth of the state. The development and maintenance of ports, including deepwater port facilities at Eastport, Searsport, and Portland , is no less important.
Transportation across Maine from Eastport to New Hampshire needs improvement; we recommend dedicated user funds for construction and maintenance. We support a review of the toll system for equity and general revenue prospects.
V. MAINE WORKERS
The Maine Republican Party salutes and encourages the Maine worker for high productivity and outstanding work ethic. We support increased attention to safety, and reject discrimination of any kind in the workplace. Efforts to create a dialogue between management and labor are necessary to allow both to compete in an international economy, and Maine ’s future depends on the success of this dialogue.
We commend the Governor’s accomplished reform of the Worker’s Compensation System and his initiatives toward retraining Maine workers for new job opportunities.
Maine Republicans believe that improvement in the position of women workers is of particular importance as their numbers increase and lower-skilled jobs disappear. As our society changes, we must work in partnership with the private sector to ensure affordable, quality child care.
VI. ENERGY, NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
The Maine Republican Party is committed to preserving the special quality of life that Maine residents enjoy. The wise use and protection of our natural resources is essential, as well as eliminating pollution of our land, water, and air.
We consider conservation of our water resources of prime importance to the future of Maine , as well as our forest and agricultural lands which contribute much to the economy of our state.
The Maine Republican Party continues to oppose the use of any Maine land by the Federal government as a high-level nuclear waste site. The disposal of low-level radioactive waste and other hazardous waste produced in Maine should be determined by the people of this state, and not by majority vote of an Interstate Compact. We urge emphasis on recycling and reprocessing as one solution to our waste disposal problems.
We support the safe use of approved chemical treatment for forest and agricultural lands; we support practical efforts and programs to promote the conservation of energy nationwide, including research and development of alternative sources to reduce our dependence on imported oil.
We commend our Governor’s efforts to improve the operations of the Department of Environmental Protection so that it can meet its statutory responsibilities in a fair and timely manner.
We support adequate funding for the Departments of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Conservation, and Agriculture, and recommend that they be reimbursed when called upon to perform other duties such as search and rescue, drug enforcement assistance, and environmental cleanup.
VII. EDUCATION
The Maine Republican Party believes our children are the future and we expect each generation to aspire to greater achievement; we therefore support strong educational standards for both students and teachers, applied at the community level and under local control.
We urge increased emphasis on teaching fundamentals like reading, composition, math, science, and language skills, including self-discipline, citizenship, and free-enterprise economics. We ask the legislature to make an objective review of every aspect of the Education Reform Act of 1984.
We believe that strong vocational and university systems are essential for keeping our talented youth here in Maine , and assuring our cultural and economic progress.
VIII. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Maine Republicans commend the state’s successful educational and informational programs about the dangers of substance abuse. We also support. similar programs on nutrition, safety, child abuse and AIDS.
We encourage protection against the demands of catastrophic illness through private health insurance, and call for objective studies in health care systems to help control the rising costs of such care.
We urge government and the private sector to work together to develop more efficient borne care, transportation, arid other means of assistance to enable our elderly residents to remain independent arid in their homes as long as possible. We also urge exploration of innovative means for improving affordable housing, an increasing problem for the elderly and for many of Maine ’s young families.
The Maine Republican Party believes that those unable to provide for themselves should be assisted by private, community and government resources in a cooperative effort, and that programs administered at the local level are the most efficient. Emergency services and general assistance should be directed toward quickly returning recipients to independent, productive citizenship status with dignity and pride.
Maine Republicans strongly support Maine ’s veterans, particularly in outreach programs for Vietnam veterans, in educational benefits, upgrading rural health care, medical treatment centers, veterans homes and cemeteries.
IX. GOVERNMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
The Maine Republican Party commends the Reagan Administration for attempts to restore decision-making authority to state and local governments.
Maine Republicans strongly support well trained and diligent law enforcement personnel, adequate correctional facilities, and a competent and independent judiciary. We call for an adequate roster of trial judges to guarantee swift justice in civil and criminal cases, and we support the Governor’s efforts to crack down on drug dealers and drunk drivers and to deter repeat offenders from their dangerous behavior.
Source: Copy of the printed platform at the Maine State Law Library.