Utah County Republican Party Platform (as amended 30 April 2011)

Utah County Republican Party Platform
(as amended 30 April 2011)

http://utahcountygop.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/UCRP-PLATFORM-4...

PREAMBLE
We the members of the Utah County Republican Party do hereby affirm our belief and trust in God and that it was through His intervention that this nation was established. The foundation of our platform is the knowledge that all people are created equal and that the role of government should be limited to protecting and preserving the God-given rights of life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the ownership and control of property. And in order to identify our Party and our elected officials with certain shared values and principles, we do hereby present this platform to convention delegates and the public and invite all who share these values and principles to vote for Republican candidates.

PROPER ROLE OF CITIZENS
Individual responsibility and accountability are necessary for government to operate within the limited powers granted by the divinely inspired Constitution of the United States of America in keeping with the principles established by our Founding Fathers. We believe a society can only remain free when the majority of its members lead spiritually grounded and morally upright lives and are willing to become involved to preserve these values. We support the “Rule of Law” and believe in upholding the law of the land.

PROPER ROLE OF GOVERNMENT
The proper role of government at all levels is to protect each person’s unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; and each individual's right to own and control property. Any other rights or privileges should not be construed or applied in any way to infringe on our God-given unalienable rights.

Freedom of Religion

God is our supreme Sovereign, and the sole source of our rights. We must, therefore, be free to worship Him in public and private. Government should not restrict public prayer or other forms of public religious expression.

Right to Bear Arms

The right of individuals to keep and bear arms must not be infringed.
Support of Local Government

Local governments allow for greater community involvement and are most aware of the needs of the people. Federal regulations of state and local governments should be restricted to powers specifically enumerated in the Constitution of the United States.

Accountable Government

All government officials are accountable to the people. Any government agency or entity that receives public funds must be open to public audit and review. Elected officials are accountable for all taxpayer money and will not delegate appropriation authority to non-elected or appointed entities.

Voter Registration

The Party supports needed legislation to ensure the integrity of the voter registration rolls and to reduce voter fraud.

Fiscal Responsibility

Government at all levels should be required to live within a balanced budget. Increases in government spending should not exceed inflation and population growth.
National Sovereignty

Ours is a sovereign nation governed solely by the Constitution of the United States of America. Our government shall not relinquish its authority to foreign or world powers.

National Defense

We affirm the principle of peace through strength and call for the rebuilding of our armed services to defend our nation. The United States of America should only be involved in armed conflicts when there is a clear and present threat to our safety or vital national interest. It is the right of the United States Congress alone to declare war.

PROPER FORM OF GOVERNMENT
The United States of America is a Compound Constitutional Republic based on the rule of law, representatives elected by sovereign citizens to exercise authority on their behalf, and a system of internal and external checks and balances.

EDUCATION
A well-educated and informed citizenry is essential to the long-term well being of a free society. The primary responsibility for education rests with the student and the family. Parents have the right to choose whether a child is educated in private, public or home schools and government should not infringe on that right. To promote excellence, consumer choice in education should be encouraged. Schools or other government entities should not invade the privacy of parents or their children. We favor local accountability and control in all aspects of the education system. Public schools should abstain from teaching promiscuity in any form.

Higher Education

Funding for Utah’s public higher education institutions should be based on the number of students currently attending that college or university and the type of degrees offered, and not on past history.

ECONOMY
The proper role of government in economic development is to create an environment in which free enterprise, innovation, investment and risk-taking can thrive. In order to create such an environment, we believe the following principles:

Economic Development

Utah's economic growth should be sustained through the principles of free enterprise. We encourage the privatization of public services where appropriate.

Regulation

We oppose excessive and restrictive government regulation. Regulation should be minimized, or eliminated, unless a convincing case can be made that the collective good is clearly improved by such regulation. Regular review of regulatory goals is necessary to insure their effectiveness.

Taxation

Taxation should be as equitable, simple, and minimal as possible. Limited government dictates that taxpayers should keep the majority of their money instead of giving it to government. Utah’s system of taxation has improved and government should continue to refine and improve it. Appropriate tax policy is essential if Utah is to compete globally.

Infrastructure Funding shall be formula based to provide an adequate source of funding to develop and maintain Utah County’s infrastructure. Decisions need to be made now on how to build the necessary infrastructure to handle growth, or future economic development could be lost, and our quality of life rapidly diminished.

ENVIRONMENT
There must be a balance between the economic benefits of growth and the need for clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. We are stewards of the earth, and we should leave our posterity an earth in better condition than we started with. Market forces should be considered when managing environmental issues.

LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUSTICE
Law enforcement agencies and the judiciary should strictly uphold the law in the exercise of their duties and work with citizens to maintain safe communities.

Crime Prevention

The primary defense against crime is stable and responsible family life emphasizing personal accountability and respect for the law. Swift and certain punishments with just and appropriate penalties are essential deterrents to crime.

Victims’ Rights

Victims’ rights are always superior to criminals’ rights. Victims’ right of restitution should be required of criminals.

Judicial System

Each individual is entitled to a trial by jury in both criminal and civil cases. It is the duty of juries to rule on the law as well as the facts of a case. We call upon the judiciary to reestablish this process and to inform juries of this duty. State senators must hold thorough hearings for all judicial nominees, and members of the Judiciary should undergo regular reviews. The results of such reviews should be a matter of public record. We support the appointment of judges who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of human life. Judges should not make statute but apply it.

Juvenile Crime

Juveniles who are charged with a serious violent crime should be tried as adults, acknowledging that in some instances the judicial system must use discretion when dealing with young offenders. We support adult punishment for the conviction of adult crimes. We call for swift, just, and appropriate punishment for adults who aid in the commission of crimes by juveniles.

SOCIAL NEEDS
Family

We believe that marriage consists only of the legal union between a man and a woman and that no other domestic union should be recognized as a marriage or given the same or substantially equal legal effect. Parents have the right to bear children, (or otherwise add children to their families), to determine their own family size, and to determine what is in their best interest without interference from government. We encourage all efforts to strengthen the moral character of our children and oppose policies, practices, and public expressions that degrade humanity and the sanctity of family relationships. We oppose efforts to include sexual orientation as a protected minority.

Protection of Human Life

We affirm the fundamental, unalienable right to life for both the born and the unborn. We oppose using public funds for abortion or to support any organizations that promote abortion. Abortion should be illegal except where the life of the mother is at serious risk, or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. All people should be protected from abuse and exploitation.

Personal Agency and Accountability

Individuals have the primary responsibility for their own welfare. Family, church, and private organizations should provide secondary support when needed. The focus of assistance programs should be the development of self-reliance.

Gambling

We oppose all efforts to legalize gambling in any form.

Pornography

Pornography is destructive to the individual, family, and the community. We support the vigorous prosecution of those who create,distribute, or promote pornographic materials, especially in connection with children. Local communities have the right to establish moral and ethical standards.

IMMIGRATION
We support reforming the immigration system to ensure that it is legal, safe, orderly and humane; as such we support the 2008 National Republican Party Platform under the title of Immigration, National Security, and the Rule of Law. We also support measures to ensure that the immigration system is structured to address the needs of national security. We support efforts to enforce the law while welcoming immigrants who enter America through legal avenues. America is a stronger and better nation because of the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of immigrants. We support the Constitutional mandate for the federal government to protect and secure our national borders. Taxpayers should not be covering state benefits for illegal aliens.

SOCIAL SECURITY
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid have become entitlements far beyond the minimal safety net they were intended to be. We call for urgent and significant entitlement reform which returns to the principles of free-market choice and financial self-reliance,
All Republican elected officials, candidates and party officers are expected to endorse these principles and agree to be held accountable to the people and to the party.

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Comment by Charlotte Ducos on January 2, 2013 at 9:29pm: Hello Dave,

You asked for feedback on any portion of the Party platform. I read through and I do agree with each of the sections and the wording in them. I did want to note that the section on Immigration cites the National platform and says that we support it, but it does not say what the National platform contains in it. I want to voice my personal opinion that the Republican party on a National level, needs to rethink its immigration policy. I agree with the statements in the Utah platform aside from wholehearted support of the national platform. I believe that the Republican party fails to recognize the issue of immigration as a complex issue affecting families. A zero tolerance policy that advocates the deportation of individuals without giving any thought to the effects that deportation will have on legal citizen children or extended families is both unwise and improper in my opinion. We have a LEGAL immigration problem. It should not be illegal for a hardworking individual to come to America and make a life for themselves. Our current legal immigration system makes legal immigration next to impossible for some ethnicities. We are creating generations of illegals because we are failing to give them legal alternatives. I do not support breaking the law, and I am not saying I excuse illegal immigration. I am a supporter of the Utah Compact and believe that we need to look at all angles of this issue and take responsibility as a government for creating a situation where we are punishing individuals when the only law they have broken is an unjust or poorly constructed law that was created by the same government. I do support a zero tolerance policy for illegals who have any kind of criminal record. Wanting a better life for your family should not be a crime. We have given some ethnicities and nationalities no choice but to come illegally. I understand that they do still have the choice not to come at all, but the situation those families live in outside of our country are very often so poor that they do not consider staying where they are a liveable option. Illegal immigration becomes their only option. Why do we need to make it so difficult if they want to come and work and make a life? My husband is an immigrant. The process was long, confusing, frustrating, and expensive. We did it all to the letter, but the system is broken. We need to fix the system. I repeat that it should not be criminal to want a better life for your family. We are no longer a land of opportunity if we will not welcome those who are willing to come and work for their piece of that opportunity.

These are my thoughts on immigration. I hope that regardless of how they match up with yours, you will keep them in mind as you ponder any immigration legislation that comes your way. Thank you for asking input. As always, Charlotte Ducos

Comment by David Lifferth on January 2, 2013 at 9:43pm: Awesome Charlotte! Thank for taking the time to share your thoughts on our messed up immigration system.