TAYLOR COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE POSITION ON ISSUES

We believe that it is the Constitutional right of private citizens to own firearms, and that no action can or should be taken that will deny this right.

We believe that a waiting period for the purchase of hand guns and the use of trigger

locks does not infringe on this right, and are reasonable safety measures. Strict enforcement of present gun laws should be implemented to curb violence so rampant

in many of our large cities.

Abortion:

While the law has for the past 31 years held that it is the right of a woman to choose to have an abortion, we feel that this procedure should never be used as strictly a method of birth control. It is a very serious decision, and should be made by the woman only after careful consideration of the after effects, and thoughtful consultation with her conscience, her doctor, and her God, and it should be rare.

Civil Rights:

We believe in the right of every individual to have an equal opportunity to share in the benefits, opportunities, and responsibilities afforded to us by the Constitution, without regard to race or gender.

Taxes:

We believe that the direction the current administration in Washington is taking whereby tax cuts are given primarily to the wealthiest Americans and large Corporations is a giant step in the wrong direction, leading to larger and larger deficits, and has done little or nothing to revitalize the economy. While it is very questionable whether tax cuts of any sort should be made during this military invasion and its attendant costs which at this time cannot be determined, it seems that if tax cuts are made they should be directed to Americans of lower and middle income and to small businesses. Small businesses employ local people, the money is kept locally, and they don't move their operations off shore to avoid taxes.

We do not prescribe to the Republican trickle down theory which says that if you make the rich richer they will take care of the rest of us. In other words, they feel that "the best way to get more food to the birds is to feed the horse more oats."

Welfare:

Health Care:

We are one of a very few industrialized nations in the world that does not provide health care for it's citizens. We feel that this richest nation in the world should be able to provide affordable health care for everyone, offering choice of Doctor to the individual. Bright minds should be able to find a way for us to do this.

Education:

We believe that public education is an extremely important ingredient in the advance­ment of any progressive society. We believe in providing adequate funding for all needed facilities and programs, and in providing teacher's salaries necessary to attract and hold the best and brightest in the teaching field.

Military:

We believe it imperative that we provide funding necessary to allow us to always have the best equipped and best trained fighting forces in the world. We also believe that commitments to our veterans must be kept once they have left service.

Throughout history, the Democratic Party has truly been the party of the people, fighting for fair wages, protection ofworker's rights, advancement and protection of individual rights, for a clean environment, for better pay and benefits for teachers, and strong public schools, for veterans and a strong military, for law enforcement, and for those most likely to be left behind: the sick, the young, and the elderly.

In Summary, we believe that while no one agrees entirely with everything either party supports, the Democratic party more nearly reflects the needs of average Americans. Below are listed some of the accomplishments of Democratic administrations of the past that are worthy of consideration:

• Federal Deposit Insurance (Protects your deposits)
• Social Security Act 
•  Unemployment Relief Act
• Fair Labor Standards Act (Minimum wage & overtime pay over 40 hours/week)
• Rural Electrification Act (Promoted getting electricity to rural areas)
• Aid to Dependent Children
• Small Business Investment Act
• Equal Pay Act

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