Minutes of the 43rd District Democrats Precinct Caucus – February 28th, 2006 Meeting at John Marshall High School, 720 Ravenna Blvd. NE Meeting called to order by Chair Richard Kelley at 7:10 p.m. Chair appointed Will Affleck-Asch as Secretary Chair appointed Lisa Steubing as Chair for this Platform Caucus Chair Lisa Steubing appointed Richard Kelley as Parliamentarian CHAIR'S REMARKS – Lisa Steubing We will meet tomorrow, March 1st, at John Marshall High School, at 7:00 p.m. Saturday, March 4th, we will be meeting at the Washington State Trade and Convention Center, to elect delegates to the County and Legislative District Caucus. Elected or appointed PCOs, resident in the Precinct, are automatically elected as Delegates. RULES were read. BREAKOUT SESSIONS 1. Education – Lisa Steubing, room 103 2. Labor, Employment and Immigration – Jennifer Moon 3. Health Care and Social Policy – Neal Traven 4. Election Reform – Charlie Bendock, room 106 BREAKOUT PLATFORM DRAFTING SESSIONS BEGIN BREAKOUT PLATFORM DRAFTING SESSIONS CONCLUDE REPORTS FROM BREAKOUT SESSIONS OF PLATFORM CHANGES: EDUCATION – Lisa Steubing Added: 1. That people of all classes should send their children to public schools and participate in the school system. 2. The primary purpose of a free, universal, public school system in America is to produce informed, curious, reasonable citizens prepared to engage and participate in our democracy. 3. The state's education standards in Mathematics should reflect international standards of achievement in numeracy and critical thinking. Not passed, but worked on: 4. We believe that local governments should be given the authority should be given the authority to supply additional financial resources to our schools to supplement state funding. LABOR, EMPLOYMENT, IMMIGRATION and ECONOMIC JUSTICE – reported by Richard Kelley Economic Justice: Amend 1 to read: 1. No public services should be privatized, outsourced or off-shored. Amend 2 to read: 2. Taxes are an obligation of citizenship paid in order to provide a high quality of life for all. Amend 3 to read: 3. Government should ensure universal access to basic needs and services such as affordable housing, affordable health care, transportation, utilities, and education. Amend 4 to read: 4. In reversing the growing gap between the rich and the poor. Amend 5 to read: 5. In a progressive tax system and one that does not reward businesses which move their operations offshore. Remove the comma in 7. Amend 9 to read: 9. In preserving Social Security as the basic disability and retirement insurance program for all Americans, the core of Americans' retirement planning. We oppose privatization of Social Security. We believe in strengthening the system to ensure that disabled and dependent survivor benefits are fairly and universally maintained, and in continuing to make progress in full coverage of all Americans when they retire or are disabled. Amend 11 to read: 11. In the promotion of research and development in emerging industries. Delete 13 (covered in amended 5 above). Amend 14 to read: 14. In strong consumer protections, including protection from the predatory practices of the payday lending industry. 15. In fully funding Veterans' Benefits Labor: Amend 4 to read: 4. That all employees must receive equal pay for comparable work. Amend 17 to read: 17. In the repeal of the anti-labor Taft-Hartley and state right-to-work laws, which have tilted labor law in favor of employers. Added: 19. in enforcing current laws to keep our borders safe. We believe in recognizing and protecting the basic human rights of immigrants and humane treatment of undocumented persons. We believe in border security which includes fair and humane treatment for all, including undocumented persons. We support equal access to available services, including health care and public education, without discrimination based on immigration status. We support allowing undocumented minors raised and educated in the United States the opportunity to gain access to post-secondary education assistance and to move toward legal status. We oppose using local law enforcement as agents of immigration enforcement. We oppose any effort to deputize, commission, finance, or otherwise encourage the presence of self-appointed vigilante border militia groups in the United States. ELECTION REFORM – Charlie Bendock All platform planks were passed unanimously, as follows: Politics and Election Finance Added: 5. that to reduce the corrupting influence of monetary donations to candidates, pubic campaign finance should be implemented for all public offices. 6. Campaigns should be at public expense. 7. That we should reinstate the Fairness Doctrine for political campaigns, requiring equal time to respond for any broadcast media. Government section Delete 1 and replace with: 1. To insure the integrity and validity of the vote count, all elections must be conducted with voter-verified paper ballots to retain a legible, certifiable record of the actual votes of the people. Add: 2. That any software used to record or count the vote must be annotated open source code, available to the public on request. 3. That all aspects of the vote counting and recording process be completely open to public observance. 4. No part of the voting process should be out-sourced, privatized or handled by an non-public entity. CHAIR BEGS US FOR MONEY Big drama as we are asked to contribute to costs. HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL POLICY – Neal Traven Amend 1 to read: 1. Health Care, including reproductive services, is a basic human right, and that is necessary and proper that government should step in to ensure parity of access to both physical and mental health care for all people because the market has failed to provide it. Amend 2 to read: 2. In the establishment of universal health care coverage with unified funding nationwide. If we cannot accomplish this in the near future, we support establishing universal health care coverage with unified funding for all residents of the state of Washington. Amend 5 to read: 5. Families and loved ones who provide care for individuals with debilitating ailments should be eligible for compensation. Amend 6 to read: 6. Drug and alcohol dependence is an illness and treatment should be available on demand to those who need it, when they need it and for as long as they need it. Amend 7 to read: 7. That regulations and/or laws encouraging stem cell research be enacted in order to facilitate and support medical research. Add: 8. That Medicare Part D should be empowered to bargain for fair pricing of medicines and related products. 9. That licensed pharmacists be required to fill prescriptions as directed by qualified health care providers. We are meeting Tuesday night at Marshall High School and Wednesday at Marshall High School, both at 7 pm, followed on Saturday here, at 2 pm, to elect precinct delegates and alternates to the district and county conventions, review the amendments drafted by the three platform caucuses and circulate copies for discussion prior to action at the April 22nd 43rd District Convention, and debate and vote on resolutions brought in by caucus attendees. GOOD OF THE ORDER 1. Saturday, May 20, 7-10 pm, Washington Pioneer Hall, 43rd District Democrats Spring Party.