Who We Are

The PAA is a group of progressives in the southeast Texas area who work together on issues of common interest, although we want to work with individuals and groups in other areas, too.

We are Democrats, Greens, and independents. We welcome all who want to work for peaceful, progressive change, regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof. Many of us are also active in our political parties, but the PAA is issue-oriented, and we don't mind supporting or criticizing candidates and office holders of any political party when they deserve it.
Our goals are summarized in the PAA Issues listing below.

Why the three words in our organization name?

• The term "Progressive" goes beyond the traditional "liberal" concept of promoting social justice, by also including economic justice issues. For example, we believe that working for non-discrimination in employment is not enough, if our jobs are being exported to other countries that do not enforce standards in working conditions or the environment. Working for the right to choose your own health care provider won't help if health care is only available to those eligible for (and who can afford) good medical insurance or if your insurance company won't cover your particular medical condition.
• We like the term "Action" because we believe in doing more than thinking, talking, complaining, and forwarding e-mails. We believe in constructive, non-violent action to promote social change.
• We're an "Alliance" because we know we can accomplish more by working with those in other groups. We're involved with other organizations that support one or more progressive issues. We want to connect such organizations together by networking and promoting each other's activities and issues, so we can be a more effective political force. We want to reverse the "divided and conquered" mode that we're in.

Get Involved!

Several action groups / committees exist to promote issues we care about. Information about joining our mailing lists and upcoming events for each area of interest are below.  

• Department of Peace
• Election Reform
• Empire Building
• Environment
• Houston Social Forum
• Impeach
• Media Reform
• Truth in Recruiting
• Webteam

PAA Issues and Resolutions

Abolish the Death Penalty in Texas..


To get a copy of this resolution formatted for printing, so you can take it with you to your precinct convention, click on the link in the Attachment box below.



WHEREAS Texas leads the country in executions, having put to death 405 people since the death penalty was reinstated, over one third of all US executions, and

WHEREAS there are growing revelations in Texas concerning official misconduct and racial bias by district attorneys, police officers, and court appointed attorneys and errors by crime lab technicians that have undermined public confidence in the criminal justice system, and

WHEREAS, in Texas, juries in capital murder trials have the option to sentence a defendant to life without parole, and

WHEREAS innocent people have been sentenced to death as evidenced by 127 people being exonerated and released from death rows in the US, including eight in Texas, and

WHEREAS the editorial board of the Dallas Morning News re-examined its century-old position on the death penalty and concluded they had "lost confidence that the state of Texas can guarantee that every inmate it executes is truly guilty of murder . . . that is why we believe that Texas should abandon the death penalty—because we cannot reconcile the fact that it is both imperfect and irreversible," and

WHEREAS there is a pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in charging, sentencing and in the of imposition of the death penalty in the US, according to the US General Accounting Office, and

WHEREAS studies also indicate that particularly race of the victim plays a major role in who is sentenced to death in the United States (US: Death by Discrimination - The Continuing Role of Race in Capital Cases, April 2003, The Justice Project ) and

WHEREAS Black and Hispanic offenders make up 68% of the current death row population in Texas and the current US Census for Texas indicates that the Black and Hispanic/Latino population of Texas is 46.5% and

WHEREAS there are hundreds of people on death row in Texas who were defended by attorneys whose investigative and expert witness expenses were capped at $500 and in some rural areas in Texas, lawyers have received no more than $800 to handle a capital case,
(Statement before the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on Fairness, Reliability and Federal Habeas Corpus Procedures July 13, 2005 by Bryan A. Stevenson, Director, Equal Justice Initiative of Alabama.)

WHEREAS a death penalty case costs an average of $2.3 million, about three times the cost of imprisoning someone in a single cell at the highest security level for 40 years, according to the Dallas Morning News, and

WHEREAS the death penalty is not seen as a deterrent to murders and in a poll of police chiefs the death penalty was ranked last in ways to reduce violent crime,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED by Precinct # ____________ that the state of Texas abolish the death penalty.

Submitted by Gloria Rubac, Feb. 25, 2008
This replaces an earlier resolution (from 2006) entitled "Abolish the Death Penalty".

Banking, Credit Card, and Bankruptcy Reform..


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WHEREAS, The current banking, credit card and bankruptcy regulations were dictated to our Congress by the lobbyists for those interests; and WHEREAS, The consumers, whose needs are supposed to be the concern of our servants in the Congress, are suffering greatly as a result of said regulations; and WHEREAS, The small businesses are also being adversely affected by these laws; and WHEREAS, The banking and credit card industries are thriving at the expense of consumers; and WHEREAS, In this speedy technological era, there is no need to allow banks to hold funds for more than two days; and WHEREAS, Many conscientious people are being forced into bankruptcy due to situations beyond their control, such as lack of insurance coverage medical expenses; therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Congress enact legislation to achieve the following results: * Reduce the penalties banks can charge for "insufficient funds" checks * Reduce the number of days banks can hold funds to 2 days * Reduce the maximum amount of interest credit card companies can charge to 12% or lower * Disallow a person's failure to make one payment in a timely manner to affect other credit accounts * Change the bankruptcy laws so they are more lenient on the consumer * Remove the requirement wherein persons seeking bankruptcy relief have to pay for costly and unnecessary counseling sessions * Remove credit card debt from the "non-dischargeable debt" category in regard to bankruptcy. Draft by Cathy Tarte and Bobby Caldwell - Feb. 2006 Updated by Cheryl Crosier - Feb. 26, 2008

Change Party Rules to Give Platform & Resolutions Committees Time to Meet..


To get a copy of this resolution formatted for printing, so you can take it with you to your precinct convention, click on the link in the Attachment box below.

WHEREAS, resolutions provide an important way of providing grassroots input to the Democratic party policies, and can help bring in new, enthusiastic, and young members into the party to help it become stronger, and WHEREAS, the resolutions of the current election cycle should form the basis upon which the party platform is built, and should be used by the elected members of the party's Platform and Resolutions committees, and WHEREAS, members of the Texas Democratic Party Resolutions and the Platform Committees are not selected until the evening of the first day of the state convention, and thus have only a few hours to meet before they must report all resolutions and the platform to the convention for approval (the next day), and WHEREAS, members of the State Democratic Executive Committee's Resolutions and Platform Committees may work on the platform before the convention but were not elected to do this and have other important work to do, thus giving them inadequate time to do this work, and WHEREAS, the state party Chair's Platform Advisory Committee usually pre-writes a draft of the party Platform before the state convention to save the Platform Committee time but does not have the authority nor the legitimacy to write the platform, be it therefore RESOLVED, that the draft platform be based on the resolutions passed by the Senate District and County conventions, and be it further RESOLVED, that the Rules of the Texas Democratic Party should be amended to provide that the members of Resolutions Committee and the Platform Committee should be selected and meet prior to the State Democratic Convention, or that the SD caucuses meet at the state convention on the morning of the first day to select members of the Platform and Resolutions Committee (before the various interest caucuses meet) rather than that evening.

Draft by B. Crosier and W. Simmons, Feb. 2006, revised Feb. 2008 by B. Crosier

Clean Skies/Clean Energy - Toward Energy Efficient/ Renewable Energy Economy in Texas..


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Clean Skies/Clean Energy
Toward Energy Efficient/ Renewable Energy Economy in Texas

WHEREAS, Texas skies should be clean and pristine, but the air in the Dallas/Forth Worth, El Paso, Houston and Beaumont/Port Arthur areas fails to meet health based standards, and air quality in Austin, San Antonio and Tyler-Longview is close to violating health based standards, and plans for these regions remain inadequate, and

WHEREAS, Five additional coal plants are under construction and three more are proposed for Texas despite opposition and studies showing strong links between air pollution and asthma, respiratory illness, strokes, and deaths from lung cancer and heart disease, and 1160 Texans die prematurely every year from power plant particle pollution, and

WHEREAS, Coal-burning power plants are the state's largest industrial sources of smog-forming nitrogen oxides and toxic mercury emissions, which contaminate fish and damage the developing brains of babies and children, and coal-burning power plants also emit sulfur pollution, that causes acid rain and increased deaths from lung cancer and heart disease; and Texas coal plants rank first in the nation for carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to global warming, and

WHEREAS, Seven additional commercial nuclear reactors are being proposed for Texas and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is fast-tracking licenses through a new combined licensing process, although Texas has as much wind energy potential as all 104 nuclear reactors in the United States, and

WHEREAS, Nuclear reactors are not an answer to global warming, and reactors in South Texas came in six times over budget and came online eight years late, and unsolved economic, security, safety, weapons proliferation, water use and radioactive waste problems make nuclear power unviable, putting the health of Texans at risk, and uranium mining for nuclear fuel has contaminated drinking water in some parts of South Texas, and

WHEREAS, Texas can and should meet future energy needs and lead the nation by developing wind and solar power technologies, greenbuilding standards and improved building codes, capturing waste energy through combined heat and power, and by increasing energy efficiency, which benefits consumers, businesses and industries while reducing power demand, therefore be it

RESOLVED, THAT a moratorium on coal and nuclear plants should be immediately enacted in order to protect our economy and our climate, and to protect the health of all Texans, especially our children, and be it further

RESOLVED, Texas should lead the nation into a clean, sustainable energy future through pursuing energy efficiency and renewable energy.




Original "Clean Skies/ Clean Energy" authored by SEED (Sustainable Energy & Economic Development) Coalition & Public Citizen’s Texas Office.

Climate Protection Measures for Texas..


To get a copy of this resolution formatted for printing, so you can take it with you to your precinct convention, click on the link in the Attachment box below.

WHEREAS, climate disruption of the magnitude now predicted by the scientific community will cause extremely costly disruption of human and natural systems throughout the world including: more intense hurricanes; increased risk of floods or droughts; sea-level rises that interact with coastal storms to erode beaches, inundate land, and damage structures; more frequent and extreme heat waves; more frequent and greater concentrations of smog; and WHEREAS, the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the international community’s most respected assemblage of scientists, has found that climate disruption is a reality and that human activities are largely responsible for increasing concentrations of global warming pollution; and WHEREAS, many leading US companies that have adopted greenhouse gas reduction programs to demonstrate corporate social responsibility have also publicly expressed preference for the US to adopt precise and mandatory emissions targets and timetables as a means by which to remain competitive in the international marketplace, to mitigate financial risk and to promote sound investment decisions; and WHEREAS, the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement to address climate disruption requires participating countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on average 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, but the U.S. has not yet signed on to the protocol; and WHEREAS, 798 mayors from around the nation have signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement including those in Dallas, Austin and New Orleans; be it therefore RESOLVED, that the Texas Democratic Party supports and urges: * State and Federal elected officials to enact policies and program to meet or beat Kyoto Protocol targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions; * All Texas mayors to sign on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement; * The Federal Government to rejoin the community of nations and sign on to the Kyoto Protocol or an improved version of that agreement.

Submitted by Jim Rine, Drafted by the Houston Climate Protection Alliance, February 10, 2006 http://www.houstonclimateprotection.org Revised by C. Crosier, Feb. 2008.

Corporate Personhood..


To get a copy of this resolution formatted for printing, so you can take it with you to your precinct convention, click on the link in the Attachment box below.



WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln said democracy refers to a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people", and only human beings should be able to participate in the democratic process; and

WHEREAS, corporations are artificial entities separate and apart from human beings, corporations are not naturally endowed with consciousness or the rights of human beings and corporations are creations of law and are only permitted to do what is authorized under law; and

WHEREAS, based on misinterpretations of judicial rulings in the 19th century, corporations claim to be persons, possessing the rights of personhood, including free speech and other constitutional freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and

WHEREAS, interference in the democratic process by corporations usurps the rights of citizens; and

WHEREAS, corporations claiming such rights of personhood have influenced and interfered with democratic processes by lobbying and pressuring our legislative bodies, making campaign contributions which dominate election campaigns, and using the media to substitute corporate values for community and family values; and

WHEREAS, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black stated in a 1938 opinion, "I do not believe the word ‘person' in the 14th Amendment includes corporations"; and

WHEREAS, corporations are not mentioned in the Constitution, the people have never granted constitutional rights to corporations, nor have we decreed that corporations have authority that exceeds the authority of the people of the United States;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that:

* No corporation should be deemed a person nor should be entitled to the same rights and protections as those guaranteed only to persons under the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.
* We support education to increase public awareness of the threats to our democracy posed by corporate personhood
* We encourage lively discussion to build understanding and consensus on appropriate responses to those threats.
* We support efforts in hosting town meetings to draft laws or ordinances addressing the legal fiction of corporate personhood and other threats that corporations pose to our democracy.




Original written Feb. 2006. Updated Feb. 2008 by B. Crosier

Department Of Peace: A Renewed Commitment To Peace And Diplomacy..


To get a copy of this resolution formatted for printing, so you can take it with you to your precinct convention, click on the link in the Attachment box below.



Whereas, Our unilateral, preemptive war against Iraq has alienated our allies, demonstrated U.S. indifference to international concerns, and increased recruits for terrorist groups bent on fighting our country; and

Whereas, the US has a much higher level of gang violence, domestic violence, violence in schools, and hate crimes than do many other countries; and

Whereas, conflict in all relationships is inevitable; and

Whereas, Two hundred seventy million people died in the twentieth century when conflicts were addressed with military and political force; and

Whereas, Military and political forces are expensive and starve our nation of the resources needed to create a strong, healthy society; and

Whereas, Nonviolent mediation has proved successful in seemingly insoluble conflicts, ranging from India's struggle for independence to the great strides made towards integration in the U.S.; and

Whereas, Implementing nonviolent approaches for domestic programs and foreign mediation requires broad understanding, research and a concerted effort; and

Whereas, There is no single government entity assigned to deal with these various issues and report to the American people the status of our efforts to achieve these goals; be it therefore

RESOLVED, That we strengthen security in our country and in the world by:

* Rejecting a foreign policy of preemptive, unilateral war,
* Working with the world community through the United Nations, and
* Supporting international agreements such as the Anti-ballistic Missile Treaty, the Biological and Chemical Weapons Conventions, the Small Arms Treaty, the International Criminal Court and the Kyoto Climate Treaty; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a Cabinet level Department of Peace be established to study and advance non-violence as the organizing principle in all human relations from families and neighborhoods to courts and congresses, both nationwide and internationally.





Note: This resolution was originally developed by the 2004 Texas Kucinich for President campaign, and entitled "A Renewed Commitment To Peace And Diplomacy: A Cabinet Level Department Of Peace". It was approved by the Texas state Democratic Convention in 2004, but was not incorporated into the platform at that time.

Updated by B. Crosier Feb. 2008

Disabilities Civil Rights..


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Whereas, All Americans should be able to participate in all avenues of life; and

Whereas, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which requires the federal government to provide 40% of the extra cost of educating students with special needs, is under-funded; and

Whereas, Rulings by Republican-appointed judges have weakened the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and

Whereas, Additional funding is needed by the civil rights divisions of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and of the Departments of Justice, Education and Health and Human Services to enforce the rights of people with disabilities; therefore be it

Resolved, That the U.S. government pass and fully fund pending and proposed legislation which supports individuals with disabilities, including:

* The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and full funding for it;
* The Rehabilitation Act which provides job training for people with disabilities;
* The Blind Empowerment Act of 2001 which increases disability insurance for blind individuals; and
* The National Health Insurance Act which would provide affordable, comprehensive health care to all individuals with disabilities; and be it further

Resolved, That the U.S. government allocate adequate resources to enforce the civil rights of persons with disabilities; and be it further

Resolved, That the President nominate judges who promote equal rights for all, and who generously interpret the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

original version written Jan. 2004. Updated by B. Crosier Feb. 2008

End U.S. Intervention Overseas..


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WHEREAS the U.S. government spends billions in tax dollars maintaining military bases in more than 100 countries; and

WHEREAS many citizens in these countries resent the presence of foreign military on their soil; and

WHEREAS each crime committed by U.S. personnel, such as the recent rape of a 14-year-old Japanese girl by an American soldier, diminishes the reputation of the U.S. throughout the world; and

WHEREAS covert and overt interventions in the governments and economies of Asian and Latin American countries have caused immeasurable turmoil and suffering for their people; and

WHEREAS U.S. invasions and/or occupations of the Philippines, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, and Iraq cost an untold number of lives, immeasurable damage to infrastructure, and billions in American tax dollars; be it therefore

RESOLVED that the United States immediately bring its troops and private contractors home and shut down all military bases outside American borders, and be it further

RESOLVED that Congress refuse permission for the deployment of U.S. personnel and/or weapons to another nation unless that nation poses an unquestionably imminent and deadly threat to the United States.




Written by K. Kain, Feb. 2008

Environmental Initiative Resolutions (7)

These resolutions were all developed by the Environmental Initiative of the Houston Region Democrats.

Some were originally presented and passed by the Harris County Democratic Party Executive Committee in June 2005, in a form that dealt with Harris County.  Those resolutions were modified to address statewide issues and additional resolutions were added.

For information on these, contact Stephanie Hrabar, Ph. D.: shrabar{at}wt{dot}net, 713-683-0638.

For individual resolutions:  

1. Click on the title for any resolution of interest to you.
2. Then click on the attachment, below the text of the resolution, to download a version that's formatted for printing.

To download the entire set of resolutions in PDF format and download a ZIP archive, click on this link.


See Resolutions for your precinct convention for more information on resolutions and what to do with them.

Ambient Air Quality Needs to be the Basis for Emissions from Industrial Plants

WHEREAS urban regions in Texas are consistently out of compliance with federal and state Ambient Air Quality environmental regulations;



• More than 5 million people in the urban regions in Texas live daily in poor to toxic air quality;
• Air pollution is known to aggravate respiratory congestion and impair the immune system in as little as seven (7) hours of exposure;
• Emissions from industry, dust, heavy vehicular traffic, and smoke comprise the factors contributing to poor regional air quality;
• Air quality management needs measurements and an appropriate baseline in order to monitor and enforce regulations;
• EPA, TCEQ, and cities have air monitors that measure specific pollutants.
• Health code regulations use an arbitrary basis/baseline for measuring emissions,
• Known toxic chemicals occur commonly at much higher levels in the atmosphere than health limits allow as a direct result of an arbitrary basis/baseline;


BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Texas State Democratic Party:

Supports ambient air quality as the basis/baseline for air emission levels from industrial plants in regions of Texas that are not in compliance with federal and state ambient air regulations.


Prepared by: The Environmental Initiative of the Houston Region Democrats 2.19.06



Energy-Transportation & Public Health Policy..


To get a copy of this resolution formatted for printing, so you can take it with you to your precinct convention, click on the link in the Attachment box below.



Whereas Texas has historically been and will continue to be a vital source of our Nation's petroleum, petroleum products, and coal and coal-derived energy,

Whereas Air emissions from heavy vehicular traffic and industry activities are the leading causes of air pollution and toxic emissions,

Whereas Texas Health Code Clean Air Act exempts roads from air monitoring,

Whereas Air pollution is known to aggravate both respiratory congestion and cardiovascular related diseases, according to the Texas Department of Health,

Whereas The US Environmental Protection Agency testified under oath at a senate hearing January 24, 2008 that the health effects of air pollution had "yet to be determined",

Whereas Independent School Districts (ISD) do not participate in the public review process for pending or proposed energy-transportation projects nor are their bond and environmental health and safety departments required to review a Draft Environmental Impact Statement to estimate the potential impact on the health of students and public employees at schools within π mile of a major road,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Texas Democratic Party supports
energy-transportation policies regarding existing or future projects that consider practical measurable effects on public health and the environment. Furthermore, energy-transportation policies and projects must include provisions for the monitoring and enforcement of current and future State and Federal environmental codes.




Consistent with the resolution prepared by of OilPatch Democrats Energy Committee 2/08 and the Safer Air to Breathe resolution adopted by the Harris County Democratic Party 6/05 prepared by the Environmental Initiative of the Houston Region Democrats 3/05

Exemption of Diesel Truck Emissions Test

WHEREAS urban regions in Texas are consistently out of compliance with federal and state Ambient Air Quality regulations;



• Vehicle air pollution is acknowledged as aggravating both respiratory and cardiovascular related diseases;
• Automobiles in counties, that not in compliance with ambient air quality regulations, are subject to an annual auto air emissions test and a fee for license renewal;
• Diesel trucks are exempt from the state's vehicle emissions test program for license renewal;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the State Democratic Party support:


• Diesel trucks may not be exempt from the Texas vehicle emissions test program, until the air pollution threat to public health is eliminated.



Prepared by: The Environmental Initiative of the Houston Region Democrats 2.7.06



Exemption of Roads from Air Monitoring


WHEREAS urban regions in Texas are consistently out of compliance with federal and state Ambient Air Quality regulations;



• Poor quality air has a direct effect on a community's health , particularly among individuals with chronic illnesses such as respiratory problems.
• Urban regions modify major transporation projects within the city;
• Vehicle air pollution (gas, particles and noise) is known to aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular related diseases;
• The law exempts roads from air monitoring; heavy vehicular traffic, long driving times, emissions from industry, dust, and smoke comprise the factors contributing to poor air quality;


BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the State Democratic Party support:


• Require the federal or state funded transportation projects to include air quality and public health data in environmental assesments for major transportation within residential areas of counties that are not in compliance or near compliance.


DRAFT Prepared by: The Environmental Initiative of the Houston Region Democrats 2.7.06



Public Health Measures for Air Pollution Enforcement Program

WHEREAS urban regions in Texas are consistently out of compliance with federal and state Ambient Air Quality environmental regulations;



• Air pollution aggravates both respiratory and cardiovascular related diseases, according to the scientific community, Texas Department of Health, and Texas Commission of Environmental Quality;
• Regulatory compliance needs to specify and monitor living public health measures that are enforcable for the federal and state air quality programs,
• Reasonable health measures includes incidences of aggrevation, inflamation, irritation, or burning of the skin, eyes, ears, nose, throat or lungs

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Texas Democratic Party support:


• The Texas Health Department establish appropriate, enforceable statewide living public health measures for the Air Quality Program that will monitor public health as part of the Air Quality Program.  
• Submission of public health measures, statistics, and research results in environmental assessments for publically funded projects.



Prepared by: The Environmental Initiative of the Houston Region Democrats 2.7.06

Regional Water & Transportation Management Plans


WHEREAS Texas created regional water and transportation plans for development of urban areas and adjacent rural counties;



• Texas is the home of many experienced scientists and engineers in hydrogeology, transportation, and public health;
• General property tax revenue is a major source of funds for public institutions of higher learning, public transportation, and management of the public drinking water supply;
• Surface and underground drinking water supplies are commonly polluted with urban and industrial wastes, that were released into the surface water or injected underground;


BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Texas Democratic Party supports:


• Good management of the Regional Water and Transportation Plans to create and maintain high quality public health and protect the public drinking water supply in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
• Appropriate and high public health science standards for regulating both surface and underground drinking water supplies in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
• Green-space for parks, recreation, floodwater management, and wetlands protection.
• An environmental economic formula for water and transportation projects funded with public revenue, that includes an environmental assessment to protect public health as well as public funds.


3.5.06 Modification of the resolution passed by the Harris County Democratic Party June 2005, prepared y the Environmental initiative of the Houston Region Democrats

Science-Based Standards for Safer Air to Breathe


WHEREAS urban regions in Texas are consistently out of compliance with federal and state Ambient Air Quality environmental regulations;



• Air pollution aggravates both respiratory and cardiovascular related diseases, according to the scientific community, Texas Department of Health, and Texas Commission of Environmental Quality;
• Air pollutants are acknowledged by both the scientific community and the city, county, and state Departments of Health and Texas Commission of Environmental Quality as exacerbating both respiratory and cardiovascular related disease in the human population.
• Vehicles and industry are the leading sources of hazardous air emissions;
• Texas is the home of many experienced scientists and engineers in transportation, aerospace, and public health;
• General property tax revenue is the primary source of funds for public institutions of higher learning and regulatory agencies,


BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT the Texas State Democratic Party supports:


• Appropriate science-based air quality standards for the urban regions that will result in safer air for all humans to breathe.
• Environmental assessments that include protection for human health based on appropriate health and life science studies.
• An environmental economic formula that includes an environmental assessment that will protect both public revenues and public health for publicly funded transportation and development projects.


3.04.06/Modification of the "Safer Air to Breathe" Resolution passed by the Harris County Democratic Party June 2005, prepared by the Environmental Initiative of the Houston Region Democrats


FDR's 2nd Bill of Rights

FDR's 2nd Bill of Rights

Franklin Delano Roosevelt - the State of the Union address from the White House on Jan. 11, 1944

Roosevelt referred to his proposals in that speech as "a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all regardless of station, race or creed."

Among these rights, he said, are:

"The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation.

"The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation.

"The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living.

"The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad.

"The right of every family to a decent home.

"The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health.

"The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident and unemployment.

"The right to a good education."

"The test of our progress," said Roosevelt, "is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little."



Free Quality Education from Pre-K through College..


To get a copy of this resolution formatted for printing, so you can take it with you to your precinct convention, click on the link in the Attachment box below.



Whereas, Education is a basic human right; and

Whereas, People with a quality education are less likely to be marginalized by society; and

Whereas, Those with a quality education are more likely to participate in local and national government; and

Whereas, Those with a quality education are more likely to have a stable home and family life and participate in their communities; and

Whereas, A universal, voluntary, full-day pre-kindergarten for ages 3 - 5 years will better prepare children for success in school, as well as ease the cost of quality child care for the working poor; and

Whereas, Draining education funds to furnish vouchers for private education will undermine improvements in public education; and

Whereas, The average yearly wage for an individual with a bachelor's degree is three times that of a non-degreed employee; and

Whereas, The total cost of one year's college tuition for each of the 12 million students now enrolled in state-supported colleges is $48 billion, which is less than one third of the recent tax cuts bestowed upon our wealthiest citizens; and

Whereas, Congress has passed a Defense spending bill providing $8.9 billion to fund the National Missile Defense system which has not been proven to work; and

Whereas, Research has consistently shown that improvements in education will reduce the need for new prisons; therefore, be it

RESOLVED:

* That the U.S. should regard education as being just as important to our society as national defense;
* That quality education from pre-K through college be provided to all without regard to financial status; and
* That pre-K through college education be provided to everyone by cutting the Pentagon budget by 15%.




Original version written Jan. 2004 by the Texans for Kucinich campaign. Updated Feb. 2008 by B. Crosier

GLBT Rights..


To get a copy of this resolution formatted for printing, so you can take it with you to your precinct convention, click on the link in the Attachment box below.



WHEREAS, Too many Americans, especially the gay/lesbian/bisexual/trangendered community, continue to be targets of discrimination; and

WHEREAS, Objections to GLBT rights, including opposition to same-sex marriages, are based on individually-held prejudices and interpreted religious beliefs that not all share; and

WHEREAS, One of the foundations of our nation is that one's religious beliefs cannot be imposed upon others; and

WHEREAS, Members of the GLBT community should enjoy all the rights and privileges of all the other citizens in the State of Texas; and

WHEREAS, Members of the GLBT community continue to be the target of hate crimes; and

WHEREAS, Sexual orientation has no bearing on the integrity and patriotism required to serve one's country; and

WHEREAS, in November 2005, Texas voters passed a Discriminatory Anti-Gay and Lesbian Constitutional Amendment (Proposition 2) denying gays and lesbians basic constitutional rights; be it therefore

RESOLVED:
* That relationships between same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples should be equal in the eyes of the law, including marriage;
* That all benefits and legal entitlements available to heterosexual couples should be made available to homosexual couples;
* That hate crimes laws be strengthened and enforced;
* That openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered individuals no longer be banned from serving in the US armed forces; and be it further

RESOLVED, That until Proposition 2 is repealed, the State Legislature should enact laws to provide members of the GLBT community the rights to
* Make medical decisions for their partners
* Receive inheritances from their partners
* Obtain insurance benefits through their partners
* Adopt children.




This resolution is based on one originally written by the Texans for Kucinich campaign in Jan. 2004, entitled "Gay Rights", revised Feb. 2006. This version was revised by K. Kain and C. Crosier, Feb. 2008, and includes part of a related resolution entitled "Repeal Proposition 2", which was written in Feb. 2006.

Health Care Coverage for Employees and Associates within Texas..


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WHEREAS the lack of health insurance coverage for many Texans who are employed but not offered adequate health coverage increases health care costs for all Texas residents; and WHEREAS large companies such as Wal-Mart make huge profits at the expense of their employees by not providing adequate health benefits; be it therefore RESOLVED, that this precinct urges the Texas Democratic Party to support a State law: That requires organizations with more than fifty employees within the State of Texas to spend at least 8 percent of their payroll on health benefits or put the equivalent amount of money directly into the Texas State's health program for the poor.

DRAFT by Jim Rine, rev. feb. 12, 2006, updated Feb. 2008 by B. Crosier

Immigration Reform and Immigrants' Rights..


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WHEREAS, The U.S. is and has always been a nation of immigrants who have enriched the American culture, and millions of immigrants work hard, raise families, serve in the U.S. armed forces, and study at universities; and

WHEREAS, fully enforcing current immigration laws in regard to the 12 million undocumented immigrants would result in:
* serious blows to the U.S. economy
* serious blows to the economies of other countries where millions subsist on what U.S. immigrants send to support their families members who remain in the homeland
* depletion of the young workforce needed to support retirement entitlement programs for the large, aging Baby Boom generation; and

WHEREAS, even the partial, increased enforcement efforts of the last few years:
* failed to reduce the number of undocumented immigrants arriving in the U.S. despite costly militarization of border controls.
neglected security issues by failing to provide border control points with adequate real-time intelligence and watch lists to identify terrorists
* resulted in a sharp increase in deaths of immigrants attempting to cross desolate mountainous and desert areas having the least surveillance
* involved large-scale workplace raids and public sweeps instilling fear in communities
* enabled unscrupulous employers to extort workers to take less pay and to tolerate unsafe conditions by threatening to expose workers as undocumented
* incarcerated nearly 15,000 people, including young children, in detention facilities for months at a time resulting in multiple instances of human rights violations including negligent medical care, substandard food, and physical abuse
* have created huge case backlogs of residency and worker applications because the budget for enforcement is six time higher than the budget to process authorized immigrants, and

WHEREAS, branding undocumented immigrants as criminals has almost confounded a nation of people who honor the rule of law yet find themselves needing this younger workforce; a nation of people who feel a deep kinship with struggling immigrants but whose sympathies are split when immigrants are scapegoated for economic woes, and

WHEREAS, immigrants do, in the long run, contribute more in taxes than the costs of the government service they receive, a local influx of immigrants, like any population increase, can result in service strains due to the lag in receiving and allocating new workers' tax contributions and adjusting services, and

WHEREAS, desperate, economic conditions in their homeland compel immigrants to risk death and prison to find work in the U.S. and U.S. trade policies such as NAFTA and CAFTA have hindered development of sustainable economies in immigrant homelands; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that laws and policies be changed to decriminalize immigration so that an individual's right to move across borders is protected as an activity essential to human survival and economic progress, and be it further

RESOLVED, regardless of birth place or citizenship, the human rights of all persons in the U.S. shall be protected, and be it further

RESOLVED, that all persons in the U.S. are subject to the law of the land including taxation laws, and be it further

RESOLVED, all workers, regardless of birth place or citizenship, have the right to a safe work place, a living wage, and the right to unionize, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the funding currently allocated for border control and interior enforcement be reduced, and construction of a Mexico/US border fence and construction and operation of detention centers cease so that resources are redirected to:
* stem overwhelming influx of immigrants by helping to develop sustainable economies in the sending regions
* reduce backlogs of those awaiting residency and work authorization and naturalization
* support communities with the integration of an influx of immigrants until the local economy and tax revenues stabilize
* provide technology and information at borders to identify terrorist suspects, and be it further

RESOLVED, that the U.S. withdraw from free trade agreements and engage in fair trade relationships that require worker, consumer, and environmental protections and promote sustainable economies.

Original version (entitled "Immigrants' Rights) written Jan. 2004, updated by C. Crosier Feb. 2008

Impeach Bush and Cheney..


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WHEREAS, even though Bush/Cheney will be out of office on 1/20/09 and the pursuit of truth regarding this administration will be a repugnant, intensive process, this pursuit will: * demonstrate to elected officials and to the world that we demand accountability * demonstrate to the world a peaceful process to remove corrupt power holders * most importantly, help us to heal the fear, shame, and crippling degree of partisanship brought on by domestic and international catastrophes of the last seven years, and WHEREAS, Both Vice President Dick Cheney and President Bush and their high officials exploited the nation's response to the September 11th attacks in order to sell the Iraq War to Congress and the public by citing trumped-up information about Iraq's weapons capabilities and falsely implying that Iraq sheltered terrorists who would attack the United States, and WHEREAS, the Iraq War has, so far, resulted in the death of 4,300 US and Coalition military personnel, at least 1,100 contract personnel, by the lowest estimation, 85,000 Iraqi civilians and totally destroyed the infrastructure of Iraq, and WHEREAS, Bush and Cheney have broken international law by waterboarding terrorist suspects, and both Bush and Cheney have stated in interviews and speeches that this practice was legal, and WHEREAS, President George W. Bush has repeatedly admitted, and even defended his instruction to the National Security Agency (NSA) to eavesdrop electronically on American citizens without a warrant during the last seven years, and has defiantly stated his intention to continue to do so, and has as much as acknowledged these crimes by seeking passage of legislation for retroactive immunity to prosecutions for these activities; and WHEREAS, the Bush/Cheney administration has quashed the release of scientific findings in reports including findings in the areas of pollution, stem cell research, reproductive health, and climate change among others, and WHEREAS,the Bush/Cheney administration has wrongfully claimed executive privilege in response to Congressional oversight investigations of controversies such as the outing of a CIA operative, the bungled, deadly response to Hurricane Katrina, and the firings of nine US attorneys, therefore be it RESOLVED, That President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors against the people, the laws, and the Constitution of the United States of America.

Original version by W. Simmons and B. Crosier Feb. 12, 2006. Revised by K. Kain and C. Crosier Feb. 2008

Living Wage..


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WHEREAS The minimum wage in the State of Texas will be $6.55 per hour in July, 2008, which for a full time worker, yields $13,624 per year, which is $3500.00 below the poverty level for a family of three; and WHEREAS The poverty level wage is approximately one half of what a family of three needs to have a living wage, that is, to live without dependence on social services in Texas; WHEREAS Studies have shown that raising the minimum wage does not result in the feared loss of jobs; and WHEREAS All people, regardless of their occupation deserve a wage sufficient to be an incentive to productivity and pride, and allow them to adequately provide for themselves and their families; be it therefore be it RESOLVED That the State Legislature enact legislation to require employers to pay at least $11.00 per hour to all hourly employees, regardless of any benefits that are provided; and be it further RESOLVED That the State Legislature pass legislation to require employers to pay "time and a half" to all hourly employees who work over 40 hours per week.

The original version of this resolution, entitled "Minimum Wage Vs. a Living Wage", was written by Bobby Caldwell 2/11/06. This version was revised by C. Crosier, Feb. 2008

Move Texas Beyond Fossil Fuels Into Alternative Energy


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WHEREAS, the state of Texas is a national leader in energy production and home to many international energy
companies, Texas must in turn be a leader in formulating energy policy and in responsible energy production and use.
Consequently, the Texas Democratic Party (TDP) must push Texas to adopt a comprehensive energy plan where sound
energy principles strengthen our energy security, diversify our energy mix, provide Texans and all Americans with
reliable, safe, and affordable energy sources, and support a long-term solution to global climate change.

WHEREAS, electricity is an energy carrier that can satisfy most energy demands and can be easily produced by
alternative energy sources, and;

WHEREAS, energy-efficient technologies and energy conservation are among the most important ways for the state of
Texas to reduce its energy consumption, benefiting both consumers and producers of energy, and;

WHEREAS, Texas has historically been and will continue to be a vital source of our Nation’s petroleum, petroleum
products, and coal and coal-derived energy, and

WHEREAS, the pool of technically capable students and educational curriculum in Texas is insufficient to meet both the
R&D, and the personnel demands, and the of the energy industry, and;

WHEREAS, scientific evidence is now overwhelming that climate change presents a very serious risk, and;

WHEREAS, increased global demand has resulted in sharp increases in the cost of oil, and recognizing that transportation
relies almost exclusively on oil, 60% of which is imported; therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the TDP:

-Shall strongly promote the development of alternative energy sources that do not negatively impact the environment,
and;

-Supports moving beyond fossil fuels into alternatives such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydro, and development of
sustainable versions of alternative fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel and biomass; as well as promoting research
exploring for presently unknown energy resources.

-Ensures that Texas becomes a leader in resolving the climate change issue by immediately legislating measures
endorsing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by 80% for the state of Texas by 2050 or earlier.

-Should support the furtherance of energy-efficient technologies such as green buildings, energy-saving appliances,
advanced lighting technology, and significantly better fuel economy standards for Texas state government vehicles
and enacting policies to aid local governments in becoming more energy efficient.

-Should stress the need for Texas to develop transportation solutions that do not rely on oil.

-Shall ensure that energy policies regarding existing or future implementations must consider effects on public health
and the environment. Furthermore, energy policies and projects must include provisions for the monitoring and
enforcement of current and future State and Federal environmental codes.

-Shall promote policies that educate and encourage elementary, secondary, and college students to pursue careers in
the energy industry.




Resolution drafted by OilPatch Democrats Energy Policy Committee, Mar. 1, 2008

Needle Exchange..


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WHEREAS, In 2004 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 21% of HIV positive people in the United States were infected by sharing needles during intravenous drug use (IVDU); and

WHEREAS, The effect of IVDU infections extends beyond the individual to sexual partners, unborn children, and their community; and

WHEREAS, Providing new, unused needles (exchanging one clean for one dirty) to IV drug users reduces this mechanism of transmission and is far less costly to our healthcare system and society than the care and treatment of a person with AIDS; and

WHEREAS, Needle exchange does not increase drug use and when accompanied by drug counseling and medical services actually encourages the addict to seek recovery; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That needle exchange programs be established and funded as an effective element of treatment for drug users.




Original version written Feb. 2004 by V. Parks. Updated Feb. 2008 by C. Crosier

No Border Wall in Texas..


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WHEREAS, The U.S. is and has always been a nation of immigrants who have enriched the American culture; and

WHEREAS, millions of immigrants work hard, raise families, serve in the U.S. armed forces, and study at universities, despite assaults on their rights by the Bush administration; and

WHEREAS, residents on both sides of the border between Texas and Mexico have a long history of friendly border crossings involving family and trade relations that would be disrupted by a wall, and

WHEREAS, decades of effort to preserve what little natural and ecological health remains in the area would be degraded by a wall, and

WHEREAS, mayors, landowners and other local entities oppose such a wall along the natural border created by the river; and

WHEREAS, the entire concept of fencing off a border is but a false panacea for the underlying problems brought upon us by unfair trade practices which favor corporate profits over the interests of people on both side of the border; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That no wall or fence shall ever be built upon any section of the river that flows between the state of Texas and the country of Mexico.




Written by A. Browning, Feb. 2008

Promote the Preamble to the US Constitution..


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WHEREAS, The Preamble to the Constitution, written in 1787, is the philosophical cornerstone of this country, and WHEREAS, the Preamble is the following: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America", and WHEREAS, The Preamble should be revered for its aspirations but criticized for its delivery since the United States at that time granted only white male landowners the right to vote while denying blacks and women this right and many other rights that we consider to be basic today, and WHEREAS, Most citizens and politicians do not know this document verbatim as they do the Pledge of Allegiance, and WHEREAS, Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance rings hollow unless one understands "for which it stands", and these are in large measure the principles encompassed in the Preamble, and WHEREAS, This country has recently lost its moral high ground by allowing governmental agents to spy on American citizens, initiate a war against an enemy who was not an imminent threat, and has reduced the social services that are called for when the Preamble says "promote the general welfare", and WHEREAS, Learning the words of the Preamble and the meaning behind them can be a fundamental step in providing citizens and the country with a moral compass, therefore be it RESOLVED: * That the Democratic Party advocate the reciting of the Preamble before each session of the House and Senate and at venues such as schools and political meetings, essentially whenever the Pledge of Allegiance is currently recited, * That discussions of the Preamble be a part of all school curriculums beginning at whatever grade the Pledge of Allegiance is currently recited, * That the Preamble be posted in all locations where the Pledge is posted, and that * A full, fair and open discussion of the Preamble be encouraged in public venues and organizations throughout the United States on at least an annual basis, on Constitution Day, September 17. Draft by: Ted Weisgal, revised Feb. 28, 2006

Proportional Allocation of Texas Presidential Electoral Votes..


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WHEREAS, the “winner-take-all” awarding of Presidential Electoral Votes from the State of Texas results in disfranchisement of those who voted for the minority candidate; and WHEREAS, The U.S. Constitutional guarantee of “one man, one vote” has been reaffirmed by multiple Supreme Court verdicts; and WHEREAS, The “winner-take-all” awarding of Presidential Electoral Votes from the State of Texas results in the violation of the guarantee of “one man, one vote” by discarding the votes of those supporting the minority candidate; be it therefore RESOLVED, that the Texas Democratic Party should support: The institution, by State law or by amendment of State constitution, of proportional awarding of the State of Texas’s Presidential Electoral Votes based on the proportional results of the U.S. Presidential voting within this State.

Original resolution by Jim Rine, 2/2006, entitled "Change Awarding of Texas Presidential Electoral Votes to Proportional Allocation", revised Feb. 2008

Protect Reproductive Rights..


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Whereas denying the right to choose abortion will not curtail abortions but will send desperate women to dangerous, unlicensed clinics; and Whereas, the right to choose, as established by the U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, is now threatened; and Whereas policies initiated during the Bush administrations have hindered family assistance groups in their family planning programs; and Whereas poor women have become particularly vulnerable due to their dependence on government health care programs; be it, therefore Resolved that candidates for the U.S. Supreme Court demonstrate a strong commitment to a woman's right to choose; and be it further Resolved that the government be denied the ability to intervene in medical treatments, including abortion, that a woman requests from her doctor; and further Resolved that all medical records remain totally private and unavailable to the government; and further Resolved that the government adequately fund universal family planning and gynecological services, including abortion procedures, to all women needing government assistance

Original version entitled "Reserve the Right to Choose", written Jan. 2004 by the Texans for Kucinich campaign. Merged (Feb. 2008) by K. Kain with a similar resolution written Feb. 2006 entitled "Reproductive Rights" by Cathy Tarte and Ted Weisgal.

Reform Drug Policy to Decrease Harm and Increase Public Safety..


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WHEREAS it has become increasingly apparent that policies seeking to redress the negative consequences of drug use and abuse via have failed; and WHEREAS, drug abuse is principally a health and social issue best addressed through a combination of education, prevention and treatment, and WHEREAS, the criminalization of all aspects of production, distribution, sale and use for certain classes of drugs is the proximate cause of a criminal justice system strained by nonviolent offenders, and WHEREAS, current drug laws, including mandatory minimum sentences, tend to disproportionately affect people with few financial resources, leading to selective enforcement and disparities in sentencing, and WHEREAS, the drug war ensures billions of dollars annually for our terrorist enemies willing to grow prohibited flowers, enriches dangerous cartels for distributing prohibited weeds and allows violent gangs to thrive from selling contaminated drugs to our children, and WHEREAS, the Federal Higher Education Act prevents students with drug convictions from obtaining student loans forcing many students to quit college, and WHEREAS, current laws prevent physicians from prescribing some drugs with medically proven uses for the alleviation of pain and suffering, and WHEREAS, consistent with the principles of personal responsibility and liberty, the possession and use of regulated intoxicants should not be criminalized in the absence of a compelling public health concern, thus freeing the criminal justice system to focus on violent criminal activity, and WHEREAS, providing unbiased, scientific information about the health, economic, and social consequences attributable to the use and potential abuse of currently illegal drugs will provide a rational basis for responsible decision making by individuals and public policy officials, therefore, be it RESOLVED that illegal drugs become regulated as intoxicants as are alcohol and tobacco, and be it further RESOLVED that revenue from taxes on such substances as well as funds diverted from the "drug war" and incarceration costs be transferred to research and treatment of addiction.

Draft Submitted by Tami Halphen, Feb. 12, 2006, rev. by Kris & Ron Graham Mar. 2, 2006, rev. Feb. 2008 by Dean Becker

Reform the Media & Restore the Fairness Doctrine..


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WHEREAS the first amendment was meant to encourage the expression of diversity of opinion and criticism of those in power; and WHEREAS independent, aggressive and critical media are essential to an informed democracy; and WHEREAS the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to give opposing viewpoints air time, was canceled by the FCC under Ronald Reagan; and WHEREAS demise of the Fairness Doctrine led directly to the rise of extremely biased and one-sided broadcasters such as Fox News; and WHEREAS media monopolies are working with the Bush administration to squelch opinions that the Bush administration does not want to hear; and WHEREAS mergers in the news industry have accelerated, with U.S. media outlets overwhelmingly owned by large, for-profit conglomerates and supported by corporate advertisers, leading to great compromises in independent journalism; and WHEREAS independent media are essential to a democratic society; be it therefore RESOLVED that the Fairness Doctrine be restored in order to require minimum standards of balance in broadcast of opinions and news; and be it further RESOLVED that aggressive antitrust action be taken to break up monopolistic media conglomerates; and be it further RESOLVED that both government and the nonprofit sector should promote and fund non-corporate, alternative media outlets; and be it further RESOLVED that government funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting be restored and that it be run by non-partisan officials without ties to the government or corporations with political agendas.

Draft by B. Crosier, Feb. 12, 2006. Updated by C. Crosier Feb. 2008

Reform U. S. Energy Policy..


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Whereas, The United States continues to be dependent on imports of foreign oil, thereby threatening both our economy and national security; and

Whereas, People in the U.S. use far more oil and gas per capita than any other country in the world; and

Whereas, Advances in renewable energy mean there are fewer technical obstacles to energy independence for our country; and

Whereas, Clean energy technologies will produce new jobs in this country; and

Whereas, We can easily double our energy from renewable sources by 2010; and

Whereas, We can soon have hybrid and possibly fuel cell cars dominating the market; and

Whereas, We need to save fossil fuels and other natural resources for our children and grandchildren rather than using them up as fast as possible; and

Whereas, Without a substantial decrease in fossil fuel use global warming will become a more serious problem; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That U.S. research and investment in hydrogen, solar, wind and ocean energy sources should be significantly increased; and be it further

RESOLVED, That our country's leadership should promote sustainable energy production to provide jobs to Americans, to reduce energy use here at home and to partner with developing nations to provide their people with inexpensive, local, renewable energy technologies.




Original written by R. Crosier, Feb. 2002. Revised Feb. 2004.

Repeal NAFTA, CAFTA & Withdraw From WTO..


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WHEREAS Participation in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) has meant a race to the bottom for workers, family farmers and the environment, contributing to a $600 + billion trade deficit and a loss of millions of US jobs; and WHEREAS Free trade has encouraged companies in the U.S. to leave the country in search of low wages, low commodity prices, anti-union climates and lax environmental laws; and WHEREAS Free trade has stocked our retail shelves with goods produced by foreign workers under harsh working conditions that would be illegal in this country; and WHEREAS Free trade favors multinational corporations, not citizens or communities here or abroad; and WHEREAS Free trade agreements are not fair and beneficial to U.S. agriculture and are a threat to our national food security; and WHEREAS The December 2005 Hong Kong WTO negotiations on agricultural subsidies, domestic supports and market access and special treatment for developing nations failed to deliver a significant development package for poor countries; and WHEREAS Expansion of the General Agreement on Trades in Services (GATS) leaves foreign water supplies, electrical services, healthcare and education unprotected from the greedy tactics of multinational corporations; therefore, be it RESOLVED That we support measures to restore control of trade from multinational corporations to the jurisdiction of the U.S. government and for the benefit of U.S. citizens, by: * Immediately withdrawing from NAFTA, CAFTA and the WTO * Opposing unfair “free trade” agreements such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) * Opposing expansion of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) * Demanding Congress implement fair trade agreements that protect U.S. workers and farmers, the environment and strengthen local economies as well as affording comparable standards to global workers by guaranteeing livable wages, safe working conditions, child labor laws and environmental protections

Submitted by Kris Graham on January 27, 2006, rev. Mar. 2, 2006

Repeal the USA PATRIOT Act..


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WHEREAS, President Bush pressured Congress to pass the USA PATRIOT Act without adequate debate; and

WHEREAS, Congress repeatedly rejected many provisions of this law in the past; and

WHEREAS, This law abridges citizens' rights to privacy by allowing the FBI to search private medical records or access library records without a warrant or probable cause; and

WHEREAS, This law cancels citizens' right to know by forbidding doctors and local libraries to notify them when these searches take place; and

WHEREAS, This law further impinges on citizens' right to privacy by allowing government agents to search homes without probable cause while the residents are away and in some cases confiscate their property; and

WHEREAS, Judicial oversight of these measures is inadequate; and

WHEREAS, This law defines domestic terrorism as activities that "appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population . . . a government or to affect the conduct of a government" by various means, and the Bush administration has used the "appearance" clause to intimidate dissenters; and

WHEREAS, This law condones discrimination against certain races and ethnicities by requiring government registration and allows their interrogation without council; and

WHEREAS, Americans did not authorize this unprecedented assault on the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and

WHEREAS, This law defies the very principles of a democracy by condoning less privacy for individuals and more secrecy in government; therefore, be it

RESOLVED That the USA PATRIOT Act be repealed.




Originally written by the Texans for Kucinich campaign in Jan. 2004.

Require Verifiable Voting..


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WHEREAS, computerized voting equipment is inherently subject to programming error, equipment malfunction, and malicious tampering; and WHEREAS, demonstrations, tests, and investigations have shown numerous cases across the US where electronic voting machines, from all major equipment manufacturers, were tampered with or malfunctioned, causing votes to be lost or counted incorrectly; and WHEREAS, people of all political parties do not trust electronic voting machines, and polls show that huge majorities favor government rather than private ownership of voting technology; and WHEREAS, voting experts universally agree that it is essential to have a voter-verifiable paper ballot or audit trail to allow true recounts, to verify vote counting, and to determine when voting machines were tampered with; and WHEREAS, most of the electronic voting machines being purchased by election authorities in Texas do not satisfy this requirement, even though equipment manufacturers provide paper ballot printing as an option for their machines; be it therefore RESOLVED, that voting machines should not be purchased nor used unless they provide an individual paper ballot, which is a permanent record of each vote, which can be checked for accuracy by the voter both before and after the vote is cast, which is difficult to alter after it has been checked, and which is readable both by voters and by independent ballot-counting machines; and be it further RESOLVED, that where non-verifiable voting machines are already in use, they should be replaced or modified to print an individual paper ballot that meets the above requirements; and be it further RESOLVED, that providing an individual paper voter-verifiable audit trail should be one of the essential requirements for certification of new voting systems, and that election procedures mandate that the individual paper ballots (whether hand marked or machine-generated) shall be the official vote of record, and that electronic counting of votes without the paper ballots shall be considered only an unofficial preliminary count; and be it further RESOLVED, that any electronic vote counting equipment which operates on preliminary electronic records or official paper ballot records should use only open source, verifiable software, and that proprietary secret software code should be banned for all vote-counting; and be it further RESOLVED, that until state or US law is changed to require such voter-verifiable ballots, that the Democratic party shall implement these requirements in all future primary elections that it conducts. Draft by Bill Crosier, rev. by Ron & Kris Graham Mar. 2, 2006

Resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict..


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WHEREAS, Israel has illegally occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem for 40 years in violation of U. N. Resolution no. 242; and WHEREAS, in clear contravention of international law (the fourth Geneva Convention), Israel has illegally confiscated Palestinian land, exploited natural resources and built 223 illegal settlements transferring approximately 400,000 Israelis to the occupied territories (1); and WHEREAS, Israel's illegal occupation has existed for 40 years, during which time it transformed into a form of colonialism and apartheid and suppressed and oppressed an entire people, preventing them from the exercise of their right to self-determination and the establishment of their State, Palestine; and WHEREAS, 1031 Israelis and 4528 Palestinians have been killed since Sept. 29, 2000 to Jan 31, 2008, and 119 Israeli and 982 Palestinian children have been killed since Sept. 29, 2000 to Feb. 8, 2008 (2); and WHEREAS, Israel receives approximately 3 billion dollars ($8.2 million per day) each year in direct foreign assistance. This is more than 20 times the amount the Palestinians receive (3); and WHEREAS, the U.S. decries extremist Palestinian suicide bombers, but ignores Israel's violations of UN Resolutions, its human rights violations, curfews, checkpoints and the walls built that cage, impoverish and dehumanize Palestinians; and WHEREAS, the only way for Israelis to be secure is for Palestinians to be secure; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the U. S. will discontinue economic aid to Israel until the following requirements are met: (1) Israel will withdraw from the illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and withdraw all military from the occupied territory and recognize the so-called Green Line established by the UN in 1967. (2) Israel will obey the UN International Court of Justice's Advisory Opinion (14 to 1) and cease the construction of the wall/fence built on Palestinian land and dismantle forthwith those parts of that structure situated within the Occupied Palestinian Territory and pay reparations for damages to the Palestinians; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the U. S. requires each party's adherence to the principles of non-violent conflict resolution to qualify for aid.

(1) Peace Now's "Aerial Survey Settlement Summary 2006" (2) If America Knew. com (3) Congressional Research Service's "U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel"

Original version written Feb. 2004, revised Feb. 2006. This version written by B. Carter, Feb. 2008.

Restitution to Innocent Iraqi War Victims..


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WHEREAS, THE UNITED STATES invaded the country of Iraq based on a LIE told to the American people and

WHEREAS, Untold numbers of innocent Iraqi civilians, many children, were killed, lost limbs and were blinded due to the fallout of our shameful display of Shock and Awe and the neighborhood crossfire between our Soldiers and the Insurgents

Whereas, There is a lack of proper hospital/medical care in war-torn Iraq for these innocent victims, be it therefore

RESOLVED, That the U.S. make restitution to the innocent men, women and children hurt by the needless, senseless Invasion and Occupation of Iraq by:

* Providing care at the latest, state of the art facilities to replace limbs and eyes, for as long as needed,

* Pay, when necessary, for the trip to medical facilities in the U.S.. where the best care is available

* Subsidize Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) who can provide food and shelter to the victims and their guardians while in the U.S. for medical care and prosthetics

* Set up new NGO's in states where there are none but have the best medical facilities ie: Houston, Tx.

* Make "Grief Counseling" available for the children made orphans by the U.S. invasion/occupation of Iraq

* Provide support and a home for children orphaned by the war, until such time as no longer needed, and be it further

RESOLVED, That a commission be appointed to oversee the care and support of these innocent victims.

Restore Rural Communities & Family Farms..


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WHEREAS agribusiness monopolies now control all aspects of U.S. agriculture, with 20 Fortune 500 corporations subsidized by USDA and thus receiving most federal farm subsidies; and

WHEREAS U.S. farm trade surplus is in deep decline, with low prices for agricultural commodities and unfair market competition; and

WHEREAS small farms, in contrast to agribusiness, provide diversity of owners, crops landscapes, cultures and traditions and more economic opportunities for a new generation of farmers; and

WHEREAS, 33,000 small farmers were driven out of business in the first seven years of NAFTA; and

WHEREAS, retail consumers depend on food labeling to find out where and how food has been raised and processed and if it is from genetically modified organisms (GMO's); therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the next President restore agriculture and rural communities in the United States by:
* Breaking up agribusiness monopolies by enforcing antitrust laws and shifting USDA funding toward small family farms,
* Canceling trade agreements that have allowed a few multinational food corporations to control food production,
* Supporting farmer owned cooperatives and reinvesting in rural communities with funding for regional processing facilities, marketing assistance, farm to school programs, farm renewable energy programs, and Farmer's Markets,
* Supporting higher commodity prices for small farm products,
* Protecting the integrity of the new federal Organic Standard, passing the Country of Origin labeling law, and preventing sales of illegal food imports




Original written by Sheril Smith for the Texans for Kucinch campaign, Jan. 2004. Revised by K. Kain, Feb. 2008

Restore the U.S. Constitution..


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WHEREAS, The United States Constitution, federal statutes and treaties are the supreme law of the United States of America, ensuring our democracy, the separation of powers and the rule of law;

WHEREAS, The Constitution, through its amendments, including the Bill of Rights, provides the people our civil liberties and guarantees of liberty; and

WHEREAS, The Framers of the Constitution considered the rule of law essential to the safekeeping of social order and civil liberties, understanding that it calls for both individuals and the government to submit to the law's supremacy; and

WHEREAS, The Constitution further provides for our federal servants, including the President, to take an oath of office, promising to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution, and obliges the president to ensure the faithful execution of laws; and

WHEREAS, Bedrock Constitutional Rights and 800 year old conventions are under siege through this administration's use of presidential executive orders and signing statements and the president's Military Commissions Act, which cast aside the Constitution and the principle of habeas corpus that protect us against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment; and

WHEREAS, the Protect America Act (PAA) allowed for massive, untargeted collection of international communications without court order or meaningful oversight by either Congress or the courts, and provided no protection for individuals leaving decisions about the collection, mining and use of private communications up to this administration and this administration ordered illegal surveillance of US electronic communications even before the passage of the PAA; and

WHEREAS, These Executive Orders, Signing Statements and the Military Commissions Act of 2006 fundamentally alter our justice system, undermine the rule of law and the separation of powers, and erode our civil liberties by creating military tribunals with officers who sit as judge and jury, and which allow secret evidence, secret witnesses, secret verdicts including secret death sentences, by allowing the president in his sole discretion to designate enemy combatants and serve as judge and jury of what are abuse and torture, and by arguing for retroactive immunity to government officials who authorized or ordered illegal acts of torture and abuse; therefore be it

RESOLVED that executive orders, signing statements, laws and departmental procedures and orders implemented during this administration that have undermined our civil liberties, compromised our right to privacy, and subverted our constitution including but not limited to the Military Commissions Act of 2006, be repealed and rescinded.




This resolution was written by C. Lee Taylor, Feb. 2008, and replaces an older one (Feb. 2006) entitled "Preserve Civil Liberties and Privacy)".

Social Security and Pension Protection..


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Whereas the current retirement age is 67; and

Whereas corporate executives are cheating people of their retirement benefits; and

Whereas the Social Security fund is solid through the year 2042; and

Whereas corporate executive pensions are totally protected from creditors while employee benefit plans do not share the same protections, as demonstrated in the enormous corporate bankruptcies in the last three years, and

Whereas the present administration proposes privatization of Social Security, thereby subjecting Social Security to the vagaries of Wall Street; therefore, be it

RESOLVED that the United States government preserve Social Security benefits and protect employee benefits under private pension plans as follows:

* Roll back retirement age to 65;
* Assure that employee benefits are protected to the same extent as that of executives in the event of bankruptcy;
* Preserve the solidity of the Social Security fund by denying all attempts to privatize it and by raising the cap on income subject to Social Security deductions.




Original resolution written by Texans for Kucinich, Jan. 2004. Updated by K. Kain, Feb. 2008.

State Income Tax..


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WHEREAS, the State of Texas has failed for a number of years to raise enough money to fund adequately infrastructure expansion and renewal, education, health care, mental rehabilitation, or other social service programs; and WHEREAS, revenues generated from local property taxes have proven to be an unfair and often times inadequate means of providing needed funds for the above stated programs because property values correlate poorly with the needs of those who live in a tax jurisdiction; and WHEREAS, the current sales tax is not a progressive tax and is grossly unfair to people with low incomes because they pay a greater proportion of their incomes for taxable items than those with higher incomes; and WHEREAS, Texas already collects a franchise tax from some businesses, which is a progressive tax, but never exceeds 1% of qualified revenue; and WHEREAS, Article 8, Sec. 24, of the Texas Constitution establishes that any state income tax must be used to reduce local school district property taxes and that the remaining revenue be used for support of education; therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Legislature of the State of Texas should enact laws to reduce or eliminate the state sales tax with provisions to assure revenue, perhaps through alternate tax systems, for those local jurisdictions which now levy funds through the state sales tax system; and be it further RESOLVED, that the Legislature of the State of Texas should place a referendum on the statewide ballot within the next biennium to allow voter approval of the following: * amendment of the state constitution for use of funds generated from a state income tax for services and infrastructure projects, as well as property-tax relief and education * a referendum establishing a state income tax covering natural persons and business entities and that such tax have a progressive tax rate.

Original resolution, entitled "New State Revenue Source", by Cathy Tarte and Bobby Caldwell, Feb. 12, 2006. This version revised Feb. 2008 by C. Crosier

Strengthen Environmental Safeguards..


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Whereas coal-burning utilities contaminate lakes with mercury and present a health hazard to children and pregnant women; and

Whereas a quarter of American industrial plants and water treatment plants are in serious violation of environmental standards; and

Whereas funding for enforcing environmental standards is inadequate; and

Whereas manure spills from factory farms have killed millions of fish; and

Whereas industrial agriculture and its disregard for the environment have devastated many communities; and

Whereas worldwide, more than 2 million people, mostly children, die each year from waterborne diseases; and

Whereas it has been shown that lead poisoning from industrial facilities near poor neighborhoods
contributes significantly to mental retardation in children; and

Whereas environmental oversight and production of "green" products will create jobs; and

Whereas the current administration's rule changes in environmental regulations will accelerate the destruction of wetlands and thereby increase flooding and add to pollution; and

Whereas the current administration has withdrawn proposed rules that would have reduced raw sewage discharges; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the U.S. government strengthen and enforce air and water regulation and protections and reward environmentally responsible farmers and business; and be it further

RESOLVED that the government make a major investment in water system infrastructure and a financial commitment to provide healthy drinking water to all the world's people.




Original version written by Texans for Kucinich, Jan. 2004. Updated by K. Kain, Feb. 2008.

Strengthen Public Education in Texas..


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WHEREAS, only 16% of low income 4th graders in Texas are proficient in reading compared to 39% of non-poor students, only 16% of African-American 4th graders in Texas are proficient in reading compared to 39% of white students, only 17% of Latino 4th graders in Texas are proficient in reading compared to 39% of white students; and WHEREAS only 15% of 3-year-old Texas children participate in state sponsored pre-kindergarten or the federal Head Start program; and WHEREAS Texas’ high school graduation rate is a woeful 68%; and WHEREAS 53% of Texas high school graduates enroll in college but only 49% of college freshmen earn a bachelor’s degree within 6 years; and WHEREAS in Texas 21% of average family income is required to pay for annual community college expenses after accounting for financial aid and 26% of average family income is required to pay for expenses at a 4 year public university; and WHEREAS 24% of Texas youth go unsupervised after school and only 10% participate in after school programs; and WHEREAS 30% of middle and high school classes in core academic subjects as well as 36% of middle and high school classes in core academic subjects at high poverty schools are taught by instructors who lack at least a college minor in their subject; and WHEREAS the increases for Title I and IDEA fall far short of the levels promised in the No Child Left Behind Act; and WHEREAS the National Education Association 2005 report stated Texas teachers earned an average salary of $41,009 for the 2004-05 school year which was approximately $6,000 less than the national average of $47,750; and WHEREAS according to the Texas Public Policy Foundation, teachers cite student discipline, administrative problems, school district policies and the inability of teachers to participate in school decision making as the main reasons for lack of satisfaction in their chosen vocation; and WHEREAS high stakes standardized testing harms children by reducing their worth to single test scores and penalizes under performing schools by closing them or turning them into for-profit charter schools, therefore be it RESOLVED that we support the strengthening of public education in Texas by: 1. Providing access to universal high quality pre-kindergarten and full day kindergarten for all 3 and 4 year old children, beginning with low income and minority children who need it most, paid for with a combination of federal, state, local and private dollars 2. Calling for policy makers and educators to radically redesign high schools and their relationship with post secondary institutions, thereby assuring every student is fully prepared for college or vocational/technical school based upon his/her ability level 3. Working toward redirecting high school dropouts back into learning environments that lead to gainful employment 4. Restoring funding on a national level for college financial aid and increasing state aid for students based upon financial need as well as merit 5. Having the state provide incentives for all school districts to make better use of the school day by aligning school time with student learning and providing structured activities for after school hours 6. Encouraging the federal government to support the crafting, adoption and promotion of voluntary, rigorous national standards in core curriculum subjects as well as expanding national accountability measures and supporting and assisting low performing schools 7. Calling for the state of Texas and local school districts, with support from federal financial incentives, to restructure and upgrade preparation programs and on-the-job training opportunities for teachers, as well as redesigning teacher compensation based upon fair performance measures and guaranteeing the equitable distribution of high quality teachers to school districts 8. Demanding the repeal of the under funded No Child Left Behind Act 9. Allowing teachers more decision making authority in the classroom regarding curriculum 10. Significantly reducing the number of standardized tests given in a school year and instead focusing on teaching a solid core curriculum as opposed to merely “teaching to a test”

Original version by Kris & Ron Graham, Feb. 3, 2006, revised Mar. 2, 2006, revised by R Graham Feb. 2008

Texas Public Campaign Financing (Clean Elections)..


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WHEREAS, campaign funding at all levels of government has soared in recent decades; and

WHEREAS, potential candidates are usually not considered viable without wealthy and economically powerful supporters; and

WHEREAS, under the current system of campaign financing, the average citizen cannot match the political influence of the economically powerful; and

WHEREAS, candidates and elected officials are required to spend a huge proportion of their time, energy, and staff raising funds rather than meeting with constituents; and

WHEREAS, the public interest has taken a back seat to the private and special interests which are influencing decisions made by our elected representatives; and

WHEREAS, public financing of campaigns has been successfully implemented in seven states and two cities;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Texas Democratic Party finds and declares that the unique factual circumstances in the State of Texas require that provisions for publicly financed elections be enacted to promote the compelling interests of democracy in Texas;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that to this end the Texas State Democratic Party meeting in convention insists that the Texas legislature during its next session commencing in January 2009, enact a law and/or pass legislation providing for such a constitutional amendment election necessary for the establishment of a publicly financed elections system in Texas. Such system to provide public financing for all state legislative and statewide elective office candidates who refuse to take any private interest or special interest campaign contributions and agree to certain spending limits. This public financing would be used by candidates to campaign for elective office adhering to all election and campaign reporting laws.




This resolution was furnished by True Courage Action Network http://www.truecourageaction.net

Universal Single-payer, Not-for-profit Health Care..


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Whereas each citizen’s "pursuit of happiness" depends upon maintaining health; and

Whereas a healthy economy depends upon a healthy and productive citizenry; and

Whereas 48 million uninsured Americans and millions more underinsured are forced to use only emergency, often too-late care, which ends up costing tax payers billions of dollars; and

Whereas many families with access to health care are driven into poverty by the high cost of premiums and high deductibles and out-of-pocket costs; and

Whereas health insurance costs for businesses have increased steadily since 1998 and often force small businesses to hire part-time staff with no benefits or to stop offering health insurance completely; and

Whereas insurance companies protect and increase profits even when doing so diminishes the very health care they are meant to make possible; and

Whereas the removal of the profit motive from the health care system would refocus the system on health; and

Whereas the U.S. pays more than all other industrialized countries for health care, but provides less coverage to fewer people; and

Whereas the General Accounting Office concludes that if the U.S. shifted to a single- payer, not-for-profit system of universal coverage, "the savings in administrative costs would be more than enough to offset the cost" of providing health care to everyone; therefore be it

RESOLVED:
* That we support the establishment of a universal single-payer, not-for-profit national health care system in the U.S.;
* That such a system be publicly financed but privately delivered; allow people to choose their own health care providers; provide preventative health care, dental care, mental health care, and affordable prescription drugs; and make health care available to everyone regardless of pre-existing conditions, status of employment, or income level.




Original version, entitled "Single Payer Universal Health Care", was written by Texans for Kucinich, Jan. 2004.
Updated by K. Kain, Feb. 2008.

Voter Confidence Resolution (Comprehensive verifiable voting resolution)..


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Whereas an election is a competition for the privilege of representing the people; and Whereas each voter is entitled to cast a single ballot to record his or her preferences for representation; and Whereas the records of individual votes are the basis for counting and potentially re-counting a collective total and declaring a winner; and Whereas an election's outcome is a matter of public record, based on a finite collection of immutable smaller records; and Whereas a properly functioning election system should produce unanimous agreement about the results indicated by a fixed set of unchanging records; and Whereas recent U.S. federal elections have been conducted under conditions that have not produced unanimous agreement about the outcome; and Whereas future U.S. federal elections cannot possibly produce unanimous agreement as long as any condition permits an inconclusive count or re-count of votes; and Whereas inconclusive counts and re-counts have occurred during recent U.S. federal elections due in part to electronic voting devices that do not produce a paper record of votes to be re-counted if necessary; and Whereas inconclusive results have also been caused by election machines losing data, producing negative vote totals, showing more votes than there are registered voters, and persistently and automatically swapping a voter's vote from his or her chosen candidate to an opponent; and Whereas inconclusive results make it impossible to measure the will of the people in their preferences for representation; and Whereas the Declaration of Independence refers to the Consent of the Governed as the self-evident truth from which Government derives "just Power"; THEREFORE BE IT: RESOLVED, because inconclusive results, by definition, mean that the true outcome of an election cannot be known, there is no basis for confidence in the results reported from U.S. federal elections; and be it further RESOLVED, that when elections are conducted under conditions that prevent conclusive outcomes, the Consent of the Governed is not being sought. Absent this self-evident source of legitimacy, such Consent is not to be assumed or taken for granted; and be it further RESOLVED, that the following is a comprehensive election reform platform likely to ensure conclusive election results and create a basis for confidence in U.S. federal elections: 1) voting processes owned and operated entirely in the public domain, and 2) clean money laws to keep all corporate funds out of campaign financing, and 3) a voter-verified paper ballot for every vote cast and additional uniform standards determined by a non-partisan nationally recognized commission, and 4) declaring election day a national holiday, and 5) counting all votes publicly and locally in the presence of citizen witnesses and credentialed members of the media, and 6) equal time provisions to be restored by the media along with a measurable increase in local, public control of the airwaves, and 7) presidential debates containing a minimum of three candidates, run by a non-partisan commission comprised of representatives of publicly owned media outlets, and 8) preferential voting and proportional representation to replace the winner-take-all system for federal, state and local elections elections, and 9) A requirement that the top elected official responsible for overseeing elections in each jurisdiction not serve in any capacity in any political campaign over which he or she has jurisdiction, and 10) Consistent national standards for security, including physical and electronic security of election systems, including tallying systems, and 11) Uniform and inclusive voter registration standards and accurate and transparent voting roll purges, based on fair and consistent national standards, and 12) Consistent national standards for the number of voting machines and poll workers per 100 voters in each precinct, to ensure reasonable and uniform waiting times for all voters, and [Note: This resolution is being presented to city councils and state governments across the US.] Source: http://guvwurld.blogspot.com/2005/04/voter-confidence-resolution.html, with additions adopted unanimously by the Palo Alto, CA Human Relations Commission. originally distributed in Texas Mar. 2006, updated by B. Crosier Feb. 2008

Withdraw from Iraq Now..


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WHEREAS members of the U.S. military in Iraq have killed many thousands of Iraq civilians; and WHEREAS favoritism in U.S. policies has strained relations between factions in Iraqi society; and WHEREAS a state of civil war already exists in Iraq --= a state which the U.S. has not only failed to prevent, but has actually inflamed; and WHEREAS reconstruction that the U. S. promised to perform has not been carried out in any meaningful way; and WHEREAS the revelations about torture conducted in the Abu-Ghraib prison have destroyed any value that Americans might have had as role models or trainers for Iraqi officials and police; and WHEREAS the U.S.-written Iraqi constitution excludes the rights of one person-one vote, denies former Baathist leaders the right to run for political office, and denies the state the right to nationalize essential resources; be it therefore RESOLVED that the United States immediately withdraw its troops and contract employees from Iraq, and be it further RESOLVED that Congress should refuse to allocate any more funding for military operations in Iraq other than what is needed to implement immediate withdrawal.

Draft by W. Simmons, edited by B. Crosier, rev. 3/2/06. Revised by K. Kain, Feb. 2008

Workers' Rights are Human Rights..


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WHEREAS, All people have a right to have a job in a safe workplace, to earn living wages and secure benefits including retirement, and

WHEREAS, Workers need to be empowered to negotiate with their employer if necessary over working conditions, safety, compensation for injuries on the job, employer negligence, and freedom to enjoy all the benefits of U. S. citizenship, and

WHEREAS, Unions are shadows of what they were 40 years ago, with membership declining from 24% in 1973 to 14% today, and

WHEREAS, In 2001 the U. S. Supreme Court repealed 100 years of labor and civil rights protections and allowed employers to require mandatory binding arbitration for employees, and

WHEREAS, The US Supreme Court gave employers the right to require prospective workers to sign away their civil, disability and pension rights as conditions of employment, and

WHEREAS, Corporations have cut wages, benefits and working hours, reneged on contracts and eliminated retirements through bankruptcy strategies, and

WHEREAS, The average CEO made 42 times the average workers pay in 1980, 80 times in 1990, and 531 times in 2000, and

WHEREAS, Overtime pay is now in jeopardy for millions of workers, therefore, be it

RESOLVED

* That the federal minimum wage be adjusted to a living wage,
* That the Supreme Court's 2001 decision be reversed, that labor and civil rights be restored,
* That workers must not be required to waive their legal rights as a condition of employment,
* That Sections 206-210 of the Taft-Hartley Act be struck down and collective bargaining rights be restored to workers to enable them to protect their jobs and quality of life.




This resolution was written by the Texans for Kucinich campaign, Jan. 2004.