Kitsap County GOP Platform

What follows is the Kitsap County Republican Party’s platform, adopted at its convention Saturday. I’ve made a request to Democrats to send me theirs after the meet next month.

Kitsap County Republican Party
PLATFORM
As adopted March 27, 2010

OUR PHILOSOPHY
We, the Kitsap County Republican Party, believe that the following principles distinguish us as Republicans and as citizens of the United States. These principles unite us in a society characterized by individual liberty, personal responsibility, equal opportunity, compassion, and the rule of law. Freedom unites us as one people.

REDUCING GOVERNMENT INTRUSION IN OUR LIVES
We believe that government exists by the consent of the governed and must be restrained from unnecessarily intruding into the freedoms of its citizens. The function of government is to protect unalienable, God-given rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

REAFFIRMATION OF FEDERALISM
We support the constitutional principle that “powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” We support a judiciary that upholds separation of powers, and abstains from legislating from the bench.

NATIONAL SECURITY
We believe that peace and freedom are best secured through the maintenance of a strong, well-equipped volunteer military. We believe that the integrity of our borders is critical to our sovereignty and security.

PRIVATE PROPERTY
We recognize the constitutional protection of individual property ownership. Where the use of private property is regulated to produce a public benefit, we believe that the public has a duty to compensate the landowner for the regulatory taking.

LOCAL CONTROL
We favor government at a level as close to the people as possible. We trust the people, acting through their elected officials, to recognize those things that they can do for themselves, and those things that cannot be done effectively by individuals and non-government entities.

TAXATION
We accept the necessity for limited taxation in order for government to perform services that meet essential public needs. To this end, we believe that taxes should be as low, simple, and as fair as possible. We believe that property must be assessed at its true fair-market value.

HUMAN SERVICES
We believe that the primary responsibility for meeting basic human needs rests with the individual, the family, and voluntary charitable organizations. We believe that the priority role of government is public health, disaster preparedness and emergency relief addressed through efficiently-operated programs.

HEALTH CARE REFORM
Federal legislation requiring citizens to purchase a particular good or service in the health care market constitutes an unprecedented intrusion upon individual liberty and the sovereignty of the States’. We strongly oppose any federal legislation requiring individuals to purchase a particular good or service. We strongly support health care reform measures which increase the portability of health insurance across state lines, reduce costs and promote efficiency and competition in the health care market.

EDUCATION
Parents have the authority and responsibility to educate their children, and we support their right to choose government, private, or home education. We believe that education should be controlled at the local level and focused on preparing the next generation of leaders and citizens for our republic. We support competitive excellence.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION
We believe that undue government regulation impedes productivity and competition, causing our State to lose jobs and a much-needed tax base. We believe that our economy depends on quality roads, ferries and emergency systems.

PUBLIC PROTECTION
We support lawful efforts of local law-enforcement agencies to protect citizens and communities. The legal system must accomplish a swift and balanced administration of justice, including consideration of rights of the victim. We support the constitutional right of the individual to keep and bear arms, and expect personal responsibility in exercising this right.

EQUAL RIGHTS
We believe in the protection of individual rights guaranteed by our national and state constitutions, rather than the creation of new rights based on group identity or behaviors.

FREE EXPRESSION OF FAITH
We affirm the First Amendment to protect religious expression, including prayer, both in private and in public.

FAMILY VALUES
We support the traditional family as the fundamental unit of society, and the parental right and responsibility to direct the upbringing of their children, as well as to provide care, discipline and moral training. We support the protection of innocent human life in all stages.

NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION
We believe in conserving our environment and fostering the emergence of clean, environmentally-friendly and responsible land use. We recognize the importance of maintaining our natural resources. We believe in reasonable environmental policies based on verifiable science.

REPRESENTATION
We believe that our elected officials should uphold the constitutions of our nation and our state, and should honor the will of the people. We demand honesty, responsibility and accountability from our public officials. We believe elected Republicans should adhere to our platform

OUR PLEDGE
The Republican Party is a party of the people, by the people, and for the people. We celebrate the productivity of our citizens. We cherish and affirm our liberties and commit ourselves to working together for our freedoms, uniting Kitsap County.