Vermont Republican Party Platform

Approved September 20, 2008

PREAMBLE

We, Vermont Republicans, are united in believing that government exists to serve the people. Good government abides by the principles laid out in our nation’s Declaration of Independence: that “all men [and women] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men [and Women], deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

In today’s language, this means our Government should be by our side, not on our backs.

The Vermont Republican Party is dedicated to ensuring that our state is the best place in the world to live, go to school, have a career, raise a family, and retire. The policy decisions we endorse are based on the determination that Vermont achieve its greatest potential in each of these regards.

To this end, Vermont Republicans will work to provide a clean, healthy and safe environment, an education system strong and diverse enough to meet the needs of all of our children, an economic environment strong and diverse enough to support the dreams of all of our citizens, tight-knit communities bound together by strong families, and a solid, sustainable social safety net for those who truly need it.

We are committed to the task of building Vermont with the understanding that, if in the process of governing, the government prices its own citizens out of Vermont through high taxes and onerous regulations that drive wages down and the cost of living beyond the means of the average Vermonter, government has failed. A government that serves its citizens must first and foremost be affordable to its citizens.

2008 VERMONT REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM

1. PLATFORM

While Republicans may hold diverse opinions on specific legislative proposals, we should not allow these differences to deflect us from advancing the principles that unite us as a party. As united Republicans, we support and will work to advance the principles incorporated in this platform.

Our goal is to ensure that the State of Vermont empowers the individual, families and private enterprise to create a government we can feel proud of, at a price we can afford. We believe that the high cost state government bureaucracy diminishes Vermonters' quality of life and that the excessive tax burden required to support the bureaucracy unfairly limits the income that our citizens retain to support themselves.

We will protect the Constitutional rights of the people and will protect their freedoms, including their private property rights.

It is our goal to recruit Republican candidates who support the historic principles of our Party and its platform.

2. BALANCING OUR ECONOMY & OUR ENVIRONMENT

Vermont Republicans believe we need to treat Vermont’s economic environment with the same respect that we treat our natural environment. A strong Vermont economy will provide a foundation for success, independence and financial security for our families. Vermont Republicans appreciate and respect the undeniable beauty of our state and the historic strong spirit, independence, work ethic and entrepreneurship of Vermont's people.

Vermont’s environment is a treasure. We support wise stewardship of our land and waterways. We will be responsible to future generations, but without forgetting that true quality of life means more than only preservation. Quality of life also means a good job, a decent place to live, affordable heat and electricity, and the continued economic and technological development essential to our standard of living.

3. NO NEW TAXES!

The Vermont Republican party recognizes that the Vermont taxpayer is already overburdened by one of the highest per capita tax burdens in the nation. We support lower taxes in the belief that high taxes unfairly erode earnings, create disincentives for economic investment, limit opportunities, and make it more difficult for Vermonters, young and old, to remain in Vermont.

Vermont Republicans reject recent efforts and proposals by Democrats and Progressives to increase taxes on gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating fuel, property transfers, trucks and family vehicles, plastic bags, energy, payrolls, and income. We oppose any effort to increase the tax burden on Vermonters.

4. ECONOMIC STIMULUS

In the interest of fostering job growth, economic security, and the long term financial stability of our state, Vermont Republicans are committed to changing Vermont’s image as an unfriendly place to do business. A strong Vermont economy will provide a foundation for success, independence and financial security for our families, and the resources necessary for a secure social safety net.

Taxes: Vermont Republicans support reducing the high tax burdens placed on businesses and individuals, which are barriers to attracting and keeping businesses and jobs in Vermont. We recognize the success of the Sales Tax Holiday and the philosophy behind it, and support making this an annual event.

Infrastructure: Vermont Republicans recognize that for our citizens to compete and succeed in a 21st Century economy, our government must support a 21st century infrastructure. We support efforts to bring telecommunications and technology access throughout the state. We also recognize the importance of well maintained roads and bridges and support designating the transportation funds for maintenance, repair, support and usage of Vermont’s highway and road infrastructure.

Energy: Vermont Republicans recognize the need for a diverse, broad-based energy portfolio, and for an affordable, reliable supply of energy. We support the safe re-licensing of Vermont Yankee. We recognize the importance of reducing our dependence upon foreign oil, and encourage private investment in efforts to find and implement cost effective alternatives.

Permit/Regulatory Reform: Vermont Republicans recognize that our current, costly, unpredictable and expensive permitting process is a barrier to job growth and general affordability. We believe that the permitting process needs to be further streamlined, making the process more timely and predictable. “Party status” needs to be clearly defined.

5. PROTECTING SAFE, STRONG COMMUNITIES

The Vermont Republican Party believes the primary responsibility of State government is to provide for the safety and security of individual citizens and our communities. In doing so, we recognize that good public policy must reflect a deep and abiding respect for the inherent value of human life.

Vermont Republicans believe that people who commit crimes against children should be duly prosecuted under the law. We support strict laws established to protect our children from sexual predators including a Jessica’s Law for Vermont, civil confinement, and an expanded and aggressive sex offender registry.

Vermont Republicans recognize the importance of hunting, fishing, and the traditional activities that have shaped Vermont’s communities, culture and landscape, and the need to protect and preserve these traditions.

Vermont Republicans believe in the rights of law-abiding citizens to own firearms to defend themselves, their families and their property. We support the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms as codified by the United States and Vermont State Constitutions. We oppose any firearms ban including an “assault weapon” ban.

Vermont Republicans support measures to protect and secure our international border with Canada, our airports, our water supply and our nuclear power plant, without unnecessary infringement upon our civil rights.

Vermont Republicans support legislation to increase penalties for multiple drunken driving events by an individual especially with death or injury resulting.

We will provide for the needs of law enforcement and emergency response personnel to respond to legal and emergent events.

6. STRENGTHENING VERMONT FAMILIES

Vermont Republicans believe that strong families are the necessary foundation of the strong, tight-knit communities that make Vermont’s quality of life so special and wonderful. Families are primarily responsible for raising the next generation of Americans. The family is the place where the values, morals, beliefs, ethics, respect, sense of personal responsibility and strengths of our youth are formed. We believe that the family is the most important institution of human development to nurture these qualities.

The Vermont Republican Party strongly opposes actions by government that inhibit and/or supplant the role of parents in the care, upbringing and protection of their children.

The Vermont Republican Party supports empowering parents and communities with an expanded sex offender registry to aggressively inform parents and communities about who sex offenders are and where they live.

Vermont Republicans support “parental notification" before a minor can undergo an abortion.

Vermont Republicans oppose partial birth abortion, and do not support the use of taxpayer dollars to organizations that provide abortions.

The Vermont Republican Party supports the Vermont Marriage Law as it is.

Vermont Republicans support an individual’s right to choose the health care insurance coverage best suited to their needs, including the right to purchase health insurance from a provider in another state.

We oppose a publicly funded healthcare monopoly.

We respect our senior citizens and are committed to improving their financial security by lessening their tax burden and improving their physical well-being and quality of life.

7. EDUCATION

Vermont Republicans believe that a quality education advances good citizenship, knowledge and self worth. If Vermont's students are to be competitive globally, we must raise our education expectations and standards for competency and accountability while ensuring that costs are affordable.

The Vermont Republican Party acknowledges the important role of taxpayers, parents and teachers in providing education. We support the rights of parents to choose the primary and secondary educational opportunities that best suit the needs of their children through public funding, and we support empowering teachers to create educational environments that best suit this demand.

Vermont Republicans support innovative approaches, including the expanded use of technology, to reduce burdensome education costs while increasing the national and global competitiveness of

Vermont's education system.

Vermont Republicans believe that our education system should include a focus on personal responsibility, science, mathematics and the importance of civics, American history and the principles of American government. We recognize the importance of instilling in our youth a respect for the fundamentals of our system of government, pride in our nation, and appreciation of our constitutional rights, freedoms and opportunities.

8. SUPPORT FOR VERMONT FARMS

Vermont Republicans recognize and support the importance of agriculture in Vermont, particularly our dairy industry. We support efforts to strengthen our agricultural economy and to keep regulatory decisions concerning agriculture within the control of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture. While we understand that dairying is the backbone of Vermont's agricultural economy, we support the continued efforts to diversify our agricultural industry through the continued growth of maple, horticulture, grass fed beef, and added value products.

9. THANKS TO OUR VETERANS

Vermont Republicans believe that we owe a debt of gratitude to our veterans and wounded military and will ensure that they receive the benefits that they have earned and rightfully deserve.

10. GOVERNMENT WE CAN BE PROUD OF

We seek candidates with high personal standards of integrity, who will uphold the constitution of the State of Vermont. Vermont Republicans believe that limited, open and transparent government best serves the people. We oppose centralization of power and support the Constitutional principle of three branches of government that are separate and independent.

Vermont Republicans expect the Vermont legislature to assess the cost of any new or expanded government programs before enacting them into law and without increasing the already excessive tax burden on our citizens.

Vermont Republicans reject judiciary encroachment upon legislative powers and oppose “legislating from the bench.”

Vermont Republicans believe that we must maintain the integrity of our voting system for legal citizens of Vermont by having a requirement that every voter produce positive identification to register and to vote.

Vermont Republicans expect campaign finance laws to guarantee full, prompt and transparent disclosure.

Vermont Republicans recognize that an open ended legislative session lasting as long as five months each year is a significant barrier to many citizens ability to participate in elected office. In order to allow a more diverse and a greater number of citizens to participate in our state government, we support limiting the legislative session to no more than 90 days.

11. CONCLUSION

We, Vermont Republicans, are united by our belief in one nation under God, individual liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, limited spending, limited taxes, economic opportunity, homeland security, compassion for the truly needy and our confidence in the strength of families, places of worship, communities and volunteerism. The principles and programs set forth in this Platform reflect the beliefs and values that characterize the Vermont Republican Party. While Republicans may hold diverse opinions on specific legislative proposals, such differences should not deflect from advancing the principles that unite us as a Party. As united Republican, we will seek to apply the principles embodied in this Platform to our vision for the future of Vermont