Calaveras Democrats
What We Stand For and Why
We Believe in The Constitution
- Promoting the “general welfare” of the people as written in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution
- Equal protection of the civil rights of all persons in the United States irrespective of race, creed, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, abilities, or legal status
- Fiercely protecting the right of all citizens to vote
- A woman’s right to make her own reproductive choices
- The strong defense of First Amendments rights and freedoms
- Campaign finance reform including repealing “Citizens United”
What This Means For Calaveras County
- Government works for “we the people,” not the corporations.
- Every citizen’s vote should count equally — not the amount of money they have.
- The state has no business regulating the private decisions of individuals.
- Every person who graduates from high school should know how our government works.
We Believe in Economic Justice
- Living wage for all Americans with equal pay for equal work
- Safe working conditions
- A fair tax system
- Affordable housing
- Investment in rural economic development, including low-cost broadband access
- Strong oversight of high-risk financial markets
- Safeguarding the Dodd-Frank statutes on consumer and bankruptcy protection
What This Means For Calaveras County
- Fair wages for the work that everyone does whether they are ranchers, store clerks, or lawyers.
- Men and women make the same wages for the same type of work.
- Everyone pays their fair share of taxes – no loopholes, no offshore accounts.
- Stop bankers from ripping off homeowners and credit card users.
- Require investments in the economic opportunities of rural areas.
- The county needs a focus on economic development.
We Believe in Universal Right to Health Care
- Medicare for all (single-payer)
- An emphasis on preventative care
- Investing in rural healthcare delivery
- Expansion of local health clinics
- Controlling drug cost
What This Means For Calaveras County
- A financially strong health care system with quality healthcare.
- Equal access to healthcare services irrespective of prior medical conditions, age, income level, or social status.
- Support for local healthcare clinics and mobile healthcare services.
- Broadband and access to computers for online medical evaluations.
- Emphasis on preventative care including dental and vision services.
- No insurance premiums or co-pays.
We Believe in Universal Public Education
- Free education for all (elementary/high/trade school, college)
- Equity for all students in the quality of their education
- Substantially greater investment in advanced technical education
- Broadband access for all students
- Restore civics as a high-school curriculum requirement
What This Means For Calaveras County
- Every child gets a free quality public education.
- This promise of a free education goes through trade school and college.
- Every child will have access to high-speed internet services.
- Invest in advanced technical education for any student that pursues this career path.
- An accredited, online junior college focused on Calaveras students.
- Continuing education for adult learners.
We Believe in Preservation of the Global Environment
- War should never be used, except as a last option
- Pro-active policies for national cyber-defense
- Giving our intelligence agencies the ability to offer independent assessments
- Establishing independent oversight of defense technology investments
What This Means For Calaveras County
- Innovative businesses that leverage our natural resources.
- Cleanup hazardous environmental waste sites including mines, watersheds, and old industrial sites.
- Subsidies and tax credits for upgrading home heating/cooling, insulation, and energy generation systems (including solar).
We Believe in Strong and Transparent Defense Policy
- War should never be used, except as a last option
- Pro-active policies for national cyber-defense
- Giving our intelligence agencies the ability to offer independent assessments
- Establishing independent oversight of defense technology investments
What This Means For Calaveras County
- The Iraq War of 2003-2011 cost the citizens of the United States $1.1 trillion, was based on false premises (weapons of mass destruction), and was never authorized with a formal Declaration of War by Congress. The National Security Agency warned that the signals intelligence was ambiguous. Nearly five hundred brave troops from California lost their lives in this war.
- Every computer in the United States is vulnerable to cyber-hacking because of poor national policies. This includes water and electrical systems, nuclear power plants, and public safety systems. The Calaveras County website was hit by a suspected Iranian group
We Believe in
Investing in and Improving Our Public Safety Infrastructure
- Public safety needs to be managed as a holistic system including law enforcement, fire suppression, medical response, and social services related to probation, parole, addiction, and mental health services
- Establish a uniform medical response system for geographic areas
- Expand neighborhood watch programs
What This Means For Calaveras County
- Stop the revolving door of hiring and training new Deputy Sheriff and jail custody officers only to have them move on to adjacent higher-paying jurisdictions. Create pay and promotional opportunity ladders for retention.
- Create county-wide uniform medical response services. End subscriptions.
- Establish and support addiction and mental health transition services and housing.
- Expand community participation in crime prevention and neighborhood support programs.
We Believe in Civility
- War should never be used, except as a last option
- Pro-active policies for national cyber-defense
- Giving our intelligence agencies the ability to offer independent assessments
- Establishing independent oversight of defense technology investments
What This Means For Calaveras County
- Friendly neighborhoods.
- Increased participation in community projects.
- Less need for government intervention.
- Embracing differences.
- Longer lives.