At the County Convention on March 15, 2008, the Marion County 2008 Democratic Platform was ratified as follows:

 ISSUES SECTION

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

1.    We support the international community in their efforts to improve the quality of life for all people.

2.    We favor efforts to solve international conflicts peacefully and work with the world community before committing the United States to military intervention.

3.    We favor normalization of relations and/or improvement of relations with all foreign countries.

4.    We support ratification of the treaty banning the use of land mines.

5.    We support the reduction of nuclear weapons.

6.    We support including workers' core civil rights and environmental protection in all trade agreements.

7.    We urge world leaders to stop genocide in Darfur.

8.    We support restoration of traditional rights of Habeas Corpus and the Geneva Convention.

AGRICULTURE

9.    We favor funding only those economic development programs that bring in good paying, safe jobs without making rural areas dumping grounds for waste and pollution.

10.   Because family farms and the small farmer struggle to compete economically, we support research for new uses for our crops, and research into value-added and inventive agriculture.

11.   We recommend further research into the health effects of Confinement Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO's).

12.   We continue support for efforts to open world markets to Iowa's crops but urge support for local, sustainable agriculture.

13.   We support country-of-origin labeling.

14.   We support creating incentives for the promotion of organic agriculture.

15.   Because citizens of Iowa may have respiratory conditions such as asthma, we recommend mandatory notification of citizens when airborne application of chemicals will take place.

16.  We stongly support local input and transparency regarding the sitings of factory farms.

ENVIRONMENT

17.   We support full funding for the Resource Enhancement and Protection Program.

18.   We support the protection of our natural environment; we believe we must protect our parks.

19.   We urge that a common sense approach be used for any business or users of the national parks that will fairly reimburse the public with fee collection used to preserve and operate our national parks.

20.   We support expanding the Container Redemption Law.

21.   We support prohibiting the sale of MTBE in Iowa.

22.   We encourage the marketing of ethanol blended gasoline and soy bio-diesel and increased fuel economy standards for automobiles and trucks.

23.   We support developing alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and other renewable resources including cellulose based ethanol and use of LIHD (Low Input/High Diversity) crops.

24.   We urge the government to support  climate treaties and to take steps to reduce greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.

25.   We support Clean Water initiatives, including proper disposal of pharmaceuticals.

26.   We support incentives to develop public transportation.

27.   We support the repeal of tax breaks to oil companies enacted in August 2005.

GOVERNMENT

28.   We support changing NAFTA from free trade to fair trade.

29.  We support that Iowa pass the Voter Owned Iowa Clean Election (VOICE) legislation. Under this law an election system will be established in which candidates could choose to no longer raise money from private sources.  Instead, each participating candidate would receive a set amount of money from a publicly financed election fund.  Spending by each candidate would be limited to the amount they get from the election fund.

30.   We support the control of the United States' borders.  We support equitable funding needed to secure our ports, water supplies and infrastructure.

31.   We favor federal, state, county, and municipal limits on discriminatory tax breaks, including special bond issues, and other economic incentives offered by states or communities to lure new businesses or industries.

32.   We support very limited use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF's) and other tax abatement schemes.  In consideration of TIF's and other creative tax abatement schemes, the businesses that are the recipient of those tax advantages must have a contract with the local government clearly stating what benefits will be provided to the local community.  When those benefits are not achieved, we strongly urge local government to take all necessary legal action to recover the lost tax revenue from the contracted business.

33.   We oppose the privatization of government services.

34.   We favor reforming campaign financing, including public campaign funds, spending limits, and the elimination of loopholes.

35.   We favor requiring judges standing for election or re-election to present voters with a summary of their legal background and judicial record at least 90 days before the election date.

36.   We favor rebuilding our infrastructure on a local, state and national level.

37.   We ask that the Patriot Act be immediately repealed.

38.   We support that all lobbyist activities with any government officials be made a part of the public record.

39.   We support the elimination of the current rollback system that undermines valuation of property tax value for incorporated municipalities.

40.   We support ending Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and support cuts for the lower and middle class.  We support deficit reduction and balanced budgets.

41.  We support all legal efforts to more closely define a corporation.

HUMAN RESOURCES

42.   We favor strengthening consumer protection including all pension and retirement funds to insure their integrity and payment of benefits.

43.   We favor maintaining or increasing funding for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

44.   We support access to quality, affordable childcare.

45.   We support the preservation, strengthening, but not the privatization, of Social Security to ensure the long-term financial stability of the program.

46.   We support immigration laws that encourage and promote citizenship for law-abiding people, documentation of workers, a guest worker program and possible dual citizenship.

HEALTH CARE

47.    We believe Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement should be equitable for all medical services regardless of the area of the country.

48.   We support considering a limit on direct advertising to consumer of pharmaceuticals.

49.   We believe the federal government should not limit states' rights to negotiate for reasonable drug prices.

50.   We believe quality health care should be affordable and accessible to all.

51.   We support providing our Veterans with quality medical services.

52.   We support parity for mental health services and insurance reimbursement.

53.   We support funding to provide family planning services including education, information about sexual health, and contraceptives and reproductive health care for adult low-income women.

54.   We support universal health care including mental health care.

55.   We support investing in and training more nurses and technicians in the health care field, including home health care and efforts to keep health care professionals in Iowa and rural Iowa.

EDUCATION

56.   We oppose diverting public money from public schools to fund vouchers, tuition tax credits; or for-profit education business.

57.   We support universal pre-school and increased funding of Head Start and similar programs.

58.   We favor the adoption of rules that allow school districts the ability to design and carry out innovative or alternative plans for educating all of their students.  This could include change in curriculum, instruction, or school organization.

59.   We support the continued funding of technology programs providing students the opportunity for distance learning and access to information.

60.   We urge the immediate repeal of the No Child Left behind initiative.

61.   We support the continuation of the Direct Lending program and all other grant programs to assist qualified students with funding post-secondary education.

62.   We support changing the threshold for passage of bond issues to 50% + 1 if the repayment of the bonds is accomplished through a combination of income and property taxes.

63.   We support increased state funding of educational school building and other school infrastructure.

64.   We support fully funding any state or federal mandates for all educational programs.

65.   We support establishment of quality programs with measurable standards in math, science, social sciences, fine arts and physical education classes including additional teachers to ensure smaller classes and wider opportunity for advanced classes in high school.

CIVIL AFFAIRS

66.   We favor reviewing and revising the penal system to accomplish two purposes:  to rehabilitate as many offenders as possible through education and training and to securely incarcerate violent criminals safely, adequately, and humanely.

67.   We affirm the right of all individuals to determine if and when to become parents.  We opposed all efforts of government that would restrict access to reproductive services or intrude upon our privacy including parental notification requirements.

68.   We resist all government intervention into our private lives.

69.   We support the enforcement and collection of financial support from non-custodial parents.

70.   We believe that all existing gun laws should be strictly enforced.

71.   We support full funding for VAWA (the Violence Against Women Act).  We also support the restoration of a line item in the Iowa budge and state permanent stable funding for services to crime victims in Iowa.

72.   We believe the death penalty should not be part of the justice system.

73.  We support the rights of workers to organize without interference from employers.

74.   We encourage the funding and ongoing maintenance by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the Knoxville campus of the VA Central Iowa health Care System.

75.  We support the Supreme Court's decision regarding the right of same-sex couples to marry.

76.  We support the right of Iowans to determine where and with whom to give birth.