STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

FROM 2010 MARION COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM

The Democrats of Marion County proudly identify themselves with the great Democratic ideals passed down to us:  Thomas Jefferson's vision of the U.S. as the land of opportunity; Andrew Jackson's conviction of the worth of ordinary citizens, and that citizens are responsible for taking care of their freedoms; Franklin Roosevelt's leadership in ending the great Republican recession; Harry Truman's courage and common sense, ushering in 25 years of prosperity unmatched in American history; John F. Kennedy's belief in the Peace Corps, his pioneering ideas in space exploration, and the new technology that came with it; Lyndon B. Johnson's advancement of civil rights and the Great Society to work toward equality; Jimmy Carter's foresight on matters of the environment; and Bill Clinton's intelligence which supported the technological revolution and showed that peace can bring about prosperity.

In their spirit, we identify the following guiding principles for the election of 2008 and the years to follow:

• Commitment to freedom, responsibility, and equal rights to each citizen;
• An emphasis on candidates who will work for the good of all the people;
• Commitment to fair campaign financing;
• Commitment to balancing the budget in ways that share the impact fairly, rather than making any demographic carry an inequitable share;
• Commitment to reducing the national debt;
• Support for clean air and water, conservation and recreation;
• Commitment to an economic structure that generates high quality jobs, while securing jobs for all working people;
• Commitment to available and affordable quality child care;
• Belief in and support of educational opportunities for all people;
• Support for competent, caring, and enthusiastic teachers who are well-prepared and equitably compensated;
• Support for public education and health care for all people;
• Commitment to America's historic role as a world leader, in co-operation with the world community, to search for a just peace in troubled parts of the world.

Our Purpose

Our purpose shall be to elect Democrats in Marion County, the State of Iowa, the Third Congressional District and the Nation; and to promote the principles of the Democratic Party.

Our Organization

The Marion County Democratic Central Committee shall consist of committee persons from each of the precincts within the county.  Committee persons shall be elected every two years by a majority vote at the caucus in their precinct.  The number of committee persons from each precinct is determined by the Democratic votes received in the last election for U.S. President and Governor of Iowa.

Marion County Democratic Officers

The County Central Committee members shall elect a Chair, a Vice Chair, a Secretary, and a Treasurer and such other officers as they may deem necessary.

The current officers elected for two years on March 24, 2010 are:

Chair:  Anita Martin (641) 218-4699 - needer47@hotmail.com

Vice Chair:  Tarry Vant Hof (641) 230-1004 -  tarry42@mac.com

Secretary:  Sheila Weldon (641) 842-5888  - weldonjs@iowatelecom.net

Treasurer:  Ron Long (641) 620-1613 - rlong4@iowatelecom.net