Democrats believe jobs and the economy are our first priority. We pledge to Support the creation of jobs for hard-working Floridians. We believe in protecting the state's precious land, water, and air for our children and grandchildren.
Democrats believe jobs and the economy are our first priority. We pledge to Support the creation of jobs for hard-working Floridians. We believe in protecting the state's precious land, water, and air for our children and grandchildren.
Democrats believe jobs and the economy are our first priority. We pledge to Support the creation of jobs for hard-working Floridians. We believe in protecting the state's precious land, water, and air for our children and grandchildren.
Oct. 2012 SHARE THIS INFORMATION WITH EVERYONE Number 27
Florida First Ever Democratic Party Platform 2012 MOVING FLORIDA FORWARD PREFACE Florida Democrats believe in Florida values. We, the people of the great State of Florida, believe in standing for effective and efficient government that is aimed at providing the quality public safety, education, and healthcare the people of this state deserve. Ours is the party that champions the middle class and the basic principle of fairness to ensure all Floridians are treated equally. And we believe in protecting the states precious land, water, and air for our children and grandchildren. lt is our purpose to place before the residents of Florida a document that states the position of the Democratic Party for the future direction of our state. The following Platform makes that statement, and offers a promise of a strong and fruitful future for Floridians FLORIDAS JOBS TRIPLE PLAY We, as Florida Democrats, believe jobs and the economy are our first priority. Therefore we pledge to: Support the creation of jobs for hard-working Floridians, with wage parity between women and men. Preserve and expand Floridas middle class by creating good paying jobs, by investing in Floridas crumbling infrastructure, and by strengthening demand for Florida products both here and abroad. Empower small business owners to create new jobs. Lead the way by expanding small business job creation through incentives for employers, and by reducing unnecessary government interference. Increase training and apprenticeship oppor- tunities by working with our Florida labor unions and public school systems: We will endeavor to achieve our goals by expanding training and retraining initiatives for every Florida worker and returning veteran, and strengthening public education for our children. Van Jones You cant get everything you want just by voting one time, but you can vote for the wrong person one time, and you can lose everything youve got. 2 EDUCATION THE FOUNDATION OF FLORIDAS FUTURE We, as Democrats, subscribe to Article IX, Section 1, of the Florida State Constitution, which requires the state to ... provide a uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high quality System of free public schools which allows students to obtain a high quality education. To fulfill that promise, we support: Ensuring full funding by the state for our public schools, with no unfunded mandates placed upon local school districts. Education funding should not be subject to legislative bargaining. Establishing evaluation measures which embrace the total educational experience and paying our teachers the wages they deserve. Providing universal access to high quality early childhood education. Making public schools our top priority with maintenance and construction funding being thus designated. Creating world-class vocational apprenticeship programs. Investing in high quality affordable and available higher education, both vocational and academic. Creating a comprehensive curriculum for edu- cating future teachers and quality professional development for current teachers. Investing in a high-quality education system is critical to Floridas economic future. HEALTHY AMERICANS, STRONG AMERICA We, as Democrats, support affordable healthcare, expanding coverage to all Americans, holding insurers accountable, and working diligently to make our healthcare system a viable, quality System which upholds our Democratic ideals and protects all Americans. We believe: Access to affordable, high quality healthcare is a right for all Americans. Healthcare is about care and not insurance. Health is not a commodity. Focusing on preventive healthcare will save lives and money. Florida veterans have given of their physical, and in many instances mental, well-being; we Democrats will fight to ensure they receive the care required to recover their health. Women are capable of making decisions about their own healthcare including, and especially, in regard to reproductive health. An investment in the health and well-being of Americans is an investment in the economic future and strength of our nation. SOCIAL SECURITY We, as Democrats, support the continuation of strong and reasonable protection of Social Security as a life wage and as an insurance policy for the disabled of all ages. We believe: The Social Security trust fund must be secured and protected. Social Security and Medicare reform should be based on increased revenue, not decreased payments. Social Security benefits must keep pace with inflation. The application and approval process for Disability insurance must be streamlined and shortened. The no bid clause in Medicare Part D must be eliminated. Social Security is not just for seniors, it is a safety net for all ages in times of need. 3 Authorized and Paid for by The Palm Beach County Democratic Party Elections 2012 Mark Your 2012 Calendar! General Election Deadline to register: October 9, 2012 Early Voting: October 27, 2012November 3, 2012 General Election Day: Tuesday, November 6, 2012 www.PBCDemocraticParty.org To Subscribe, please send an email request to: SubscribeDemVoter@gmail.com with the word Subscribe in the subject line. Editor: Dan Isaacson Assistant Editors: Robin Blanchard, Allen Robbins, Nancy Morse, Debra Oberlander Research: Roger Messenger An educational newsletter to keep you up-to-date on voter issues. Share The Democratic Voter with friends and have them subscribe today! Take action! Join the Democratic Party! Call: 561-340-1486 Every Dollar Counts! All donations appreciated, Thank you! Send your Contributions to: Palm Beach County Democratic Party 8401 Lake Worth Road #132 Lake Worth, FL 33467 [To unsubscribe, send an email request with Unsubscribe in the Subject line to: SubscribeDemVoter@gmail.com] Absentee Ballot Requests Made Before January 1, 2011 Have Now Expired To get your absentee ballot: By Phone: Right now, before you forget,call your Florida Supervisor of Elections at 1-866-308-6739 and request an absentee ballot for all the elections through 2014. Your vote is important! JUSTICE FOR ALL Democrats believe that: All people should be treated equally and fairly, in all levels of government and society, by fighting discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, and family status. Civil rights must be restored to those who have paid their debt to society. We must provide equal access and opportunities to Floridians so they have the expectation of be- ing able to participate fully in the political process. Voter suppression laws must be repealed. The State of Florida must finally ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. We are against any law or amendment that seeks to violate equal protection under the law. We must provide to all veterans the highest, most comprehensive social services now, and in the future. Florida will not forget those who fought for and defended this country. In a just society, all persons should have the right to become citizens under a lawful process. We must fulfill the promise of the Pledge of Allegiance: ...and justice for all. SUMMARY The Florida Democratic Party has brought together the major aspects of our beliefs and values in this Platform. We believe that everyone should have a fair and equal opportunity in a future that, with hard work, will bring them closer to the American dream. The Florida Democratic Party continues to champion efforts to strengthen our economy, improve our public schools, expand affordable access to medical care, honor our eldest citizens, and lead the way to guarantee all people their civil rights. ## President/ Vice President Barack Obama/Joe Biden U.S. Senate Bill Nelson U.S. House of Representatives District 18 Patrick Murphy 20 Alcee Hastings 21 Ted Deutch 22 Lois Frankel State Attorney Circuit 15 Dave Aronberg State Senator District 25 Joseph Abruzzo 27 Jeff Clemens 34 Maria Sachs Tax Collector Anne M. Gannon Florida House of Representatives District 81 Kevin Rader 85 David Lutrin 86 Mark Pafford 89 Tom Gustafson 90 Lori Berman Florida Supreme Court R. Fred Lewis Barbara J. Pariente Peggy A. Quince District Court of Appeals District 4 Burton C. Conner Carole Y. Taylor Palm Beach County Commissioners District 1 David Levy 3 Shelley Vana 5 Mary Lou Berger Palm Beach County School Board District 1 Christine Jax Special Taxing Districts Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District Seat 5 Steven M. Engel Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation Group 2 Drew A. Martin Northern Improvement District Seat 4 John P. Cohen Port of Palm Beach Group 1 Wayne Richards Group 3 Jean L. Enright Constitutional Amendments Palm Beach County Ballot Questions Question 1. Slot Machines At Licensed Pari-Mutuel Fa- cilities In Palm Beach County. VOTE YES. The Democratic Party has no official position on Question 2. Palm Beach County Democratic Party 2012 Democrats on the Ballot One Page Guide To Voting NOTE: If your district is not listed, either the seat was decided in the Primary, or there is no Democrat running for that seat in the General election. The Palm Beach County Democratic Party recommends a YES vote to retain all judges. The Palm Beach County Democratic Party recommends a NO vote on ALL State Constitutional Amendments. Dont leave them blank! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 You may take this Slate Card/Voting Reminder into the voting booth with you.