The Teton County Democratic Party 2018 Platform

Adopted on April 21, 2018 at the Convention. 

 

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2018 TETON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM

 

Teton County Democratic Party adopts the following platform to state who we are and for what we stand.

Preamble

The Teton County Democratic Party is the party of the people. Our legacy is based on the connection between our community and our environment and we recognize that people who are invested in our community are inherently invested in our shared environment.

Housing

We support accessible and stable housing options for all economic and cultural groups, regardless of citizenship, and community-wide funding measures to make it possible.

  • We support the work of all local housing agencies, organizations, and businesses that are providing stable and affordable housing.
  • We support a diversity of tools designed to protect housing affordability and stability for future generations, such as density incentives, deed and lease restrictions, and rental protections.
  • We support safe, sanitary, and adequate living conditions for tenants and the use of written leases to ensure sufficient notice of rent hikes, termination of leases, and/or evictions.
  • We support the urgent consideration of reducing parking requirements to promote the building of more housing.
  • We support increased housing mitigation and greater participation in the process.
  • We support walkable complete neighborhoods that provide access to a full range of community needs.

Healthcare

Accessible, quality healthcare from birth to death is a human right. We support a Single Payer system as the most efficient way to achieve universal healthcare.

  • We support the strengthening of Medicare and the expansion of Medicaid.
  • We support federal, state, and local funding for women’s health services to a full range of affordable, personal healthcare choices and family planning for women and men.
  • We recognize drug and alcohol addiction as diseases and support legislation in favor of treating nonviolent addicts instead of incarcerating them.
  • We support the expansion and funding of mental healthcare services at the local level and in the state of Wyoming.
  • We support improving community healthcare and social services, which includes greater coordination with the Department of Health and Department of Family Services.
  • We support healthy communities through the promotion of public health education.

Environment

The protection of Wyoming’s air, water, land, and wildlife through legislation, policies, regulations, and enforcement ensures development does not cause irreparable damage to our community and environment.

  • We support the community stewardship and conservation ethic set forth in our Comprehensive Plan.
  • We support the overwhelming scientific consensus that climate change is occurring and that humans have significantly contributed to it, and call for bold action to slow and mitigate it.
  • We support continued federal ownership and management of public lands in Teton County and around the nation. We support and commend the dedicated public servants who steward our public lands.
  • We support the process of the Teton County Wyoming Public Lands Initiative (WPLI) to determine the future status of Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) and other public lands in Teton County without the interference of lawsuits and premature federal legislative action.
  • We support fully funding the maintenance and management of our state-owned land.
  • We support efforts at all levels of government and the private sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts in the production, transmission and consumption of energy, and we support environmentally responsible development of renewable energy resources.
  • We support Reduce, Reuse, Recycle with a goal of zero waste.
  • We support the production and consumption of local and regional foods. 

Economy

  • We support raising the minimum wage to a livable wage to make it possible for everyone to provide for and spend time with their family.
  • We support equal pay for equal work.
  • We acknowledge a local workforce is essential to our economy.
  • We support economic diversification by supporting local businesses.
  • We support the diversification of our Wyoming economy to transition from reliance on fossil fuel revenue.
  • We support the renewal of the Teton County Lodging Tax and support continued efforts to amend the state statute to allow local governments to use the tax proceeds for community needs as local officials determine.
  • We support vibrant commerce free of undue regulation so that businesses can thrive in a predictable and fair environment.
  • We support a local option real estate transfer tax.

Transportation

  • We support alternative transportation so residents, commuters, and visitors to Teton County can safely, efficiently, and economically move within our community and throughout the region.
  • We support a comprehensive pathway system as a means to improve the quality of living in the community as well as offering alternative transportation options that are safe and convenient.
  • We support funding for public transportation including the START (Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit) bus system fleet upgrades and vehicle maintenance and the START bike share program.
  • We support transportation infrastructure that is designed to reduce wildlife conflicts.
  • We support a comprehensive sidewalk system in the Town of Jackson and walkable and mixed-use communities.
  • We support managed, paid, and permitted parking within the town to promote the use of public transportation and non-motorized travel.

Education

High-quality free public education is a bedrock of a functional democracy.

  • We support full funding for daycare, early childhood education, family literacy, special education, and adult education with expanded learning opportunities that will promote economic diversity and job opportunities.
  • We believe in education based on facts that emphasizes critical thinking skills and civic literacy.
  • We believe students have a right to be given regular breaks from the rigor of classroom academics to take part in outdoor, creative, and/or unstructured play.
  • We support the establishment of a steady funding stream for Wyoming education, and school construction and maintenance, to end our dependence on the boom bust cycle of the extraction industry.
  • We support schools that provide equal access to instruction for all students, including programming that develops the abilities and interests of every student in all fields of endeavor.
  • We support an education system that respects and fully supports teachers, including fairly compensating them based on community living standards and their value to society.
  • We support private-public partnerships that enrich learning in our schools.
  • We support comprehensive sex and health education in schools that offers facts, support, and resources.
  • We support maintaining the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) student loan program, and efforts to make higher education more affordable.

Immigration

The strength of this country is built on the foundation of welcoming all regardless of their religious, cultural, gender identity or national identity.

  • We support local efforts to provide free or affordable legal assistance to non-citizens.
  • We support legislative action to allow non-citizens access to a Wyoming driver’s license as it is in the best interest of all and will ensure all drivers are eligible for insurance.
  • We support legislative action by Congress to address the broken immigration system and support immigration enforcement that is humane and consistent with our values.
  • We support comprehensive immigration reform that includes the permanent adoption of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA).
  • We support a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have been living and working in the United States and who have not been convicted of a violent crime.
  • We support the establishment of a refugee resettlement program in the State of Wyoming.

Civil Rights

Equal protection under law for all, regardless of gender, gender identity, age, race, ethnic origin, disability, religious affiliation, sexual orientation or sexual identity is essential to a healthy democracy. Calling attention to the violation of rights for one group in no way minimizes the rights of any other group.

  • We support a non-discrimination ordinance at the local level.
  • We support every woman’s right to have unrestricted access to pregnancy prevention services and the full range of reproductive healthcare choices.
  • We support efforts to sustain and care for our growing population of seniors so that they may continue to lead productive and meaningful lives within our community.
  • We support the right of Americans to own and bear arms, however the right to bear arms has limits. As the Honorable Justice Anthony Scalia stated, “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited.”
  • We believe it is in the best interest of the public to keep schools and other public spaces gun-free zones.
  • We believe that a strong background check policy and age requirement are the foundation of comprehensive gun violence prevention strategy.
  • We support laws that save lives by keeping guns away from domestic abusers.
  • We support local efforts to provide free or affordable legal assistance to all community members who need it, including those who are not citizens.
  • We affirm the Constitutional right of the presumption of innocence, the right to due process of law, and the right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure.
  • We oppose the privatization of prisons and detention centers.
  • We support the legalization and taxation of the possession, distribution, and cultivation of Cannabis for medical use and the decriminalization for recreational purposes.

Elections

A fair election process that preserves the Constitutional right of every American citizen to vote, is the basis for American Democracy.

  • We support restoration and rigorous enforcement of the Voting Rights Act, implementing automatic voter registration, and restoring felon voting rights upon successful completion of a judicial sentence.
  • We oppose actions that undermine this fairness, including voter restrictions and gerrymandering and unnecessary districting.
  • We support full reporting of all political contributions prior to elections, and full disclosure of financial interest in governmental and legislative matters, and we oppose unlimited secret money from any source.

Service

  • We support our troops and believe the best way to protect our troops is by not sending them into needless wars, not promoting irrational rhetoric, and providing them with the equipment and technology they need to be safe.
  • We support honoring our long-term obligations to our armed forces and veterans by providing them with the resources required for returning to civilian life, access to comprehensive medical and psychiatric care, especially as it relates to an honorable discharge and receipt of earned benefits, access to education, training and employment support, and access to housing.
  • We support law enforcement and commend those who protect and honor our Constitutional rights.
  • We support volunteerism in our community and recognize that volunteers help our community grow and are essential to a healthy democracy.

Social Services

A robust network of social services is essential to a healthy community.

  • We support the local collaborative efforts between Social Service providers and recognize the need for adequate funding from local, state, and national sources.
  • We will fight efforts to gut Social Security because our seniors need it and have paid for it all their working lives.
  • We recognize the need of more complete coordination and communication between providers of range of need.
  • We support access to quality childcare for all, which includes appropriately trained and compensated care providers. Early childhood care providers are teachers and should be compensated as such.

Arts & Humanities

A flourishing arts scene enriches our lives, adds diversity to our community, and cultivates innovation and connection.

  • We support and celebrate the arts and humanities in our community.
  • We support full funding for creative arts and humanities education and recognize the importance of the arts in childhood development, education and well-being.
  • We support continued public investment in the arts, especially in our local artist community, and acknowledge the economic benefits.

Moved by Hank Phibbs, seconded by Jim Stafford, the platform was adopted by the Teton County Democratic Party.

 

 

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