TOMPKINS COUNTY GOP PLATFORM AND SOLUTIONS (here for a .PDF version)
1. Expectations of Elected officials and Committee members
a. Strength of the Individual. Pioneer spirit. The strength of the individual will strengthen the whole community. It takes strong individuals to build a village.
b. ZERO tolerance for corruption or impropriety.
c. Truth. If you disagree with something, say so. If you believe in something, do not back away. Expect to be challenged in every instance. Weak positions lead to weak arguments.
d. Count every legal vote. Ensure ballot privacy, as it is your right.
2. Energy Policy – We recognize this is one of the biggest drivers of the economy both for the nation, state, county and individual.
Locally
a. Support from Government in retrofitting government buildings and buying of higher fuel efficient replacement vehicles. Also, design a clearing house of information on what’s available locally. You can purchase a solar system valued at $24,000, but with state and federal subsides, costs out of pocket about $7000.
b. Support local legislation for individual solar panels and wind mills through the private sector and tax policy. One day, windmills could be purchased like a refrigerator at Sears. We should encourage that, but we should also keep protecting our viewshed a priority. With that in mind, wind zones could be set up to protect the viewshed and strict limits could be put on the heights of towers and density.
c. Get state legislation passed allowing municipalities to sell their excess generating capacity back to the power company.
d. Power generated locally should be sold locally first, with the excess being sold at market.
Solutions
National
Immediate
a. Allow importation of Brazilian ethanol and maybe in the future Brazilian sugar after looking at the impact to US sugar growers.
b. Create a national gas formula as opposed to the 18 now in place for different regions of the country. More than one may be needed, but reducing the number of formulas will reduce production costs and will allow for importation from region to region.
c. Tell congressional Democrats that Canadian oil sands and oil shale in Utah are not “dirty” oil and should be used.
Long Term
d. Build more nuclear power plants.
e. Change from corn based ethanol to switch-grass and corn cellulose/waste based ethanol. Corn based was valuable in getting the system up and running, including the production plants and the retro fitting and installation of new pipes that can handle the more corrosive ethanol, but the return on the energy investment from growing corn and turning it into ethanol is too small. Switch-grass has a much higher yield. Also support conversion of corn waste into ethanol. Support new technologies like Shell’s partnership with Virent Energy Systems in Wisconsin in turning plant waste into gasoline.
f. Drill in the US coastal shelf and ANWR for oil as a bridge as we bring alternatives on line.
g. Support efforts for fusion including, but not limited to, the Bussard Fusion Reactor Program. It was fully funded through the Navy in August 2007, but more money will speed development.
3. Taxes and Spending and Economic Development
a. Current New York State taxation and regulation are not sustainable, deter job creation, and encourage an out migration of jobs and of New Yorkers. Lower taxes in New York state, and not a little, a lot, 10 to 20 percent. We recognize this will require cutting not only the fat, but some meat. Review government regulation and eliminate provisions that make New York non-competitive with other jurisdictions.
b. Development - Consider cutting corporate taxation. Corporations don’t ultimately pay taxes, individuals who own stock, work for, or use the products or services of corporations ultimately pay these taxes. Corporate taxes must be held to competitive levels with other jurisdictions. Eliminate tax abatements for projects which do not bring new or novel businesses or work to the area and which provide inequitable competition for existing area businesses.
Solution
a. Examine how to implement or implement parts of the Irish plan where they cut corporate taxes to 12 percent and now have one of the fastest growing, high tech economies in Europe.
c. Protect Early Intervention at the county level, and COFA should be supported, and a plan for expansion for both should be recognized. The number of Autism cases continues to grow as does the number of learning delays. Early intervention greatly increases the chance these kids will have successful futures, not just getting by or working at a job, but successful. The number of seniors also continues to grow so it’s a safe bet that the neediest of that population will also grow.
d. Support nanotechnology locally at Cornell and work for greater tech transfer from the school to the private sector. This has been done successfully, but nanotechnology continues to increase the number of applications it can be applied to and right now the applications seem endless, from the creation of new body parts like eyes, to the creation of solar cells at a molecular level. We can use our new empire zone to great effect here, but since lowering taxes has been difficult in New York, we should endorse a plan for an intellectual zone, set up in conjunction with Cornell for the express purpose of transferring technology into newly created businesses. Invest in local startups, by local people, as opposed to trying to lure business from other states and counties.
e. Attrition/Succession Plan at County level. The county has 30 workers too many, causing a deficit of about $1.6 million every year just though increases in salaries and the cost of healthcare. With the retirement of the baby boom generation, this is an excellent time to plan for attrition, and a necessary time to plan for succession.
f. . Sustainability. County, school district, and local governments should restrain their staffing levels and budgets so that increases are sustainable. Republican principles call for limiting taxation growth to that which is both actually necessary and fits within both cost of living index changes and the real wages of residents. Government spending should expand no faster than the expansion of the overall economy.
f. Republicans support and invest in infrastructure improvements that will spur development such as water and sewer as opposed to direct investment in low income housing. Housing subsidies supported by local property tax payers create additional tax burdens on homeowners who themselves may then need subsidies. Subsidies do not solve, but may create housing problems. As a result, Republicans do not support housing subsidies.g. Generally, subsidies distort markets and decrease self reliance. Republicans favor the ending of most government subsidies. Subsides should be a multi-year lifeline. Not a permanent entitlement.
4. Immigration
a. “We should have high fences, and wide gates.” - Fred Thompson. That pretty much sums it up. Secure the borders first. Oppose citizen privileges, i.e. Driver’s licenses, for illegal immigrants.
b. Recognize that many New York farmers use migrant workers being that agriculture is still the largest industry in the state and close contact will be needed with the farmers to address their workforce needs.
c. English should be made the official language of government. Without a working knowledge of English, immigrants will have an impossible time getting ahead in America.
5. We are a big tent. All ideas are welcome that are based on smaller, less intrusive government.
a. Social Issues. We will not agree on all social issues. Our party includes social conservatives and social libertarians. Each town will have its own vision and there will be sub-sets within each town.
b. Support of families. We must do everything we can to protect kids. We believe that strong family structures are supportive of our children and vital to education. We encourage strong families ties without dependence on government .
6. Support free trade. That doesn’t mean anything goes, as in you can devalue your currency to undermine our economy, but it does mean lifting remaining tariffs and opposing the “renegotiation” of NAFTA. Canada is our largest trading partner and largest supplier of oil. New York didn’t lose jobs because of NAFTA, we lost them because you can make 20 to 30 percent more by basing your company in North Carolina as opposed to Upstate New York. President Bill Clinton was correct on NAFTA, but it’s a position abandoned by the Democratic Party.
7. Healthcare
a. We oppose large government bureaucratic national health insurance schemes, purporting to provide free health care but with their expensive costs buried in overall high taxes. We support using the private sector to deliver health care. Whatever health care changes are made, they should not be allowed to erode the quality of our health delivery system or the benefits people may currently enjoy. We believe we must avoid the long waiting times and lack of modern medical equipment found in the British and Canadian health care systems.
Possible Solution
a. Support the clinic model of care for those without healthcare. Every county should have a clinic run within the private health care system to reduce the
burden on our emergency care centers.
Former Governor Spitzer said that 10,000 people in Tompkins County qualified for state healthcare, but hadn’t signed up. That’s 10 percent of the county. Take that out Nationwide; that’s 30 million people and keep in mind New York is more aggressive than most states in insuring people. Thirty million people out of 47 million that qualify for insurance, but don’t have it, leaving 17 million uninsured or self insured. Twelve million of those are illegal immigrants leaving five million people, some of whom are self insured. We’re now talking about a workable number that can be dealt with immediately.
b. As companies move away from offering healthcare allow people to form into larger groups through their chambers of commerce or other groups. The farm bureau has a program.
c. Let insurers compete across state lines.
8. War in Iraq/Foreign policy
a. End support of dictatorships worldwide and do not abandon people who have supported the United States so that they will be left to be killed. Support those in war zones who have supported us, with our continued presence.
b. Close and consolidate unneeded bases oversees and in the US. Examine placement of bases.
c. Recognize that although many in Ithaca argue our standing in Europe has diminished, Conservatives just won in the UK, Harper in Canda and Sarkozy in France are much more aligned with the US than his predecessor as is Merkel in Germany and now Italy has a pro-US president. Add to all that that the US is putting a missile shield in place in Europe and Europe politically looks much more favorable today in relation to the US than it did in 2000.
9. Transportation
a. Rail - What was once old is new again. Support efforts to increase the number of lines and work with private rail lines, many of them are, to lower costs so they can lower prices charged to those looking for transport. Why is this important locally? The power plant brings in all its coal by rail, and the salt plant could ship more out by rail, but it’s cheaper to truck.
b. Airport Security- Dogs for every airport. Enough with the intrusive searches and million dollar machines. Search dogs cost $10,000 a piece and can go down a line of people in minutes. You’d still need xrays and metal detectors, but a dog sniffer is better than a mechanical one. Plus, they’re portable so that if there is an emergency like a building collapse, they are ready to go.
c. Reroute downstate, and counties further than 100 mile radius, garbage trucks off local roads. This is currently being done by the Governor and DOT.
10. Property Rights
a. Eminent domain- Oppose the taking of private property for development by another private entity.
b. Oppose “Winfall Profit Tax,” on big oil. Not to defend big oil, but not only will this raise gas prices, it really is communism to take money from a publicly held company, owned by shareholders, 26 percent by union pension funds, and give it to the government.
11. Education
a. Some are for No Child Left Behind, some are against. It’s clear that local control is needed. It’s also clear that some localities were/are dropping the ball. NCLB may not be the best solution, but now that it’s been in place for over five years, we’re at a point to examine locally where it’s succeeded and where it’s failed.
b. Cap school property tax increases at a level tied to general inflation and real income growth. Education’s share of the economy should grow in proportion to the growth of the entire economy. Provide incentive pay to Superintendents who increase educational achievement while decreasing school budgets to encourage cost effective educational behavior. Move school board and budget elections to November because of low turnout for May elections.
c. The nation has been focused on college for decades and while it’s worthwhile for many to go to college, it’s just as worthwhile to go into the trades. The world will always need plumbers. Not every kid should go to college, although that is the conventional wisdom right now.
d. Autism/Learning disorders - School districts cannot bill insurance companies for treatment. The state should change this. The more parties we have paying in, the more money will be available.
Possible Solution
a. Attach education money to the child and not the school district. From the time the child is 4 until they are 18, they are basically allotted an amount rated for the area of the country they live in, $15,000 is an average in the state of New York that’s often cited, that travels with them wherever they go. Clearly children with special needs would need to be allotted greater amounts of money.
12. Limited government
a. Republicans support the concept of “that government is best which governs least.” Each governmental entity should be aware of and respect the limitations on its powers. Therefore, Republicans do not support local, county, and school districts taking official positions on national and international issues not within their authority or jurisdiction. Republicans are a party devoted to freedom, ownership, individual responsibility, and accountability. We believe in the private sector and allowing the private sector and markets to operate with only such government involvement as is necessary to prevent abuses and maintain orderly markets.