Adopted by
the Maine Republican State Convention on May 8, 2010
Preamble:
In the course of a nation’s
history, it is natural that political philosophies will evolve which run
contrary to the original principles evident at the time of that nation’s
founding. A nation founded in tyranny will by its nature spawn sentiment in
direct opposition to that tyranny. Conversely, a nation which is dedicated to
protecting the rights of its people, and seeks to bind the excesses of power
which naturally accrue to governments, is subject to the evolution of factions
which strive to throw off those shackles of restraint and gather power and
influence over the people. Freedom is not a pre-existing condition into which
everyone is delivered. Freedom and personal liberty are conditions of existence
which are hard fought for and once won, must be maintained. Each generation
must be taught anew the importance of eternal vigilance against those who would
disregard the limits imposed on government, and usurp powers not granted to
them by the people.
Today this state and the nation are
in crisis precisely because we as a people have failed to maintain that
vigilance. We have failed to pass down from one generation to another the
critical knowledge and lessons that history provides. We have let rot from
within, the foundation upon which freedom and prosperity must be built for it
to survive.
This election cycle is unique in
the history of both this state and our nation. We are presented with a
situation in which WE THE PEOPLE,
must re-educate ourselves and our neighbors, and put the knowledge of liberty
to work in the elections this November. Years of neglect have allowed factions
detrimental to the core principles of this nation, to entrench themselves in
both political parties, and undermine the education of Constitutional principles
vital to the survival of the republic.
The Tea Party movement is
reminiscent of the principled revolt that led to the birth of the Republican
Party in 1854. In June of that year,
Horace Greeley referred to the newly formed Republicans as “…united to restore
the Union to its true mission of champion and promulgator of
Liberty…". This year it is
incumbent upon those Republicans who strive to protect and defend our
Constitution, to reclaim that heritage.
It is within this context that We, the citizens of Maine united by free
association as Republicans, dedicated to seeing the principles which
brought forth the birth and ascendance of this State and these United States
once again made dominant and pledge our unwavering allegiance, not to a
political party, but to the Constitution
of the State of Maine and the Constitution
of the United States of America. The Republican Party is the vehicle
through which we seek to better unify and promote those in pursuit of these
goals.
The principles upon which the Republican
Party was founded, to which we as Citizens seek return, and to which we demand
our elected representatives abide, are summarized as follows:
- The Constitutions, both
State and Federal, are the framework to which any and all legislation must
adhere.
- State sovereignty must be
regained and retained on all issues specifically relegated to the States
by the constitution.
- National sovereignty shall
be preserved and retained as dominant over any attempted unconstitutional
usurpations of such by international treaty.
- It is the responsibility and
duty, of “We the People”, to
educate both ourselves and others; to demand honest elections free of
corruption, and to hold our elected officials to the highest standards of
honesty, integrity and loyalty to the constitution.
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In pursuit of these
principles we endorse and shall promote the following initiatives.
I.
To Form a More perfect Union
a.
All legislation must adhere to the restrictions
outlined in the Constitution to protect the individual from intrusive government.
b.
Direct the State of Maine to join with other
states in asserting our 10th amendment sovereignty rights which protect
us from unconstitutional federal government intrusions.
c.
Insist on strict adherence to our 2nd
amendment right to keep and bear arms.
d.
Pass a “Read the Bill” act, to insure clarity, and
eliminate the corruption associated with side issues, earmarks, pork or riders.
e.
Oppose “Localism and Diversity”, the Fairness
Doctrine or whatever else such attempted restrictions are labeled. Any
restriction on speech is by definition NOT free speech.
f.
Reject the Employee free -choice Elimination- act, as an unconscionable
affront to the right to a secret vote.
g.
Restore integrity to the electoral process:
i. Prohibit
any public funding of advocacy groups such as ACORN, no matter what it or its
affiliate organizations rename themselves; New York Communities for Change, New
England United for Justice etc.; Conduct thorough investigation of their
activities and voter fraud and prosecute violations.
ii. Eliminate
motor voter and other voter fraud mechanisms; institute secure voter
registration and identification systems.
iii. Reject
any effort to give foreign citizens the right to vote in the US in any
situation or capacity.
h.
Oppose any and all treaties with the UN or any
other organization or country which surrenders US sovereignty. Specifically:
i. Reject
the UN Treaty on Rights of the Child.
ii. Reject
“LOST” the Law Of The Sea Treaty.
iii. Reject
any agreement which seeks to confiscate our firearms.
i.
Restore the process of assimilation of
immigrants to preserve the benefits of an advanced educated and prosperous
society. Rescind Maine’s sanctuary State
status. No amnesty, no benefits, no citizenship -ever- for anyone in the
country illegally. Arrest and detain, for a specified period of time, anyone
here illegally, and then deport, period.
j.
Pass a Congressional reform act which includes
the following provisions:
i. Term
Limits: 12 years only, in any capacity.
1.
Two Six year Senate terms
2.
Six Two year House terms
3.
One Six year Senate term and three Two Year
House terms
ii. No Pension
iii. Congress
participates in Social Security under the same rules as the general public.
iv. Congress
can no longer vote themselves a pay raise.
v. Congress
participates in the same health care plan as the general public. No
preferential plans or treatment.
vi. Congress
is subject to and must abide by all the laws they impose on the general public.
II.
To Establish Justice:
a.
Restore “Constitutional law” as the basis for
the Judiciary.
b.
Reassert the principle that “Freedom of
Religion” does not mean “freedom from religion”.
III.
To Insure Domestic tranquility:
a.
Promote family values.
i. Marriage
is an institution between a man and a woman.
ii. Parents,
not government, are responsible for making decisions in the best interest of
their children, whether disciplinary, educational, or medical.
iii. We
recognize the sanctity of life, which includes the unborn.
IV.
To Provide for the Common Defense:
a.
Discard political correctness, make public the
declaration of war (Jihad), made against the US on 23 Feb 1998, and fight the war against the
United States by radical Islam to win.
b.
Seal the border and protect US citizens along
the border and everywhere, as is the prime directive of the Federal Government.
V.
To Promote the General Welfare:
a.
Return to the principles of Austrian Economics,
and redirect the economy back to one of incentives to save and invest.
b.
Cut spending, balance the budget, and institute
a plan for paying down debt. Proclaim that generational debt shifting is
immoral and unconscionable and will not be tolerated!
c.
Pass and implement Fed bill #1207 (Introduced by
Ron Paul), to Audit the Federal Reserve, as the first step in Ending the Fed.
d.
Return to transparent and honest reporting of
economic statistics free of gimmicks and distortions.
e.
Require the government and all its agencies
adhere to the same GAAP accounting rules that businesses must follow.
f.
Restore the provisions of welfare reform removed
with the stimulus bill.
g.
Defeat Cap and Trade, investigate collusion
between government and industry in the global warming myth, and prosecute any
illegal collusion.
h.
Freeze current stimulus funds, prohibit any
further stimulus bills, and apply all unspent funds towards the debt they
created.
i.
Promote energy independence aggressively by
removing the obstacles created by government to allow private development of
our resources; natural gas, oil, coal, and nuclear power.
j.
Institute Zero based budgeting on all programs.
k.
Espouse and follow the principle: It is immoral
to steal the property rightfully earned by one person, and give it to another
who has no claim or right to its benefits.
l.
Clarify that healthcare is not a right. It is a
service. As a compassionate society we
will aid those in need. However, the government takeover of healthcare is not
only unconstitutional, but detrimental to the entire healthcare system. Only market based solutions will solve the
problems.
i. In
the state of Maine:
1.
Remove the restrictions on health providers, (as
was done in New Hampshire), to increase competition, drive down the costs, and
increase the options available.
a.
Bring Maine standards in line with national
average.
b.
Allow purchase of insurance across state lines.
LD 290
c.
Enact tort reform as exemplified by Texas.
d.
Eliminate Dirigo
VI.
To Secure the Blessings of Liberty:
a.
Restore a vigorous grounding in the history and
precepts of liberty, freedom, and the constitution to the educational process.
As Thomas Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a
state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.”
i. Eliminate
the Department of Education and restore schools to local control as specified
in the constitution.
b.
Repeal and prohibit any participation in efforts
to create a one world government.