Democracy School

Whereas most of the federal deficit is composed of the cost of the Bush tax cuts, the Iraq war, and the Afghanistan war,

Whereas Social Security and the majority of Medicare are independently funded programs and do not contribute to the deficit,

Whereas corporations making record profits are still afforded large tax breaks,

Whereas for the last 30 years there has been a continuing transfer of wealth from the middle class to the already wealthy,

Therefore, be it resolved that the Boulder County Democratic Party opposes the balancing of the budget by cutting social programs, and Be it further resolved that the Boulder County Democratic Party advocates the balancing of the budget by repealing the Bush tax cuts, curtailing our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, eliminating corporate tax breaks, and increasing taxes on the wealthy to the extent necessary to eliminate the deficit and begin paying down the national debt.

Whereas maintaining high-quality systems of public education is a core value of the Boulder County Democratic Party, a value that is also expressed formally in its 2010 platform, and

Whereas the FY 2011-12 state of Colorado budget contains hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts of State support to preschool, K-12 education and to public higher education; and

Whereas the proposed budget cuts could lead to any number of adverse consequences, including but not limited to increased class sizes, teacher layoffs, school closures, and the inability to retain or attract quality instructors, professors and other educational professionals; and

Whereas the state may also be forced to pass sizable budget cuts in preschool, K-12 and higher education in coming years if no action is taken to increase revenue;

Therefore be it resolved by the Executive Committee of the Boulder County Democratic Party that we support the state ballot measure currently known as Initiative #25, which would increase state sales and use tax rates from 2.9 percent to 3 percent and state income tax rates from 4.63 percent to 5 percent for a period of five years, with the new revenue being used to fund public K- 12 and higher education;

Be it further resolved that the Boulder County Democratic Party will encourage its members to help get the necessary signatures to ensure this measure is on the November, 2011statewide ballot.

Be it resolved that the Boulder County Democratic Party (BCDP) calls on our elected officials in the City of Boulder, County of Boulder, other communities within the County of Boulder, and our elected state and national officials, to join citizens, grassroots organizations and governments across the country in calling for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to abolish corporate personhood and to prohibit the granting of Constitutional rights to any entity other than a human being, and to clarify that the expenditure of money is not Constitutionally protected free speech and that money spent to influence elections can be subject to reasonable regulation to promote equal protection under the law for all human citizens.

Be it further resolved that the BCDP supports the call to other communities, jurisdictions and organizations to join with us by passing similar resolutions.

Be it further resolved that the BCDP supports the call for education to increase public awareness of the threats to our democracy posed by corporate personhood and the granting of Constitutional rights to corporations, as well as by the granting of free speech protection to the expenditure of money to influence elections. The BCDP encourages lively discussion to build understanding and consensus to take appropriate community and municipal actions to democratically respond to these threats.

Whereas health care is unavailable or unaffordable to an increasing number of Coloradans, and;

Whereas even after full implementation of the federal reform 258,000 Coloradans will remain uninsured, and while more will be insured many will not be able to afford health care, and;

Whereas business owners estimate that competitors in countries that provide universal health care have a $10,000 per employee advantage over Colorado companies, and;

Whereas health care ranked first in order of importance on the 2010 BCDP Platform survey, and;

Whereas SB11-168 establishes an authority Board to create the implementation plans for a Colorado Health Care Cooperative that would embody the principles and policies of the BCDP Platform on Health Care

Therefore, be it resolved that the Boulder County Democratic Party actively supports SB11-168 "A Bill for an Act Concerning the Creation of the Colorado Health Care Authority for the Purpose of Designing a Health Care Cooperative," and the BCDP will do what it is able for promotion and other activities to assist in passage of this Bill.