PREAMBLE

We, the Kittitas County Republican Party, affirm and support the foundational principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. These documents ensure our freedom from governmental tyranny and oppression. We support the conservative principle that the powers of government derive from the consent of the people. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land and should be interpreted as originally intended. Article 1, Section 1 of the Washington State Constitution states “All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect individual rights”. Government’s responsibility is to serve, not rule. Therefore we support smaller, more efficient and less obtrusive government.Freedom is an essential part of what it means to be human and we unequivocally defend the rights of citizens. America is a land of opportunity, but success is not guaranteed and must be earned. The key to America’s progress is the freedom, inventiveness and ambition of its people. Thus, achievement of the American Dream depends only on one’s courage and talent.THEREFORE we support the following principles:

RIGHT TO LIFE
The right to life is the preeminent right. Liberty ends where it conflicts with another’s life; therefore, government must protect all innocent human life.

PROPERTY RIGHTS
The right of the people to be secure in their ownership of private property is guaranteed by the Constitution and is fundamental to our form of government. Secure property rights preserve economic stability, free markets and most importantly principles of self determination. The determination of land uses, zoning and divisions of land varies from community to community and the regulation thereof must remain local rather than with the state or federal government. Eminent Domain should be dictated solely in the case of imminent public necessity and subject to just and timely compensation.

TAXES
The power to tax is a grant from the people and not an inherent power of government. The power of taxation is granted to the government for limited purposes. Tax revenue shall be used only to fund such legitimate government activities. Fines, fees and assessments shall not be sources of general revenue, but shall be set to cover only those costs directly associated with the services provided. Taxation that derives from the death of an individual is duplicative and must be repealed. Government should be good stewards of tax revenue and should limit spending to reduce unnecessary expenditures and waste. Legislators and government agencies shall not issue or authorize unfunded mandates.

ECONOMY
A free, open and competitive market is the natural and proper order for economic exchange. The extent to which the free market can function effectively is limited by the degree of government intervention. Therefore government should not subsidize or “bail out” failing organizations, nor should it tax or hinder small business. Economic policies that encourage entrepreneurship and competition, and that protect local economies, without increased taxation will create jobs and must be implemented.

Monopolies, price control and extensive subsidies hinder and destroy the free market system. The Business and Occupation Tax is an inequitable burden on small businesses and should be repealed.

EDUCATION
An excellent education for all children is the responsibility of each parent. Government’s role should be limited to assisting parents in meeting that responsibility.

Education standards should allow each child to achieve their unique potential. Local schools, be they public, private, religious or in-home, in conjunction with parents should set these standards.

Educators should teach children how to think, not what to think or when to think. Elementary and secondary education must focus on the foundations of reading, writing, mathematics and the sciences. A thorough knowledge of these subjects is vital for successful study of more advanced disciplines. Children must also learn how to interact with each other in a respectful and mature manner.

NATIONAL SECURITY
The primary role of government is to secure our borders and protect the lives of citizens from foreign aggression and terrorism. A strong, well-equipped and combat-ready military is necessary for this purpose. An essential part of modern warfare is intelligence gathering to discover the activities of our enemies which threaten the security of our nation. Government must promote cooperation among security agencies, intelligence departments and law enforcement, but shall not infringe on the constitutional rights of citizens.

PERSONAL SECURITY
The constitutional right of individual citizens to keep and bear arms must be held inviolate by the Supreme Court and all other branches of government. Fear generated by isolated incidents of insanity, malice or despair must not be allowed to strip any law abiding citizen from owning or possessing any firearm. History shows that the first order of the tyrant is the disarmament of the people.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
The responsibility of government is to assist individuals protect life, liberty and property from criminal activity. Local governments are responsible for providing adequate police protection for this purpose. The prosecution of individuals who commit crimes must be vigorous while simultaneously protecting constitutional rights and guaranteeing equal justice under the law. Habitual offenders should be punished according to the severity of the offense.

IMMIGRATION
America’s greatness flows from our history of inviting greatness from all nations. This invitation continues to all who desire to join this nation through lawful means.

Legislators must expand and enact programs for the temporary lawful entry of foreign workers with a system of verifiable immigration status. To ensure fairness and order, executive and judicial entities must be held responsible for enforcing the laws written by the legislature.

HEALTH CARE
A free and limited government is wholly inadequate and incompetent to manage health care decisions. Government intervention must be limited to supporting free and open market solutions to reduce the cost of health care.

ELECTIONS
Fair, secure and accurate elections are the foundation of a democratic representative republic. Preventing fraudulent voter registration of non-citizens and persons whose voting rights have been removed must be a priority.

AGRICULTURE
A nation’s security and prosperity depends on its ability to supply the agricultural needs of its populace. Government must protect agriculture and oppose burdensome regulations, unfair trade practices and the usurpation of agricultural water rights.

Family and small farms are major contributors to economic prosperity and must be relieved from excessive taxation, including the Estate Tax.

ENERGY
Energy independence is crucial to national security and prosperity, and must be an urgent national priority. Government must protect and encourage a robust and multifaceted national energy industry.

Domestic energy resources must be vigorously developed based on economic viability and market demand that are independent of tax subsidies, bail outs or stimulus funding.

ENVIRONMENT
The responsibility to protect and preserve the environment rests with individual citizens and government at the local level. Environmental regulations must be based on unbiased, peer- reviewed, scientific evidence. Science is only as valid as those practicing and promoting it, and the further removed from the local level it is, the higher the standard of scientific proof required.

FOREIGN TRADE
A foundation of national economic growth is the opportunity for people to market their goods to other nations. Foreign trade policies must recognize this desire in other nations. Domestic policies must enable American trade to be competitive in a global free market economy. Unilaterally amending trade agreements can destroy substantial numbers of Washington jobs.

TRANSPORTATION
Government is responsible to provide and maintain a suitable and safe transportation infrastructure. Funds collected to meet this responsibility must be used in a timely and efficient manner to meet the purpose for which they were collected.