2024 SAN JUAN COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM

ADOPTED

AT THE COUNTY CONVENTION ON FEBRUARY 10, 2024,
AT THE FRIDAY HARBOR GRANGE

Central Committee Chair:

Maureen Cowley

Platform Committee:

Chair Tom Star, Rick Boucher, Cindy Carter, Daniel Schwartz

San Juan County Republican Party

PO Box 2735, Friday Harbor, WA 98250

w ww.sjcrp.org

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

We reaffirm the words of our founding fathers embodied in the U. S. Constitution and in the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable Rights: that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

As Republicans we believe in limited government, personal responsibility, rule of law, and a strong national defense. We expect fiscal responsibility from our elected representatives. We will stand and defend our civil liberties, the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights and our national sovereignty. We expect that all laws and regulations imposed on the citizens by all levels of Government shall be equally applied and enforced upon personnel serving in Government.

PLATFORM

OUR REPUBLICAN VISION FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY IS AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1: LOCAL CONCERNS

The future of San Juan County belongs to its citizens. If we lose the right to determine our own future, our political differences cease to matter. The Republican Party dedicates itself to restoring local control to the fullest extent possible so that citizens at the local level will determine our future. At the same time, we support the consistent and impartial enforcement of all laws in accordance with our State and National Constitutions.

1.1        ENVIRONMENT

Our quality of life and economy depend on good stewardship of our lands, which creates healthy forests and farms, and in turn benefits wildlife.

1.1.1       We recognize the benefits of locally grown food and encourage revitalization of the farming community in the islands through lifting of regulatory burdens and helpful zoning and taxation schemes.

1.1.2       We support responsible management of wildlife interaction, which benefits all involved.

1.1.3       We support the recycling of as much waste as is economical and finding more efficient ways to reduce solid waste and disposal costs.

1.1.4       We promote the development of technology to achieve affordable, sustainable, and clean energy sources such as hydroelectric, tidal, solar, nuclear, and natural fossil fuel.

1.1.5       We support local citizen control of planning which clearly defines the rights and attendant responsibilities of residents and property owners in balance with the necessary protection of our natural resources and environment. Environmental problems should be defined & proven before solutions are made that reduce rights to private property.

1.2        FAMILY

Stable and supportive families are the cornerstone of a free society.

1.2.1       We believe it is the right and responsibility of parents to provide for and direct all matters concerning the health and welfare and the academic and moral teaching of their (minor) children without coercion by the state.

1.2.2       We believe that parents have the right to determine the guidance their children receive on all matters and to protect their children from influences they deem harmful.

1.2.3       We encourage families, churches, and local communities to provide the primary support to families and children in need.

1.3        GOVERNMENT

1.3.1       We endorse and support the San Juan County Mission Statement* and San Juan County Guiding Principles** of 1993/1997/2021 (as listed in the employee’s handbook), appended below. We support local government that is transparent, responsive, and gives greater control to our local citizens.

1.3.2       We strongly support increased action to eliminate the use of illegal drugs in our county. 

1.3.3       We support vigorous defense of our borders and strong enforcement of laws targeting illegal immigration, human trafficking, and cross-border drug smuggling.  We stand against the designation of our state, county, and any city as a sanctuary for illegal immigrants.

1.3.4   We strongly support the rights of WA State citizens to use the Initiative process to have our voices heard.

1.4        TAXATION AND THE ECONOMY

1.4.1       Government should provide only those public services that the private sector cannot reasonably provide. This includes roads and infrastructure, emergency services, and law enforcement.

1.4.2       We recognize that affordable housing is necessary for a strong island economy. Builders and landowners should be encouraged to invest in this endeavor through regulatory reduction and tax incentives.  We support terminating the Land Bank Real Estate Excise Tax, knowing that the Land Bank will continue to receive property taxes through the Conservation Funds it receives from the county to care for the ~5000 acres it has already purchased.

1.4.3       Consistent with the takings clause in the 5th Amendment of the U. S. Constitution, no government regulation shall limit the use of private property for public use without just fair market value compensation. This should preclude any takings for tourist amenities and public recreation.

SECTION 2: STATE CONCERNS

2.1            EDUCATION

2.1.1        We believe that parents have the right to determine their children’s education, including the opportunity to school their children in their own homes, in charter, or religious schools with a voucher system from the state to offset the cost.

2.1.2        The role of our educational system is to educate, not to indoctrinate our young citizens. Authority over and responsibility for schools must return to the local level with openness and accountability to parents. Schools at a minimum must provide the following academics: reading, writing, mathematics, science, technology, history, government and civics classes, geography, physical education and team sports, arts and music. Educators should encourage students who choose vocational and technical training as well as those who choose college.

2.1.3        We believe that the primary instructional language should be English in all public schools, which helps to unify us as a nation.  We do encourage the use of educational resources to ensure that recent legal immigrants are assisted in learning functional English.

2.1.4        We support teaching patriotism and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in school with its current wording, and study of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutions of the United States and Washington State.  There is no place in our educational system for the toxic mandates of DEI (“Diversity / Equity / Inclusiveness”) or attempts to divide Americans by race, class, ethnicity or religion as taught in CRT (Critical Race Theory) instruction.

2.1.5        We support competitive wages for teachers based on performance.  However, we adamantly oppose public employee unions – whether for teachers or other government employees.

2.1.6        We believe our state achievement testing for our schools should reflect high standards and the requirements for education in our state, and these standards should never be watered down or differentially applied because of the race or national origin of any student.

2.2               TRANSPORTATION

Provision of a well-managed ferry system is absolutely essential for the vast majority of the approximately 18,000 citizens of San Juan County (SJC).  The health, safety and economic welfare of our citizens depends upon reliable and affordable ferry service and transportation alternatives. Rehire the experienced professional mariners illegally terminated for refusing to take an experimental injection to the same or higher positions with lost compensation. Funds should be expended to design and develop functional diesel-electric or proven technologies while maintaining existing ferries.  The state should possibly seek partnership in operations with private contractors.

2.3            GOVERNMENT AND SPENDING REFORM

2.3.1        The State should institute and enforce transparent statewide performance audits of all state agencies and programs with performance metrics in place to eliminate ineffective programs. 

2.3.2        We support a right-to-work law that prohibits the requirement that a person become a union member or pay fees required by a union as a condition of employment. We support the decision made by the US Supreme Court in the Janus decision regarding public sector employees’ ability to opt out of labor unions.

2.3.3        We support freedom of religion, speech, and assembly as described in the 1^st Amendment to the US Constitution and the Washington State Constitution.  Business owners and individuals must be able to live in accordance with their convictions, for example, belief that marriage is the term for the legal union between one man and one woman.

2.3.4        We support an end to all-mail-in voting and a return to polling place voting with same day results and also includes mandatory checks of voters’ identity, including citizenship, in order to confirm eligibility to vote in all local, state and national elections.

2.4            GROWTH MANAGEMENT

As other small rural counties have done, our state legislators should allow SJC to opt out of the Growth Management Act (GMA), allowing for local control of land use, densities and critical areas.   Destination Management Planning efforts must focus on the needs of our citizens first, before allocating millions in taxpayer dollars for tourism, visitors, or recreational amenities.

SECTION 3: NATIONAL CONCERNS

3.1        DEFENSE

The most important, indeed most fundamental responsibility of our government is to protect the American people, our homeland, and our infrastructure, to guard our borders, patrol our skies, and support our first responders.

3.1.1           We support improving our military training and pay and providing excellent medical care and benefits for our Veterans.  We demand a return to accountability by those selected for senior leadership positions and a total elimination of DEI indoctrination of our service men and women. Never again should any service member (nor any government employee) be forced to receive an unproven or experimental vaccine or injection.

3.1.2           We support strengthening and reforming our intelligence capability, and to ensure that our intelligence organizations never again become the tool of one political party over another.

3.1.3             Space and dominance of the high ground is important to national security, and we support NASA and the emergence of private enterprise firms that are working to accomplish our nation’s prompt return to space flight.

3.1.4             All nations, by definition, have borders. We support controlling our borders and vigorously enforcing our immigration laws.  We demand an immediate end to open borders, closing off all financial incentives for illegal aliens, and “catch and release” by the Border Patrol.  We demand an expedited deportation of all illegal immigrants involved in any type of criminal activity while in our country. Construction of the wall must continue until it is completed. 

3.1.5             We support a ban on any foreign corporation or government purchasing land – whether public or private – in the United States, including agricultural land.  Foreign individuals must be ineligible to purchase land if they are citizens of a country that does not permit U.S. citizens to purchase and own land in their home countries.

3.1.6           We support the inalienable right to keep and bear arms as defined and made explicit and irrevocable in both the U.S. and State of Washington Constitutions. 

3.1.7           We support a comprehensive and active defense against cyber threats, which could impact our power grids, critical infrastructure, and defense systems. 

3.1.8           The United States must continue to support our allies and exercise its responsibilities under treaties and alliances.  We must also ensure that fellow member nations of these alliances and coalitions contribute their fair share of credible investments in the common defense.

3.2            ECONOMIC

3.2.1           We support the proven concept that reduced taxes foster an improved and healthy economy. We encourage tax code reform, eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse of the public treasury.

3.2.2           We strongly encourage a policy of eliminating two regulations for every new one imposed.  The proliferation of government agencies, staffed by unelected bureaucrats now forms a fourth branch of government never anticipated nor authorized by the Constitution.

3.2.3           We expect fiscal responsibility from our elected representatives. For example, the current benefits for two-year term in Congress should not result in a lifelong taxpayer provided pension and medical care.

3.2.4           We support reducing the national deficit now and reject the Democrats Platform Modern Money Theory which holds that governments do not need to worry about increased debt because they can create new money by using fiscal policy to pay interest.

3.2.5           We support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

3.3            CITIZENSHIP

3.3.1       Individuals have the Constitutional and natural right to exercise their religious beliefs in business and legal transactions without fear of job loss or other retribution.

3.3.2       We support the enforcement of employer verification of work eligibility.

3.3.3       We support overhauling the current immigration bureaucracy while maintaining high standards and security for becoming a naturalized U. S. citizen. We also support the permit process for a citizen of a different country to legally work in the U.S.

3.3.4       We support the designation of English as our official national language and its use in all government correspondence, ballots and publications.

3.3.5       We believe in freedom of expression in the internet and social media platforms which comprise the modern ‘Public Square’ for the uncensored exchange of our citizens’ opinions.  

3.4            ENERGY

3.4.1       We support a return to energy independence.

3.4.2       We support consumer choice of energy required to operate all machines and appliances including the use of oil, gas, nuclear, coal, solar, geothermal, tidal, wave action, and electric.  

3.5            HEALTH CARE

3.5.1           We support free market solutions and personal choice in health care. We support personal tax-exempt health savings accounts.  We urge the return of US citizen owned pharmaceutical production to our shores so we are not dependent upon foreign nations for these vital medicines.

3.5.2           We oppose a universal government-run health care system and support continuing efforts to completely repeal “Obama Care,” and replace it with privatized medical coverage that ensures those who need it most can affordably access health care. 

3.5.3           We support citizens’ right to exercise informed consent before receiving, or rejecting any vaccination, injection, or medication, without any compulsion by government or medical officials or unelected bureaucrats, whether or not there is a declaration of emergency, as guaranteed by the 4^th, 9^th  and 14^th Amendments to the Constitution; Article 1 Section 7 of the Constitution of Washington State which states that “No person shall be disturbed in his private affairs” and in the Nuremburg Code which was adopted by all signatory countries, stating “The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential,” and which defined the conditions required to obtain informed consent.

3.5.4               We strongly encourage legislative action to introduce, pass and implement tort reform with particular attention to medical malpractice.

3.5.5               We recognize that the “natural right to life” as stated in our Declaration of Independence is the source of all liberty, thus we strongly support the natural right to life and recognize that science has verified when life begins(conception) and ends (with natural death). We support state and federal support for Pregnancy Support Centers that promote healthy births. We oppose the use of tax-payer funds for the illegal use of DOD funds to pay for service members’ abortions and abortion travel.

3.5.6               We recognize that irreversible harm happens to children with transgender surgeries and hormone replacement “therapy” and has been discontinued in other countries because of the damage done to children.  We support laws banning such procedures for anyone under 18, and criminal sanctions against doctors and health care organizations that provide these procedures.

3.6            POLITICAL CONCERNS

3.6.1           We expect transparency and accountability from our elected representatives, who should make the laws instead of having agencies making the laws.

3.6.2           We support a change in Congressional rules to require elimination of earmarking.

3.6.3           We reject and condemn any antisemitism or any type of religious or racial prejudice in any form.  Those who engage in such activities should be prosecuted under already-existing hate crime laws.

3.6.4           Political parties, consistent with democratic principles, are by law allowed to choose their own political candidates.  Activist judiciary should never be allowed to interfere with this right. 

3.6.5           We seek the reformation or replacement of our federal Department of Homeland Security, the intelligence agencies, and the Justice Department and its law enforcement agencies to eliminate the abhorrent partisan interference in domestic politics and the suppression of citizens’ exercise of free speech, religious, and assembly rights, as witnessed during the last three years.