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2008 Platform (filtered to incorrect)

This is a plank-by-plank review of the 2008 platform. Use the links at right to narrow it down, or explore alternate views:

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Constitutional Convention

Preserving American Freedom > Limiting the Expanse of Government Power > Constitutional Convention
We oppose any constitutional convention to rewrite the United States Constitution. We demand the Legislature rescind its 1977 call for such a convention. We call upon other states to rescind their votes for such a convention.
(plank deleted)

This plank grossly misinterprets the 65th Legislature's HCR 31 (regular session) and HCR 13 (2nd called session). They call for a constitutional convention "for the specific and exclusive purpose of proposing an amendment" to the Constitution of the United States to force balanced federal spending, a conservative dream!

Follow the links above and read the resolutions for yourself.

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Family and Defense of Marriage

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Celebrating Traditional Marriage > Family and Defense of Marriage
We support the definition of marriage as a God-ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a natural man and a natural woman, which is the foundational unit of a healthy society, and we oppose the assault on marriage by judicial activists. We call on the President and Congress to take immediate action to defend the sanctity of marriage. We are resolute that Congress exercise authority under the United States Constitution, and pass legislation withholding jurisdiction from the Federal Courts in cases involving family law, especially any changes in the definition of marriage. We further call on Congress to pass and the state legislatures to ratify a marriage amendment declaring that marriage in the United States shall consist of and be recognized only as the union of a natural man and a natural woman. Neither the United States nor any state shall recognize or grant to any unmarried person the legal rights or status of a spouse. We oppose the recognition of and granting of benefits to people who represent themselves as domestic partners without being legally married. We advocate the repeal of laws that place an unfair tax burden on families. We call upon Congress to completely remove the marriage penalty in the tax code, whereby a married couple receives a smaller standard deduction than their unmarried counterparts living together. The primary family unit consists of those related by blood, heterosexual marriage, or adoption. The family is responsible for its own welfare, education, moral training, conduct, and property.

Language needs simplification.

There is no meaningful "assault" on marriage in the Texas or federal judiciary outside a limited, long-shot ruling by a Democrat activist judge in Dallas County.

The discrepancy in the "married filing jointly" standard deduction was addressed in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 caused it to be implemented in 2003.

It is a slippery slope to cherrypick subjects eligible for judicial review.

Marriage is a state issue and should continue to be a state issue. We do not need yet another federal mandate on states.

Recognition or granting of benefits is of the purview of the private sector. We should not be like liberals and increase regulation of the private sector.

The last two sentences are redundant with other parts of the platform or simply commonsense.

Fault:
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RU 486

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Innocent Human Life > RU 486
We urge the FDA to rescind approval of the physically dangerous RU-486 and oppose limiting the manufacturers' and distributors' liability.
(plank deleted)

RU-486 has valid uses besides harming fetuses, and the evidence on harm to women is sketchy. Our Right to Life plank is fully covers harm to fetuses; this plank is therefore redundant.

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Morning After Pill

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Innocent Human Life > Morning After Pill
We oppose sale and use of the dangerous "Morning After Pill."
(plank deleted)

The "morning after pill" has no unusual dangers. While research on its abortifacient qualities is inconclusive, the preponderance of evidence suggests that both:

  1. Its most effective, and possibly only, mechanism is in preventing ovulation.
  2. "Reported evidence demonstrates that making ECPs more widely available does not increase risk-taking and that women who are the most diligent about ongoing contraceptive use are those most likely to seek emergency treatment." (Trussell J, Raymond EG, April 2007, "Emergency contraception: a cost-effective approach to preventing unintended pregnancy," Princeton University)

Regardless, our Right to Life plank fully covers harm to fetuses; this plank is therefore redundant.

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Gestational Contracts

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Innocent Human Life > Gestational Contracts
We believe rental of a woman's womb makes child bearing a mere commodity to the highest bidder and petition the Legislature to rescind House Bill 724 of the 78th Legislature. We support the adoption of human embryos and the banning of human embryo trafficking.
(plank deleted)

78th legislature's HB 724 has nothing to do with womb rental.

The rest of the plank is addressed elsewhere.

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Patient Protection

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Innocent Human Life > Patient Protection
We support patients' rights by calling on the state legislature to amend the Advance Directive Act to establish due process of law and ensure that a physician's decision to deny life saving treatment against the patient's will or advance directive is not due to economic or racial discrimination or discrimination based on disability. We also support the passage of legislation to amend the Advance Directive Act by requiring hospitals intending or threatening to withdraw life-sustaining treatment against the patient's wishes or their advance directive to continue all treatment and care for such patients pending transfer to another facility.
(plank deleted)

This proposal will mandate useless treatment. This pointless waste saves no lives and drives up everyone's health care costs.

Current law provides due process: after the hospital renders a decision, it mandates a 10 day period of continued care to find a new facility. It also allows a state judge to extend this period if it is likely that a willing care provider can be found. This process is generally only started after extensive treatment.

There is no evidence of any death caused by this act other than that which would have already happened due to a terminal state.

Tirhas Habtegiris is the poster child of the counterargument and may be the basis of this law. A poor, black immigrant, her case has been twisted beyond recognition by Democrat-leaning publications like Daily Kos. She was simply a terminally ill, unconscious patient. The facts became unhinged from reality.

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Welfare Reform

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Assisting Families to Self Sufficiency > Welfare Reform
Texas should continue to reduce the number of welfare recipients by enacting tough welfare reforms; denying benefits to illegal aliens, and; and encouraging partnerships with faith based institutions, community and business organizations to assist individuals in need. The current system encouragescauses dependency on government and robs individuals and generations of healthyby discouraging motivation and self respect. Welfare reforms should require recipients to work, learn, train, and remain substance abusedrug free in exchange for. Welfare benefits not exceedingshould be limited to two years. Welfare cards should be confined to food and vital essentials, not cigarettes, lottery purchases, or alcohol or drugs of any kind. Prisoners should be removed from welfare rolls.

It is already illegal to use welfare funds for "cigarettes, lottery purchases, or alcohol or drugs of any kind." Prisoners do not get welfare.

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Government Regulation of Religious Institutions

Educating Our Children > Government Regulation of Religious Institutions
The state should have no power over the licensing of clergy or religious institutions for training clergy. The curriculum, faculty, and boards of religious institutions should be determined only by the institution. We call on the State to withdraw all imposed regulations.
(plank deleted)

In Texas, there is no regulation of the religious content of seminaries.

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Rural and Volunteer Fire Departments

Strengthening the Economy > Government Spending > Rural and Volunteer Fire Departments
We urge Congress to overturn the rules of the U. S. Department of Labor restricting volunteerism by paid firefighters and emergency medical technician personnel.
(plank deleted)

The Department of Labor in 2002 determined that EMTs and fire fighters may volunteer for a volunteer fire department (VFD). The problem is only when the professional is employed by a VFD and wants to volunteer time to the same VFD. This creates unique compliance problems with the Fair Labor Standards Act (source).

This is probably too narrow of a circumstance to belong in a state platform document. However, if it is meritous, it must be corrected to challenge ambiguity in the FLSA.

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S.A.V.E. U.S.A.

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > Domestic > S.A.V.E. U.S.A.
We support seven key steps to secure America. S - Secure America's border; Northern, Southern, and ports. A - Abolish Adjustment of Status in the United States. V - Vigorously enforce immigration laws using federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. E - Eliminate government benefits to illegal aliens. U - Unimpeded deportation process. S - Stop employment of illegal aliens. A - Amend legal immigration rates to more sustainable levels.
(plank deleted)

Cliches don't belong in a serious platform document. This is just one big cliche.

In its criticism of Adjustment of Status and legal immigration, this plank is factually incorrect and borderline xenophobic. The United States should encourage the world's best and brightest to immigrate here.

The rest of the plank is redundant with other planks.

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American Patent Rights

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > International Relations > American Patent Rights
We support protecting our inventors, enforcing our patent laws, and strengtheningassessing penalties for patent law violations by foreign entities.

The problem is that penalties aren't even assessed, especially in intellectual property-rogue nations like China.

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Problems

Show problem parts of the platform:
Platforms promote principles and policies. Planks must not push particular polymorphic political proposals, including bills.about a specific bill (6)
Parts of these were recently implemented.accomplished (11)
Parts of these only promote limited religious viewpoints.advances religious doctrine (8)
Too many positions already overwhelm voters. We cannot add more without a plan to cut ballot complexity.another elected office (6)
The GOP should not be a virulent, anti-homosexual crusade.anti-homosexual crusade (6)
These destroy useful customs or start us down slippery slopes.bad precedent (17)
Cliches belong on the playground, not in serious platforms.cliche (5)
These contradict other planks.contradictory (13)
These simply go too far, overshooting a rational remedy.extreme (25)
These have factual errors.incorrect (11)
These planks advanced contemporary liberal causes or expand government.leftist (22)
These planks require belief in something that is untrue.misinformed (18)
These are not appropriate for a platform document.misuse of platform (6)
These planks have minor punctuation or grammatical errors.needs copyedit (8)
These problems were fixed before the 2008 platform was published.no longer relevant (3)
"Black helicopters" and paranoid conspiracy have no place in our party.paranoid (15)
Parts of these do nothing useful.pointless (61)
These proposals would make our kids stupider.reduces education quality (3)
These planks are internally redundant or repeat other parts of the platform.redundant (41)
These planks should propose a more general solution.too specific (6)
These planks are unclear or unfocused.vague (19)
Puffy prose, hackneyed phrases, and obscure words create pinheaded, unfocused, and inaccessible platforms. Platforms must be simple and direct.wordy (47)

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