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2008 Platform (filtered to wordy)

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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Showing only planks with wordy fault: Puffy prose, hackneyed phrases, and obscure words create pinheaded, unfocused, and inaccessible platforms. Platforms must be simple and direct. (show all planks)
Legend: text to be added text to be deleted

Preserving National Security

Preserving American Freedom > Limiting the Expanse of Government Power > Preserving National Security
Terrorism is a grave threat to peace. We support war against terrorists and nations that support them and eliminating aid to hostile nations.We believe terrorism is the greatest threat to international peace and to our safety. We urge our national leadership to protect our Constitutional rights and swiftly wage successful war on terrorists; to eliminate aid to any nation threatening us or aiding terrorists or hostile nations; to spell out consequences for terrorist activities and to publicly support other nations fighting terrorists; to reasonably use profiling to protect us; to prosecute national security breaches; and to revise laws or executive orders that erode our essential liberties.

Should not label terrorism the "greatest" threat. That is unproven.

Profiling's usefulness is unproven, and permissibility must be determined within existing legal framework. It is a polarizing issue and should not be pushed in the platform.

Protecting Constitutional rights is a generic expectation of all government officials and does not need mentioning here. The war on terrorists is about a lot more than Constitutional rights.

The consequence for terrorist activity is already clear: we will destroy you.

Revision of Patriot Act handled separately.

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Patriot Act

Preserving American Freedom > Limiting the Expanse of Government Power > Patriot Act
We urge revision of the USA Patriot Act and similar orders that erode constitutional rights and liberties.We urge review and revision of those portions of the USA Patriot Act, and related executive and military orders and directives that erode constitutional rights and essential liberties of citizens.
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Washington D.C.

Preserving American Freedom > Limiting the Expanse of Government Power > Washington D.C.
We oppose statehood for the District of Columbia.We strongly oppose making the District of Columbia a state.
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Affirmative Action

Preserving American Freedom > Limiting the Expanse of Government Power > Affirmative Action
We believe in equal opportunity. We oppose affirmative action because it is racist and sexist and rewards mediocrity. Advancement comes from personal responsibility and competitive excellence.Inasmuch as the Civil Rights Movement argued against using race as a factor in American life, affirmative action reintroduces race as a powerful force in American life. The Republican Party of Texas believes in equal opportunity for all American citizens without regard to race or gender. To that end, we oppose affirmative action because: 1. We believe it is simply racism disguised as a social virtue. 2. We believe that policies that lower standards on the basis of race or gender create a disincentive to excellence and thereby encourage mediocrity. 3. We believe that rights belong to people - not groups; therefore, we reject the notion of group-rights and policies that grant preferences based on race or gender. Policies of this type apply a blanket remedy before specific acts of discrimination are proven; thus, such policies compound one injustice with another. 4. Affirmative action falsely casts those who advocate merit as racist. 5. Affirmative action casts doubt on minority achievement making such achievement as seemingly unearned. We believe that true minority advancement will come from a demand for personal responsibility, accountability and competitive excellence.
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Reparations

Preserving American Freedom > Limiting the Expanse of Government Power > Reparations
We oppose any form of reparation based on discriminatory criteriareparations for slavery. It is impossible to correlate modern social ills to a practice abolished almost 150 years ago.

Contemporary reparation talk is about slavery. Get to the point.

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Annexation

Preserving American Freedom > Limiting the Expanse of Government Power > Annexation
Residents of an area to be annexed into a city may vote on annexation.All parties in annexation proceedings should be guaranteed these referenda: Residents of an area to be annexed may vote on annexation, and voters of the jurisdiction proposing annexation must authorize the proposal.

An earlier plank calls for preservation of representative democracy. Forcing a city vote on annexation usurps this model.

It is appropriate for "annex-ees" to have a voice through a direct vote since they had no representative in the jurisdiction into which they are being annexed.

Need to clarify that this is for cities only. This stems from controversy from Houston's annexation of areas to its north.

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Restore Constitutional Integrity in the Legislative Process

Preserving American Freedom > Limiting the Expanse of Government Power > Restore Constitutional Integrity in the Legislative Process
We call upon Congress to replace omnibus legislation with single issue legislation.We call upon the U.S. congress to pass legislation to restore Constitutional integrity in the legislative process demanding Single Issue Legislation that prohibits the current practice of inserting into otherwise unrelated legitimate legislation funding for or federal regulations for special interest issues into virtually every piece of legislation.

I presume this is a call for the end of omnibus legislation, where all sorts of unrelated junk is loaded into one bill. Let's just say that instead of

Omnibus legislation is nasty but not unconstitutional.

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Voter Registration

Preserving American Freedom > Restoring Integrity to Our Elections > Voter Registration
We support restoring integrity to the voter registration rolls and to reducing voter fraud. We support repeal of all Motor Voter laws; re-registering voters every four years; requiring photo ID of first time registrants; proof of residency and citizenship, along with voter registration application; retention of the 30-day registration deadline.
(plank deleted)

This plank is hypocritical. Our preamble states: "We are the party of ideas, of innovation, the party of the Information Age. We are the bottom-to-top party of the people, not the top-to-bottom party of the state." That conflicts with a plank that calls for adding red tape for the sake of increasing hassle.

Voter ID is sufficient to root out fraud and is covered in the Fair Election Procedures plank.

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Voting Rights

Preserving American Freedom > Restoring Integrity to Our Elections > Voting Rights
We support equal suffrage for all voting age citizens. We oppose creation of voting districts based on race, origin, or creed.We support equal suffrage for all citizens of voting age who are not felons. We oppose any identification of citizens by race, origin, or creed and oppose use of any such identification for purposes of creating voting districts.

Reword to make more clear.

The felon reference should be in the Felon Voting plank.

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Legislative Accountability

Preserving American Freedom > Restoring Integrity to Our Elections > Legislative Accountability
All final votes on bills in the Texas Legislature must be record votes.We support rules requiring that all votes on bills cast in the Texas House and Senate be record votes freely available to the electorate.

Record votes are by definition freely available.

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Public Integrity Unit

Preserving American Freedom > Restoring Integrity to Our Elections > Public Integrity Unit
We call for transferring statewide public official investigative and prosecution responsibilities from the Travis County Public Integrity Unit to a statewide entity.We urge the Legislature to secure the impartiality and probity of the Travis County Public Integrity Unit, by transferring its powers and funding to an impartial statewide elected judicial entity.

This should not be an elected position.

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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.

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Right To Life

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Innocent Human Life > Right To Life
We believe all human life is sacred. Therefore, we oppose all abortions except to save the life of the mother, after rape, or for nonviable fetuses. We oppose genocide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide. We support parental consent for minors to obtain abortions.All innocent human life must be respected and safeguarded from fertilization to natural death; therefore, the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We affirm our support for a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution and to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protection applies to unborn children. We support the Life at Conception Act. We oppose the use of public revenues and/or facilities for abortion or abortion-related services. We support the elimination of public funding for organizations that advocate or support abortion. We are resolute regarding the reversal of Roe v. Wade. We affirm our support for the appointment and election of judges at all levels of the judiciary who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. We insist that the U.S. Department of Justice needs to prosecute hospitals or abortion clinics for committing induced labor (live birth) abortion. We are opposed to genocide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide. We oppose legislation allowing the withholding of nutrition and hydration to the terminally ill or handicapped. Until our final goal of total Constitutional rights for the unborn child is achieved, we beseech the Texas Legislature in consideration of our state's rights, to enact laws that restrict and regulate abortion including: 1. parental and informed consent; 2. prohibition of abortion for gender selection; 3. prohibition of abortion due to the results of genetic diagnosis 4. licensing, liability, and malpractice insurance for abortionists and abortion facilities; 5. prohibition of financial kickbacks for abortion referrals; 6. prohibition of partial birth and late term abortions; and 7. enactment of any other laws which will advance the right to life for unborn children.

All abortions are a tragedy. All casual abortions, mainly those used as a substitute for effective use of birth control, are a grievous violation of the right to life.

Abortions should be permitted for other reasons, including when the mother's life is endangered or when the fetus is not viable.

Pregnancies resulting from rape, while rare, involve complex moral dilemmas. In those cases, we should respect the privacy of the mother and allow her to decide the best outcome. We can take solace that some studies suggest most rape-induced pregnancies are carried to term.

The judiciary is to interpret and apply laws. Earlier planks also call for judicial restraint. Expecting the judiciary to pursue a social policy agenda is judicial activism, not judicial restraint. Liberalism is still liberal even when it benefits a conservative cause.

Mandating artificial sustenance is a violation of basic human rights. Withholding artificial sustenance may be merited when an unresponsive patient has no no chance of survival. Ultimately, this is a decision for the patient (as previously arranged in a living will) or that patient's spouse or family, not the government.

The mention of handicapped persons is unjustifiable. There is no credible movement to murder handicapped people by withholding nutrition.

On the 7 enumerated points:

  • Point 1 is incorporated into the proposed revision.
  • Points 2, 6, and 7 are redundant with the clearly stated point of the plank.
  • Point 3 is problematic. The genetic diagnosis may confirm a condition that is incompatible with life.
  • Points 4 and 5 are a bad precedent. Abortion facilities should only be regulated commensurate with the risk to mothers, and these laws only creates legal fictions and chicaneries. Focus on these laws creates new bureaucracies and regulations, just like liberals, and also distracts from the main goal of banning most abortions.
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Conscience Clause

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Innocent Human Life > Conscience Clause
We believe that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, any employees of hospitals and insurance companies, health care organizations, medical and scientific research students, and any employee should be protected by Texas law if they conscientiously object to participate in practices that conflict with their moral or religious beliefs, including but not limited to abortion, the prescription for and dispensing of drugs with abortifacient potential, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, eugenic screenings, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration. We call on the Texas Legislature to pass legislation to strengthen and clarify the current conscience clause in the Occupational Code to include the above-mentioned persons and practices.
(plank deleted)

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are silly here because they are not legal in Texas.

Existing law limits "withdrawal of nutrition and hydration" to circumstances that neither constitute suicide nor murder. There is no reason to "protect" a provider in the absence of moral unsoundness.

"Employees of hospitals and insurance companies, health care organizations, medical and scientific research students, and any employee should be protected by Texas law" is grossly over-broad and applies to people who have no hands-on role in morally unsound activities.

"human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, [and] eugenic screenings" are specialized fields. It is easy to decline to participate in these activities: don't work in these fields.

Furthermore, eugenic screenings are almost universally considered morally unsound. Since they are not commonplace, the best way to deal with these is direct bans, not a conscience clause.

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Stem Cell Research

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Innocent Human Life > Stem Cell Research
We oppose using human embryos for medical research. We encourage stem cell research using non-embryo cell sources.We oppose any legislation that would allow for the creation and/or killing of human embryos for medical research. We encourage stem cell research using cells from umbilical cords, from adults, and from any other means which does not kill human embryos. We oppose any state funding of research that destroys/kills human embryos. We encourage the adoption of existing embryos. We call for legislation to withhold state and/or federal funding from institutions that engage in scientific research involving the killing of human embryos or human cloning.

The plank is internally redundant. If you oppose a practice, then of course you oppose funding for the practice!

Embryo adoption is really just embryo donation, already a common practice. And it's of questionable practicality for dealing with surplus embryos. As of 2006, CBS reported 400,000 surplus embryos (link). As of August 2009, only 207 had been handled under this program (source). That is only one twentieth of one percent, or 0.05%. This should not be in a platform document.

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Human Cloning

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Innocent Human Life > Human Cloning
We oppose human cloning.Each human life, whether created naturally or through an artificial process, deserves protection. We confirm that somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is the process by which a human being is cloned, and that SCNT creates a unique human being with the same properties of a human embryo created through the union of sperm and egg. We seek a ban on human cloning for reproductive purposes (where a cloned human embryo, created through SCNT, is implanted in a womb and the human clone is birthed). We also seek a ban on research cloning (where a cloned human embryo, created through SCNT, is created, grown in the laboratory, and then destroyed when its stem cells are extracted for research purposes). Furthermore, criminal penalties should be created and experimenters prosecuted who participate in the cloning of human beings. No government or state funding should be provided for any human cloning.
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Parental Rights and Responsibilities

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Our Children > Parental Rights and Responsibilities
We call for revisions to the Texas Family Code's Rights of Grandparent, Aunt, or Uncle subsection to only permit judgments against unfit parents.We believe that parental rights and responsibilities are inherent and protected by the United States Constitution. Local, state, or federal laws, regulations, or policies shall not be enacted that limit parental rights in the rearing of both biological and adopted children. The Party supports the Texas Parental Rights Restoration Act to amend this statute and restore the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. We unequivocally oppose the United States Senate ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which would transfer jurisdiction over parental rights and responsibilities to international bureaucracies.

A more direct plank will get the point across better.

The Parental Rights Restoration Act called for changes in the Family Code (link), so reworded to call for the changes instead of attaching hopes to a specific bill.

While the Convention on the Rights of the Child has legitimate criticism, the idea that it transfers jurisdiction to the UN is paranoid.

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Child Support and Visitation

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Protecting Our Children > Child Support and Visitation
We support equity between responsible parents in child support, custody, and visitation rights and costs, as well as the strengthening of laws designed to protect children from abuse. No parent/grandparentone should be denied court ordered visitation, because because of jurisdictional disputes between states. We also believe that no homosexual or any individual convicted of child abuse or molestation should have the right to custody or adoption of a minor child, and that visitation with minor children by such persons should, if allowed, should be prohibited but if ordered by the court limited to supervised periods.

Child abuse is a separate topic.

It is unconscionable to lump homosexuals with child molesters and abusers.

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DFPS Accountability

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Assisting Families to Self Sufficiency > DFPS Accountability
Children must only be removed from parent custody due to immediate danger to the child's physical health or safety or pursuant to a court order. No child may be interviewed by the state without video or audio recording of the interview, and the recording shall become evidence. No child may be removed from parental custody solely on the basis of an anonymous tip.We support the appointment of local elected officials to review charges of abuse of discretion by the Department of Family and Protective Services with respect to intervention into the family unit. It is imperative that this local board have the authority to recommend appropriate corrective and disciplinary action as needed. We believe that only law enforcement officers may remove a child from his or her home or school when there is an immediate danger to the child's physical health or safety. All other removals of a child shall be pursuant to a court order. No child may be interviewed by the state without video or audio recording of the interview, and the recording shall become evidence. DFPS/CPS will require the tipster to identify themself by name and contact information to the agency. This information will be kept confidential, and the tipster will be notified by the agency that false information will be prosecuted and that false tips will be subject to a fine. A family shall have the right to learn of their accuser with a judicial order. Only findings determined in open court and by trial may be retained by the State.

The core problem is when unsubstantiated, anonymous tips are used as justification for child removal.

Local board of elected officials are just additional layers of bureaucracy. Our elected legislative representatives, the governor, and the court system are the appropriate venues for handling unresolvable greviances.

It is not clear why law enforcement officers are the only ones who should remove children.

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Caring for Our Mentally Disabled Citizens

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Assisting Families to Self Sufficiency > Caring for Our Mentally Disabled Citizens
We urge continued operation ofthe Legislature to continue funding and operating all state schools for the mentally disabled, increased, increase training standards of theirstate school employees, and ensure efficient funding and service quality of service.
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AIDS / HIV

Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health > Empowering Families to Direct Their Health Care > AIDS / HIV
We recognize that the preventable diseases of AIDS and HIV infection represent a threat to human health. We view with compassion all people infected with HIV. We call for appropriate levels of research to find a cure for the disease and ask that the government give full disclosure of the causes. However, because AIDS represents such a severe threat to both the health and economic well-being of our citizens, we insist that the epidemic be de-politicized and that as a society, we take all appropriate steps to protect our citizens from this epidemic. All people, no matter what disease they may contract, are worthy of deep respect as humans; however, behavior has personal and social consequences. We call upon the United States Public Health Service and all states to declare HIV a "dangerous, yet preventable, infectious, communicable disease." It should be legally reported in the same manner as any communicable disease. We oppose the needle exchange and bleach kit programs. We urge the return to the requirement of blood testing in order to obtain a marriage license with the previous reporting responsibilities to prevent the spread of dangerous, infectious, and communicable diseases.
(plank deleted)

This is mostly fluff words, and we do not need to be like Democrats and increase red tape, especially for those wishing to get married.

While HIV is a serious disease, it does not deserve its own plank. It is now well-understood, and HIV research is accepted.

Just like many other diseases transmitted by intimate contact, knowledge on how to prevent infection is commonplace. The platform does not need to preach on this. Research and treatment should be funded just as any other disease, in proportion to its prevalence and potential harm.

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Funding of Education

Educating Our Children > Funding of Education
We urge prioritizing academic funding needs (books, desks, teachers, etc.) over administrative and non-academic needs and funding state mandates on school districts.Educating Texans is a priority to Texas taxpayers. In order to prioritize education spending, it is necessary to maximize the percentage of school funds that are directed toward instructional purposes. We urge the Legislature to direct expenditures to academics first (books, desks, and teachers), then to non-academic activities; to provide funding for state mandates on local districts; and to not increase state taxes.

Other parts of the platform already address taxes.

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Support for Classroom Teachers

Educating Our Children > Support for Classroom Teachers
We support incentives to attract good teachers. We want them involved in educational planning. We call for minimization of teacher paperwork and straightforward procedures to remove disruptive students.We recognize the need to attract competent teachers; to get teachers involved in educational planning and program development; to minimize reports and paperwork; to support teacher incentives through monetary and recognition rewards; and to empower teachers to remove disruptive students.
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Multiculturalism

Educating Our Children > Multiculturalism
We favor strengthening our common American identity and loyalty instead of emphasizing differences among racial and ethnic groups.We support teaching the principles articulated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that we be judged not by the color of our skin but by the content of our character and we celebrate positive contributions to our society by members of all cultural groups without emphasizing their differences. We favor strengthening our common American identity and loyalty instead of multiculturalism that emphasizes differences among racial and ethnic groups.
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Higher Education

Educating Our Children > Higher Education
We support higher education. Publicly funded institutions must prioritize Texas high school graduates for admission and educational assistance and only accept students and grant financial assistance on the basis of merit and financial need. We oppose the 10% automatic admissions rule.We reaffirm support of public and private institutions of higher learning. We advocate an equal standard for public college admission based on merit and ability. We urge the legislature to ensure equal access to grants and scholarships to all Texas high school graduates, including privately educated students. All Texas students should be given acceptance priority over out-of-state or foreign students. We oppose the 10% automatic admissions rule.
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Right To Keep and Bear Arms

Promoting Individual Freedom and Personal Safety > Individual Freedom > Right To Keep and Bear Arms
We support a fundamental right to bear arms. We oppose gun ownership monitoring and unusual taxation or regulation of guns and ammunition. We support stiff penalties for felonies committed with firearms. We believe the Texas Legislature should: - Allow concealed handgun license (CHL) holders to carry concealed weapons in colleges and universities. - Prevent employers from prohibiting CHL holders from storing their concealed handgun in their vehicle. - Protect property owners who allow concealed weapons from civil liability.We urge the Legislature and Congress to repeal all laws that infringe on the right to bear arms, and to reject any monitoring of gun ownership, and all excessive taxation or regulation of guns and ammunition. We support a ten-year minimum mandatory sentence without parole for felonies committed with firearms. Stiff penalties should be enacted for frivolous lawsuits against legitimate firearms manufacturers. All gun owners are responsible for safely storing and operating firearms. We believe the Legislature should enact legislation: allowing: Concealed Handgun License holders to carry concealed weapons on publicly owned institutions of learning; and, preventing employers from prohibiting Concealed Handgun License holders from storing their concealed handgun in their vehicle while on a company parking area, and removing civil liability from property owners who do not prevent Concealed Handgun License holders from carrying on their premises. We believe that FFL holders should be free from harassment, and license revocations and denials against firearm dealers based on violations consisting of largely inconsequential recordkeeping errors and encourages the ATF to consider lesser gradation of sanctions for such errors.

Frivolous lawsuits are a general tort reform measure and do not belong here. That notwithstanding, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was signed by President Bush in 2005.

"All gun owners are responsible for safely storing and operating firearms." This is a common sense, obvious statement that does not belong in a platform.

The idea that a person should be free from harrassment and not inundated by red tape is a general issue of proper governance and is not unique to firearms-related issues.

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Boy Scouts of America

Promoting Individual Freedom and Personal Safety > Individual Freedom > Boy Scouts of America
We support the Boy Scouts of America and reject any attemptattempts to undermine or fundamentally change the ideals of the organization.
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Prison Reform

Promoting Individual Freedom and Personal Safety > Protecting Citizens From Crime > Prison Reform
We believe our prison systems should emphasize protection ofPrisons exist to protect society and punishment ofreform redeemable offenders, ever mindful of their human rights. The state should assist offenders who desire reform. Prisoners should be required to perform meaningful work. Prisoners should not have access to private information of any citizen. We support alternative methods of prison administration. We. We support prohibiting prisoners from initiating frivolous lawsuits. No extraordinary medical care, including organ transplants or body part replacement, should be performed on prisoners at taxpayer expense.

"Prisoners should not have access to private information of any citizen." and "We support alternative methods of prison administration." are hopelessly vague and unclear.

 

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Crime Shouldn't Pay

Promoting Individual Freedom and Personal Safety > Protecting Citizens From Crime > Crime Shouldn't Pay
No convicted criminalNobody should be allowed to profit from sale of rights to their story for books, movies, etc., whilewhile incarcerated, on parole, or on probation.
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Property Seizure Without Due Process

Promoting Individual Freedom and Personal Safety > Protecting Citizens From Crime > Property Seizure Without Due Process
We oppose seizure of private property seizure without due process. Neither law. Law enforcement agencies norand their parent organizationsjurisdictions should be allowed to benefitnot profit from such seizures.
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Unfunded Mandates

Strengthening the Economy > Government Spending > Unfunded Mandates
We oppose all unfunded mandates by the federal and state governments including unreasonable requirements on voluntary emergency response personnel. State mandates without full funding should be included in the government body's annual increase spending limits.
(plank deleted)

The part about emergency response personnel makes this plank unfocused.

"State mandates without full funding should be included in the government body's annual increase spending limits." Huh?

Also, do we really oppose all unfunded mandates? For example, consider how the Texas Public Information Act mandates openness. This is an unfunded mandate that imposes compliance costs on jurisdictions, but it's an excellent practice.

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Waste and Fraud in Government Contracts

Strengthening the Economy > Government Spending > Waste and Fraud in Government Contracts
We urge the Attorney General of the United States to investigate fraud and misuse of funds in government contracts, prosecuting those found responsible. AllAll government contracts should be awarded by competitive bids. We support repeal of the Davis BaconDavis-Bacon Act. We call upon the Legislature to allow that the award of construction contracts, that are bid with performance and payment bonds, be awarded to the lowest bidder.

The US Department of Justice already does that.

The last sentence just restates the competitive bid idea.

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Corporate Welfare/Business Subsidies

Strengthening the Economy > Government Spending > Corporate Welfare/Business Subsidies
We oppose all corporate welfare that supports continued inefficient businesseshandouts to corporations. We encourage our government to allow a free market economy to prevail both domestically and internationally.
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Federal Tax Reform

Strengthening the Economy > Tax Burden > Federal Tax Reform
The current federal tax code is unacceptable for American taxpayers. Federal tax reform is urgently required, and any reform must support free enterprise, economic growth, and job retention. We support any pragmatic, fair, simple, and obvious tax solutions, including but not limited to a national sales tax and a flat income tax.Federal tax reform is required and any reform should support free enterprise, economic growth, be simple and fair and support job retention in the United States. The Internal Revenue Service is unacceptable to U. S. taxpayers! We urge that the IRS be abolished and the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution be repealed. We further urge that the personal income tax, alternative minimum tax, inheritance (death) tax, gift tax, capital gains, corporate income tax, and payroll tax be eliminated. We recommend the implementation of a national retail sales tax, with the provision that a two-thirds majority of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate is required to raise the rate. Such reforms will encourage investment and economic growth. Such a sales tax plan must ensure that no one in America pays taxes of any kind on the necessities of life, ensuring opportunity and quality of life for low- and fixed-income Americans. We believe every tax at every level should be a separate and clearly visible billing to the taxpayer, regardless of type of tax, and of calculation method, so we support tax visibility in all forms.

As much as we hate the IRS, it sucks because of the hideous tax code, not because it's inherently evil. This plank invokes the same flawed logic that supports closing the Guantanamo Bay prison: we're ditch an effective system because of a marketing problem.

Mainstream conservatism supports drastic tax code reform, but it is premature to pick a sales tax as the only winner. That excludes other pragmatic conservative approaches like a flat income tax.

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Exemption of Inventories from Property Taxes

Strengthening the Economy > Tax Burden > Exemption of Inventories from Property Taxes
Because of the regressive nature and impossibility for fairness, we urge outright repeal of property taxes on inventory for resale which would spur economic growth sufficient to offset the revenue loss from such tax exemptions through increased sales taxes and other revenues from the resulting increased business activity.
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Tolls on Existing Roads

Strengthening the Economy > Tax Burden > Tolls on Existing Roads
We support the legitimate construction of toll roads in Texas, but we oppose convertingtolling existing state and federal roads to American owned toll roads without voter approval.
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Right-to-Work

Strengthening the Economy > Business and the Economy > Right-to-Work
We support right-to-work and the secret ballot. Everyone should have freedom to work without being forced to join any organization.We oppose the Employee Free Choice Act and any action that eliminates the secret ballot. Every worker should have freedom to work in their preferred job without being forced to join or pay dues to any organization. Our Right-to-Work Law has provided this freedom and a good climate for industrial expansion, higher employment, and a stable management-labor relationship. We encourage adoption of a National Right-to- Work Act.
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Border Security

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > Domestic > Border Security
We support strong measures to prevent illegal aliens, organized crime, and potential terrorists from crossing national borders."Order on the borders" is basic to solving complex issues of illegal immigration. All means must be deployed immediately to prevent illegal aliens, organized crime and potential terrorists from crossing the border. Secure American borders by any means necessary

Cliches do not belong in a platform document.

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Homeland Security

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > Domestic > Homeland Security
We urge the Homeland Security Department to strengthen intelligence gathering, enhance inter-agency intelligence sharing, protect high profile targets from terrorists, enhance airport and port-of-entry security, use random selection and terrorist profiling in searching individuals, and authorize the Navy and Coast Guard to board and search vessels entering U.S. waters from foreign ports.We urge the Homeland Security Department to strengthen our national intelligence gathering; further enhance inter-agency coordination of intelligence; pass critical information on to local and state agencies; protect constitutional rights of all citizens; provide adequate protection of high profile targets for terrorists; enhance airport and port-of-entry security; use random selection and terrorist profiling in searching individuals; provide for armed guards and pilots on commercial aircraft; authorize the Navy and Coast Guard to board and search vessels entering U.S. waters from foreign ports. We further urge Congress to provide expert training of airline pilots for protection against terrorist attack.

Armed guards and pilots on aircraft is a statutory issue.

"Expert" connotes an insurpassible level of experience; airline pilots can and do have some training, but expertise is too much, especially in the limited context of what pilots can accomplish midair. Pilots need to be experts at flying; security needs to be experts at stopping terrorism.

Protecting Constitutional rights is an inherent duty of all government officials, not just Homeland Security.

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Legal Immigration

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > Domestic > Legal Immigration
We support legal immigration that attracts the world's best and brightest and encourages assimilation into American society.One nation, one flag, one language, one loyalty America is a country of immigrants, we should insist that any immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself/herself to the United States. He/she shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else. This is predicated upon the fact that the person is in every facet an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance. Anyone who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't American at all. We have room but for one flag, the American Flag. We have room for but one language here and that is the English language. We have room for but one sole loyalty and that is loyalty to the American people. (Teddy Roosevelt, 1907)

Cliches do not belong in a serious platform document.

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Illegal Immigration

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > Domestic > Illegal Immigration
We oppose illegal immigration. We call for continued progress on sealing our porous borders, including completion of a fence to block off our entire southern border and increased border patrols. We demand rapid resolution to the status of millions of illegal aliens living in the United States. We support expeditious deportation of violent or habitually criminal illegal aliens.No amnesty! No how. No way. Illegal aliens have committed a criminal act. We oppose illegal immigration, amnesty in any form, or legal status for illegal immigrants. We support an end to the "catch and release" policy; criminal penalties and aggressive enforcement for those who knowingly employ illegal workers; expeditious hearings on deporting non-violent illegal immigrants; suspending automatic U.S. citizenship to children born to illegal immigrants; elimination of federal funding to cities with "sanctuary" laws; empowering state and local law enforcement agencies with authority and resources to detain illegal immigrants; rejection of non-verifiable foreign-issued cards as valid identification; strict prosecution of any entity involved in phony identification documents; elimination of day labor work centers; elimination of laws requiring hospitals to give non-emergency care to illegals; elimination of social security benefits or government funding to illegals for education, housing or business loans; preventing any foreign entity from using our judicial system to enter the United States; strong document verification prior to issuance of a Texas drivers license; withholding federal highway funds from any state issuing drivers licenses to illegal aliens; and aggressive prosecution of persons smuggling humans across our borders.

Cliches do not belong in a serious platform document. "No amnesty! No how. No way." is a gibberish cliche.

Republicans must oppose illegal immigration and should support strong measures to seal porous borders. However, we have to be realistic: by failing to meaningfully secure the borders for many years, we left the welcome mat out for illegal aliens.

A sane immigration policy cannot only be deportation and punishment. That is unrealistic, inhumane, and economically destructive. It fuels critics who see Republicans as narrow and rigid, it hurts our relevancy, and it destroys our credibility with Hispanic voters.

Republicans must combine firmness on illegal immigration with acknowledgement of our current situation. That means we have to look beyond punitive measures and ripping up longstanding legal traditions. We have to be pragmatic and realistic.

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Support of Our Armed Forces

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > Domestic > Support of Our Armed Forces
We support the armed forces. We recommend modernizing and maintaining the equipment and weapons for the safety and effectiveness of our armed forces. While we support a continued policy of an overwhelmingly strong military, we also support fiscal sanity: we demand termination of wasteful or ineffective equipment and weapons programs. We demand that displaced military personnel have their votes counted. We support construction of a Texas veterans museum.We encourage all Americans to support the brave and patriotic men and women of our armed forces. They should be paid a wage sufficient to prevent them from ever needing food stamps and that encourages retention. We strongly recommend that all our armed forces remain commanded only by the Commander-in-Chief and his subordinate commanders; upgrading, modernizing and maintaining the equipment, weapons, and vehicles for the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of our armed forces; the continuation of the all volunteer armed forces, the recruitment and advancement of military personnel based on the needs of the military and the qualifications of the person; disqualification of homosexuals from military service; immediate discharge of HIV positive individuals; separation of men and women in basic training; exclusion of women from ground and submarine combat roles; provision of full military honors for burial of veterans; restoration of all veteran benefits without an offset for disability pay; health and disability benefits equal to active military for national guard and reserves; passage of a "new" G.I Bill that fully funds expanded educational scholarship opportunities for honorably separated Veterans; restoration of full lifetime health benefits to retired military and their families; and assurance that military and civilian voters displaced by their service be afforded full opportunity for their votes to be counted; and the expeditious construction of a Veterans Museum in Texas.

This is a terrible, unfocused plank that is a grab bag of random wishes and left-wing government expansionism.

Wages are an economic issue in every industry, including the military. If wages are too low, they will show up in poor recruitment and retention numbers. Given good recruiting numbers, there is little evidence of insufficient wages.

There is no credible movement to:

  • Reassign commandment of the armed forces away from the President.
  • Move away from a volunteer force.
  • Recruit to fill ranks with unqualified people.

The issue of women in combat roles is an internal issue for the military and does not deserve mention here. If it comes down to it, women may decline to serve in the military if they do not want a combat role.

These are in fact left-wing and remarkably expensive policies:

  • Removing disability pay offset: A lack of an offset for other disability pay is unfair: you collect twice for one disability!
  • Full health benefits for National Guard and reservists: U.S. health benefits are typically a function of employment. National Guard and reservists do not work when they are not on duty, so it makes little sense to extend health coverage to off-duty times.
  • Lifetime health benefits: Just like with any other employer-sponsored health plan, military health plan should terminate upon end of employment.

It is counterproductive and pointless to have a witch hunt for homosexuals.

There is zero evidence that the military is mishandling HIV.

Separation of men and women in basic training is counterproductive. They will have to work together in the field. Why create artificial barriers?

The G.I. Bill provision is accomplished. The current bill pays up to $47,556 in educational benefits over a maximum of 36 months.

This plank is wordy. For example:

  • "Upgrading" and "modernizing" are the same thing.
  • Vehicles are a type of equipment.
  • Something that is safe and efficient is also effective.
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Foreign Policy

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > International Relations > Foreign Policy
The United States must promote democracy and free markets. We should not aid hostile or undemocratic nations.We support the spread of a representative form of government and free market enterprise. We also support and encourage private humanitarian aid to developing countries. We support continued favorable treatment of proven allies, and censure of adversarial entities that seek destruction of other countries or harbor terrorists. No United States treaty shall permit any foreign entity to control our citizenry. No foreign entity that consistently votes against our interests or is openly hostile to our nation shall receive U.S. aid.
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MIA's and POW's

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > International Relations > MIA's and POW's
We urge our government to continue to seek and act uponinvestigate all information concerning our military personnel and other citizens carriedAmericans classified as Missing in Action or Prisoners of War.
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China

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > International Relations > China
We urge strong measures to encourage China to end suppression of human rights, persecution of Christians and other religions, aggression towards neighbors, and sharing weapons technology with rogue nations.We strongly recommend removal of Permanent Normal Trade Relations status for Communist China until North and South Korea sign a peace treaty; China significantly improves its policies on human rights; China ceases persecution of Christians; China ceases aggressive behavior toward all neighbors; China ceases transferring nuclear, biological, and chemical technology to Iran, Pakistan and North Korea. We further urge imposition of trade sanctions against Communist China for interfering in United States political campaigns.

There is scant evidence of interference with American elections.

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War on Terror

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > International Relations > War on Terror
We support fighting the War on Terror and confronting radical Islamist terrorists at their homes. Our military must remain in Iraq and Afghanistan until both countries are able to sustain peace. We oppose closing Guantanamo.There is no substitute for Victory! We commend and support the Bush Administration's current policy regarding our military operations fighting the War on Terror and confronting radical Islamist terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan and other countries around the world. We believe our military forces deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, in particular, should not be prematurely withdrawn from the conflicts until victory has been secured and both countries are able to sustain peace with limited assistance from the United States. There should be no "time-table" applied to the withdrawal of our forces. We also support keeping Guantanamo Detention Center for terrorist detainees. We oppose any plan to close Guantanamo and to bring detainees into the U.S. for Court trials.

Cliches do not belong in a serious platform document.

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Israel

Restoring American Sovereignty and Leadership > International Relations > Israel
The United States and Israel share a special relationship. We support military and economic assistance and recognition that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths. We encourage peace talks between Israel and Palestinians in the context of Israel's fundamental right to exist. We support the continuation of non-recognition of terrorist organizations.We believe that the United States and Israel share a special long-standing relationship based on shared values, a mutual commitment to a republican form of government, and a strategic alliance that benefits both nations. Our foreign policy with Israel should reflect the special nature of this relationship through continued military and economic assistance and recognition that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths. We believe that the US Embassy should be located in Jerusalem. In our diplomatic dealings with Israel, we encourage the continuation of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but oppose pressuring Israel to make concessions it believes would jeopardize its security, including the trading of land for the recognition of its right to exist. We call on the U.S. to cease strong arming Israel through prior agreements with the understanding of delivering equipment to them to defend themselves in exchange for future diplomatic concessions, such as giving up land to the Palestinians on the West Bank. We support the continuation of non-recognition of terrorist nations and organizations. Our policy is based on God's biblical promise to bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel and we further invite other nations and organizations to enjoy the benefits of that promise.

The plank is terribly wordy.

The Biblical citation is a quite literalist Biblical interpretation. It does not represent a consensus view even within Christianity and is utterly inappropriate for a platform document.

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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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