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Proposed 2013-2014 Platform
Proposed 2013-2014 NH Republican Party Platform
NHGOP Platform: Statement of Principle
NHGOP Platform: Statement of Principle
We, the duly elected delegates of the Republican Party of New Hampshire, in convention assembled , in discharge of the duty we owe to our constituents and our state, unite in the following Platform of Republican Principles:
We, the people of the New Hampshire Republican Party, do stand united in our dedication to preserving freedom, limited government and unlimited opportunity for all.
We believe, above all else, in the founding principle that all people are created equal, endowed by our Creator with the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, unimpeded by intrusive government regulation and control.
We believe that the Constitution of the United States was written by our forefathers to limit our government, not our freedom.
We believe that individual liberty is guaranteed under the Constitutions of the United States and New Hampshire, that the liberty of the people must be protected above the power of the government, and that it is only through an adherence to our founding documents that we will continue to grow as a free, democratic Republic.
We believe that our founding fathers placed the 2nd Amendment in a position of prominence with intent; that law-abiding citizens of the United States of America have a right to protect and defend their lives, their families and their property without government infringement.
We believe in free people, free markets and free enterprise. We believe that happiness and success are the result of individual effort, hard work and dedication to a purpose. We believe that economies flourish when individuals and business owners retain as much of their hard earned income as possible, to spend and invest as they see fit.
We believe that low taxes are the result of low spending; that government has a moral obligation to the people to be as cost effective as possible, to always limit spending and growth of government, and to cut spending and cost of government at every possible turn.
We believe that a strong national defense is necessary to preserve freedom and opportunity in America, and we believe that secure national borders are an integral part of a strong national defense.
We believe that freedom can exist only in a nation that is willing to defend it. The utmost honor must be bestowed upon those who are willing to serve and sacrifice in the United States Military. Let us never forget those whose greatest sacrifice has protected a free and strong America for all.
We believe that life is sacred, from conception to natural death, that strong families are the foundation of a strong community and that we cannot diminish the value of one category of human life without diminishing the value of all human life.
We believe that we the people are strongest when we stand together, that it is our responsibility to hold government accountable and that it is through the integrity of the ballot box that we do so.
We believe that every child is filled with potential and is unique in their own right; as such we believe there is no one-size-fits-all education solution; we support expanded education choices, including but not limited to: vouchers, charter schools, and home schooling. We believe in local educational control, beginning with parents, teachers and principals.
We believe as the New Hampshire Constitution states, that acquiring, possessing and protecting property is a natural, essential and inherent right.
We believe that the beautiful state of New Hampshire, with her rock-solid values and proud history of political activism must preserve her First In The Nation Primary position.
We believe that the history of the Republican Party is a story of strength, courage and patriotism; our party was founded in the fight to end the despicable practice of slavery, it was the Republican Party that fought for the right of all women to vote, it was Republicans in Congress who fought to overcome the southern Democrats’ resistance to pass civil rights legislation and it is Republican values that will lead our nation forward in freedom and opportunity for all.
We, the people of the New Hampshire Republican Party, pledge to our neighbors across our great, beautiful and proud state, that we remain dedicated to maintaining a limited, affordable government, to lead with integrity, character and compassion, and to forever defend the freedom that has made the United States of America a beacon of hope for all people.
Improving New Hampshire's Business Climate
- Minimize business regulations, permits, licenses and paperwork
-Remove barriers to business formation
-Keep state government lean to allow lower business taxes
-Foster an attitude of assistance and cooperation with business and increase responsiveness
-Prefer incentives to penalties and issue warnings before fines
-Work with municipalities to streamline planning and zoning barriers to business
-Establish a robust telecommunications and technology infrastructure throughout New Hampshire
-Support low cost means to protect, develop and market agricultural, forest and high value natural resource products
New Hampshire's Work Force
Uphold the right to join or avoid labor unions without coercion or intimidation; support "right to work"
Allow workers to decide upon allocation of their dues for political purposes
Remove barriers to apprenticeships
Low Taxes are the Result of Low Spending
Oppose new taxes and fees
Cut or eliminate taxes which inhibit enterprise, earnings and savings and investment, such as the Interest and Dividends Tax and the Business Enterprise/Business Profits Tax
Limit the growth of state spending to not more than the rate of inflation plus population growth
Require super-majorities to raise taxes
Maintain local control of spending and taxes designed to support local services
Work to reduce energy costs and remove New Hampshire from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Reject expanded casino and video lottery gambling as a means to balance the budget or increase spending
Government Structure
Justify expenditures against measurable benefits
Prioritize programs to ensure effective spending
Reward employees who save money and/or exceed their goals
Sunset programs and regulations to force periodic reevaluation
Privatize programs and functions that can be handled more effectively by the private sector
Ensure that public employee benefits are similar to and do not exceed those of the private sector
Support the concept of a people's veto
Expand openness and transparency to employment, expenditures and all recipients of taxpayers’ funds
Protect the privacy of individuals from government snooping
Oppose the implementation of Obamacare in New Hampshire
Increase the use of market forces to improve health care and lower costs
Improve access to the information necessary to make informed health care decisions, including information about the quality and cost of services provided by physicians, hospitals and insurers
Attract insurance companies back to the state by reversing disastrous Shaheen-era “reforms”
Provide for the special needs of seniors, including opportunities for personalized home health care and less expensive alternatives to hospital stays and prescription medication
Assist Parents
Do not interfere with parents' right to control the education of their children
Encourage school choice and competition and allow all parents to choose the best public, private, charter or home school program for their children
Make school vouchers or tuition tax credits available to assist in school choice
Repeal the so-called "Blaine Amendment" to end discrimination against religious schools
Support increased use of market forces to provide and improve education
Local Control and Funding of Public Schools
Promote local control of education policy and funding in order to create the best-managed school systems
Amend the Constitution to overturn the poorly decided Claremont rulings and return educational funding and policy to the people and their elected representatives
Remove mandates, particularly unfunded mandates, as a condition for receiving state or federal aid
The Classroom
Emphasize academic achievement
Emphasize marketable skills at the high school and post-secondary levels
Support innovative measures to reduce tuition costs and increase national competitiveness
Promote personal responsibility and consequences for one’s actions
Implement the nation's highest competency and accountability standards for our teachers and students; empower teachers to maintain orderly, disciplined classrooms; eliminate tenure and institute merit pay
Reform the teacher certification process to include participation by individuals outside the standard education paradigm whose experiences will elevate appreciation for knowledge in the classroom
Support the unborn child's fundamental right to life and implement all possible legal protections
Encourage individuals and organizations who provide alternatives to abortion by meeting the needs of mothers through adoption, support, counseling and educational services
Recognize marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman
Maintain the fundamental role and responsibility of both parents in the care, upbringing and discipline of their children
Oppose euthanasia and physician assisted suicide
Oppose expanded gambling because of the negative social consequences
Protect the rights of law-abiding citizens to own and carry firearms to defend themselves, their families and their property; oppose any taxation, licensing restrictions, or registration of firearms; oppose the requirement to obtain a license to carry a concealed firearm; oppose any "assault weapons" ban; support the universal right of self defense wherever one has a legal right to be
Ensure due process rights of those accused of child abuse or neglect
Establish strict laws against sexual predators including life incarceration as appropriate
Strengthen prosecution and fair enforcement of death penalty laws
Prosecute violations of election law and ensure voting is done by New Hampshire resident citizens only
Support the appointment of judges who recognize their proper and limited interpretive role, relying only on the original intent of the federal and state constitutions
Implement reasonable and periodic oversight of judicial officers, including term limitations
Support the constitutional right of citizens to petition the general court for redress of grievances
Recognize that private property owners are the most effective land stewards and have a fundamental right to freely use and enjoy their property
Promote conservation of open space, sensitive ecosystems, wildlife, scenic vistas, historic and cultural landscapes, and especially New Hampshire’s state historic sites
Encourage landowners to keep their property open and accessible to responsible recreation
Provide public access to all public lands and great ponds, subject to adequate protection for indigenous plants and animals
Encourage private development of a balanced, safe and environmentally sensitive transportation system to provide greater commuter and commercial access to and within our state
Improve highways and reduce traffic congestion to increase access to recreation and tourism in rural areas
Strengthen national border security; enforce immigration laws; oppose any form of amnesty for illegal aliens; define trespass to include illegal presence in New Hampshire
Oppose federal programs that contradict the tenth amendment to the US Constitution
Support efforts to hold the federal government to the same standard against unfunded mandates as we do our state government under the New Hampshire Constitution
Oppose laws and programs contrary to our founding principles such as Sharia Law, the International Baccalaureate Program, UN Agenda 21 or other “sustainable development” programs.
May God forever bless the United States of America and the great State of New Hampshire.