Below you will find the National platform. Our MN platform will be updated as it is created.
The idea of this platform is to create an overall outlook towards the issues not to concrete the entire party into these issues. The views of each member may differ but the way they look at and process the issues is the same. The main themes being common sense, responsibility, and social progression.
To get involved or add to our list of issues, email us at Minnesota@modernwhig.org
Right To Work: We believe in the idea of unions. Unions like the MNA have done great things for workers and industries. However, when an individual is forced into a union it defeats the purpose and credibility of other unions. Without the ability to leave a union or choose not to join, the union becomes its own entity. The right to leave or join a union ensures that the union works for the worker and not for its leadership. It also ensures that it keeps the best interests of the worker in mind because it must keep its membership happy. A union whose membership has no choice has too much free reign to become a profit oriented business. Minnesota must become a right to work state to save the credibility of the union and the rights of its workers.
Church/State Separation: The continued separation between these two organizations is essential. With this being said, we must also recognize when a holiday has become a national holiday. Christmas has become an American cultural holiday, like many others, based in an idea not just on a religious story. The bending to offense by individuals over ornaments of holidays from all cultures must be within reason. A Christmas tree in a public place should not take time out of state government business. As we agree with the separation of church and state want to uphold this, we also believe in common sense. This of course is all within reason and public decency. The slippery slope argument contradicts common sense.
Gay Marriage: We oppose any sort of constitutional ban on gay marriage. This is an example of a judicial and state issue that should not be debated in congress. Marriage as a cultural definition should be allowed to homosexual couples. As we live in a society that maintains religious tolerance and a separation of church and state, there should be no opposition to gay marriage on religious terms. A constitutional ban on a minority group of people is unconstitutional. By doing so we would be denying a group of people life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. A constitutional ban on gay marriage echoes the black laws of the 1800's. Gay marriage is inevitable and can only strengthen the foundation of marriage in a time when the institution is weak. Also, we would gain tax money. While our members may differ on the definition of marriage we all agree that it should be left up to the judicial system of each state and there should be no ban written in the constitution. We have better things and bigger threats right now then the threat of two people being married or unmarried. We don't care what religion our neighbors are, why should we care who they are married to.
Energy: We believe in the utilization of alternative energy sources. Regardless of global warming, there are many benefits to being independent from oil and back to American ingenuity and jobs. One major issue that has not been discussed in this area of yet are private jets. Private jets, which often fly empty on some trips, expend enough energy to heat a small city for a few winters. There is an addictive culture of private jets which before was no problem if the user paid for it all. In this age the people are feeling the strain. The irresponsible use of airline transportation must be addressed, as we fear it may not be until it is too late. We propose that all government officials of a political nature must be more responsible in their use. This will not be a problem as our congressional reform will make it easier for US representatives to stay in Washington DC.
Congressional Reform: We highly believe in a necessary reform in the US house and senate. Too many citizens are detached from the goings on in Washington. The issues of the state need to remain in the state where the people it effects are. There are too many things being done without the publics knowledge. The senate has given themselves too much power and a new check and balance needs to be established. There are too many earmarked and pork barrel bills being passed and this is a slight on the American public. The power needs to be reinstated to the people.
Second Amendment: We support the right to bear arms. However, the average citizen does not need a 50 caliber sniper rifle. Minnesota has a few gun shops that own such weapons and let customers come and shoot them for a price. This should be enough and should be continued. The banning of guns is not a solution to crime as most criminals cannot purchase guns legally anyways. There is no need for an automatic rifle, but the idea of banning semi-automatic rifles and pistols is ridiculous. Also for those concerned about having to fight the government someday, rest assured that the police and military are citizens too, not mindless government drones so it would be hard for the government to take over. There is no realistic option of banning guns. Most of the deaths due to firearms are from non-registered users or illegal guns and a ban would open up more of a black market on these. We cannot ban everything that might harm someone we can only encourage responsibility and common sense among citizens with everything they operate that may cause harm.
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ISSUES: National Platform The Modern Whig Party relies on common sense. The organization is the fastest-growing advocate for such issues as fiscal responsibility, strong national defense and bold social progression. We see the value of independent thinking and the danger of being limited to one distinct ideology. Since 1833, we have carried the mantle of America's middle-of-the-road party. Economic Distribution The Modern Whig philosophy is to empower the states with the resources to handle their unique affairs. The logic is that people in Alabama should not always have to flip the bill for earmarks that occur in New York and vice versa. For example, a senator from Oklahoma is currently using his committee powers to stifle an important transportation project in Virginia. The reality is that the more local one gets, the more in tune with the unique and specific needs of that area. This is why we propose that federal tax dollars be provided to each state in a lump sum every fiscal year based on population. This eliminates the need for most earmarks and pork-barrel spending as the onus will then be on state legislators and governors to allocate funding for issues that they see fit. Of course the federal government will still vote on other special projects and traditionally federal items, but these projects will be more manageable to monitor. In addition, the allocations to the states also provides a better opportunity to balance the federal budget while also forcing local voters to pay more attention to state elected officials. Iraq and Afghanistan Many of our members have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and have unique and practical qualifications to express the Modern Whig viewpoint. Iraq obviously was planned and managed very poorly and it is time for drastic but realistic change. We propose pulling our forces out of Iraq except for a relatively small base in the Kurdish area of the country. Our troops will tell you that unlike the rest of Iraq, the Kurds are prone to democracy and in fact do treat American forces as liberators. To this end, the Kurds deserve our continued protection and in turn, we maintain a base to act upon any contingencies emanating from within Iraq, Syria or Iran. Moreover, the oil industry from Kirkuk can take care of the bills. We then can put real effort and resources into fighting the terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Finally, we would continue dialogue and contact with the Pakistani government in hopes that they would finally end this defacto terrorist safe-haven in their country, but in the end, if they fail to act then we will. Environmental Protection and National Security Why did we lump the environment with national security? Because eliminating our dependency on foreign oil is a national security issue as it takes away a significant amount of cards from our enemies. For example, cartels are illegal in the US but at the same time, we rely on the OPEC cartel for our oil. Expedited funding and research into viable green technology is part of the answer. It also is a major developing industry where we can make lots of money and create tons of jobs. At the same time, we represent a new generation of "Trustbuster." At the turn of the 20th Century, Teddy Roosevelt broke up the monopolies that stifled small business and economic growth. Now is the time to bust up the oil companies. These companies are designed, as they should be, to make money for their shareholders. We support this. The Modern Whig Party understands that corporations would actually be violating the rules if they strayed from their fiduciary duties toward their shareholders. However, an oil company has no business owning another energy resource such as coal. Believe it or not, clean coal technology exists and if permitted to grow, West Virginia and Southeast Ohio will become the engine of the world. In addition, we support a focus on natural gas, wind and solar power as outlined and paid for in the Picken's Plan. Immigration If somebody is in this country illegally, then he or she should be deported if caught. However, it is not realistic in terms of manpower and resources to attempt to hunt illegal immigrants down. We propose the following: Offer illegal immigrants the opportunity for citizenship if they join the military and serve out their initial contractual term honorably. This system already works for green card holders and has been very succesful. The illegal immigrants will not be entitled to jobs that require security clearances, but will be eligible for the GI Bill, Tricare and all other benefits afforded to US service members who serve honorably. This program also will include a background check and English-language classes if necessary. In this manner, any illegal immigrant ranging in age from 18 to 42 will receive job skills and educational benefits while they earn their citizenship in defense of our country. Of course this military path to citizenship would not apply to elderly or disabled illegal immigrants, but it does offer an opportunity to tens of thousands of illegal immigrants. In respect to the orderly deportation of other illegal immigrants, we propose the following: A creation of ad-hoc immigration courts. Essentially, highly regarded immigration lawyers in varying parts of the country will be nominated and selected to serve as immigration judges. When a suspected illegal immigrant is caught, an ad-hoc court can quickly be convened in order to ensure fair proceedings. In this manner, we can significantly impact the current problem of immigration court backlog while at the same time empower local communities such as Prince William County in Virginia that wish to enforce immigration laws. China, Foreign Aid and the WTO Many defective products are manufactured in China, from contaminated pet food and toothpaste to dangerous toys to lead-filled dental crowns. Yet as consumers, we look the other way just to keep costs down, even though these products are made in an authoritarian, oftentimes menacing nation that opposes us at virtually every opportunity. The Modern Whig Party proposes offering tiered subsidies and tax breaks to U.S. corporations who remove their manufacturing operations from China. The WTO and international treaty justification is based on well-established health and welfare exemptions of rules that normally forbid this type of government intervention. We can then steer our corporations to creating jobs in other places such as the West Bank, Iraq and Latin America. We can then cut direct foreign aid to some of these nations as that system is notorious for corruption anyway. Instead, the people in these poverty-stricken nations will have stable jobs. In the case of Latin America, steering manufacturing jobs out of China and into our hemisphere also may help curb the tide of immigration. Since this is a tiered system, we also suggest that the highest tier of tax breaks and subsidies go to manufacturing jobsin the US. Church/State Separation Don't mess with Christmas. While our members range from deeply religious to completely secular, we are realistic. We follow the rule that the government must not fund religious activities. However, the business of forcing Christmas trees and reindeer ornaments off of city hall property is ridiculous. At the same time, government cannot favor one religion over others. So long as all other religions have equal access to display their holiday symbols, we see no problems. Gay Rights Each state can determine the extended rights of homosexuals based on their own local values. We do, however, support classifying as a federal hate crime attacks on people based on their perceived sexual orientation. In the end, the sexual orientation of the guy down the street has no bearing on anybody else's life. Health Care Recognizing that Viagra is sometimes prescribed to men for other medial reasons such as diabetes and covered by many health plans regardless of the reason, we find it unacceptable that birth control is typically not covered for women. Birth control medication has many other benefits to women besides its primary function. We believe that health insurance companies should include birth control as a regularly covered item and stop forcing millions of women to pay out of pocket Abortion Our members are split on this subject just like the rest of the country. But the bottom line is that this one particular issue should not be the sole basis for which political party people affiliate with. For example, many "pro-choice" voters find themselves agreeing with many traditionally GOP issues while many of those opposed to abortion rights find themselves agreeing with many Democratic issues. Despite this fact, voters too often are pushed to choose one party or the other due to the abortion issue alone. It is time to end the trend of having this one issue become a deal breaker. Each state can determine its course of action like any other public health issue that revolves around medical procedures. The federal government should not get involved or regulate such items as the less involvement by the government in our private lives the better. Affirmative Action Race-based affirmative action should be eliminated and replaced with an economic criteria for education benefits. Science and Technology Exploration is in our blood. Whether it is the brain, the oceans, the wilderness or space, people have always been fascinated by the unknown. Perhaps more importantly, science has a way of bringing people together in a manner that no politician could ever dream. Science also has a way of transforming the economy. The Modern Whig Party supports the privatization of space and continued exploration of our oceans. Taking away the government monopoly and allowing capitalism into the exploration business will exponentially expand our technology base and further the growth of mankind. |
