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PLATFORM FOR THE 7TH LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT Please review this platform. It was to have been discussed at the 7th Legislative Districts caucus this March. There has been no Call made by the Chair so it is unclear about when there might be any discussion. This draft is very inclusive and could be a springboard for Ferry Democrats to put together resolutions to take to the State Convention in June. It could be used to put together our own platform. We would appreciate any comments or ideas you may have about it being sent to Ferry County Democrats@infoferrycountydemocrats.org We need to hear from you about which issues and resolutions most express your needs and the direction you would like to see for the Party.
SUSPENSION OF INCREASED BORDER PATROL ACTIVITY Vice Chair Deborah Pedersen and I would like to share a resolution calling for a suspension of increased Border Patrol activity that the Jefferson County Democrats passed unanimously on January 27th. Please take a moment to download the resolution (PDF) and consider investigating how this issue may be affecting your county or LD. We believe that it is critically important that we reestablish our constitutional protections before this Bush-era policy becomes entrenched. Here is our local story: On the northern coast of the Olympic Peninsula, the Border Patrol has stepped up their operation from four agents in 2006 to 25 now with projected growth 125 agents in the near future. In this time of bleak economic news, they are planning to spend millions on a new facility on the peninsula. We have experienced: 1. Random checkpoints stopping cars on highways away from the border. Searches are performed without warrants or probable cause; 2. Surveillance of churches, farms, schools, stores, parks, neighborhoods, etc. - everything from boarding buses to carrying out ordinary crime control without respect for warrants or probable cause; 3. Offers of federal money to local law enforcement agencies to ensure cooperation (of course they need the money, since the Feds have stripped their budgets). Both the Jefferson County Sheriff and Port Townsend Police Chief have spoken eloquently in their denial of this funding; 4. Patterns of stops and locations of checkpoints and surveillance that indicate racial profiling (like trolling the Catholic church or waiting outside the ESL classes at the local college). We seek to document discussions with off-duty officers indicate that they are filling arrest quotas. Right now they are terrorizing the Latino community, and they rationalize the policy by citing the need for security on the border, even as ports remain unguarded and untested for nuclear material. Any program that wastes precious resources targeting civil misdemeanors, in the name of security, inherently makes us less safe. |
Legalizing Marijuana in Washington - Another Resolution to Consider