The 2024 Platform of the Democratic Party of Dickinson County, Iowa
Approved 3-23-2024 by The Dickinson County (IA) Democrats
Statement of Principles
We the People of the Dickinson County Democratic Party believe that Iowa families deserve access to a high-quality education, the opportunity to get good jobs, and are able to live well in healthy communities.
We believe that members of the Armed Forces deserve our support while in the military and after they return home as veterans. We believe that a thriving business community does not have to come at the expense of workers’ rights. We believe that Iowa’s heritage — agriculture — can be rich and successful without harming our environment or the long-term success of family farmers. We believe in empowering every generation of Iowans. We believe in being active citizens, doing hard work, and being responsible neighbors. We believe that our vote is our greatest American right and will defend it. In addition, we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to realize our Nation’s founding promise: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The Dickinson County Democrats reaffirm with this platform our state’s official motto: Our Liberties We Prize and Our Rights We Will Maintain.
Statement of Issues
Agriculture - Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) Moratorium
Whereas, there is not a system that consistently measures concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) for permitting purposes in the Master Matrix;
Whereas, the number of pigs and hogs in the state of Iowa has risen by 3 percent over the past year and is at 22.9 million as of September 1, 2017;
Whereas, additional processing plants are, being built or current plants are expanding production;
Whereas, owners of CAFO’s are increasingly using loopholes in the Master Matrix to build more facilities which require less state regulation (those between 1,250 and 2,499) or no restrictions (those 1,249 or fewer);
Whereas, air pollutants from such confinements include ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which can irritate and damage the throat and lungs. Pollutants also contain particulate matter, which can promote bacterial diseases and further contain methane and nitrous oxide, which are greenhouse (GHG) gases that contribute to climate change;
Whereas, such confinements are largely exempt from federal air emission rules due to lack of effective measuring instruments, proper staffing or funding, which the EPA has attempted to develop for 11 years;
Whereas, private landowners and businesses have no recourse when a corporation wants to site a confinement within close proximity of their property, thus exposing them to harmful pollutants in the air;
Whereas, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is an understaffed and underfunded agency, which has not adequately, inspected such confinements for the past years;
Whereas, the number of impaired waterways including streams, rivers, and lakes has increased steadily in the State of Iowa and has thus deprived the citizens of not only enjoyable recreational opportunities, but also, and more importantly, has jeopardized the quality of clean drinking water in some larger areas;
Whereas, the 16-year-old Master Matrix falls far short of protecting the rights of property owners, schools and public lands from air pollution within the borders of that property;
Whereas, CAFO’s game the system by using the names of different owners within their corporation in order to receive permits to stack confinements within close proximity to each other;
Whereas, the Master Matrix gives no consideration to the siting of such confinements in environmentally sensitive areas;
Whereas, the Master Matrix provides no input or governance mechanism for the local community impacted by a confinement;
Therefore, let it be resolved that the state of Iowa proclaim a moratorium on the building of and expanding of existing CAFOs until such time as the Master Matrix can be thoroughly studied and revised, granting some local control to communities and ensuring that the benefits are concrete and measurable and the risks and environmental impact of the CAFOs on our citizens and our economic future is well-documented and able to be mitigated.
Agriculture - Stimulating Opportunity and Environmental Sustainability for Family Farmers through Cover Crops
Whereas, Iowa farmers too often dictated to by the Iowa Farm Bureau and multinational corporations as to what they are able to plant rather than respond to current market demands;
Whereas, Iowa farmers are forced to accept, crop insurance payouts rather than competing on the market for larger profits;
Whereas, multinational corporations have overtaken the Iowa farmers’ ability to compete for land, resources, and profits;
Whereas, multinational corporations, through CAFOs and industrial farming, have decimated Iowa’s legendary fertile ground, poisoned our pristine waters, and destroyed populations of our native bird and wildlife species;
Therefore, let it be resolved that Iowa provide financial incentives via grants to pioneer cover crops on their land, in addition to the NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Program and Research and Education Grant Program.
Agriculture - Stimulating Opportunity and Environmental Sustainability for Family Farmers through Organic Crops
Whereas, the United States imports 30% of organic corn and 70% organic soybeans. Iowa farmers should capture these price premiums and provide Iowa with the environmental services organic farming provide - clean air, water, healthy soil.
Therefore, let it be resolved that the government should support Iowa farmers to transition to organic agriculture.
Agriculture: Government—Wind & Solar Local Control <addition March 2024>
Whereas, wind, solar, and CO2 pipelines offer significant benefits to the environment and the economy. Local officials should have some reasonable control over pipelines and total control over wind and solar projects.
Therefore, be it resolved that The Dickinson County Democrats support local control of wind and solar installations. Local officials should have some control over pipelines.
Agricultural and Economy
Whereas, the nation’s infrastructure has been underfunded resulting in poor maintenance;
Whereas, the, allocated, gas tax has not been appropriately or transparently managed to fund the highway trust fund;
Whereas, America Society of Civil Engineers have given America’s infrastructure a D+ grade;
Therefore, let it be resolved that our nation’s road and bridges, dams, seawalls, and airports need work; let it be resolved that the United States must fully fund the highway trust fund 2) offer infrastructure bonds 3) implement new WPA program.
Economy - Ensuring Corporate Tax Breaks Benefit Iowa Communities
Whereas, Fortune 500 corporations have, demanded, extensive tax breaks in return for locating their businesses within the state of Iowa;
Whereas, Iowa lawmakers have failed to provide an extensive study on the short and long term impact of such tax breaks on rural, local, and large communities;
Whereas, no mechanism exists to reexamine whether or not corporations are delivering upon their promises of job creation, increase in GDP, or other considerations in order to receive a generous tax break;
Therefore, let it be resolved that the state of Iowa will annually review corporate tax breaks to ensure that both the state and the corporations are within their original agreement, to the extent that external forces allow; that if a corporation has under-delivered in its obligations to the local communities, that that corporation will see its special tax rates changed or ended completely;
Therefore, let it be further resolved that corporations may retain part of their tax break, even if underperforming, if a certain percentage of their energy comes from Iowa renewable sources such as wind, solar, or alternative fuels.
Therefore, let it be resolved, that corporations will be able to retain part of their tax break if they employ local or state construction companies that use environmentally friendly construction processes to build and maintain their corporate properties.
Education - Ensuring Education Excellence
Whereas, education is the cornerstone of successful communities and strong citizens;
Therefore, let it be resolved that Iowa will meet its education obligations to its citizens and not allow the implementation of school vouchers that redirect money away from our public schools.
Education - Ensuring Equity and Excellence in Rural Schools
Whereas, there is no reason that Iowa, citizens in rural areas should receive lower-quality education, or have less availability of quality education, than their non-rural counterparts;
Therefore, let it be resolved that Iowa be committed to and fund rural education services and facilities that are the highest quality and meet or exceed the same standards of non-rural schools.
Environment - Preventing and Preparing for the Effects of Climate Change
Whereas, we realize that we cannot exist without healthful food and clean water, or without the life support system that provide favorable growing conditions; and,
Whereas, we support declaring a state of emergency on climate change and begin immediately to mobilize to reduce greenhouse emissions 50 percent by 2030.
Whereas, our reliance on fossil fuels for transportation, and as a source for industrial feed stocks exacerbates this situation;
Whereas, a transition to alternative energy sources and alternate, processes that are more benign is vital;
Whereas, farmers and ranchers are “rediscovering” and experimenting with techniques such as no-till, strip till, cover crops, rotational grazing and other “regenerative ag” practices that use agricultural soils as a carbon sequestration bank that may need to be established as a stop-gap measure to capture atmospheric CO2 to help turn back our global thermostat;
Whereas, farmers have already experienced dramatic drops in the prices of their goods, and as the changes their crop selection and incomes;
Whereas, we witnessed extreme weather and climate disaster events across the United States with cumulative costs of $100s of billions of dollars: and
Whereas, we believe it is important to advocate for climate change action to curtail one of the greatest threats facing communities throughout the world; and
Whereas, we believe that climate change should neither be a partisan nor political issue and that policies should be guided by the best available science; and
Whereas, children represent a particularly vulnerable group because GHG emitted into the atmosphere will accumulate over the coming decades and will profoundly impact them throughout their lives as well as the lives of future generations; and
Whereas, the global impact, urgency and magnitude of the challenge of addressing climate change calls for leadership in all sectors of society, all institutions, and all elected leaders; and
Therefore, let it be resolved that the United States shall pass the Green New Deal and reenter the Paris Climate Accord.
Therefore, let it be resolved that we support the Carbon Dividend and Energy Innovation Act.
Therefore, let it be resolved that the state of Iowa establish a significant and coordinated government effort to educate citizens on the identification, analysis, and relationships between the combined effects of natural phenomena and human activity that occur between existing and future environmental conditions (both natural and human-induced).
Therefore, let it be resolved that the Iowa Legislature fully fund environmental institutions like the Leopold Center, Lakeside Labs, and other Iowa institutions to provide non-partisan, accurate, and local impact studies of climate change;
Therefore, let it be resolved that such education shall include the identification and prioritization of resolute efforts to analyze and prescribe workable, realistic solutions to our predicament to sustain and improve our climate and life support system.
Therefore, let it be resolved that Iowa continues to provide incentives to its citizens so the state continues to be a leader in the development of alternative energy sources such as wind turbines, bio fuel, and solar energy to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.
Therefore, let it be resolved that the Iowa Legislature fully implements the Land and Water Trust Fund with a dedicated funding sources of 3/8 of a cent, as prescribed by the people of Iowa.
Government - Funding the Iowa Judiciary
Whereas, local court houses are the center of small business and city life;
Whereas, employees at local court houses are integral members of the community;
Whereas, local citizens deserve the due process rights granted to them under the U.S. and Iowa Constitutions;
Therefore, let it be resolved that the Iowa judicial system be fully funded and furloughed employees return to work.
Government - Local Government and Federal Government Relations
Whereas, local citizens rely on their neighbors to be strong pillars of their cultural and agricultural community;
Therefore, let it be resolved that local governments have the autonomy and authority to designate or release their local law enforcement and other city or county entities from undue restraint or burden from federal government operations.
Government - Undocumented Individuals will be tried in Civil Court System
Therefore, let it be resolved that any undocumented individuals will be considered under the civil, and not criminal system, at the local and state level.
Government - Upholding the Promise of Public Service
Whereas, it is important for the people of the United States to have an understanding of the sources of income of a candidate.
Therefore, let it be resolved that candidates for President of the United States must submit their last seven years of income tax returns.
Whereas, politicians continue to receive benefits even after their term has expired, they have vacated their office, or removed by election or other action;
Therefore, let it be resolved that they will no longer receive the benefits granted to them while they were serving in public office, in the same manner that an employee behaves when they leave a job.
Government - Restore Power to Citizens by Banning Corporate Money in Elections
Whereas, the Dickinson County Democrats call for the overturning of Citizens United;
Whereas, individuals’ voices are drowned out by corporate cash in electoral and legislative politics;
Let it be resolved that Iowa will ban all corporate, association, and other lobbyist contributions to candidates or those who hold public office.
Government - Super Delegates
Whereas, Super delegates eliminate the one-person one vote paradigm that is essential to the democratic process.
Therefore, let it be resolved that the Democratic National Committee eliminate the use of super delegates in presidential nominating contests
Healthcare - Healthcare Professional Recruitment and Tele-Health
Whereas, there is a chronic physician and healthcare professional shortage in rural and other underserved areas;
Whereas, recruitment of physicians is a challenge due to uncompetitive salaries;
Whereas, a physician shortage not only puts patients at risk, but also puts unsustainable strains on physicians and their families;
Whereas, tele-health is critical to serving rural patients;
Therefore, let it be resolved that Iowa provide incentives to medical professionals via student loan forgiveness if they serve a designated number of years in underserved or rural communities.
Therefore, be further resolved that major Iowa healthcare providers set aside a certain amount of physicians’ appointments to be committed to tele-health care.
Healthcare - Medicare for All
Whereas, Iowa Democrats believe, that healthcare is a human right not a privilege;
Whereas, Iowa Democrats recognize the health and well-being of Iowans cannot continue to be based on arbitrary private and public financial decisions and Therefore, advocates legislation to create and implement a publicly funded (single-payer), privately delivered, fiscally tractable, comprehensive, secure, high-quality, efficient, and sustainable health care system for all Iowans;
Whereas, we must move quickly to protect, improve upon, and expand the healthcare gains made under the Affordable Care Act, while pursuing a single payer system;
Whereas, the Iowa GOP’s privatization scheme has left middle class and vulnerable Iowans with few options for reliable, affordable healthcare and prescription drugs;
Whereas, we must change, the system to make sure everyone can benefit from shared public investment in new drug research and development by ensuring that medicines are affordable and accessible to everyone:
Therefore, let it be resolved that the Iowa Democratic Party supports efforts to create a Medicare for All-like single payer program in Iowa that would provide comprehensive, secure, and quality healthcare for all and that essential to a strong single payer system is a vibrant public health system including our public hospitals, mental health services, and clinics, and a workforce that is protected and afforded opportunities throughout the transition.
Healthcare - A Strong VA: Honoring our Promise to America’s Heroes
Whereas, veterans make up a significant part of Iowa’s population and are pillars of our communities;
Whereas, the Iowa GOP have privatized Medicaid, leaving vulnerable Iowans who served in the Armed Forces at risk;
Whereas, the national GOP has waged a destructive campaign on the services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through budget cuts, privatization schemes, and denied services;
Whereas, the VA’s Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the best example of a single-payer system in the United States;
Whereas, numerous studies by independent and non-partisan organizations have shown, the Department of Veterans Affairs is the highest-quality, best-integrated, and largest healthcare system in the United States;
Whereas, private sector providers are unprepared to treat veterans with PTSD;
Whereas, private sector providers are unprepared to treat veterans suffering from military-sexual trauma;
Whereas, private sector providers are unfamiliar with veterans’ unique mental and physical needs due to their service to our nation;
Whereas, the Veterans Health Administration currently faces a physician and caregiver shortage of more than 45,000 positions;
Whereas, 1/3 of Department of Veterans Affairs’ employees are veterans themselves;
Whereas, the private sector contractors tasked with maintaining the payments system have over-billed American taxpayers by tens of millions of dollars;
Whereas, the American taxpayer has had to bail out the Veterans Choice program multiple times, costing billions of dollars for substandard, uncoordinated care;
Whereas, private sector providers may prescribe unnecessary, unreliable coverage not paid for by the VA, leaving veterans to foot the bill;
Whereas, between 2001 and 2014, suicide for veterans who did not use the VA’s VHA increased by 38 percent while suicide for veterans who used the VHA increased by only 5 percent;
Therefore, let it be resolved the Iowa Democratic Party opposes all efforts to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Veterans Health Administration, whether by contracting out or through the current ’Veterans Choice Program’; let it be further resolved that the Iowa Democratic Party will supports the full-funding of the VA VHA and efforts to recruit and retain a highly-skilled workforce at the VA; let it be further resolved that the VHA becomes a blueprint for healthcare for all Americans.
Healthcare - Finding Responsible Solutions to Gun Violence
Whereas, The Dickinson County Democratic Party is pledged to work toward a responsible solution to the ongoing public health crisis of gun violence in America;
Therefore, let it be resolved that the state of Iowa and the United States approach addressing gun violence and responsible ownership through a five-tiered approach;
Therefore, let it be further resolved that the 1996 Dickey Amendment banning CDC research on gun violence be lifted;
Therefore, let it further be resolved that an allocation on the state and federal level of increased funding for mental health research, problem solving, and application;
Let it be further resolved that our state and nation will not cut corners or vital programs as our opposing party advocates - but by being a legislative leader in gun violence research as regards the mental health component of this problem;
Therefore, let it be further resolved that an increased system of background checks on all gun purchases is and mandatory education and training requirements is instituted so that the prospective gun purchaser legal and mental background data are accessible to all law enforcement agencies;
Therefore, let it be further resolved the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban be immediately reinstated.
Healthcare & Education - Firearms in Schools <addition March 2024>
Whereas, the evidence regarding firearms in schools shows that risk outweighs any benefit, to the point that no insurer would cover any school district trying to do so.
Whereas, Iowa Republicans pushed through a bill allowing arming of civilians in 2022.
Therefore, be it resolved that The Dickinson County Democrats oppose allowing the arming of civilians on school grounds; or, allowing any firearms on school grounds other than by law enforcement personnel.
Healthcare for Children - Federal Food Assistance <addition March 2024>
Whereas, State of Iowa should accept Federal funds targeted for children for summer food assistance payments.
Whereas, Governor Reynolds refused acceptance of said money on December 22, 2023. ($23M)
Therefore, be it resolved that The Dickinson County Democrats support the acceptance of the Federal payments targeted to support vulnerable children’s nutritional needs, as well as future moneys designated as such.
Healthcare - Woman’s Right to Choose <addition March 2024>
Whereas, we believe a woman’s healthcare decisions are between her and her physician. Reference Des Moines Register Poll, Mar 2023, showing 87% of democrats favor legal abortion rights, as do 61% of all Iowans.
Whereas, following the reversal of Roe v. Wade, June 2022, by the US Supreme Court; Iowa has passed into law the six-week, fetal heartbeat, abortion ban, HF 723, July 2023.
Therefore, as a party, we support assuring the right of a woman to make her own healthcare choices and the need to reverse Iowa HF 723 to return that ability to choose.
Human Services - End Medicaid Privatization and Fully Fund Mental Health Services
Whereas, a starvation budget for mental health care and privatization of Medicaid puts an undue burden on local law enforcement, other public services, and most of all, Iowa citizens;
Whereas, senior citizens require additional care due to dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other related mental health disorders and diseases;
Whereas, Iowa does not currently have the adequate number of mental health care professionals;
Therefore, let it be resolved mental health care be fully funded through appropriation and end Medicaid privatization.
Labor - Restore Public Employee Bargaining Rights
Whereas, last year the Iowa Legislature virtually eliminated public employee bargaining for most Iowa public employees;
Whereas, the original legislation passed in 1975 worked well for public employees, giving them an equal voice at the bargaining table over wages, benefits, and working conditions; the loss of this collective bargaining statue has resulted in the loss of talented public employees to states with collective bargaining laws and will decrease Iowa’s ability to compete for the most talented public servants.
Therefore, let it be resolved that the Iowa Legislature must restore public employee bargaining rights in the same form and substance as the previous collective bargaining agreement.