Platform

Education

We believe that Massachusetts residents must be provided the highest quality of education, at all levels, regardless of their ability to pay. Towards this end, we:

1. Support equal access for all Massachusetts residents to a free, quality public education. Specifically, we:
   1. Support consistent, equitable funding of public school systems from a steady, stable source, such that public school students will not be placed at a disadvantage;
   2. Oppose any school choice plan that increases inequality of educational opportunity or that increases ethnic or socioeconomic isolation or diverts public moneys into private schools;
   3. Support efforts to increase the quality of life for Massachusetts teachers to ensure that their contributions to the lives of their students are fully recognized and the profession will continue to attract high quality candidates into the future;
   4. Support educational reforms that do not limit themselves to the school day or the school year; and
   5. Support educational programs aimed at the reduction of violence both inside and outside our schools.
2. Support a progressive, forward-thinking curricula that will prepare Massachusetts children for the future. Specifically, we:
   1. Support the establishment of diverse curricula which integrate the historical and cultural traits of all peoples into everyday study and which include a strong health component that addresses issues of safe sex, abstinence, HIV/AIDS prevention, and social relationships;
   2. Oppose linking high school graduation to one measure of performance without providing adequate support for struggling students or allowing for alternate measures of competency;
   3. Support bilingual educational programs that enable students from non-English speaking households to obtain a high quality education while progressing toward fluency in the English language;
   4. Support adequate funding for high quality special education programs;
   5. Support linking various aspects of curricula to public service; and
   6. Support full funding of programs that ensure proficiency in computer technology.
3. Support community involvement at various levels of public education. Specifically, we:
   1. Support policies that encourage representatives from private sector industries to support public education by providing students with career-related and job training opportunities;
   2. Support the continued presence of a student or students on the State Board of Education; and
   3. Support local involvement of parents, students, and teachers on school advisory councils.
4. Support educational opportunities for all ages. Specifically, we:
   1. Support full funding for Head Start programs for all eligible children;
   2. Support guaranteed access to Massachusetts Public Higher Education, so that all qualified students are able to complete their education without financial hardship;
   3. Support cooperation with local businesses to promote back-to-school efforts; and
   4. Support provision of educational services by state and local governments to their employees.

Environment

We support strict enforcement of tough environmental laws and regulations designed:

1. to ensure the viability of our fishing industry in the Northeast by preventing factory trawlers from over-fishing our waters at the expense of local fishermen whose livelihoods depend on a well-stocked fishery;
2. to revitalize urban areas, make better use of vacant, unused inner city plots, and reduce consumption of natural resources in the name of commercialism;
3. to restore Brownfields areas to productive use, while insuring that any Brownfields redevelopment does not disproportionately and adversely affect minorities or persons of low incomes. In addition, we fully support “polluter pay” efforts and do not endorse efforts to provide relief from liability;
4. to reduce emissions of pollutants, chloroflorocarbons (CFC's), carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, tropospheric ozone, and gases which contribute to global warming (the greenhouse effect) and acid rain;
5. to increase recycling through reduction of non-recyclable packaging, increased use of recycled materials, incentives for the private sector invest in recycling technologies, implementation of local curbside recycling programs, and national and state passage of bottle bills;
6. to preserve the purity of our water supply through secondary treatment of sewage, watershed and ground water protection, and controls on release of toxins;
7. to increase funding for research and development of alternative fuels and to develop standards for increased energy efficiency in new and existing buildings;
8. to protect endangered species and ensure the preservation of U.S. wetlands. In addition, we support efforts to reduce the use of tropical timber and to take other actions necessary to help preserve our forests and other natural resources;
9. to support the invention, distribution, and sale of environmentally-safe products and seek to thwart any gain from companies that utilize false advertising to sell products as environmentally-friendly or incorporate environmental buzzwords as sales gimmicks to promote sales or downplay the potentially adverse effects of their products; and
10. to provide for the forfeiture of appropriate assets gained through environmental crimes.

We also support implementation of the current law for reducing transportation emissions in Massachusetts. Furthermore, we believe that providing the resources to enact these policies is the responsibility of out government.

Housing

We believe that all Massachusetts residents must be provided with access to affordable and quality housing as a matter of social justice and equity. To that end, we support:

1. efforts that promote the importance of making affordable housing available throughout the state;
2. the proposition that economic development has a direct correlation to the availability of affordable housing units;
3. urging towns and cities to draft and adopt strategies and incentives that promote the development of affordable housing units;
4. encouraging said towns and cities to discourage zoning laws that exclude affordable housing development;
5. promoting the efforts of private and public developers to build properties that encourage multiple economic groups to live together;
6. increased affordable living facilities for the mentally and physically challenged and senior citizens. In addition, we recognize the importance and support the rights of senior citizens to keep a pet in state-sponsored living facilities;
7. encourage privately-owned and operated affordable living facilities to maintain reasonable monthly rates or to establish rent control, to be increased only on an inflationary basis;
8. strict regulations regarding the structural and tenant safety in all affordable housing units; and
9. strict regulations prohibiting discrimination on any basis (be it race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or national origin) in affordable housing units.

Health Care

Consistent with the Democratic Party's tradition as the party of inclusion, compassion and long-term commitment to the health and well-being of every citizen, we support a public system of health care which establishes universal comprehensive coverage for interventionary and preventative health care, and which integrates consumer input into the financing and delivery of health care services. Specifically, we support:

1. implementation of Massachusetts Universal Health Care;
2. continued coverage for veterans suffering from service-related disorders;
3. a comprehensive Patients Bill of Rights; and
4. full state and federal funding for the interpretive services program.

HIV/AIDS

In order to prevent the further spread of HIV and to protect the lives, health, and rights of people and families living with HIV and AIDS, we support:

1. the implementation of a comprehensive public education curriculum which enhances awareness of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and includes instruction on the use of latex barriers as well as abstinence as a way to prevent HIV transmission;
2. full funding for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and research, supported by strong funding in related areas, such as housing, health care, income benefits, and substance abuse treatment and prevention;
3. vigilant efforts to protect both the confidentiality of voluntary HIV-antibody testing and the civil liberties of people living with HIV/AIDS.; and
4. needle exchange programs.

Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Persons

MCDF/YDM recognizes the strength of a diverse citizenry with respect to sexual orientation. Furthermore, we recognize the professional, civic, and political contributions of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered persons toward the betterment of our Commonwealth. In order to ensure equal opportunity amongst persons of all sexual orientations in Massachusetts, MCDF/YDM affirms the following principles:

1. Discrimination against Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered persons because of their sexual orientation in matters of housing, employment, and public accommodation is a violation of the social compact embodied in the Constitution of the Commonwealth which empowers all citizens with "the power of enjoying in safety and tranquility their natural rights, and the blessings of life." Such discrimination should remain illegal under Massachusetts General Law.
2. Civil marriage laws that provide identical rights and privileges to same-sex couples as heterosexual couples help build strong families and contribute to stable communities. We support the right to civil marriage for same-sex couples, and we believe that same-sex marriages performed in and sanctioned by other states should be recognized as legal marriages in Massachusetts.
3. A comprehensive public education curriculum that affirms Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered people and heads-of- families promotes safer school environments where Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered youth may be open about their sexual orientation.

Reproductive Rights

Abortion is one of the most divisive issues of our time. MCDF supports a woman's fundamental right to choose, towards which end we:

1. support access to birth control and sex education, including condom distribution and sexually transmitted disease (STD) education;
2. oppose spousal consent and/or notification laws;
3. oppose parental consent and/or notification laws;
4. support alternative counseling options for individuals under the age of eighteen seeking abortions;
5. support the principles of Roe v. Wade and are dedicated to preserving the rights it protects;
6. support financial need-based public funding to ensure access to birth control and abortion services, regardless of ability to pay;
7. oppose any limitations on the content of counseling options at any family planning centers;
8. oppose any government-mandated limitations on the provision of insurance coverage for abortion; and
9. oppose any laws mandating waiting periods.

Tax Policy

In order to increase the fairness of revenue generation and improve the quality of life in Massachusetts, we support:

1. passage of a Constitutional Amendment to allow a graduated income tax in Massachusetts and other efforts to change the current regressive tax system to a fair, progressive one;
2. increased state aid to Massachusetts cities and towns so that they may decrease reliance on property taxation;
3. taxes which discourage environmental pollution and encourage the efficient use of energy and natural resources;
4. a tax structure which discourages wasteful consumption and encourages investment in Massachusetts;
5. the tax deductability of tuition for higher education, college fees, and college loan interest; and
6. the development of new ways to raise revenue to reduce our dependence on regressive taxes or other regressive means of raising revenue.

Organized Labor and Corporate Responsibility

MCDF/YDM supports the right of Massachusetts workers to organize and supports initiatives to encourage corporations to meet their societal responsibilities, including:

1. supporting an employee's right to "whistleblow" in the event that unscrupulous acts are being undertaken or promoted by management that could have a detrimental effect on the health, safety, or general well-being of employees;
2. applauding and supporting the efforts of companies that strive to achieve a worker-friendly and employee-supportive atmosphere and believe that the path to economic justice for working families cannot be achieved without corporate policies such as these.
3. limiting tax breaks for companies that lay off employees while returning a large profit annually and prohibiting tax breaks for companies that shut down their Massachusetts-based headquarters to relocate out of the state or country in order to save money on employee overhead;
4. limiting tax deductability of corporate salaries to $1 million, including benefits and stock options;
5. eliminating the runaway plant loophole that allows foreign subsidiaries of US companies to defer taxes on income earned abroad, effectively exempting their profits from taxation when reinvested abroad;
6. wholeheartedly supporting a worker's right to organize and petition on behalf of his or her rights. We fully support efforts to bring workplaces up to current safety code and oppose any efforts by employers to 'punish' striking workers through coercive methods; and
7. preserving the right of labor unions to make collective contributions to political campaigns without individual member approval.

Fair Trade and Sustainable Development

Predicate the lowering of tariffs in future regional and global trade agreements on an enforceable commitment to raise labor and environmental standards toward United States levels where applicable with the ultimate goal of sustainable development.

Political Reform

We support the reformation of our political system to establish a more open, inclusive, and accountable democracy that encourages full participation by all citizens. Towards this end, we support:

1. same-day voter registration;
2. campaign finance reform, voluntary campaign expenditure limits, contribution limits, public financing of campaigns, and the Massachusetts Clean Elections Law as passed by Massachusetts voters in 1998;
3. efforts to ensure access to polling locations for all regardless of physical or language barriers;
4. considering alternatives to voting only on Tuesdays;
5. encouraging civic education for students and new voters;
6. politically connecting communities or common interest, particularly in areas of higher minority population, through the redistricting process to ensure a voice for such communities in government;
7. restoring voting rights of people within the criminal justice system;
8. the opposition to term limits for any publicly elected officials, except for the Federal and state executive branches;
9. the opposition to a federal balanced-budget amendment; and
10. greater standardization and modernization of election methods for federal offices, especially President and Vice President, overseen and funded by the federal government.

Social Policy

We support welfare reform that recognizes that all families need:

1. access to a floor of adequate income and other supports based on financial need;
2. an increased minimum wage with the goal of raising the earnings of a full-time employee to a living wage above the poverty line;
3. periodic increases in the minimum wage which are indexed to the inflation rate;
4. public supports when jobs do not yield enough income and benefits to meet family needs;
5. the creation, expansion, and maintenance of jobs that provide wages adequate to cover basic living costs, including quality child care, elder care, and health care benefits, and with working conditions flexible enough for parents to care for their children and aging or ill family members; and
6. incentives designed to reduce long-term dependence on public benefits programs, including state supported employment training, state job-development programs, child care where necessary, drug-treatment programs where necessary, and comprehensive health-care benefits.

In addition, we support:

1. development of neighborhood-based, neighborhood-controlled services and public resources that build on the strengths of individuals, families, and their communities;
2. full implementation and enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and
3. equal access to education and employment -- in particular, we oppose efforts to repeal Affirmative Action such as California's Proposition 209.

Criminal Justice

We believe that the focus of the criminal justice system should be prevention of crime, not just punishment of criminals. Towards this end, we:

1. oppose the death penalty in all cases and support the sentence of life in prison without possibility of parole instead;
2. support a ban on all concealable and semiautomatic guns, with provisions made only for specific employment needs, ownership of antique guns, and court orders;
3. support bans on dangerous types of ammunition, specifically types of ammunition that are prohibited by or inconsistent with the spirit of the Geneva and Hague Conventions;
4. support a seven day waiting period, education, safety, and licensing requirements for all gun purchases, to be centrally administered by the Department of Public Safety;
5. support stricter enforcement of, and a limit on, the number of firearms owned and gun dealer licenses issued;
6. support programs to prevent domestic violence, including:
   1. mandatory, state-wide violence prevention education in our schools, and
   2. the availability of violence prevention counseling through social service agencies, based on ability to pay;
7. support efforts to reduce substance abuse, including:
   1. treatment on demand,
   2. community policing and the establishment of community centers, and
   3. the examination of the controlled decriminalization of certain drugs.
8. believe women in the criminal justice system should have equal access to job training, education, and medical treatment, and that they should be contained in facilities comparable to those provided for men;
9. support efforts to improve the responsiveness of the criminal justice system to victims of crime;
10. support the establishment of gun externality insurance as a means of ensuring more equitable distribution of the cost of gun-related violence; and
11. support mandatory background checks on prospective gun purchasers to prevent purchases of guns by persons who are violent criminals or who are subject to an existing restraining order.

World Population Policy

We believe that world population policy is one of the most important issues facing our planet with critical impacts on the environment, social and governmental stability, and disease. Specifically, we support:

1. universal access to humane family planning services supported by the necessary funding;
2. education on family planning and the link between population growth and the detrimental effects on quality of life;
3. ending government incentives to population growth;
4. a woman's right to an abortion;
5. equal rights for women; and
6. an increased link between foreign aid and family planning practices.