Reform Party of Arizona
Platform for State and Local Candidates
This platform applies to candidates
seeking to represent the People of Arizona in State and Local offices.
In recognition of the distinctly different constitutional roles played by national and
state/local elected officials, a separate platform will be developed for national
candidates.
This platform was approved by the Reform Party of Arizona State Convention, January 12, 2002.
Please address all questions, comments, and suggestions to:
weyrich_comp@yahoo.com.
Separation of State and Federal Concerns
Candidates for office shall restrict their campaigns to powers and issues delegated to the
office they are seeking, as delineated in the State and Federal Constitutions. If elected,
they shall likewise restrict their activities accordingly.
Election Reform
We support election reform to assure that only qualified voters cast ballots, and that
furthermore to ensure that all votes are accurately counted.
Campaign Reform
- We support the current Arizona Clean Election Law and urge its expansion to include
congressional and local elections.
- In order to ensure that candidates are elected to represent their own districts rather
than outside interests, at least 50% of the funds donated to a candidate committee must
come from citizens eligible to vote for the candidate.
- All candidate forums that are broadcast or published must invite all candidates who
are currently on the ballot in Arizona.
Education
We recognize that more than money is required to improve education in Arizona. We therefore
support alternatives to the one-size-fits-all public school systems, such as charter
schools and tuition vouchers. We believe that Arizona schools should be controlled by
Arizonans, and urge rejection of Federal programs that carry Federal strings and increase
bureaucratic costs.
Legislative Reform
All State and Local programs shall include in their enabling legislation:
- Cost estimates;
- A mechanism for tracking actual costs;
- Provisions for the orderly scaling back of the program if costs exceed estimates;
- A clear statement of a quantifiable expected benefit that is expected to accrue to the
taxpayers from the program;
- A mechanism for measuring the benefit attainment actually realized;
- A clear citation of the Arizona and US constitutional authority authorizing it;
- The executive branch shall be charged with publishing an annual report detailing the
actual cost and attainment statistics for each program;
- Any program that fails to deliver at least 75% of its stated benefit shall become null
and void after two consecutive years of non-attainment;
- All legislation shall be read and understood by the appropriate officials before
debate or votes are cast;
- Draft language for all legislation (except in emergency matters of public safety)
shall be published for at least one week on the Internet prior to being voted upon, and all
amendments must refer to a draft so published;
- Each bill shall address one issue only;
- All legislation and regulations that apply to businesses and citizens shall also apply
to government institutions and officials.
Stewardship Reviews
An independent auditor shall review existing government programs at least every 5 years
for compliance with their enabling legislation and measurable effectiveness. Programs
whose enabling legislation does not meet legislative guidelines for new programs shall be
modified so as to comply or be eliminated.
Retrenchment
The overall budget of each department of government, as well as each line item of the
Budget, shall be prioritized such that if unexpected costs arise, or revenue does not meet
projections, there will be orderly retrenchment without deficit spending or tax increases.
Environment
We support a "wise-use" environmental policy that promotes conservation of our air, land,
and water resources while respecting private property rights and encouraging compatible
multiple uses of our public resources.
Families First
With the interests of the child foremost in our thoughts, we shall seek to protect the
parental rights of both biological parents. We shall seek to lower the barriers to a
stable, traditional family life that is in the best interest of all children. Parents
have the right to be notified if their child asks for an abortion, or for contraceptives.
There should never be any type of sexual examination of a child without parental consent,
except under court order when there is probable cause of abuse, and then only at a
physician's office or hospital with a parent or nurse present.
No family should ever be threatened with the taking of their child if they do not conform
to government rules and regulations. The government should never interfere with how a
family decides to rear their children, but in cases of real child abuse, authority should
revert to the county where the child lives, and only under due process of law.
Affirmative Action
We must end the backsliding toward hyphenated-Americanism by abolishing quotas and
set-asides and abandoning the futile politics of victims and villains. Instead of
patronizing minorities by presuming that they cannot succeed without government assistance,
we must work together to bridge our racial divide and rediscover what brings us all
together as one nation and one people. As a Party, we will work to eliminate all forms of
discrimination in government agencies, including reverse discrimination, and push for
passage of a colorblind civil rights bill that ensures equal justice for all and special
privilege for none.
Revise "Right to Work" Laws
We call for making Arizona more labor-friendly by revising the "right to work" provision
of the Arizona Constitution, which favors currently employers at the expense of the workers.
Specifically, employers shall be required to show just cause before termination.
Pro-Life
We affirm the principle espoused in the Declaration of Independence, that all persons are
all endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, and among them is the right
to life. We recognize that personhood begins before birth, but hold that the life of the
mother and fetus are of equal value in the sight of their Creator and equally entitled to
the protection of the due process of law.
Right to Keep and Bear Arms
We uphold the US and Arizona Constitution's protection of the individual's right to keep
and bear arms, and oppose the preemption of this right by local ordinance.
Private Property
Private property may not be taken for public use until after just compensation has been
paid. Forfeiture laws in which private property is confiscated and the burden of proof
placed on the citizen for its return must be abolished.
Corporate Welfare
We oppose public funding of private ventures, including sports facilities.
Hate/Thought Crimes
We oppose all so-called "hate crime" laws and other laws aimed at criminalizing thoughts.
Immigration
We call on AZ State and local law enforcement agencies to obtain the training needed to work
with Federal agencies to increase enforcement of existing immigration laws.
We call on the AZ State legislature and Governor to give priority to creating laws
that close any and all loopholes within existing Federal immigration laws.
We call on the AZ State executive branch to vigorously enforce all immigration laws within
their jurisdiction.