Official Website.

Independent Party of DelawareOfficial Website

(302) 988-4050

www.independentpartyofdelaware.com ipodosc@yahoo.com

People Making Policy

PUBLIC INTEGRITY

Delaware has been ranked as 48th in public Integrity, accordingly, WE advocate revision of the Delaware Public Integrity Code to preclude conflicts of interest and other forms of corruption in order to restore our government to a higher standard.

TERM LIMITS

WE strongly support term limits for all public offices.

OPEN PRIMARIES and REDISTRICTING

As Delaware’s primaries are now publicly funded, equal access to the primary election process should be granted to all parties and unaffiliated voters to ensure open and equitable candidate selection as a basic matter of equal protection under the law. All reapportionment should be accomplished through independent redistricting commissions.

LOBBYING CONTROL

Citizens rightfully deserve an effective voice in their government at all levels. Corporate special interest groups have undue and inordinate influence and direction over legislation,public policy and administration through an elaborate system of lobbying, gifts and other considerations. These activities corrupt the political process and must be curtailed forthwith.

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING

Special interest money corrupts campaigns and unduly influences public policy at public expense. WE support limitation of campaign spending through public campaign financing.

COUNTY GOVERNMENT REFORM

All Delawareans should have the opportunity to elect their county administrators, county attorneys, finance directors and planning and zoning commissions. WE strongly advocate greater transparency, accountability, streamlining and optimization of county operations and full restoration of the constitutional role of the Sheriff as elected Conservator of the Peace.

ELECTION of the JUDICIARY

WE advocate general election of the state judiciary in order to restore the proper balance of power between branches of government and the People and reform the court system.

FAMILY JUSTICE

Delaware’s Family Court system must be reconstructed to make it open, impartial and fair in full accordance with the Delaware Constitution. The rights of children, parents and families must be fully protected. Current institutional deficiencies, abuses and inequities must be eliminated. WE advocate increased penalties for pedophiles and major sex offenders.

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A Paradigm Shift in the PUBLIC INTEREST

PREAMBLE

The Independent Party of Delaware is dedicated to reform of government at all levels in the Greater Public Interest through election of independent candidates.

FREEDOM and OPEN GOVERNMENT

Too much power hasflowed into the hands of too few at the expense of our Freedom, Prosperity and Security. Larger and more intrusive government, operating behind closed doors, controlled by special interests, cannot be better government. Accordingly, the IPoD strongly advocates reforms to restore the balance of power in favor of the People, as the framers of the Constitution intended.

POPULAR EMPOWERMENT

Modern Delaware government must, at all levels, be restructured away from special interests towards the greater common interest. We hereby propose and advocate state constitutional amendments establishing:

Initiative – The right of citizens to draft and propose legislation;

Referendum – The right of citizens to ultimately vote on legislation and constitutional amendments; and

Recall -- The right of citizens to dismiss elected officials for just cause.

INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

We fully support enactment of a state constitutional amendment precluding misuses and abuses of the power of eminent domain by limiting public acquisition of private property solely to matters of public use, convenience and necessity. Furthermore, reasonable private land-use should be protected from undue arbitrary, capricious restriction, encumbrance, interference.and complication.

INSPECTOR GENERAL

The People deserve an effective public advocate charged with defense of public integrity in the face of public corruption, waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse of power. WE offer legislation to create an independent elected State Office of Inspector General, having wide investigative, subpoena and prosecutorial powers over state and local government corruption.

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ENVIRONMENT and QUALITY of LIFE

Delaware must thoroughly re-evaluate and streamline its current pollution control an environmental policy and

reorganize its agencies to better protect the public and natural ecosystems. It is an outrageous fact that 90% of Delaware’s natural waters are on theUSEPA’s 303(d) List of Impaired Waters, failing to meet their designated uses for drinking,fishing and swimming. Our public drinking water supply and health have been dangerously compromised

by poor public policy. We must protect our environment and public health effectively and fairly, as pollution is a wasted resource and a sign of poor management. The distorted “ left vs. right “ political mindset of “Environment vs. Economy” is dangerously outmoded thinking that we can no longer afford to perpetuate.

AGRICULTURE and FORESTRY

Delaware must preserve its ability to produce food, natural products and forest products if our economy is to remain strong over the long term. In a global environment of rapidly increasing population, economic power will belong in large measure to food and energy producers. Policies must be reorganized and redirected to actively alter the economics of farming in favor of Delaware’s farmers through a modern integrated program of crop
diversification, research, technology assessment, innovation, product development and attraction of related food processing, support industries and agro-industrial complexes. History has repeatedly shown that the bleak alternative is a thoroughly overdeveloped suburban landscape with a low-paying service sector economy, higher taxes and a lower quality-of-life when farming vanishes.

VETERANS AFFAIRS

America’s veterans deserve much better treatment than they are now getting. The State of Delaware should act as their advocate in claiming their rightful federal benefits.

CONSUMER PROTECTION

Delaware must increase and expand its consumer protection capabilities and become more proactive in combating

fraud, identity theft, predatory lending practices, invasions of privacy, shoddy construction, home improvement scams, deceptive marketing, business practices and other abuses. Existing state consumer protection statutes need to be rewritten for a 21st Century information economy. Individual freedom of speech should be protected in the face of SLAPP lawsuits.

CORRECTIONS

The mismanagement of Delaware’s correctional system is a crime against all Delawareans. Political grandstanding must stop and practical commonsense restored to prison administration before systemic safety and security problems can be solved. Effective action to correct existing institutional deficiencies must be taken by the Governor and the General Assembly as a matter of public safety. Alternative sentencing for nonviolent crimes is a valid alternative to expensive prison overcrowding. Independence of the parole and pardoning process must be preserved.

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VOTEfor LIBERTY. VOTE

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EDUCATION

Delaware’s education system must be thoroughly reorganized and redirected to enable all students to learn at their own rate and reach their maximum natural human potential by accurately evaluating individual learning styles. Critical educational policy decisions should be made at the local community level. Overgrown educational bureaucracy must be streamlined and held more accountable to the People. Best available knowledge and methods must be implemented, intellectual standards raised and creativity encouraged. WE strongly support development of a low-cost Internet-based university system for all Delawareans and oppose Common Core.

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

Delaware needs to more proactively investigate clean, sustainable and renewable energy sources by fostering a free market based culture of invention and innovation, including but not limited to: solar, wind, biomass, hydrogen, high-temperature superconductors and tidal sources.Our current energy policy needs thorough scientific and economic review, restructured towards increased domestic energy production with proper environmental safeguards for the benefit of all Delawareans. WE support rational encouragement of alternative energy sector development, conservation, self-generation and energy-efficient design in a more practical, constitutional and cost-effective policy framework without undue hardship to individuals and businesses

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Delaware’s economic development is integrally linked to advancement of affordable and sustainable

energy, an effective educational system, fair taxation, business incubators; and elimination of arbitrary and unnecessary regulation. As complex problems require long-term multi-dimensional thinking, WE favor an integrated approach to the problem based upon real analysis, innovation and creativity. Local small and medium business development should not be neglected in favor of large multi-national corporations. Programs and incentives should be rationally based. “ Pet projects ”, based upon political favoritism, should be eliminated. Where government can have a positive catalytic effect towards effective andsustainable economic development in the greater public interest, it should do so; otherwise, it should get out of the way.

DEFICIT REDUCTION and TAXATION

Small and medium businesses and wage earners deserve the same tax breaks that the banks and large corporations now enjoy. The tax structure should be reformed and simplified to promote savings, investment and expansion. Government must thoroughly evaluate its operations to eliminate waste, fraud, incompetence and inefficiency before contemplating any tax increase.

TRANSPORTATION

In order to improve our roads and mass transit systems, we must first reform the current system by rethinking its accountability, contract negotiations, management philosophy, in-house capabilities, inspections, planning, quality control, design standards, maintenance procedures and methods. WE oppose selling public highways to private or foreign interests.

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Republican Natioional Platform

Paid for by the INDEPENDENT PARTY of DELAWARE.