Independent Party of Delaware PLATFORM 2012
PREAMBLE
The Independent Party of Delaware exists to elect independent candidates (those
not affiliated with major parties) in the greater Public Interest.
FREEDOM and OPEN GOVERNMENT
Too much power has flowed into the hands of too few. This injustice must be thoroughly
reversed in order to effectively protect our Freedom, Prosperity and Security. A larger and
more intrusive government, operating behind closed doors, controlled by special interests,
is not and cannot be a better government. In light of this, the IPoD supports reforms that
bring about the kind of change that puts real power in the hands of the people, as the
framers of the Constitution intended.
POPULAR EMPOWERMENT
Modern Delaware government must, at all levels, be restructured to place the balance
of power in the hands of citizens in the greater common interest. Accordingly, we 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
The IPoD fully supports enactment of a state constitutional amendment precluding misuses
of the power of eminent domain by limiting public acquisition of private property solely to matters
of public use and necessity. Furthermore, reasonable private land-use should be protected from
arbitrary, capricious and undue restriction, encumbrance, interference and complication.
INSPECTOR GENERAL
The People of Delaware deserve an effective public advocate charged with defense of the
common interest in the face of public corruption, waste, fraud and abuse of power. WE have
drafted legislation creating an independent elected Office of Inspector General, having wide
investigative, subpoena and prosecutorial powers over state government and political subdivisions
and fully support its constitutional and statutory implementation.
PUBLIC INTEGRITY
Delaware has been ranked as the 4th most corrupt state in the union. This is a direct con-
sequence of our weak public integrity code. The IPoD fully supports thorough revision of the
Delaware Public Integrity Code to prelude conflicts of interest and other forms of corruption
in order to rightfully restore our government to a higher standard.
TERM LIMITS
WE 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
The flood of special interest money corrupts our campaigns and unduly influences public
policy at public expense. WE support full disclosure of 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.
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.
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 stream-
lined and held more accountable to the People. Best available knowledge and methods must
be implemented, intellectual standards raised and creativity encouraged. The IPoD supports
development of a low-cost Internet-based university system for all Delawareans.
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
In the face of global demands, Delaware must actively 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, re-
structured towards increased domestic energy production with proper environmental safeguards
for the benefit of all Delawareans. WE support rational encouragement of innovative/alternative
energy sector development, coupled with effective conservation, self-generation and energy
efficient building design. This must be done in a practical, constitutional and cost-effective
framework of feasible technology without undue hardship to individuals and businesses
DEFICIT REDUCTION
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. WE advocate thorough systems analysis, optimization and independent review
of government operations, policies and procedures as a means of deficit reduction.
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 and
sustainable economic development in the greater public interest, it should do so; otherwise,
it should get out of the way.
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.
ENVIRONMENT and QUALITY of LIFE
Delaware must thoroughly re-evaluate and streamline its current pollution control and
environmental policy and re-organize its agencies to better protect the public and natural
ecosystems. It is an outrageous fact that 90% of Delaware’s natural waters are on the
USEPA’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 and 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.
WvB 7/11/ 2012 23:44 h EDT
