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Major Themes from Summit on Economics, Foreign, and Domestic Policies
Lower Merion/Narberth Democratic
Committee Summit
April 6, 2003
I. Economics:
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Expand Middle Class-Bedrock value
of the Democratic Party is that government should be used to bring
more and more people into the mainstream of the American Life, based
on premise that “American Dream” of decent economic security and
expanding opportunities for a fulfilling life.
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Expand Middle Class—Factual
information about who now constitutes Middle Class, what
happened to lessen the numbers, and how numbers can be increased
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Invest in Infrastructure, e.g.,
transportation system
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Invest in Education—build job
skills and improve technological capacity of the nation
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Fiscal Policy: Tax
Cuts/Deficits
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Opposition to Bush fiscal policy
(phased in tax cuts for wealthy, elimination of tax on
dividends). Agreed hat if such tax cuts necessary (not all
agree), Democrats should insist that they be:
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Targeted – Expansion of Middle
Class, jobs, infrastructure
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Deficits – Used to build
assets for future, so that future generations not mortgaged
with debt and no ability to pay
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Build Trust in Government—“The
Government is you.” Republic Framing Demonizes Government –
counter “sound bites,” developing language to drive home to voters:
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In US, most government local—it
is at local levels that decisions made and citizens can have
impact
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Local services must be adequately
funded-“Starving government (resulting from tax reduction
approach) means starving democracy itself”
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Promote platform that is credibly
pro-Business and pro-Economic Growth—1990’s policies of
deregulation and the casino atmosphere surrounding US capital
markets encouraged growth of huge amounts of money wasted on
unproductive investment (e.g., fiber-optic lines that no one will
use) and excessive executive compensation. Democrats should stress
virtues of “honest” corporate practices and credibility and fairness
in national economic and international policy.
II. Foreign Policy:
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Support for multi-lateralism
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Pre-emption—Qualified approval offered
for pre-emption as appropriate strategic US doctrine. Serious
and convincing evidence of strategic danger to US interests must be
adduced before re-emption invoked
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UN—Continue US participation
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NATO -- Continuation in but role or
mission requires examination
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China – Encourage constructive
economic trade to more strongly engage China and tie China
into greater support for international institutions
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Russia -- Because of strains over
US position against Iraq (then, pre-war), strengthen relationship
with Russia
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North Korea -- Oppose a military
solution to then current nuclear crisis, increased diplomacy to
diffuse crisis
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Saudi Arabia – Make serious efforts
to end Saudi Arabia’s ongoing Funding of Wahabi fundamentalist
schools around Arab and Islamic world; schools tied to terrorism
III. Domestic Issues:
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Basic Position: Local level of
service must be addressed. Community-based, family oriented approach
to meeting needs and encouraging initiatives from local leadership
is best for US. Community clusters, a “one stop shopping” model that
provides service from local vendors to local population is viable
model. Trained and “re-trained” local workers who can help with
needed services is important, e.g., training residents having lower
levels of education and/or needing to “retread” in areas of
important for sustainability of the community, e.g., healthcare,
education, food production and distribution. Social service needs
are intertwined and must be considered as an aggregate. Federation
and state funding to build and sustain local initiatives is
essential.
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Healthcare
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Basic quality health care available
to all
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Prevention via long-term
initiatives, not profit but needs based
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Finding balance in two tiered
system, one based on universal coverage; the other, for
those seeking care outside the system
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Questioning equitable reimbursement,
considering patients’ needs and providers’ years of training and
experience
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Questioning what is quality care?
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What is defined as healthcare?
What is quality healthcare?
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How to handle rationing of care?
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What is for profit healthcare and
how does that breakout in cost?
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Importance of integrating parts of
healthcare now treated separately
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Integrate care of mind with care
of body
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Look at family needs, rather than
separating out needs of children, needs of women, needs of
elderly
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Parity for mental health care and
developmental disabilities essential
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Interface of healthcare with
education—an educated public is healthier
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Education
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No Child Left Behind is flawed
policy
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Testing in the schools to assess
academic accomplishment is simply stressing test-taking.
How best to evaluate learning in schools must be studied.
Different communities may benefit from different approaches;
teachers also may have different styles and these may match
best with certain learning styles
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Educational success is tied to
larger issues in community, such as education of parents,
financial and social/emotional support for families
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The concept of inclusion needs
reevaluation and continuing revision
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There is need to re-think goals of
teaching
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What are desired outcomes? In
elementary, middle, and high school?
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What are the expectations for US
children when they graduate from high school? Is college a
realistic and necessary experience for everyone? Are the
needs of society and job opportunity undermined by focusing
on college education as the most important outcome for high
school graduates?
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How does secondary education link
to training programs?
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How do we get quality educators?
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How do we achieve equitable funding
for school systems?
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Recommendations:
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Equitable funding for schools
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Find better ways to evaluate
schools without scapegoating administrators, teachers, or
students
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Reassess goals of education and
expectations of teachers
Julie Levitt and Rick Pasquier, Chair, Summits
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