PREAMBLE

 

As Democrats, we believe in a society and community based on solidarity and sustainability. We work for a society in which all people have equal opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of identity or background. We are dedicated to social, economic and environmental justice, and strive to create a better and fairer world free from prejudice, hatred, exploitation, abuse and reckless greed.

We fight for a democratic economy that works for ordinary working families and puts people and the planet before profit. We strive for a community that lives in harmony with the global and local environment. We work to build an organization and community dedicated to racial, gender and sexual equality.

To accomplish this, we must ensure that those who would govern in our name are actively dedicated to our vision. We work to empower, educate and organize citizens and residents of our County. First and foremost, this means mobilizing voters to get to the polls and elect Democrats at all levels of government. However, we know that simply electing Democrats is only part of our role as a Party. We must work to hold elected officials accountable to our shared values and principles, through public advocacy, coalition work, and our endorsement process, which asks candidates seeking our support to pledge to put our shared values into practice.

As an organization, we are committed to transparency and openness. We know that our Party must be a welcoming, independent, democratic tool for real people to create real change in their communities and their environment. We strive to be a vehicle for community empowerment, one that truly reflects the real needs of everyone, including and especially those who are most ignored, overlooked and underserved.

We work at all levels, organizing for progressive change in our world, our country and our local community. However, as a County Party organization, we have a special responsibility to focus on the local political arena. We reject the idea that local politics is merely a technocratic exercise. We believe strongly that local decisions are informed by values, that local budgets are moral documents and that local institutions are the most significant point of interaction between the people and their government. County and municipal0decisions have a tremendous impact on employment, land use, environmental protection, social welfare and equality. Our goal is to foster sustainability and social justice at all levels.

We cannot rest until all people have equal opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of their identity or background; until everyone has a guarantee of dignity, happiness and human rights regardless of their circumstances, including but not limited to access to food, education, healthcare, shelter and labor protections; and until our human community is living sustainably.