TillCoDems Values

Consolidated from Retreat 2/5/2022

Healthcare:  We value universal and equitable access to quality healthcare.

• Healthcare includes housing, food, transportation, mental and behavioral health, dental, hearing, and vision
• Respecting patient dignity
• Affordable prescription costs
• Internet access to services (e.g., Telehealth, Zoom appointments)
• Promotion of healthy living as a preventative healthcare practice
• Women’s reproductive choice
• Safe and affordable short- and long-term healthcare facilities
• Safe development and issuance of all vaccines
• Gun violence as a healthcare issue
• Elimination of barriers to healthcare (e.g., language, culture, transportation, employment gaps)

Environment:  We value clean air, water, and land, and sustainable practices that ensure a healthy environment.

• Clean air, water, and land and the basic right to a clean environment and freedom from hunger
• Collaboration and discussion with a variety of individuals and groups to find common ground for solutions, including working forests and renewable resources
• More good government funded unbiased research and education regarding forestry practices and their effects
• Environmental laws and policies that help improve the economy and employment opportunities
• Good stewardship of our natural resources
• Smart governmental policies that will be part of the solution, not the problem
• Science-based decision making
• Land use laws that protect our environment and resources
• Appreciation for the beautiful natural area we live in and implementation of policies that enable residents and visitors to enjoy it
• Restrictions on mass and widespread clear cutting and spraying of our forests to protect our soils, species habitat, mental health benefits of forests, and reduce impact of climate change
• Addressing climate change crisis on all levels including cutting fuel emissions, recognition of rising sea levels
• Need to work together for Spaceship Earth and crew.  Environmental stewardship is our legacy to ourselves, our children and their children.

Education:  We value fair and equitable access to free public education, including pre-K, K-12, and two years of community college or vocational training.

• Preparing students for economic success and security
• Safety for all students, teachers, staff, and volunteers from all forms of violence (physical and emotional)
• Civility and respect in all interactions among students, teachers, staff, and volunteers
• Development of informed, critical-thinking, creative problem-solving community members
• Constructive parental involvement in student-centered school solutions
• Recognition, inclusion, and support of student diversity, including but not limited to personal trauma history, language, culture, gender ID, religion, and physical ability
• Inclusion of all aspects and facts of U.S. and world history, including mistakes that students can learn from as well as stories they can be inspired by
• Inclusion of art and music curriculum
• Instruction in understanding and knowing the freedoms and responsibilities of living in a functioning, thriving democracy
• Free access to libraries and affordable access to museums.
• Access for all students to reliable internet access

Social Justice:  We value fair and equitable access to wealth, opportunity, rights and privileges.

• Campaign finance reform to protect the democratic process
• Living wage jobs and worker protections
• Women’s rights, including reproductive choice and equal pay for equal work
• Fair and equitable tax laws
• Voting rights and mail-in voting
• Non-violence
• Social Security
• Expanded Medicare, to include vision, hearing, and dental care
• Publicly-funded healthcare for all
• Equitable treatment, representation, and accountability under the law
• Support for anti-discrimination laws that protect marginalized communities
• Aid to marginalized communities
• Recognition of the economic importance of all workers
• Respect and support for diversity, equity, inclusion, and dignity in all aspects of American society
• Rejection of exclusive ideologies such as, but not limited to, racism, misogyny, and homophobia
• Affordable access to shelter, food, education, healthcare, and broadband
• Equitable and restorative criminal justice system
• Equity training for law enforcement
• Use of language in all communications that positively reflects Democratic values
• Humanitarian immigration reform, including pathways to citizenship
• Recognition of the value of contributions from diverse cultures
• Adherence to our obligations toward tribes
• People before profits

Labor:  We value all workers and their right to safety, a living wage, and job security.

• Equality in wages
• Enactment and enforcement of laws to protect and strengthen unions
• Support for essential workers to ensure they are safe and treated fairly    
• Mandatory pay gap reporting by all but the smallest of employers
• Protection and enhancement of Social Security benefits for retired workers
• Expansion of Medicare for all and inclusion of dental, vision, hearing, and mental health coverage
• Addressing income and wealth inequality to protect workers
• Acknowledgement of the fact that seasonal workers are important and have challenges that should be addressed
• Support for labor, including right to organize, better benefits, access to health care (universal or affordable insurance)
• Addressing affordable housing problems affecting small businesses and workers

Criminal Justice:   We value the inherent worth of all and support individual and community opportunities for rehabilitation and redemption.

• Understanding racial-socio-economic factors as contributors to unlawful behavior and incarceration
• Dignity and respect for incarcerated people who are our family and neighbors
• More social support and empowerment for rehabilitation
• Higher salaries and encouragement of savings/financial responsibility for the incarcerated
• Implementation of policies from punitive to restorative in our criminal justice system
• Implementation of policies based on research findings of early release of incarcerated people during the pandemic
• Widespread availability of good mental health treatment
• A CAHOOTS type program of intervention in our area (Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets, a program in Eugene, OR)
• Restorative justice including addiction rehabilitation, education, mental health treatment, financial assistance
• Collaboration between agencies such as County, schools, TBCC and others to facilitate local restorative justice
• Implementation of “drug court” and “youth court” programs
• Repeal of law requiring return of unused tax dollars and redirection of those dollars to criminal justice and empowerment for rehabilitation
• Better and enhanced training for law enforcement including racial equity and diversity training
• Emphasis on education rather than incarceration, including less jail time, more warnings and alternatives to incarceration
• Collaboration between law enforcement, schools, and the community, such as “Shop with a Cop,” youth sports, etc.
• Use of Measure 110 funds for the purpose approved by voters

Voting Rights:  We value equitable and informed access to voting for all qualified individuals.

• Vote-by-mail
• Determination of election outcomes by voters, rather than election officials
• Increased voter turnout through voter contact, ballot box convenience, drive-through drop boxes
• Education of voters regarding voter registration and party affiliation
• Support for election day as a holiday
• Elimination of the Electoral College
• Overturning of “Citizens United” (campaign finance reform)

Infrastructure:  We value equal, affordable, and universal access to quality and safe infrastructure.

• Safe infrastructure that includes, but is not limited to, roads, bridges, buildings, schools, and communication technology (cell phones and broadband)
• Access to high quality broadband to aid the economy and schools, and to provide access to emergency services
• Utilization of funds from inflated military budgets to support housing and infrastructure