The Economy
The Free enterprise system is the most effective and just economic system.
Governments role is to provide an unencumbered environment for individual initiative and enterprise. Regulation and taxation reduce and redistribute income; they do not create it.
It is unfair to recruit or retain business with tax incentives when other businesses must bear the full burden of taxation.
The best way to promote economic growth is to reduce our overall tax burden. Raising tax rates on many of us to provide preferential treatment for a few is unfair.
Individual Liberty
Private property should not be taken by condemnation except for a legitimate public use, and upon prompt payment of just compensation.
Private property should not be subject to significant devaluation by sweeping changes to zoning laws without prompt payment of just compensation.
Annexation laws should be reformed to strengthen the hand of those being involuntarily annexed.
Education
We believe in an excellent system of public education. This is impossible unless parents, not the state, have control of their children’s education.
We believe in an excellent system of public education. This is impossible unless parents, not the state, have control of their children’s education.
Choice and competition have served the state well in higher education. Choice and competition should be used to improve education at primary and secondary levels as well. We support tax credits for parents who relieve the burden on our public schools by lawfully educating their children in private or home schools. There should be no additional restrictions on parents’ option to educate their children at home.
We support charter schools. The cap on the number of charter schools should be removed. Parents are the best judges of what kind of schooling is best for their children.
Our schools should be independent of the federal government. We support keeping education dollars in North Carolina without going to bureaucrats at the national level.
Real education reform requires local control of curriculum, budget, textbook selection, and personnel in the public schools. Parents must have complete access to all curricula and to materials used for teacher development.
Reform requires nationally normed tests, cutting administrative waste, and facilitating alternative teacher certification. Our students must have the best possible teachers in the classroom, whether physically present or by use of technology. Teachers and principals should be paid, retained, and promoted based on the quality of their work, not on the length of their service. All teachers, especially of high school math and science, should be
trained in the subject matter they are actually teaching. Highly qualified teachers and principals in low performing schools should receive additional pay if their students show academic progress.
Justice
The first duty of government is maintaining law and order, allowing citizens freedom to pursue the blessings of life and liberty.
We oppose the Chatham Board of Commissioners ICE resolution
We support effective educational and treatment programs for drug and
alcohol abuse. Stiff punishment for those who drive while impaired by
drugs or alcohol is appropriate.
The Environment
We affirm that we are stewards of our God-given natural heritage. We have
a duty to protect the air and water, productive forests, and abundant wildlife.
If regulation is needed to protect the environment the government should
not proceed without first demonstrating by evidence that the benefits
warrant the cost.
When government takes the economic value of property by regulatory
action, it should compensate landowners for their loss. Local governments
are adversely affected when land is removed from the local tax base by
environmental “set-asides” for conservation.
Elections
Photo identification will deter voter fraud. Registration forms for naturalized citizens should include the naturalization certificate number or a passport number. We welcome naturalized citizens to our Party.
We support compact contiguous single-member districts that do not split counties or precincts. An independent redistricting commission is the best remedy. When the legislature does not follow redistricting law legal action should be pursued.
We oppose funding any politician’s election campaign with public
funds.
The public is ill served by nonpartisan judicial elections. The party affiliation of judicial candidates should appear on the ballot.