Humanitarian Party

1. Humanitarian Party Members: Brianna Bodkin, Jeff McGarvey, RaynaBellwoar, Afton Woodring

2. Healthcare • We believe in support free or low cost government controlled healthcare. • Millions of Americans cannot afford our current healthcare system and are denied this basic human right. • We believe the government should provide equal healthcare benefits for all regardless of their ability to pay for it. • The U.S. Constitution states that it promotes general welfare – this should include affordable healthcare. • The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of oneself. • Affordable healthcare can promote economic productivity. • The cost of poor health and shorter life spans of Americans suffering from uninsurance amounts to 65-130 billion dollars annually.

3. Abortion • Women have the right to decide what happens to their bodies. • A fetus is not a human life, so it does not have separate human rights. • General consensus is that a woman is required to have an abortion at or before 24 weeks. • U.S. banned partial banned partial abortion all together, and our party agrees that women should have an abortion before 24 weeks, but we believe that if there is a medical condition that threatens the baby’s life or the mother’s, she has the right to choose what option is best for her. (Partial abortions are used when heart failure, renal disease, or uncontrollable hypertension are a concern.) • The decision to have an abortion is a personal choice of a woman regarding her body and the government must protect this right. • We believe that a baby should not come into the world unwanted. • Many women who choose abortion do not have the finances to support a child. • The anti- abortion position is usually based on religious beliefs and disrupts the separation of church and state.

4. Education • In today’s society everyone is worried about their child’s education. Most parents worry about college because of the massive amounts of debt children graduate with. • Pro: On average, a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree earned $30,000 more per year than a high school graduate, or about $500,000 more over a lifetime, as of Apr. 2013. (Adam Looney) • Con: Between 2003 and 2012 the number of 25-year-olds with student debt increased from 25% to 43%, and their average loan balance was $20,326 in 2012--a 91% increase since 2003. (Meta Brown) • Pro: During the recession between Dec. 2007 and Jan. 2010, jobs requiring college degrees grew by 187,000, while jobs requiring some college or an associate's degree fell by 1.75 million and jobs requiring a high school degree or less fell by 5.6 million. (Lumina foundation) • Con: In 2011 50% college graduates under 25 years old had no job or a part-time job. (Amanda Fairbanks) • Pro: In Apr. 2013, the unemployment rate for college graduates aged 25 and over with a bachelor's degree was 3.6%, compared to 5.0% for associate's degree holders, 7.5% for high school graduates, and 11.4% for high school drop-outs. (Michael Greenstone) • Con: Whether they co-signed for a child or grandchild's education, or took out loans for their own educations, in 2012 there were 6.9 million student loan borrowers aged 50 and over who collectively owed $155 billion with individual average balances between $19,521 and $23,820. (Federal Resrve Bank of New York) • Pro: In 2005, college graduates were more like to have donated blood in the past year (9%) than people with some college (6%), high school graduates (4%), and people who did not complete high school (2%). ( Jennifer Ma) • Con: 40.2% of college students reported feeling "frequently overwhelmed" in a 2012 survey about stress levels. ( Kevin Eagan)

5. Economy • The economy is a major issue in today’s society because we are recovering from a recession, and we have a responsibility to create jobs. To help improve the economy we should stop outsourcing jobs. Also, the federal government should make the oil companies pay taxes. In addition we should give tax breaks to companies that keep their jobs in the country, because the US has one of the highest tax rates in the world. • Pro: These high tax rates force American companies to relocate their employees overseas. For example, Aon, a company with $11.28 billion in 2011 revenue that moved its headquarters from Chicago to London in 2012, said the move would reduce its tax rate by five percentage points, increase its profits by about $100 million annually, and allow them to expand by hiring more employees. (Becky Yerak) • Con: In 2004, Congress passed a repatriation tax holiday that allowed companies to bring back profits earned abroad at a 5% income tax rate instead of the top 35% rate. Fifteen of the companies that benefited the most from the tax holiday subsequently cut more than 20,000 net jobs. (Kristina Peterson) • Pro: According to a 2006 study of corporate tax rates and foreign direct investment in 85 countries, a 10% reduction in the corporate income tax rate is associated with an increase in foreign direct investment equivalent to 2.2% of the country's Gross Domestic Product. That investment money can be used by US businesses to invest and expand their workforce. (Albert Wijeweera) • Con: As of Oct. 23, 2012, large companies listed in the S&P 500 are holding onto $1.5 trillion in cash (14% of their total value), the highest amount in American history.(Jeff Cox) • Pro: Using 1970-2007 data from the United States, a Tax Foundation study found that for every $1 increase in state and local corporate tax revenues, hourly wages can be expected to fall by roughly $2.50.( Robert Carroll)

6. Gay Rights • Marriage should be a legal union between any two consenting adults, not restricted to one man and one woman. Denying marriage to gay couples is taking away their basic right as a citizen. • Conservatives argue that marriage equality violates the beliefs of Christians, Muslims, Jews, and other religions. However, the first amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. Therefore banning same-sex marriage based on religious grounds is unconstitutional. Americans are free to believe in whatever they choose, but they are not free to force those beliefs on others, especially at the cost of human rights. • Another argument against gay marriage is that the point of marriage is procreation, which same-sex couples are unable to do. But if America were to abide by this rule, we would also have to deny marriage to infertile or elderly couples. Rather than limiting the rights of more groups of people, we should be expanding rights to all citizens. • There are 1,138 federal benefits and protections that come with marriage, and gay couples have been denied these benefits for too many years. If a person’s spouse dies, that person’s sexual orientation shouldn’t decide if they’re eligible for bereavement leave from work, inheritance of property, drawing of the deceased partner’s social security, etc. These rights should be automatically guaranteed, along with filing for joint tax returns and other benefits. • A CNN survey shows that 55% of Americans support the legal recognition of same-sex marriage, the highest number in history. Our country has a responsibility to make decisions based on what’s best for the people, and this statistic shows that legalizing gay marriage is indeed what’s best.

7. Gay Rights cont. • Gay couples should be able to adopt children. Conservatives argue that a child should be parented by both a mother and a father, but that is unrealistic. If a parent were to die, go to prison, or abandon his or her family, the child would not be taken away from the remaining parent. Adding to the diversity of families will help society become more tolerant and accepting. • Psychologist Abbie Goldberg says, “Gays and lesbians rarely become parents by accident, compared with an almost 50 percent accidental pregnancy rate among heterosexuals. That translates to greater commitment on average and more involvement." If a gay couple is willing to enter the tumultuous process of adoption, it is obviously a decision they considered carefully. • According to a study conducted by sociologist Timothy Biblarz, teenagers in households with homosexual parents versus those with heterosexual parents had nearly identical GPAs and were equally as likely to engage in delinquent activities. Studies like this prove that same-sex parenting does not harm a child’s development. If anything, that child will learn greater lessons to be tolerant and open-minded. • Gay adoption helps to limit to amount of children in orphanages and foster homes. A study by the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute found that gays and lesbians are more likely than heterosexuals to adopt older, special-needs and minority children. This saves up to $130 million that would otherwise be spent on foster care. • Gay men should be able to donate blood. The opposing side of this argument points out that a majority of HIV infections are among gay men. While this is true, it is discrimination to ban them from giving blood. HIV tests are the same for everyone regardless of sexual orientation, so if that test reports back negative for both a straight man and a gay man, there is no reason why they both shouldn’t be eligible to donate blood. • As long as all donors have not have unprotected sex and have been tested for diseases, there should be no distinction in eligibility.

8. Affirmative Action • Affirmative action laws are still necessary due to unequal opportunity and discriminatory practices against minorities. These laws will encourage greater diversity in the work force and raise the statistical success of minorities. • In 2003, the Supreme Court held the majority opinion that “in order to cultivate a set of leaders with legitimacy in the eyes of the citizenry, it is necessary that the path to leadership be visibly open to talented and qualified individuals of every race and ethnicity.” • In 2012, women, who make up nearly 50% of the workforce, earned 77 cents for every dollar a man made, according to the US Census Bureau.   • These programs will encourage more members of minority groups to apply to college and go after better jobs. If these minorities see the same straight, white, male faces in those universities or positions, they are less likely to reach their full potential. • Conservatives argue that Americans should be able to achieve success on their own through hard work. While hard work is an important value, it is ignorant to assume that every citizen has an equal chance of rising to the top, especially if you are a minority. • For example, how can someone go on a job interview if he or she can’t afford a suit or pay for transportation because they have to feed their kids?

9. Affirmative Action cont. • Senior Staff Attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Reginald T. Shuford, points out a study of over 1,300 Boston and Chicago employers, which found that job applicants with “white-sounding” names were twice as likely to be called in for interviews than equally qualified hopefuls with “black-sounding” names. • Another concern of affirmative action’s opposing side is reverse discrimination, which is favoring groups that have been discriminated against in the past. However, this is not the point of affirmative action programs. Whether it’s applying for a job or a university, the most qualified candidate should always win. These programs simply help ensure that equally qualified individuals are not denied a chance based on their race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. • In 2009, President Obama expressed his support for affirmative action to the NAACP by saying, “Given the dearth of black and Latino Ph.D. candidates in mathematics and the sciences, for example, a scholarship program for minorities interested in getting advanced degrees in these fields won't keep white students out of such programs, but can broaden the pool of talent that we need to prosper in the new economy.” • According to a National Conference of State Legislatures article, the minority student admissions at UC Berkeley fell 61 percent, and minority admissions at UCLA fell 36 percent after California dropped its affirmative action programs in 1998. This is a good example of why affirmative action is necessary to increase diversity and progress our society further. • Americans for a Fair Chance points out that 28% of US businesses are women-owned firms, and yet they received only 2.9% of the $235.4 billion budget in federal government contracts in 2002. It’s clear that America is not as evolved in terms of equality as we like to think it is. Until we’ve achieved full equality in the United States, affirmative action programs are needed to encourage more diversity and give every citizen a fair shot at the American dream.

10. Regulation of Business and Commerce • The government’s main responsibility is to solve issues for its citizens, and this includes regulating business to ensure justice for employees and equal opportunities for all. • We are the United States of America, meaning we are a country that values unity, and we have a responsibility to uphold that unity. In order to close the wide gap between the rich and the poor, the government must step in. • The richest 1% earns 24% of the United States’ income. These people who live in luxury should be helping contribute to the less fortunate in an effort to lower the poverty rate. This would mean increasing taxes for the top earners. • If unregulated, large corporations will do whatever they please in order to maximize their profit, disregarding legal issues and the common welfare of US citizens or the environment. The average worker isn’t powerful enough to stop this corporate abuse, but the government is. • In 1998, the largest False Claims Act settlement in history was reached when Bank America Corp. owed $187.5 million under the charge that it illegally kept unclaimed bond proceeds from the state of California. Cases like this show us what happens when the government isn’t regulating business. Crime will increase, and thousands of innocent citizens suffer at the hand of large corporations.

11. Regulation of Business and Commerce cont. • Conservatives make a valid argument that Americans don’t want to be paying higher taxes. However, sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good. These taxes will be used to create more jobs, like FDR did during the great depression, which will ultimately improve our economy. • Although it may seem like this government interference is reducing our freedom, it’s actually strengthening our society by upholding laws and decent behavior. A world where traffic tickets weren’t issued or athletes weren’t tested for steroids wouldn’t be functional; therefore we need these government regulations. • In 2010, there was an explosion at a Massey Energy owned coal mine which killed 29 workers. Investigators found that the company kept one set of books for inspectors that abided by government regulations, but in reality the miners dealt with unsafe and subpar work conditions, leading to the company being found guilty of a felony. If this illegal activity was secretly conducted between routine inspections, imagine what other disasters might have happened with no government interference. • Big companies are unhappy with regulations put in place by the Environmental Protection Agency, which controls the disposal of waste products and restricts pollutants that cause harm to the atmosphere. The companies claim that EPA is costly, but this program is necessary if we want to preserve our environment and move forward as a green nation. • Although regulations are necessary, it wouldn’t be just for the government to decide what should be allowed based on religious or personal reasons. The matter at hand must have probable cause to endure routine inspections.

12. National Debt • Raising the capacity for debt would help us avoid defaulting on our obligations. (Barak Obama, July 2011) • The USA spends about 682 trillion dollars on its military; this is more than the following 10 countries combined, and approximately 57% of America’s budget. Cutting military spending even a little bit would lower our spending.

13. Immigration • The immigration process is unnecessarily difficult and long winded, leading to an increased number of Illegal aliens. In 2008, there were about 11.6 illegal immigrants in the US from Mexico. Lightening the process would not necessarily change the amount of immigrants in our country, just their legality. • Millions of immigrants have children that were born American citizens; deportation would mean separating families. Likewise, modern America was built on immigrants, so who are we to deny them the right our families had?

14. Energy Sources • We all know that fossil fuels are negatively impacting the environment. However, were you aware that some analysts believe that oil production has peaked and begun its decline? A new resource should be incorporated while there’s still time to adjust. • Lowering America’s fuel consumption could also lower our debt, as we buy most of our oil from other countries (1.6% of the world’s oil is pulled from American soil).

15. Sources • http://www.livescience.com/17913-advantages-gay-parents.html • http://www.livescience.com/13409-myths-gay-people-debunked-sexual-orientation.html • http://www.livestrong.com/article/67463-effects-gay-adoption/ • http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/307853-poll-55-percent-support-same-sex-marriage • http://www.progressillinois.com/posts/content/2013/07/30/healthy-gay-men-should-be-allowed-donate-blood-advocates-say • http://www.civilrights.org/equal-opportunity/fact-sheets/fact_sheet_packet.pdf • http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/affirmative-action-overview.aspx • http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb13-165.html • http://aclu.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000697 • http://www.governmentdirt.com/top_20_largest_cases_of_companies_caught_for_committing_fraud_against_the_government • http://news-basics.com/2010/liberal-vs-conservative-values/ • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-macaray/we-need-more-government-r_b_3456640.html • http://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/11/government-regulations.asp