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ENTREPRENEURSHIP PARTY STARTING PLATFORM POSITION ON KEY ISSUES SUBJECT TO MODIFICATION AT OUT NATIONAL CONVENTION SUMMER OF 2008

• Abortion – Leave it to the women to decide.  A male Senator or Judge is not likely to get pregnant himself.  This issue should be decided by women.
  We trust their judgment. If the majority of women in a city, county or state vote to limit abortions to a certain number of hours or weeks following conception or any other conditions, including banning abortions, in their living area, we agree to back, if permitted by law, their right to make this decision specific to their community.  This issue is highly polarizing.  In business we would never consider choosing our Chief Executive based on his or her position on pro-life or pro-choice.  It is irrelevant to his or her ability to lead our company. The same should be true for choosing the Chief Executive of a state or our country or in choosing Judges.  Judges should be chosen based on how good of a judge they have been not by their position on one polarizing issue.  We do share compassion with those truly fighting to protect unborn children.  We do agree that steps should be taken to limit the number of abortions.  3640 a day in the U.S. alone is too many!   This is more than the number of people lost in 9/11 every day! Abortion in the United States. We also sympathize and have compassion for those who want to protect the safety and life course of pregnant women, especially in dramatic cases of unwanted pregnancies such as rape or incest, but even beyond that to life choices.  Studies demonstrate that making abortion illegal does not stop abortions Global Illegal Abortion: Where There Is No "Roe": An Examination of the Impact of Illegal Abortion but does create conditions which endanger women's lives.  We need to work together in common ground to reduce abortions without making doctors and women criminals.  The notion of jailing the more than 20 million living American women that have had abortions or the more than 1 million doctors that have performed abortions is not acceptable under any circumstance.  Many previous executive leaders have taken one position or another on this issue, often for political reasons, but have not done anything practical to reduce abortions.  Talking big on this issue does nothing.  We advocate the formation of a common ground task force that works on practical implementation of real World ways of reducing abortions.
   
• Stem Cell Research – We believe stem cells represent a positive revolution in the treatment of many diseases.   Based on the simple understanding that most of the body's organs, such as the heart, are made of cells and are likely best repaired with living cells.  We believe natural living cell repair, especially utilizing cells from your own body, is far preferable to utilizing potentially toxic artificial chemicals, metals, plastics and fabrics to repair the body.  We support providing a bulk = >90% of currently targeted funds to Adult Stem Cell Research. Setting aside ethical issues, good science tells us that Adult Stem Cells are much more controllable and are safer than Embryonic Stem Cells.  An example is stem cell research related to the heart. Adult Muscle Stem Cells derived from a patient's own thigh muscle to repair damaged heart tissue have been studied in over 2000 animal studies and 350 human patients.  83% of Adult Stem Cell treated patients have improved while only 17% have worsened.  This compares favorably with other choices for these patients such as bi-ventricular pacemakers where only 56% of treated patients improved and 44% worsened.  Adult Muscle Stem Cells have demonstrated an ability to safely form new contractile muscle within scar tissue in the heart.   These cells fuse to form muscle when they become crowded and are naturally protected against over proliferation.  Adult Muscle Stem Cells are now in Phase II/III clinical trials, after 8 years of previous clinical trials, and are nearly ready to be put into widespread clinical use. Embryonic Stem Cells when injected into damaged heart tissue in animals have shown a risk of proliferating out of control like a run-away cancer. They have also demonstrated risk of turning into more scar tissue (fibroblasts) and even bone, cartilage and fat in the heart.  Embryonic Stem Cells have not yet even entered human clinical trials for the heart because they have not been proven to be safe yet in animal studies. We believe that the unnecessary destruction of human embryos should be avoided when adult stem cells are easily available.  We share the concern of many that embryonic stem cell research could lead to highly unethical practices in the future, such as the selling of human embryos, if not kept in check.
   
• Economic Growth – There is no higher priority than doing everything we can to promote entrepreneurship. 90% of all U.S. companies have less than 20 employees.  97% of all our job growth comes from these small companies.   In order to have tax funds available to pay for everything we want in Social Services we must promote the survival of small firms.  These are the producers that pay for everything else!  This means less taxes, less regulations, strong incentives for stimulating investment in small companies, less law suits, strong assistance in pursuing exports and joint ventures.  Most of all these fledgling young and small firms need assistance in raising capital at lower costs and in reducing their burden in covering health insurance. Supporting exports is key to economic growth.
   
• Civil Rights – We strongly support the protection of civil rights for all citizens.  Our founding fathers founded this country based on a strong commitment to civil rights.  Civil rights are the protections and privileges of personal power given to all citizens by law.  We believe that natural rights of life, liberty and property are civil rights and are protected by the sovereign state as an aspect of the social contract.   We believe gays should be treated equal to all citizens.  We believe Blacks, Latinos, Asians and all minorities should be treated equal to all citizens.  We believe women should be treated equal to all citizens.  No exceptions – We are all created equal.   We believe there is a great danger that Civil Rights can be reduced to dangerous levels in the name of State and National Security.  We have to always consider with great care the long term ramifications of giving up of Civil Rights.   We must foresee that sometime in the future we may have an un-ethical Government that may use the lack of enforcement of Civil Rights to keep themselves in power.   Chavez in Venezuela is a great modern day example.  It may seen inconceivable for us to have a Chavez in the U.S.A. in the future, but we must always protect our civil liberties, just in case.   We may have an over zealous Government in the future that takes out paddy wagons to try to lock up citizens for eating sugary foods or hamburgers or for playing rock and roll music or consuming certain weeds out of their garden.  The opening for such actions would have begun years before by slowly giving up natural rights and civil rights.  We fully support the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Universal Declaration of Human Rights
  
  
• "The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either." - Benjamin Franklin
   
• Crime – The best way to fight crime is to fight unemployment and poverty.  The best way to fight unemployment and poverty is by promoting small business entrepreneurship.  We need to end the unfair link of money for expensive lawyers and jail time.  We need to heal and nurture troubled people in addition to punishing them.  We believe many young criminals would be better served being sentenced to Public Works or a Buddhist, Christian or other Faith Monastery instead of being house in jail with hardened criminals.  We believe we need to recruit young inner city youth prone to trouble into organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Youth Build.  We need to eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing laws.  We need let judges and juries do their jobs as the constitution intended.   Each case is different. We need to reduce expenditures on victimless crimes like gambling on football games and shift these resources to crime prevention where there are victims.
   
• Drugs –  We need to promote healthy drug free living as a choice.  We need to promote alcohol moderation.   Marijuana penalties should be reduced but not eliminated. Marijuana medical clinics should be allowed in all states and cities that want them without Federal interference.   Drugs have ruined many lives.  Drugs do contribute to crime.  We need to balance natural rights with practical application of laws to make society safer and more livable.   
   
• Education – Empower teachers.  Pay teachers more.  Provide bonuses to teachers successful in inner cities and rural areas. Focus on motivating students with participation and engagement methods.  Engages parents and local entrepreneurs to get involved in helping teachers.  Allow students to learn from people with real World experience.  Education for life for all.  If you read a book or article you learn from then write a summary and log that in your learning bank.  You can deposit your learning bank credits at the University of your choice.  You may be subject to audit to verify you indeed completed the work.
   
• Energy – We must provide incentives for consumers to choose alternative energy choices and companies will come forward to meet the supply.   We must invest in alternative energy technologies.
   
• Environment – 50% reduction of CO2 emissions in 50 years.   Great increase in the use of solar, biofuels, geothermal exchange, ocean wave, hydrogen and other forms of clean energy power.  Implementation of the GO-POD electric car system that combines benefits of independent travel like conventional cars with efficient train track systems.  These cars and enter and exit electric train tracks at will.
  
  
• Right to Bear Arms - We support with strong conviction the right to bear arms.   The right to protect your private property and your safety is a natural right of man.  We believe in high crime areas like New York city in the 1980's it is permissible, with the majority vote of locals agreeing, to tighten up slightly the ease of access to guns to make it more difficult for criminals to obtain guns.  We do believe criminals will find a way in the black market to obtain guns no matter what laws are in place.  We do believe steps should be taken to reduce gun violence stopping short of interfering with the fundamental right to bear arms.
  
  
• Same Sex Marriages - We believe gay citizens deserve fully equal rights to all other citizens.  We believe Civil Unions of gays deserve all the same tax, legal and health insurance benefits of marriage. Gays should be protected against discrimination in all forms including housing and employment at an equal level to all other citizens. We believe the word "marriage" itself is reserved appropriately for the union of a man and woman.
  
  
• Separation of Church and State - Government and organized religion should remain separate.  
  
  
• Freedom of Religion - We passionately believe people should be able to practice the religion of their choice without interference from the Government or other citizens.  Minority religions should not be made to feel that they are not part of America. We denounce those who view America as only being made up of Protestant Christians and members of the Jewish faith.  We strongly denounce discrimination against people based on their religion in all forms.
  
  
• Socialism - We passionately oppose the far left position that seeks to nationalize industries, to control wages, to control prices and investments and to attempt to manage the economy with an elite committee of central planners.  Free enterprise and free markets provide a higher quality of life than socialism.  West Germany outshined East Germany, South Korea outshines North Korea, the prosperity of the U.S.A. outshone the Soviet Union. Socialism was tried last century and was proven not to work.   Socialism kills personal incentive, investment and innovation the engines of economic growth and prosperity.
  
  
• Sexual Education and Birth Control - We believe sexual education and easy access to birth control and day-after pills can be a practical real World tool to reduce abortions, and is thus a worthy pursuit.
  
  
• Prayer in School - Students should have special brief moments to pray or practice their religion beliefs, what-ever they may be, in practical moderation. Traditions such as The Pledge of Allegiance and traditional statements such as "In God We Trust" should be able to be practiced in moderation without interference from the Government or anyone.  We believe these simple traditions can be practiced without offending those that may not believe in God.
  
  
• Women's Rights - We passionately believe women have equal rights to all citizens in all forms without question.
  
  
• Iraq War - We support Senator Joe Biden's and the Senate approved plan to work with other Governments of the region, the United Nations and locals to divide Iraq into three parts that equitably share oil revenues and to quickly and methodical get our troops out with the exception of a small training force.  We believe the economic and human cost burden of the furthering the Iraq war forward is not worth the potential rewards.  We have great respect for all those that have served and believe they accomplished some very worthy goals.  We are grateful for their service. Sadaam Hussein was a criminal tyrant and a mass murderer that was a danger to the entire World.  It was a great accomplishment to bring him to justice.
  
  
• Protecting Manufacturing Jobs with Tariffs and Penalties - We strongly oppose isolationist measures including high tariffs on imported goods.  
  We need other countries to open up access to their markets to our products and this would be inhibited greatly if we start trade wars by raising tariffs. We do however believe in enforcing fair trade practices.  We believe we do need to put pressure on other countries to respect workers and human rights including living wages and safety standards as well as international environment protection standards.  We believe American manufacturers have great opportunity in embracing the global marketplace.  We are confident of the ability of Americans to compete in winning business from the 96% of the World's population of consumers that live outside of the U.S.A.   We believe American companies that have access to off shore production of components and raw materials can better compete in the World marketplace which creates more American jobs.
  
  
• “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do” - Benjamin Franklin

Immigration –

• The E Party supports the Comprehensive Immigration Bill that was passed by the Senate in 2006 as a good start.  
  E Party Endorses Senate passed Bi-Partisan immigration bill of May 25, 2006 
   
  
• Tougher enforcement at border.
  
  
• Laser virtual fences and physical fences in combination.  Increased border patrol.
  
  
• Guest worker program that reduces incentive for illegal crossings.
  
  
• Pathway to legal citizenship for select number of qualified immigrants.
  
  
• President's Bi-Partisan Task Force formed of labor, business, immigrants rights, security and police and ordinary citizens to study every angle to add to comprehensive immigration reform.  Start with the Senate passed plan and build and improve from there.
  
  
• FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
  June 19, 2006
  500-Plus Economists Sign Open Letter Reminding President Bush of the Benefits of Immigration
  Immigration: “The Greatest Anti-Poverty Program Ever Devised” “America is a generous and open country and these qualities make America a beacon to the World. We should not let exaggerated fears dim that beacon.”
  —The 500+ signers of the Independent Institute’s Open Letter on Immigration
  
  Washington, D.C.—The Independent Institute has just released its Open Letter on Immigration to President Bush and Congress on the economics of immigration.
  
  The list of more than 500 signatories includes 5 Nobel Laureates—Thomas C. Schelling (University of Maryland), Robert Lucas (University of Chicago), Daniel McFadden (University of California, Berkeley), Vernon Smith (George Mason University), and James Heckman (University of Chicago).
  
  The Open Letter on Immigration reminds President Bush and all members of Congress of America’s history as an immigrant nation, the overall economic and social benefits of immigration, and the power of immigration to lift the poor out of poverty.
  
  “Economists disagree about a lot of things but there is a consensus on many of the important issues surrounding immigration,” said Alexander Tabarrok, Research Director at the Independent Institute and the primary author of the letter. “The consensus is that most Americans benefit from immigration and that the negative effects on low-skilled workers are somewhere between an 8% wage reduction to no loss in wages at all.” Reflecting this consensus the signatories to the Open Letter include prominent economists involved in both Democratic and Republican administrations such as N. Gregory Mankiw (Harvard University), former Chairman of President Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers, and J. Bradford DeLong (University of California, Berkeley),Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton, as well as Alfred Kahn (Cornell University), Chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board under President Jimmy Carter, and Paul McCracken (University of Michigan), Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors under President Richard Nixon.
  
  The letter also points to many important effects of immigration that may not be widely appreciated: “Immigration is the greatest anti-poverty program ever conceived. Not just because the immigrants are much better off but also because they send billions of dollars of their own money back to their home countries—a form of truly effective foreign aid.”
  
  As the House and Senate struggle toward compromise on an immigration bill, tensions and rhetoric are rising. The signers of the Open Letter on Immigration believe that this emotional debate taking place in Washington, D.C. and around the country could be elevated by a modest and non-partisan reminder of the value of immigration, and plea for a clear-eyed consideration of the principles at stake and the historic American goals that will be affected in any outcome.
  
  To help create a fair sense of both sides of the argument, the Open Letter on Immigration notes the economic benefits of immigration, but puts them in context. For instance, “Overall, immigration has been a net gain for American citizens, though a modest one in proportion to the size of our 13 trillion-dollar economy.”
  
  Similarly, the signers also acknowledge that “immigration of low-skilled workers may have lowered wages of domestic low-skilled workers,” but also note that the resulting wage reductions for high school dropouts is estimated to be from eight percent to as little as zero percent.
  
  In addition, the Open Letter points up connections that sound immigration policy can make between the political values on both sides of the debate, balancing, for instance, compassion for those low-skilled workers seeking jobs with the power of freely competitive markets to create those jobs: “Immigrants do not take American jobs. The American economy can create as many jobs as there are workers willing to work so long as labor markets remain free, flexible and open to all workers on an equal basis.”
  
  “Public fears of lost jobs are unfounded and most workers will not experience any negative impact on their wages. Congress would do well to recognize the benefits of immigration and pass a reform that allows greater numbers of legal workers into America,” said signer and Independent Institute Research Fellow Benjamin Powell, Director of the Center on Entrepreneurial Innovation.
  
  By presenting legitimate concerns over immigration in light of a realistic assessment of immigration’s economic benefits, the signers of the Independent Institute’s Open Letter on Immigration hope to promote more thoughtful debate on one of the most contentious issues of the day.
  
  To read the Open Letter please go to:
  http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1727
  
  
• The New York Times - Cost of Illegal Immigration May Be Less Than Meets the Eye