the idaho people's platform

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CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What do you think the role of government is or ought to be?  We have provided a copy of our People’s Action Platform.  Can you sign onto this document? Are there any statements you disagree with?  Please identify them and explain briefly where the confusion or disagreement lie.
2. United Action believes our government must be by and for the people and we seek a close, collaborative relationship with every candidate we endorse.  Please describe specifically how you plan to directly involve your constituents and United Vision and United Action for Idaho in governing if you are elected. 
3. Core values of United for Actions Idaho’s work is centered around fighting for four core ideas: economic systems that put people and planet before profits and building democracy that includes and reflects us all.  How will you advance racial justice if you are elected?  How will you advance gender justice if you are elected?
4. How will you work to create an economy that puts people and planet before profits if you are elected?  
5. Corporate profits and wealth inequality have reached historic highs.  How will you ensure that corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share?  
6. Under what circumstances, if any, would you vote in favor of privatization (i.e., corporatization) of US social programs?  
7. True democracy means that everyone has an equal voice, an equal vote and our government works to encourage voter participation, not suppress it.  How will you work to remove barriers to voting if elected?  Please specifically reference your positions on automatic registration, early voting, mail-in voting and voter ID requirements.  
8. United Action for Idaho believes that elections should be won by ideas, not bought with shady contributions from big corporations and wealthy donors.  How will you work to ensure that dark money does not dominate elections? 
9. Health Care is a Human Right United Action for Idaho supports comprehensive solutions to our healthcare that take the profit out of our system and bring us closer to universal coverage (such as an improved Medicare for All system.) We want a system that eliminates health disparities experienced by people of color, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and low-income people.  Do you believe healthcare is a right for all people in our country, one that should be provided through a publicly-run and funded program that is accountable to the people?  How will you work to improve health care if elected? 
10. How will you work to address the opioid and addiction crisis if elected? 
11. A Caring Economy Our economy is about more than numbers. It’s about people. We’re fighting for new rules for our economy to ensure we’re cared for when we provide care for each other. The idea is simple. You shouldn’t have to worry about losing your job when you take time to care for your children, parents, or the other people in your life. You should be able to find childcare you trust and can afford. And, if you’re a professional caregiver, you should be able to count on a living wage for your work — just like we all should. By caring for our elders, you’re caring for entire families, a labor that deserves special respect. If elected what will you do to address earned paid sick and family leave, living wages, pay equity, and more? 
12. Dignity in Work.  How would you work to expand workers’ rights and the number of workers with high quality, family-sustaining jobs with benefits and the right to collective bargaining? 
13. Do you support the establishment of a $15 minimum wage? Do you support the elimination of the tipped minimum wage?  Do you agree that we need a social insurance fund to ensure that every worker has access to adequate paid leave, with job security, to care for a new child or sick loved one or to address a serious illness?  If yes, what do you consider adequate leave and how would you expand access to family leave if elected? 
14. Education Equity Do you support free public higher education that includes undocumented students and students with past convictions, and that covers living expenses for low-income students?  If so, what would you do to advance this idea in office? 
15. What measures would you take to increase funding for public education in Idaho? 
16. What measures would you support to eliminate or forgive student debt?  How would you address the increasing problem of separate and unequal schools in our K-12 education system? 
17. What is your plan to address the school-to-prison pipeline if elected? 
18. Do you support the expansion of charter schools and voucher programs? If yes, how would you ensure that public schools remain fully funded and all schools that receive taxpayer dollars are transparent and accountable? If no, what will you do to stop the expansion of charters and vouchers? 
19. Gender Justice. We rise up to tear down barriers based on sexual orientation, gender and gender identity across all aspects of social and political life. We work for bold solutions to dismantle gender-based oppression including guaranteed access to health care, equal access to economic success, strengthening and expanding civil rights and the justice system and an end to gendered violence and harassment. If elected, what will you do to pass legislation to protect women’s reproductive rights? 
20. If elected, what will you do to pass legislation to expand Civil Rights Legislation to include protections for BIPOC, LGBTQ community and those with disabilities? 
21. A Just Immigration System.  What are your core beliefs on immigration policy? How do you implement these core beliefs if elected?  Do you support an immigrant protection policy? What are you willing to do to stand up for immigrants, documented or not and those seeking Asylum, in our country? 
22. Gun Reform. What are your core beliefs on gun access? Do you support controls including enhanced background checks, banning assault rifles, and bump stocks, increased mandatory waiting periods?......How do you implement these core beliefs if elected?  
23. What is your plan to address gun violence targeting schools? 
24. Mass Liberation & Rebuilding Our Communities.  United Action for Idaho supports an end to the corrosive system of mass incarceration.  We believe we must not only end mass incarceration but institute restorative justice and invest in rebuilding the communities harmed by violence and mass incarceration.  
25. How would you work to reduce incarceration and address systemic inequality and violence within our criminal justice system including in policing and in the courts? 
26. What steps are you willing to take to ensure that the communities of color who have borne the brunt of police violence and mass incarceration get investment to heal and rebuild?
27. Local Control.  United Action for Idaho supports community-based solutions and policies at the local level. Do you support local control? If so what will you do to restore local controls across Idaho and reverse preemptions on local cities to respond to their needs?
28. Public Lands.  United Action for Idaho supports preservation of Idaho public lands. If elected what will you do to protect Idaho’s public lands? Please address public lands specifically; rivers, recreational access and your position of sale of US and specifically Idaho’s resources.  
29. True Climate Justice.  United Action for Idaho supports a Green New Deal and an environmental agenda that protects working class and marginalized communities across Idaho.  We advance an environmental agenda to stop fossil fuel extraction, fracking and pollution, making sure that communities directly impacted are on the front lines of climate change are first in line for recovery; ensuring that energy solutions are controlled by and work for 100% of the people as both workers and energy-users. 
30. Do you support United Action for Idaho Planet agenda? If elected, how specifically will you advance these policies?  
31. What is your plan to support the transition to renewable energy?  
32. How will you ensure that working class people and people of color have a fair access to renewable energy and the green jobs it creates? 
33. What is your position on natural gas speculation and fracking that has targeted rural towns in Idaho and industry that seeks to expand and deepen their reach into Eagle, Meridian, and Boise in the coming year? 
34. What is your plan to ensure that everyone has access to clean, affordable public water and what will you do to address water contamination? 
35. Housing Justice.  United Action for Idaho is fighting to advance a housing agenda that puts working class and communities of color at the center, that supports reparations for marginalized communities, including communities of color, poor communities and people with disabilities stripped of wealth by redlining and predatory lending, that demands reinvestment in public housing at every level of government, that ends the selling of public units and land to private owners, that regulates the private market, landlords, big banks, guards against the next crisis and commits to conducting a comprehensive housing needs assessment. and that regulates the private market, landlords, big banks, and guards against the next crisis. Will you make United Action for Idaho’s housing agenda a central part of your platform? If so, please specifically describe how you will work to expand quality affordable and ADA compliant housing, repair the communities who’ve been harmed, build and improve public housing, regulate banks and the private market and work to prevent a future housing crisis? 
36. Sovereignty for Native Nations. Will you support policies and take initiatives that strengthen tribal sovereignty and self-determination if elected? 
37. At the federal level: Will you find avenues to work with the leaderships of the tribes in Idaho on issues of common concern, especially in regards to infrastructure, water, air and land use?  
38. How will you guarantee the inclusion of tribal leadership in policy decisions? 
39. Special interest groups influence in the Congress? 
40. If elected, what will you do to stop the influence of special interest groups influence over the US Senate?  
41. True Democracy. We rise up to demand democracy that truly represents the people. Too often, our voices have been denied, suppressed and silenced. Governing power belongs in the hands of the people at every level.  If elected, what will you do to address the role of the US Senate leadership to arbitrarily stall, stop or prevent bills and recommendations advancing to the floor for a vote and/or to hold a public hearing on the issue/s? 
42. At United Action for Idaho and People’s Action, we are committed to reimagining and rebuilding our state through movement politics - one that does not seek to advance a party platform, but to hold all elected officials and those seeking office to a higher standard, one that reflects the values and issues most important to the people of Idaho.  Will you commit working with our constituents on policy and strategy for roll out?