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RESOLUTIONS PASSED AT THE BARTOW COUNTY REPUBLICAN 
PARTY CONVENTION 
March 14, 2009

PDF version of 2009 adopted resolutions

2009  Resolutions for Bartow County

 We, as members of the Bartow Republican Party, send forth these resolutions to the 11th Congressional District, State and National Republican Committees.

Our founding principles, God and the Constitution

                WHEREAS, we recognize the Republican Party as having a history of strong moral principles and conservative political ideologies; and

                WHEREAS in the current climate of Democrat control, the Republican Party should hold fast to a platform of conservative principles, expecting our elected Republican officials to govern and be active leaders according to the principles set forth by the Republican Party; and

                WHEREAS, we acknowledge our Nation was founded by men and women who knew God as the absolute authority; and accept that the foundation of this nation was a Biblical one;

                BE IT RESOLVED that we expect our elected officials to govern by the principles set forth in the Constitution.

Friendship with Great Britain

                WHEREAS, Great Britain shares a common heritage with the United States of America and has long been our staunchest ally;

                WHEREAS, President Barack Obama has failed to receive British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife with the dignity and protocols past United States Presidents have observed when entertaining foreign dignitaries;

                WHEREAS, 46% of the voters of the United States and 72% of voters of Bartow County did not vote for President Obama;

                NOW, BE IT RESOLVED that the Bartow County Republican Party extends an apology to the nation of Great Britain and to Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the treatment received during his most recent visit to the United States, and our sincere wishes that Great Britain and the United States can remain the closest of allies.

                BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Bartow County Republican Party forward a copy of this resolution to the British Embassy, 3100 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008.

Personhood Amendment

             WHEREAS, the Republican Party was founded on the principle that all people shall be free and equal before the law; and

             WHEREAS, the Republican Party sought abolition of the practice of treating human beings as chattel until the adoption of the 13th Amendment; and

             WHEREAS, unborn children are not recognized as persons under the law; and

             WHEREAS, there is a legal assault ongoing in Georgia and throughout the United States on the personhood of the infirm and elderly Americans, on those with Down’s Syndrome and other physical impairments; and

              WHEREAS, the Republican National Committee Platform says, "we assert the inherent dignity and sanctity of all human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution, and we endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children."

             WHEREAS, Representative Martin Scott has introduced HR 5, the Personhood Amendment, which would amend the Constitution of the State of Georgia to include the following provision: 

                Paragraph XXIX. Paramount right to life. (a) The rights of every person shall be recognized, among which in the first place is the right of every innocent human being to life. The right to life is the paramount and most fundamental right of a person.

                (b) With respect to the fundamental and inalienable rights of all persons guaranteed in this Constitution, the word 'person' applies to all human beings, irrespective of age, race, sex, health, function, or condition of dependency, including unborn children at every state of their biological development, including fertilization.; and

WHEREAS, the Georgia Republican Party should stand for the principle of the protection of innocent human life at every stage of life; 

            BE IT HEREBY ADOPTED that the Bartow County Republican Party officially endorses the immediate passage of House Resolution 5 by the Georgia General Assembly; that the Bartow County Republican Party officially endorses a "Yes" vote on the Constitutional Amendment to enact House Resolution 5 and that a copy of this Resolution be forwarded to all elected Republican members of the General Assembly, the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of State, the Commissioner of Insurance and the State Superintendent of Education.

Georgia bid to host 2012 Republican National Convention

                 WHEREAS Atlanta has never served as the host city for the Republican National Convention; and

                WHEREAS Atlanta has hosted such major events as the Democrat National Convention, the Olympic games, the World Series and the Super Bowl, to name a few; and

                WHEREAS Georgia has for more than a decade provided the Republican Party with Nationally recognized leadership; and

                WHEREAS Atlanta’s facilities are more than equipped to handle the demand of 35,000 or more individuals that would come as a result of the conventions; and

                WHEREAS while the GOP has struggled in most other states, Georgia has remained one of the largest states in the nation to have continued GOP successes; therefore

                BE IT RESOLVED, by the Bartow Republican Party, this 14th Day of March, 2009, that we support any and all efforts to bring the Republican National Convention to Georgia in 2012; and

                BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we encourage our national representatives on the Republican National Committee to enthusiastically support an Atlanta bid.

Urging the United States Congress to enact laws adopting the Fair Tax Plan; and for other purposes.

                 WHEREAS, the Fair Tax Plan abolishes all federal income, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities; and

                WHEREAS, the Fair Tax Plan replaces federal income and payroll taxes with a progressive national retail sales tax, ensuring no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, and repeals the Sixteenth Amendment; and
                WHEREAS, during this economic crisis this act would relieve citizens from the burden of the current taxing structure, allowing citizens to be equally taxed on what they purchase, not on what they earn; and
                WHEREAS, the Fair Tax Plan enables workers to keep their entire paychecks and permits retirees to keep their entire pensions; and
                WHEREAS, this act dramatically lowers the tax rates for low income and middle income families and makes taxes visible through abolishing hidden income and payroll taxes in consumer prices; and
                WHEREAS, if passed, the Fair Tax Plan would not only encourage, but allow for, families to save more for home ownership, education, and retirement; and
                WHEREAS, this act refunds in advance the tax on purchases of basic necessities and allows American products to compete fairly; and
                WHEREAS, the Fair Tax Plan brings transparency and accountability to tax policy, acts to ensure Social security and Medicare funding, closes all current tax loopholes, brings fairness to taxation, and abolishes the IRS; and
                WHEREAS, the Fair Tax Plan relieves citizens from a penalizing tax system and renews the American dream as we continue to be competitive over the next century.
                NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE members of this body to urge the United States Congress to enact laws adopting the Fair Tax Plan, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and repealing all income, payroll, and inheritance taxes, providing Congress with the tax money necessary for the government’s Constitutional responsibilities.

 Expressing solidarity with Israel in its defense against terrorism in the Gaza Strip; and for other purposes.

                WHEREAS, the State of Israel is the greatest ally of the United States in the Middle East; and
                WHEREAS, the Hamas terror organization's charter calls for the destruction of the State of Israel; and
                WHEREAS, Palestinian terrorists of the Islamic Jihad and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, sponsored and trained by Iran, have recently fired hundreds of rockets at civilian targets in southern Israel, ending a six-month cease-fire with Israel in declaration and in deed; and
                WHEREAS, during the six-month "state of calm," Israel allowed the entrance of some 17,000 truckloads of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, while Palestinian terrorists launched 538 rockets and mortars into Israel; and
                WHEREAS, since these latest terrorist attacks and the beginning of its military operation on December 27, 2008, Israel has allowed the entrance of hundreds of truckloads of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in full coordination with donor Arab countries and international aid organizations, including the Red Cross, out of respect for human rights and lives and in an effort to minimize the hardship and suffering of the Palestinian population; and
                WHEREAS, Israel's military operations are an effort to defend its citizens as a moral duty against the unspeakable horrors of ongoing, indiscriminate terrorism and are aimed only at dismantling the terrorist infrastructure; and
                NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE members of this body:
                (1) Stand in solidarity with Israel as it takes necessary steps to provide security to its people;
                (2) Remain committed to Israel's right to self-defense and support additional United States assistance to help Israel defend itself;
                (3) Condemn the end of the cease-fire by Hamas; and the practice of placing military targets in their civilian community;
                (4) Condemn the firing of rockets into civilian areas by the Iran-sponsored terrorist groups of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad;
                (5) Urge all Arab states to declare their opposition to terrorism and attacks on civilians

 Support for the continuing War on Terror

                 WHEREAS on September 11, 2001, an attack was launched on the United States by a terrorist organization, creating a threat to the security of our nation; and

                WHEREAS, the fine work of our fellow countrymen and women who voluntarily serve in our armed services has successfully prevented further attacks on America by keeping the war on terror off of American soil;

                THEREFORE, we commend our military for their selfless dedication and personal sacrifice for our nation; and urge members of Congress, the United States Senate and President to allow our service men and women to stay in place until the objectives have been accomplished.

 Ending our involvement in the United Nations

                 WHEREAS, America is a sovereign Nation with a government that derives its power from the voting people; and

                WHEREAS, we oppose any organization that seeks to undermine the authority of the United States and attempt to influence our domestic and foreign policy;

                THEREFORE, we urge Congress to stop funding the United Nations and withdraw the United States’ membership.

 Opposing a national healthcare system

                 WHEREAS, the United States of America has the best health care system internationally, built on capitalism and competition; and

                WHEREAS, programs are in place to provide health care to those in all financial conditions;

                THEREFORE, we stand opposed to any attempt to create a universal health care system.

Parental sovereignty in education 

                 WHEREAS, parents are best qualified to understand and know the needs of their children, not government; and

                WHEREAS, many government schools are not keeping up with National standards, and there is a lack of competition within the school system; and

                WHEREAS, we recognize the importance of quality education for the preservation of this nation;

                THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we oppose government programs which undermine the rights and responsibilities of parents;

                BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we support the creation of school vouchers for parents to have more options for their children, creating competition.

 Drilling for oil and other natural resources

                 WHEREAS, the United States recently underwent a fuel crisis and suffered from soaring costs; and

                WHEREAS, the United States has growing needs for fuel and power and the recent crisis exposed this need even more;

                THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this body of members asks Congress to lift any restrictions on allowing drilling in ANWR, the building nuclear power plants, creating fuel and power independence with our own resources, thus creating jobs and security.

 Results from the straw poll of Republican voters in the July 2008 Primary

                The two top countries that import oil to the United State are Mexico and Canada.  Seven foreign companies have signed exploration agreements with Cuba to drill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Drilling for oil in Alaska could reduce American oil imports by about 15%.  Should Congress allow drilling in the National Refuge in Alaska and off the coast of Florida?

                 Yes  7561  90.89%

                 No  758  9.11%

Illegal immigration

                 WHEREAS, the United States was established by immigrants from other countries seeking freedoms and a better quality of life; and

                WHEREAS, the United States has allowed persons to enter her country, providing guidelines on how to properly do so for the security of the nation; and

                WHEREAS, we recognize the epidemic level which illegal immigration has reached;

                THEREFORE WE RESOLVE the following:

                (1) State and federal governments need to seek and implement ways to penalize businesses that knowingly employ illegal immigrants.

                (2) State and Federal officials should remove all benefits funded by tax revenue, to illegal immigrants, including Medicare, Social Security and public education.