P.O. Box 1222, Madison, WI 53701 | www.prodane.org | office@prodane.org | (608) 257-4985

County Platform of Progressive Dane 2007

Revised and Approved by the Progressive Dane Membership, November 28, 2007

The platform is also available in PDF format for printing

Progressive Dane believes that Dane County government should do the following, and commits itself to working for full implementation of these policies.

Living Wages and Economic Development

  1. Provide health insurance and a Living Wage adjusted for the higher cost of living in Dane County (at least 112% of the federal poverty level for a family of four) for all county-funded jobs
  2. Target economic development subsidies to projects and locally-owned businesses that offer family-supporting jobs, affordable health care, respect for workers' rights, equal opportunity and environmental soundness
  3. Promote and support buy local policies and initiatives
  4. Work to connect low-income residents to skill-training, educational opportunities, workforce supports and family-supporting jobs
  5. Develop and coordinate programs that foster small, local and start-up businesses, for example: entrepreneurial training, micro lending, business incubators, business-owned storefronts, assistance with business plans and identifying available office and manufacturing locations and other needs
  6. Create a countywide paid sick days requirement
  7. Promote progressive revenue sources such as a lakefront property transfer fee to expand water quality initiatives
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Open and Democratic Government

  1. Urge the state legislature to permit counties to implement their own campaign finance reforms including limits on contributions and significant public funding of all elections
  2. Support state enabling legislation to allow local governments to use instant runoff voting
  3. Strictly enforce laws governing full and timely disclosure of the sources of funds for County electoral races; require candidates to file their campaign finance reports electronically; require the County Clerk to post this information immediately on the county web site
  4. Make readily accessible information about the wages and other compensation paid to county-funded employees, including managers and executives
  5. Pursue ways to make all aspects of county government responsive and accessible to the public
  6. Support efforts to enhance the ability of all residents to fully participate in county boards, committees and commissions
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Public Safety and Protection

  1. As the primary approach to dealing with non-violent crime, provide diversion and preventive programs that address the root causes of crime and juvenile delinquency, while respecting civil rights and individual liberties
  2. Provide a secure treatment facility for alcohol and other drug abusers as the primary incarceration tool used to prevent repeat offenses and reduce jail crowding
  3. Adequately fund diversion programming such as the First Offender's Program, DART, TAP, and Dane County Drug Court
  4. Establish a Restorative Justice Project in Dane County to reduce jail costs, facilitate needed closure for those impacted by criminal activity as well as demonstrative rehabilitative functioning for the accused
  5. Provide adequate funding for Dane County Appointed Counsel and develop partnerships with the local bar association , so that those who are not eligible for public defender services continue to have access to affordable legal services
  6. Oppose vague ordinances that have the potential to target low income and minority populations in the county
  7. Ensure that all individuals in the court system have ready access to legal advice in languages they understand, and information regarding consequences of a criminal conviction
  8. Oppose the prosecution of simple marijuana
  9. Support victim impact panels as a mandatory part of all OWI sentences

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Land Use, Transportation and Environmental Protection

  1. Support farmland preservation, family farming, sustainable agricultural practices and livable communities
  2. Promote clean water and reduce flooding by prioritizing county stormwater enforcement and enhancing county wetland protection efforts through additional land acquisition and tighter zoning enforcement
  3. Prioritize funding for the Conservation Fund to purchase additional parks and open space
  4. Encourage rural preservation by using Transfer of Development Rights programs in new development areas
  5. Support a regional transit authority that provides affordable, available and accessible multi-modal public transportation; support subsidies for elderly, disabled, and low-income residents using public transportation
  6. Expand pedestrian and bicycle routes
  7. Avoid major new highway construction, including construction of a North Beltline
  8. Oppose major new transmission line construction
  9. Provide incentives for all county employees to use public transportation, carpool, bike or walk
  10. Support county purchasing policies that favor recycled, recyclable, locally produced, environmentally friendly, sweat-free and energy efficient goods; support purchasing significant amounts of and increasing proportions of clean energy
  11. Operate all county-owned or occupied buildings in such a way that reduces energy use; audit all such buildings to determine ways to save energy and increase energy efficiency
  12. Any vehicle owned or leased by the county should be as fuel efficient and non-polluting as practicable
  13. Promote and support green and sustainable initiatives and practices by business and government both in current activities and in new projects and developments
  14. Support Dane County exercising its regulatory options under the Livestock Facilities Siting law
  15. Encourage local farmers to grow food for direct human consumption
  16. Support a publicly-owned regional energy utility
  17. Support lakes and watershed restrictions on the use of toxins and pesticides, and limitation on mercury runoff from coal plants

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Affordable Housing

  1. Promote development of housing stock that includes affordable options for every Dane County resident
  2. Support community land trust programs, an affordable housing trust fund, single room occupancy housing, and transitional housing services to further enhance housing options throughout Dane County
  3. Support community-based programs that educate renters about their legal rights and assist them in defending those rights
  4. Support county laws and policies that prohibit housing discrimination and which discourage economic segregation

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Quality Human Services

  1. Adequately fund human service agencies, including annual cost of living increases, to address issues such as poverty, discrimination, domestic violence, community safety, and public health
  2. Ensure basic safety net services to those who are ineligible for federal Supplemental Security Income and food stamp benefits and Wisconsin's welfare (W-2) program
  3. Support due process provisions in state and county social services programs for those who are wrongfully denied eligibility for these services

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Efficient, Effective Government

  1. Oppose privatization of services currently provided by County employees
  2. Take measures necessary to ensure that county employees’ workplaces are free of discrimination and harassment
  3. Extend benefits available to married couples to all domestic partnerships
  4. Require proposals to consolidate government services to demonstrate that they will result in improved delivery of services and cost savings will not be derived from reduced staffing
  5. Give preference in county contracts to firms paying prevailing wages or employing a unionized workforce, and to those with a history of no violations of environmental, safety, labor or civil rights laws
  6. Give preference in county contracts to firms with proven affirmative action records, and to those owned by minorities and women
  7. Urge the state legislature to permit progressive sources of revenue and to eliminate spending caps on raising revenue
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