Summary Platform

By Eugene E Ruyle

The Peace and Freedom Party of California, founded in 1967, is committed to socialism, democracy, ecology, feminism and racial equality.

We offer this summary of our immediate and long-range goals:

• Double the minimum wage, and index it to the cost of living.

• Guarantee the right of all workers to organize and to strike; forbid striker replacement.

• Socially useful jobs for all at union pay levels.

• Equal pay for equal work, and for work of comparable worth.

• A 30-hour workweek with no cut in weekly pay; longer paid vacations.

• Guaranteed dignified income for those who cannot work.

• A Universal Basic Income to alleviate poverty and homelessness.

• Tax the income and assets of the rich to meet human needs.

• International trade agreements must guarantee the protection of workers and the environment in all participating countries; abolish NAFTA, GATT and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

• End homelessness; abolish vagrancy laws; provide decent affordable housing for all.

• Social ownership and democratic control of industry, financial institutions, and natural resources.

• The United States should take the initiative toward global disarmament by eliminating nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

• Withdraw U. S. troops and weapons from other countries, and reallocate the resulting "peace dividend" for social benefit.

• Abolish the CIA, NSA, AID and other agencies for interference in other countries' internal affairs.

• Convert from a military to a peace-oriented economy, with jobs for displaced workers.

• Self-determination for all nations and peoples of the world, including Puerto Rico and all U. S. territories.

• Defend and extend liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.

• End discrimination based on race, sex, age, sexual orientation, or disability.

• Restore affirmative action, guarantee full education and employment rights for all.

• Abolish the death penalty.

• No prison labor for private profit.

• Support the right of working people to keep and bear arms.

• Democratic elections through proportional representation; full political, social and economic rights for resident non-citizens.

• Honor treaties with Native American nations; recognize California's Native American nations. Defend and extend Native American rights and sovereignty.

• Provide full free quality public education through university level. Teach the history of workers' struggles and labor's creation of society's wealth and progress.

• Restore and strengthen bilingual education. Uncensored government funding for ordinary people to create and enjoy art.

• Scientific and technological research to benefit ordinary people, not the capitalists.

• Free high-quality health care for everyone, including birth control, abortion, pre-natal and childhood health care. No forced sterilizations.

• Legalize marijuana, decriminalize drug use, and make substance abuse treatment freely available.

• Give special attention to preventing epidemics of communicable diseases such as AIDS. Guarantee the rights of people living with AIDS.

• Restore and protect air, water, land and ecosystems.

• Promote conservation and develop solar and other renewable energy to replace nuclear power and fossil fuels.

• End environmental racism: no toxic dumping in anyone's back yard.

• Massive development of public transportation available free or at nominal fares.

• Outlaw clear cutting and protect remaining old-growth forests.

• Promote an environmentally sound agricultural system which meets human needs and protects farm workers' labor rights and standard of living.