Core Principles

We, the members of the Reform Party, commit ourselves to reforming our political system. Together we will work to re-establish trust in our government by electing ethical public officials, who are dedicated to fiscal responsibility, faithful service, and political accountability.

  • We are Fiscally Conservative and Socially Moderate.
  • We do not emphasize divisive ‘wedge’ issues.
  • We are not anti-anything.
  • Even though, blind opposition and blind loyalty are the primary traits of the Democrats and Republicans activists; We do not see such an ignorant approach to government as helpful or wise stewardship of the public interest.
  • We cannot legislate common sense; but, a good dose of it would not hurt.
  • We are PRO-Accountability of our Government and Representatives, who too often seem in business for themselves (both the Democrats and Republicans).
  • Reformers are the true strict constructionists, who want to limit government to their specific legally authorized power within the U.S. Constitution and the Florida Constitution.
  • We Intend to Reform: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches of Florida Government; the Presidency, our Federal Representatives, and their perpetual bureaucracy.
  • We seek to Preserve every Citizen’s Constitutional Civil Rights and Return Control of Government to the consent of the Citizens and away from the Influence-Peddling Lobbyists who seek to control our State Government by corrupting our elections, judicial, and legislative processes.
  • We will run only those honest, selfless Candidates for Office who pledge to uphold our Principles of Reform.
  • We value our Representative Republic as embodied in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights and promote citizen participation in its accountability above all else.

The Reform Party represents the interests of voters who are concerned with out-of-control spending, growing budget deficits, an unsustainable national debt, as well as gross mismanagement in government, and unethical behavior from our elected representatives.

It is our belief that the American public and the Reform Party share many of the same core principles when it comes to our local, state, and federal government.  We believe that our government functions best when it lives within its means, sets reasonable and common-sense objectives, and implements sound policy.  As a Party, we believe in practical answers for the challenges we face, and in the belief that good policy benefits the national interest and not select special interests.

In an effort to grow our political party, we seek people from all parts of American society who share our fundamental core principles to volunteer and run for elected office as candidates.  We do not support other political parties or their candidates.

The Reform Party was founded on certain principles dating back to the 1992 Presidential campaign of Ross Perot.

Honest, Open, Accountable Government is what we seek. To this end, these ideas still apply until the government REFORM’s itself. It will likely take the Citizen’s involvement to achieve.

FOUNDING PRINCIPLES
Set the highest ethical standards for the White House and Congress:

  • No more gifts.
  • No more trips or junkets paid for by special interests.
  • No more free meals.
  • Pass laws with significant penalties – not rules.
  • Give Congress and the White House the same retirement plans and health care as the average citizen.
  • Balance the Budget:
    • Develop a detailed blueprint to balance the budget.
    • Eliminate the practice of keeping some programs off-budget.
    • Pass the Balanced Budget Amendment.
  • Create an annual financial report in plain language so the American people will know whether or not we are following the plan to balance the budget.
  • Give the President the Line Item Veto.

Campaign Reform

  • Reduce the cost of campaigns by shortening the election cycle.
  • Vote on Saturdays and Sundays – not Tuesdays – so working people can get to the polls.
  • Replace the Electoral College process for electing the President with a direct vote from the citizens – so that every vote counts.
  • Prohibit announcements of exit polls until all voting has been completed in Hawaii.
  • Require Members of Congress to raise all money from voters in their districts, and require members of the Senate to raise all money from voters within their States.

Term Limits

  • Limit Members of Congress to three terms in the House of Representatives and limit Senators to two terms in the Senate.

New Tax System

  • It must be fair. It must be paperless.
  • It must raise money to pay the bills.
  • Require that any future tax increases under this new system be approved by the people in the next federal election, in order to impose discipline on spending.

Carefully putting together plans to deal with Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security

  • Explain these plans in detail to the American people.
  • Get a consensus.
  • Pilot test each of these programs before implementing them nationwide to make sure they produce the anticipated results at the anticipated cost.
  • Keep these programs dynamic, so they can be changed based on experience – don’t freeze them with restrictive legislation.

Promoting jobs in the USA

  • Negotiate trade agreements that promote American jobs, consumer safety, environmental protection, and fair trade.
  • Create a business environment that supports small business, which accounts for roughly 80 percent of jobs held by Americans today.
  • Trade agreements, tax reform, health care reform, and other programs must reflect the needs of small businesses.

Lobbying Reform

  • Prohibit former elected and appointed officials from ever taking money from foreign governments or foreign interests.
  • Prohibit any former high-level federal employees – including elected officials – from ever working as a foreign lobbyist.
  • Allow foreign governments to provide information to our government through the State and Commerce Departments and the Executive Branch, but prohibit them from giving contributions or gifts of any kind.
  • Allow foreign representatives to visit with Members of Congress, but under no circumstances allow them to give elected officials anything now or later.
  • Prohibit any former high-level federal employees – including elected officials – from working as a domestic lobbyist for five years after leaving government service in the area for which they served.
  • Limit domestic lobbying to presenting clients’ ideas to the Legislative and Executive Branches.
  • Prohibit domestic lobbyists from giving money, trips, or other incentives to current or former members of the Legislative and Executive Branches.

FLORIDA PRINCIPLES
These concepts have a high degree of applicability in the State Government as well.

Honesty, Openness, Accountability
We do not believe that Florida is merely an agent of the federal government.

We believe that the states’ interests should be uppermost in the minds of our Florida Governor, U.S. Senators, U.S. House members, State Senators, State Representatives, State Courts, County Commissioners, and all Municipal office holders.

Florida shares a common interest in the well-being of the Nation, but its concurrence must be asked of our Representatives; not imposed by the bureaucratic actions of the Federal Agencies’ unelected clerks.

We reaffirm that the Florida Constitution applies to those rights reserved to the state by the U.S. Constitution.

WANT REFORM?
VOTE REFORM!