But we do know one thing: we cannot afford to find out. The underlying causes of teenage suicide, as well as its full scope, are not adequately researched or understood. Our tax code must produce sufficient revenue to finance our defense and allow for investment in our future, and we will ask every America to pay his or her fair share. Only the intervention of the Congress has prevented further and more devastating cuts in city-oriented programs. The strategic importance of Central America is not in doubt, nor is the fact that the Soviet Union, Cuba and Nicaragua have all encouraged instability and supported revolution in the region. Much of the foreign money, however, is in the term of portfolio holdings or even more liquid short-term bank deposits. We are the Party of American strength—the security of our defenses; the power of our moral values; the necessity of diplomacy; the pursuit of peace; the imperative of survival. We must preserve that strengths. It is America's most conspicuous example of a successful industrial strategy—combining the cooperative efforts of business, government and our universities. We must join with our allies and friends to maintain an effective deterrent to Soviet power. The social and political stability of these developing countries is seriously challenged by the debt crisis. They are the future of our children and their children. And the historic pattern of concentrated wealth has done little to produce stable democratic societies. If I were constructing this platform, I would ask that its planks be carved out of self-confidence, and planted in belief in our own system. —Interest payments on the debt are rising at an alarming rate. This simple yet impressive machine can help users cut a variety of intricate designs onto paper, plastic, fabric and even cake icing. Thirty percent of the Corporation's lawyers have been laid off, and the Administration exhausted every means it could find to stack its Board with people hostile to the very concept of equal justice for the poor. Essential to fairness in the workplace is the basic right of workers to organize collectively. The federal government should focus on the importance of local initiatives. * Instead of ignoring America's future, a Democratic Administration will make a series of long-term investments in research, infrastructure, and above all in people. Therefore, we must oppose an arms race where the sky is no longer the limit. Our effort should be designed to reduce environmental and economic damage from acid ram while assuring such efforts do not cause regional economic dislocations. Staying the course with Ronald Reagan raises a series of hard questions about a bleak future. What would become of America's commitment to equal justice and opportunity if Mr. Reagan is reelected? During President Reagan's stewardship of our nation's agriculture economy: real prices paid to farmers for their commodities have plummeted by twenty-one percent; real interest rates paid by farmers have increased be as much as 1,200 percent; real farm income has fallen to its lowest level since 1933; debt owed by U.S. farmers and ranchers has swelled to $215 billion; and farm foreclosures and forced sales have tripled. The Democratic Party believes that the purpose of nuclear weapons is to deter war, not to fight it. Latin America is experiencing the most serious economic crisis in 50 years. —undertake all-out efforts to halt nuclear proliferation. A nation is only as strong as its commitment to justice and equality. Specifically, targeted efforts are needed to address the urgent problem of unemployment among minority teenagers. And lower interest rates from reduced budget deficits will reduce upward pressure on housing costs and bring housing back within the reach of millions of Americans now excluded from the market. If Mr. Reagan is reelected, how would we teach our children to respect the law? We must learn the difference between health care and sick care. Can America afford the recklessness of a President who exposed American Marines to mortal danger and sacrificed over 260 of them in a bungled mission in Lebanon against the advice of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and brought upon us the worst U.S. military disaster since the Vietnam War? A Democratic future of growth and opportunity of mastering change rather than hiding from it, of promoting fairness instead of growing inequality, stands in stark contrast to another four years of Ronald Reagan. Small businesses have closed: American families are suffering hunger and poor health, as unemployment exceeds depression rates. "I do not see why we think of our nation as so weak and so vulnerable. We have learned that sustained economic growth is impossible in a climate of high inflation or of inflationary expectations. The potential for America is unlimited. —Modernize our conventional forces by balancing new equipment purchases with adequate resources spent on training, fuel, ammunition, maintenance, spare parts, and airlift and sea-lift to assure combat readiness and mobility, and by providing better equipment for our Reserves and National Guard. A Democratic President will honor and strengthen our security commitment to ANZUS as well as to other Southeast Asian friends. Cuomo, who died yesterday, served three terms as the governor of New York. American business was faced with a double whammy—empty order books and high interest rates. In the last four years this long-standing commitment to decent shelter has been crippled by the underfunding, insensitivity, high interest rates, and distorted priorities of the Reagan Administration. A Democratic Administration will give the Nuclear Regulatory Commission the integrity, competence, and credibility it needs to carry out its mandate to protect the public health and safety. New products and new ways of manufacturing are part of the change. For many of our citizens, it is only in the last two decades that the efforts of a broad, bipartisan coalition have begun to give real meaning to the dream of freedom and equality. —He has slighted training and readiness of our conventional forces in favor of big ticket nuclear items, "preparing," in the words of General Maxwell Taylor, "for the least possible threats to the neglect of the most probable.". April 9, 1984). By consulting with and listening carefully to these leaders and to their democratic colleagues elsewhere in the region, the next Democratic President of the United States will fashion a policy toward the region which recognizes that: —the security and well-being of the Hemisphere are more a function of economic growth and development than of military agreements and arms transfers; —the mounting debt crisis throughout the region poses a broader threat to democratic institutions and political stability than does any insurgency or armed revolutionary movement; —there is an urgent and genuine need for far-reaching economic, social and political reforms in much of the region and that such reforms are absolutely essential to the protection of basic human rights; —the future belongs as much to the people of the region—the politically forgotten and the economically deprived—as it does to the rich and powerful elite; —preservation and protection of U.S. interests in the Hemisphere requires mutual respect for national sovereignty and demilitarization of the region, prior consultation in accordance with the Rio Treaty and the OAS Charter regarding the application of the Monroe Doctrine, the use of military force, and a multilateral commitment to oppose the establishment of Soviet and Cuba military bases, strategic facilities, or combat presence in Central America or elsewhere in Latin America; —efforts to isolate Cuba only serve to make it more dependent on the Soviet Union: U.S. diplomatic skills must be employed to reduce that level of dependence and to explore the differences that divide us with a view to stabilizing our relations with Cuba. The same is true for the right of workers to have a healthy and safe workplace, and to organize collectively in unions. A Democratic President must not overlook human rights, refusing to condemn repression by the regimes of the right or the left in the region. delivered 18 July 1984, San Francisco As soon as the Reagan faction took control of the Republican Party at its convention in 1980, it ended that Party's forty-year commitment to passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. We must provide the necessary resources to federal agencies and departments with responsibility for the fight against drugs. An explosion in demand for certain types of engineers, scientists and other technical specialists is creating a shortage of faculty and PhD candidates. We will not tolerate impropriety in a Democratic Administration. Women nurses and technicians, for example, have long served with distinction on the front lines: women must not be excluded from jobs that they are trained and able to perform. We must have a growing economy if we are to have jobs for all Americans who seek work. We must encourage colleges and universities to train more scientists and engineers. And with the growing number of Asian/Pacific-Americans, we welcome the strength and vitality which increased cultural ties bring to this country. Of the 8.5 million Americans still out of work, 40 percent are under 25. Ten days ago. We will require radioactive waste and hazardous materials emergency response plans along transportation routes, similar to those required for nuclear power plants. This attack is underway in agency enforcement, court litigation, legislative initiative, and nominations of federal appointees. It is a choice between solving our problems, and pretending they don't exist, between the spirit of community, and the corrosion of selfishness: between justice for all, and advantage for some; between social opportunity and contracting horizons: between diplomacy and conflict: between arms control and an arms race: between leadership and alibis. If Mr. Reagan is reelected, will our students have the skills to work in a changing economy? https://mashable.com/2015/01/02/mario-cuomo-1984-speech-video-transcript The greatest foreign policy imperative of the Democratic Party and of the next President is to learn from past mistakes and adapt to these changes, rather than to foist or ignore them. Investment bankers could. The 1984 Democratic National Convention was held at Moscone Center in mid-July, and I recently scoured The Chronicle’s basement archive for photos and stories from the event. Where competition is unfair, we must respond powerfully. Even with the best of intentions, the difference is more than rhetorical, for paternalism can never be disguised and it is always resented—whether we choose to label it a "special relationship" or to call it a "defensive shield." Twice in the past, our country has endured the high costs of dependence on foreign oil. These changes raise serious threats to our traditional financial goals. By 1988, Medicare costs will rise to $106 billion: by the turn of the century, the debt of the trust fund may be as great as $1 trillion. Dearborn, which had less than 1,000 Arab American registered voters in 1984… He rails at the Soviet Union—as if words alone, without strategy or effective policy, will make that nation change its course. In 1980, candidate Ronald Reagan promised the American people a more secure world. ", Doris Smith, Steward, SEIU Local 706. Hunger, drought, and famine have brought untold suffering to millions in Africa. By expanding the money supply to help finance the deceit, the Federal Reserve runs the risk of runaway inflation. America is truly growing and prosperous when its spirit flourishes. ", Historian Barbara Tuchman (Democratic Platform Committee Hearing. Sound management and fair government cannot be administered by a politicized work force. If we do not buy their goods, they cannot buy ours, not can they service their debt. Finally, a Democratic President would press for the fullest possible accounting of Americans still missing in Indochina. He had won the California primary on … New York Gov. GERALDINE FERRARO of New York, for Vice-President Our history has been proudest when we have taken up the challenges of our times, the challenges we accept once again in 1984 to find new ways in times of accelerating change, to fulfill our historic commitments. Alcohol abuse is also a serious problem which must be faced. LaRouche, of New York; George We must make special efforts to help families in economic transition who are faced with loss or homes, health benefits, and pensions. Cranston, of California; John Nationwide access to those networks is becoming crucial to full participation in a society and economy that are increasingly dependent upon the rapid exchange of information. It is no contradiction to say that while pursuing an end to the arms race and reducing East-West tensions, we can also advance the cause of Soviet Jewish emigration. We know that every dollar we invest in education is ultimately returned to us six-fold. We need to establish a federal victim compensation fund, to be financed, in part, by fines and the proceeds from the sale of goods forfeited to the government. America elects its President to lead. Also, fair housing standards need to be vigorously enforced by the federal, state and local governments in order to deal with persistent discrimination in the housing market for buyers and renters. A Child who learns first about the risks of sexual abuse in school will be less likely to become the target of repeated victimization. —He has become the first President since the Cold War to preside over the complete collapse of air nuclear arms negotiations with the Soviets. The private sector must also recognize its responsibility to join partnerships which strengthen our diverse public and private higher education system. True national security requires urgent measures to freeze and reverse the arms race, not the pursuit of the phantom of nuclear superiority or futile Star Wars schemes. The Democratic Party opposes this Administration's sales of highly advanced weaponry to avowed enemies of Israel, such as AWACS aircraft and Stinger missiles to Saudi Arabia. They can be a dynamic entrepreneurial force—by encouraging education and research, by incubating promising new industries, by steering resources toward those most in need, and by fostering new cooperative arrangements among public agencies and private business. The combination of loopholes for the few and high rates for the many is both unfair and anti-growth. The Reagan Administration has used the combat designation as an arbitrary and inappropriate way to exclude women from work they can legitimately perform. By improving access to medical care before and after birth, we can promote a generation of healthy mothers and healthy babies. Before leaping into a highly uncertain financial future, the country should take a careful look at the direction deregulation is taking, and what it means to our financial system and the economy. Israel remains more than a trusted friend, a steady ally, and a sister democracy. Reagan had enough support to push a series of key bills through Congress in 1981 and 1982. —prohibit the production of nerve gas and work for a verifiable treaty banning chemical weapons. We believe that our economic future lies in our ability to rise to the challenge of international economic competition by making our own industries more competitive. Once dominant U.S. industries are now hard-pressed. We will insist that our allies contribute fairly to our collective security, and that the Department of Defense reduces its scandalous procurement waste. The President who abandoned the Camp David process will oversee Middle East policy, The President who opposed every nuclear arms control agreement since the bomb went off will be entrusted with the fate of the earth. —Under the budget Reagan proposed to Congress earlier this year, the annual deficit would grow to $248 billion by 1989, and unless he makes major changes in current policy, it will exceed $300 billion. The leasing of public lands, both onshore and offshore, will be based on present demand and land use planning processes, and will be undertaken in ways that assure fair economic return to the public, protection of the environment and full participation by state and local governments. Tax Reform—America needs a tax system that encourages growth and produces adequate revenues in a fair, progressive fashion. A Democratic President will encourage our European friends to resolve their longs-standing differences over Ireland and Cyprus. business like other institutions in the country need to pay greater attention to the international market place. The Democratic Party is committed to ensuring that our nation's food supply is free of pesticides whose danger to health has been demonstrate, and believes it is irresponsible to allow the export to other nations of herbicides and pesticides banned for use in the U.S. and will act swiftly to halt such exports. Colorado (Democratic Platform Committee Hearing, Springfield, Illinois, April 27, 1984), "There's got to be something wrong with our government's policy when it's cheaper to shut a plant down than it is to operate it...The Houston Works plant sits right in the middle of the energy capital of the world and 83 percent of our steel went directly into the energy-related market, yet Japan could sit their products on our docks cheaper than we can make it and roll in there. The Domestic Party believes that it is time to harness the full range of America's capacity to meet the challenges of a changing world. Even more disturbing was the decline in the rate of growth or productivity. And second, we must guarantee progress on the new frontier for the future: economic and social justice. In dollars it amounted to almost 200 billion—more than three times larger than the deficit Ronald Reagan campaigned against in 1980. Los Angeles, California. In a matter of weeks thereafter Present Reagan asked the Congress of the United States to cut $88 billion in 1981 and the following four years from Social Security programs. In the past generation, our world leadership in innovation has been increasingly jeopardized. —reimpose export controls in effect during the Carter Administration which were relaxed by the Reagan Administration. Rather, it is a philosophy that views employment as the ongoing concern of the country. New York Gov. Statutory requirements for the control of toxic air pollutants should be strengthened, with the environmental agency required to identify and regulate within three years priority air pollutants known or anticipated to cause cancer and other serious diseases. Unemployment among teenagers stands at almost 20 percent. A citizen without access to telecommunications is in danger of fading into isolation. Government cannot, and should not, dominate our free enterprise economy. Rarely in U.S. history has a convention been as tumultuous as the Democratic Party convention of 1860. To further meet the needs of smaller minority businesses, we favor increasing government procurement, opportunities for smaller minority firms, encouraging deposits of federal funds in minority-owned financial institutions, and vigorously implementing all set-aside provisions for minority businesses. The risk of nuclear war cannot be eliminated overnight. Commercial banks were not to float stock market issues. A Democratic Administration will give priority to securing the freedom to emigrate for these brave men and women of conscience including Jews and other minorities, and to assuring their fair treatment while awaiting permission to leave. The Democratic Party is pledged to reverse these unsound policies. ", Statement by Dr Jerome B. Wiesner, Dr. Carl Sagan, Dr. Henry Kendall, and Admiral Noel Gayler (Democratic Platform Committee Hearing, Washington, D.C., June 12, 1984), "The minister of the apartheid government recently boasted of the fruitful relationship between Pretoria and Washington since the advent of the Reagan regime. But the tide runs much deeper than that. Once again we applaud and support the example of both Israel and Egypt in taking bold steps for peace. Jewish emigration, which reached the level of fifty thousand per year during the last Democratic Administration and which has virtually ended under its Republican successor, must be renewed through firm, effective diplomacy. - Maine If Mr. Reagan is reelected, who would protect the rights of workers? We must pull together the patchwork of housing programs and cut through the red tape to make it easier for cities to receive the assistance to meet their own unique needs. In an age of about 50,000 nuclear weapons, however, nuclear arms control and reductions are also essential to our security. In practice, the theory failed because it did not take into account the diversity within our economy. The states must be the cornerstone of our health care policies, but a Democratic Administration will provide the leadership at the federal level to assure that health care is available to all who need help at a cost we can afford. Every effort should be made to mitigate any job losses associated with any national acid rain program. The answer is clear: an Administration which refuses to enforce the laws that are on the books can hardly be expected to respect—or even recognize—the rights of those who are not already specifically protected by existing law. We must work to end political action committee funding of federal political campaigns. The Democratic Party is committed to reversing the policies of the Reagan Administration in the area of military and defense procurement. . Our cities are among this country's greatest achievements, and they can be our country's greatest engine of economic growth. Can we afford four more years of dangerous foreign policy failures? Finally, a Democratic President will recognize our democratic process as a source of strength and stability, rather than an unwelcome restraint on the control of foreign policy. The relatively stable world order that has prevailed since World War II is bursting at the seams from the powerful forces of change —the proliferation of nuclear and conventional weapons, the relentless Soviet military buildup, the achievement of rough nuclear parity between the Soviet Union and the United States, the increasingly interdependent nature of the international economic order, the recovery and rise of European and Asian powers since the devastation of the Second World War, and the search for a new America political consensus in the wake of Vietnam and Lebanon and in the shadow of a regional crisis in Central America. That is what the next Democratic Administration will do. With this strength we will restore the confidence of our fellow citizens and our allies; we will be able to mount an effective conventional defense; and we will present our adversaries with a credible capability to deter war. Under a Democratic Administration, equality and fairness under the law will be matched by justice in the economy and in the workplace. High unemployment, coupled with deep cutbacks in food assistance and other basic support programs for poor families have led to conditions not seen in this country for years. The Democratic Party has a constructive and confident vision of America's ability to use all of our economic, political, and military resources to pursue our wide-ranging security and economic interests in a diverse and changing world. At the same time, we and our allies should employ active diplomacy to encourage the earliest possible end to Iran/Iraq conflict. And in Cost Rica our backing for rebels based there is in danger of dragging that peaceful democracy into a military confrontation with Nicaragua. Unemployment on Indian reservations continues to be among the highest in the nation. It will not be enough to say that our nation must offer equal access to health care—we must put comprehensive health care within the reach of all of our citizens, at a price all can afford. The actions of the Reagan Administration serve only to delay the day when fairness is achieved and such remedial measures are, therefore, no longer needed. European economies are strained by the impact of high American interest rates on their own economies. In addition, significant progress will be made to further reductions of nitrogen oxide emissions. Hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign short-term capital invested here are sensitive to small shifts in interest rates or the appearance of added risk. Borrowing to support the deficits and buying abroad to maintain a recovery tilted toward consumption are eroding America's position as a creditor nation. ", Honorable Stephen J. Solarz, U.S. Representative. Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies must refine ways to locate children who have been abducted. held at George Moscone Center —We want industries to modernize so as to restore competitiveness where it is flagging. A Democratic Administration will also recognize the urgent need to de-politicize the intelligence community and to restore professional leadership to it.