Supplemental food programs for low-income pregnant women and infants save $3 for every dollar spent. From the keynote address delivered by New York Governor Mario Cuomo at the 1984 Democratic Convention in San Francisco: Ten days ago, President Reagan admitted that although some people in this country seemed to be doing well nowadays, others were unhappy, and even worried, about themselves, their families and their futures. Productivity growth has finally resumed—but the rate of growth remains disappointing compared both to our own economic past and the performance of other industrial economies. For its part, when added to the traditional educational institutions of family, school and church, television has enormous promise as a teacher. 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. - New Consequently, it is important to be responsive to the issues of the North/South dialogue such as volatile commodity prices, inequities in the functioning or the international financial and monetary markets, and removal of barriers to the expert or Third World goods. Tax Reform—America needs a tax system that encourages growth and produces adequate revenues in a fair, progressive fashion. Small businesses will have the capital they need—instead of credit they can't afford, People will master technology—instead of being mastered or displaced by it. More than one hundred years ago the Morrill Land Grant Act provided for agricultural colleges and programs that today still help keep American agriculture the world leader. This will require new leadership, strong alliances, skillful diplomacy, effective economic cooperation, and a foreign policy sustained by American strength and ideals. Our relationship with Japan is a key to the maintenance of peace, security, and development in Asia and the Pacific region. Investing in infrastructure means rebuilding our bridges and roads and sewers, and we are committed to doing that. How much easier it would be for a Reagan Court simply to agree with a Reagan Department of Justice. 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. Murky transactions on the fringe of organized crime, accepting gifts from foreign journalists and governments, misusing government funds, lying under oath, stock manipulations, taking interest-free loans from wealthy businessmen who later receive federal jobs—all of these are part of business as usual with Ronald Reagan's appointees. Ten days ago. Rational Defense Spending—In the last three years, the Defense Department was told by this Administration that it could have anything it wanted, and at any price. Houston, Texas. The measuring of the baby boom generation, the sharp increase in the percentage of women seeking work, and the aging of the work force all have to be taken into account. He has closely identified the United States with the apartheid regime in South Africa, and he has time and again failed to confront dictators around the globe. Opportunities for Veterans—This country has a proud tradition of honoring and supporting those who have defended us. In dollars it amounted to almost 200 billion—more than three times larger than the deficit Ronald Reagan campaigned against in 1980. We must learn the difference between health care and sick care. A Democratic President would give high priority to democracy, freedom, and to multilateral development. Since assuming office, the Reagan Administration has shown more hostility—indeed, more outright and implacable aggression—toward the American ideal of equal justice for all than even its harshest critics would have predicted in 1980. For many developing countries, growth has been slowed or even reversed by the overhang of an enormous burden of commercial and official debt. According to the 1983 National High School Survey on Drug Abuse, 63 percent of high school seniors have tried an illicit drug, and 40 percent have tried a drug other than marijuana. Recalls are at an all-time low and only one safety standard has been proposed in four years. Underlying the Reagan approach to the economy are five key myths: myths that determine and distort the Reagan economic policy, and ensure that it is not the basis for long-term growth. Indeed, success in marketing a product may depend more on the quality and productivity of the relationship between government and business than on the quality of the product. Story Stream. We must provide the necessary resources to federal agencies and departments with responsibility for the fight against drugs. The reality of international competition in the 1980's requires government policies which will assure the competitiveness of American industry and American workers. We oppose the efforts of the Reagan Administration to enact draconian cuts which would totally undermine the viability of this nation's excellent public broadcasting system, a broadcasting system which has given the country Sesame Street, 3-2-1 Contact, and other superb children's as well as cultural and public affairs programming. The Democratic Party will pursue policies for economic development, for aid and trade that meet the needs of the people of the developing world and that further our own national interest. And anyone who has lost a job, watched one's children go hungry, or been denied a chance at success knows the terrible indignity that comes with dependence. A Democratic President will recognize that the United States, with broad economic, political and security interests in the world, had an unparalleled stake in the rule of international law. To this end, a Democratic Administration will implement, with our allies, a multilateral strategy for reduction of allied dependence on critical resources from volatile regions of the world. —ban the sale or transfer of sophisticated computers and nuclear technology to South Africa and the importation of South African gold coins. So I am very proud to be a Democrat. And we will foster the productivity and growth on which justice depends. Mutual respect, enhanced cooperation, and steady diplomacy must guide our dealings with Japan. The plight of young mothers must be separately addresses as well; they too need education and training and quality child care must be available if they are to participate in such programs. Excellence must start at the top. 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. He rebukes Americans deeply and genuinely concerned about the threat of nuclear war. This platform is our road map toward that future. - Michigan The very wealthiest in out society have been big winners—but future generations of Americans will be the losers. —impose a ban on all new loans by U.S. business interests to the South African government and on all new investments and loans to the South African private sector, until there is substantial progress toward the full participation of all the people of South Africa in the social, political, and economic life in that country and toward an end to discrimination based on race or ethnic origin. To a child, economic growth means the promise of quality education. Prompt intervention efforts must also be provided for children in crisis. Under a Democratic Administration, there will be no call for clumsy attempts to escape the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, such as those put forth by the Reagan Administration in connection with its mining of the harbors of Nicaragua. A Democratic President will join with our friends within and outside the continent in support of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all African states. Mario Matthew Cuomo. President, Steel Workers Local 2708 (Democratic Platform Committee Hearing. A Democratic President will continue to press for effective international sanctions against the Polish regime until it makes satisfactory progress toward these objectives. The Soviets are tough negotiators and too often seek to use arms control talks for propaganda purposes. business like other institutions in the country need to pay greater attention to the international market place. A Democratic President would encourage regional cooperation and make of that important area a showplace rather than a footstool for economic development. Our goal is to allow the greatest number of people the greatest opportunity for self-sufficiency. At that rate, we would lose two million or more jobs this year alone. A Democratic Administration must answer this challenge reaffirming the principle that government must both "provide for the common defense" and "promote the general welfare" as coequal responsibilities under the Constitution. At the same time, as allies and friends, we must work to resolve areas of disagreement. As Democrats and as Americans, we will make support for democracy, human rights and economic and social justice the cornerstone of our policy. Strict standards of energy efficiency for home appliances, for example, could save enough money in the next 15 years to avoid the need for 40 new power plants. It is the Republican governor of Washington State, and the Republican County Executive of Nassau County, New York, who are committing public resources to mount a legal defense for their jurisdictions blatant sex discrimination practices...The Reagan Administration from the outset has made it abundantly clear that civil rights and economic justice are to be sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed...", Diana Rock, Director of Women's Rights, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (Democratic Platform Committee Hearing, Cleveland, Ohio, May 21, 1984), "The Reagan Administration, upon taking office in 1981, set upon a concerted effort to roll back civil rights protections. Only when the legislative protections against such discrimination are in the bedrock of the Constitution can we at the vagaries of changing political climate or a hostile administration will not wipe out those protections. Unlike the Republicans, we recognize that investing in preventive health care saves dollars as well as lives, and we will make the needed investment. And we believe we must preserve the self-respect of those who are unable to be completely self-sufficient—the very young, the unskilled, the disabled, the very old—and to help them toward as much independence as possible. No nation in the Middle East can afford to wait until a new war brings even worse destruction. —The price-wage spiral—as part of any effective anti-inflation program, serious policies to address the price-wage spirals and other inflationary pressures we have experienced in the past must be developed. We have a proud legacy to build upon: the Democratic tradition of caring, and the Democratic commitment to an activist government that understands and accepts its responsibilities. Should it be baby clinics, child immunization against disease, day care, maternal health, or youth services? The Democratic Party is committed to strengthening the Clean Water Act to curb both direct and indirect discharge of toxic pollutants into our nation's waters, and supports a strengthened Environmental Protection Agency to assure help to American cities in providing adequate supplies of drinking water free of toxic chemicals and other contaminants. We need to increase government procurement opportunities for small and minority firms and to encourage deposits of federal funds in minority-owned financial institutions. 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. Our next President will likely have the opportunity to shape that Court, not just for his own term—or even for his own lifetime—but for the rest of ours, and for our children's too. No problem has worried Americas more persistently over the past 20 years than the problem of crime. The most solemn responsibility of a President is to do all that he or she can to prevent a single nuclear weapon from ever being used. Democrats believe the federal government can play an important role by encouraging local innovation and the implementation of new crime control methods as their effectiveness is shown. The result has been a paralysis of mission and an America more susceptible to dangerous product. —Local and community involvement—Citizen involvement in governance should be as great as possible. A Democratic President would seek to work with the countries of the Caribbean to strengthen democratic institutions. Religious organizations, charities and other agencies report record numbers of persons standing in line for food at soup kitchens and emergency food pantries. If our older industrial cities are to grow, if our expanding regions are to continue to expand, then we must work with state and local government to target our investment to out most important infrastructure. What will Mr. Reagan's plan for "tax-simplification" mean to average Americans if he is reelected? If temporary trade relief is granted, the quid pro quo for relief will be a realistic, hardheaded modernization plan which will restore competitiveness involving commitments by all affected parties. - Maine To that end, we pledge a strong defense built in concert with our allies, based on a coherent strategy, and supported by a sound economy. Mario Cuomo gives the thumbs-up during his 1984 keynote address to the opening session of the Democratic National Convention. Many jobs have disappeared. Fourth, the Reagan Administration has acted as if deficits do not count. He rails at the Soviet Union—as if words alone, without strategy or effective policy, will make that nation change its course. Mario M. Cuomo, former governor of New York, electrified the Democratic National … The massive government borrowing necessary to service the debt will amount to about three-quarters of the entire nation's net savings between 1983 and 1986. The President continues to stand apart from serious, comprehensive efforts to cut the deficit. But the American people are entitled to more than the absence of scandal—they demand real action to protect the health and safety of our families and communities. Democrats believe that America has the strength and tenacity to negotiate nuclear arms agreements that will reduce the risk of nuclear war and preserve our military security. They attracted foreign funds and helped drive up the international value of the dollar. Our forces must be combat ready; our doctrines should emphasize out-thinking and outmaneuvering our adversaries; and our policies should improve military organization and unit cohesion. We will draw on our historic commitment to housing, and the best insights and energies of today's Democratic Party, to address the future housing needs of all the American people. —Instruct the Treasury Department to work with the Federal Reserve Board, U.S. bank regulators, key private banks, and the finance ministers and central bankers of Europe and Japan, to develop a short-term program for reducing the debt service obligations of less developed countries, while 1) preserving the safety and soundness of the international banking system and 2) ensuring that the costs of the program shared equitably among all parties to existing and rescheduled debts. Republicans affirm that now, as throughout history, the spiritual and intellectual genius of the American people will create a better nation and maintain a just peace. Thus, Soviet troops have invaded and today continue to wage war on the proud people of Afghanistan. We must commit ourselves to seek out the causes, formulate a national policy of prevention, and provide guidance to our state and local governments in developing means to stem this devastating tide of self-destruction. The next Democratic President will support development policies that meet the basic needs of the poor for food, water, energy, medical care, and shelter rather than "trickle down" policies that never reach those on the bottom. The crises devastating many of our nation's youth is nowhere more dramatically evidenced than in the alarming rate of increase in teenage suicide. And as our knowledge expands, we learn again and again how fragile life and health—human and animal—truly are. In the future we propose, young families will be able to buy and keep new homes—instead of fearing the explosion of their adjustable-rate mortgages. Who will ensure that our next generation does not suffer the effects of toxic substances in the workplace—substances whose existence is not even revealed to the worker? —Implement a program of military reform. Africa—The Democratic Party will advocate a set of bold new initiatives for Third World nations in general and Africa in particular. 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. 2016 Democratic Convention: It's 1984 Again. In the future, national economic policy will have to be set with an eye to its impact on U.S. exports. A new Democratic Administration will implement a strategy for peace which makes arms control an integral part of our national security policy. Once again we applaud and support the example of both Israel and Egypt in taking bold steps for peace. We therefore oppose laws requiring an unemployed parent to leave the family or drop out of the work force in order to quality for assistance and health care. The Democratic Party is committed to reversing the policies of the Reagan Administration in the area of military and defense procurement. 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. * America is very much a part of the international economy. GERALDINE FERRARO of New York, for Vice-President A rise in the U.S. prime rate by one percent added more than $4 billion to the annual interest costs associated with these external debts. We will require radioactive waste and hazardous materials emergency response plans along transportation routes, similar to those required for nuclear power plants. Springfield, Illinois, April 27, 1984), "In the four years prior to Mr. Reagan taking over, I was fortunate to have four years of employment, and I was able to put money aside in savings accounts which since have been exhausted. Fulfilling America's highest promise, equal justice for all: that is the Democratic agenda for a just future. In the America of Ronald Reagan, you will only get as much justice as you pay for. They must not be abrogated by any local jurisdiction. - Guam More than forty top Republican officials have already been implicated in all kinds of wrongdoing. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act should be expanded to include major new requirements for safer management of newly generated toxic waste. The Democratic Party's commitment to full equality is as much a part of prodding individual opportunity as it is part of a program of social justice. A Democratic Administration which establishes these priorities can reduce the risks for our young people and improve the odds. In other cases, however, short-term considerations have been allowed to predominate at the expense of the long-term needs of the national economy. When Social Security developed financial problems due to massive unemployment in 1982, the Reagan Administration moved to "solve" them by cutting benefits further. Our nation's economic life depends on the economic growth of our cities. While not underestimating the Soviet threat, we can no longer afford simplistically to blame all of our troubles on a single "focus of evil," for the sources of international change run even deeper than the sources of superpower competition. We believe in bridging our differences, not deepening them. We oppose the use of plastic bullets in Northern Ireland, and we urge all sides to reject the use of violence. —He has become the first President since the Cold War to preside over the complete collapse of air nuclear arms negotiations with the Soviets. Higher Education—We will make certain that higher education does not become a luxury affordable only by the children of the rich.