Dale County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) - What We Believe In
We believe and promote ideas, ideals, and core beliefs of the National Democratic Party but our focus is on Dale County because that's where we live. First and foremost, we are citizens of this county and its communities, guided by principals, rights, and responsibilities of good citizenship. We may be passionate about our beliefs. However, in this age of political partisanship, we strive to listen to the positions and opinions of all Dale County residents, even those positions we may not currently agree with. We just ask that we be given the opportunity to communicate our positions (and the rationale behind them) to an audience that is as open minded as we intend to be regarding the opinion of others. After all, we are all neighbors occupying the same region of the Wiregrass, and our similarities outweigh our differences. As good citizens, most of us want what is best for our community. We may have different perspectives on how to achieve this goal, but by listening respectfully and by showing a little empathy (putting one's self in another's shoes), we can arrive at solutions amenable to all.
It is said that “politics is the art of compromise” and Dale County Democrats are reasonable folks. However, there is a difference between compromise and being compromised. Citizens have both the right and the responsibility to vote, and we will vigorously fight any attempts to restrict or make more difficult any citizen's ability to vote. We believe in democracy and we believe in the rule of law, even as it applies to the wealthy and powerful. Through education and activism, we will fight the apathy and cynicism promoted by some to discourage political participation. We encourage citizens to better understand how their local government operates, to monitor its actions, to act as a watchdog, to participate on advisory boards, and to be willing to serve in elected office. “Serve” is the key word. We demand a lot of our elected officials. We want to appreciate the good ones and get rid of any that put their party or personal interests ahead of their constituents' interests.
We believe in the role of government, not to solve all of our problems, but as a means for constituents to act collectively to best address issues beyond the capabilities of individuals, groups, businesses, corporations, or other institutions. When others say that “Government is the problem,” and look to dismantle various government institutions that have served us well, we ask, “What is the alternative?” Some want to privatize what is now public education. Some want to let for profit businesses and corporations take over functions now performed by government. In practice, however, businesses and corporations only want to invest in areas they can profit from. For example, most private schools don't want to enroll special needs children because the cost to educate them exceeds the tuition they can realistically charge. Without government incentives, high speed broadband companies don't want to invest in rural areas because the cost per subscriber is prohibitive. Do we trust unregulated corporations to provide our food and medicines without FDA inspection and approval? Do we want the civil service dismantled so that government jobs can be awarded through political patronage rather than merit? Do we want the Affordable Care Act scrapped without an alternative even proposed? Do we want Social Security and Medicare gutted? Do we want our military turned into a mercenary force, like Russia's Wagner Group, that takes its marching orders from the highest bidder?
Democrats are sometimes unjustly labeled as “socialists” by our more partisan opponents, who believe there should be little or no restrictions or control of banks, business and corporations. We are not socialists. Nearly all of us believe in business and capitalism as an efficient means for management, capital, and labor to work together and provide a wide variety of goods and services for the public. That being said, we don't believe in unregulated capitalism where competition can be stifled, product safety can be sacrificed, workers can be abused, consumers can be cheated, etc. We believe that reasonable regulation allows an honest and honorable businessperson to compete against those who might otherwise be tempted to take shortcuts, while still allowing a decent monetary return commensurate with his efforts and risks. The degree of regulation necessary to achieve these simultaneous goals can be debatable, and Democrats are willing to listen to all parties, including the business community, to arrive at the best compromise.
As much as possible, Democrats strive to provide equal economic opportunity to citizens. (Equal economic opportunity is different from equal economic status, which can be the result of economic opportunity in addition to personal ability & talent, personal level of effort, luck, and other personal attributes such as confidence, ambition, attitude, leadership, charisma, communication skills, etc.) This is why we stress funding of public education. All children, regardless of their economic situation at home, deserve a chance to learn in a nurturing, stimulating, and challenging environment, with encouragement to reach their full potential.
Quality education alone is insufficient, however, if quality employment opportunities for young people don't exist after graduation. Historically, agriculture, food processing, and local business activity derived from agriculture income have been the economic drivers in this area. However, technological innovation has made agriculture less labor intensive, meaning a smaller number of agriculture derived jobs. Tourist traffic to and from Florida helps provide employment in gas station, fast food, restaurant, and motel businesses along US 231, but most of these jobs are not high paying. There are several manufacturing companies in the area, with most taking advantage of Alabama's lower cost of doing business, rather than paying extra for any special skills offered by our residents. Federal spending at Fort Novosel helps offer well paying jobs, especially to those with special skills. Well paid health care professionals, many who work in neighboring counties, reside in Dale County and contribute significantly to the local economy. Retirees from other parts of the country, many with federal and military pensions, reside here and also provide positive economic impact.
We point out these economic facts to illustrate that much of Dale County's economy originates with spending from the federal government, whether it be at Fort Novosel (military payroll, civil service employment, contractor employment, skilled union laborers) at area hospitals and physicians (Medicare, Medicaid) or from retirees (federal & military pensions and Social Security). Alabama typically receives much more in federal benefits than it pays in federal taxes. For example, a 2020 analysis of FY 2019 federal taxes and expenditures showed that Alabama received $2.17 in federal spending for every $1.00 of federal taxes collected in Alabama, the fourth highest ratio for states in the nation. Please keep this in mind when our elected officials vote against passing a budget to fund our federal government, or, even worse, vote to default on payment for past goods and services already provided. If you refused to pay your bills, what do you think would happen to your credit rating? Fortunately, members of Congress more responsible than Barry Moore voted against defaulting on our federal debt.
While we appreciate federal government investment in our local economy, most of us would also like to see more private sector investment in Dale County. Any large private sector investment will likely come from outside the Wiregrass, maybe from outside of the Southeast, and perhaps from foreign business entities. When Alabama politicians and elected officials engage in “culture wars” in attempts to energize their political base, they communicate a level of intolerance to the outside world that reflects poorly on Alabama and this region. Companies may think twice about relocating here, if they are concerned about the reproductive rights / women's health of their employees and their employees' families. Foreign corporations may be concerned about prejudice and discrimination, when right wing politicians try to equate migrants to drug smugglers, Muslims to terrorists, or LGBTQ individuals to child predators . Business leaders and other professionals may question the local educational system or the region's intellectual curiosity when politicians attempt to ban books, rewrite history, or deny scientific facts they label as being “woke.”
As a general rule, the Dale County Democratic Party does not promote any particular cultural position, but we do believe in tolerance, choice, and diversity of ideas. Based on their background, religion, moral compass, personal experience, and other factors, individual Democrats are free to embrace or reject various cultural and philosophical positions. However, we encourage tolerance and understanding, and we try to learn from one another rather than let any philosophical differences divide us into rival factions. We believe in individual freedom to the maximum extent that it can be achieved without adversely impacting the freedom and well being of others.
This is who we are. If you share many of these ideals and those of the Alabama Democratic Party (please see below), why don't you join us as we rebuild our local Dale County Democratic Party. Currently we hold our monthly meetings in Ozark on the second Monday of each month. As we grow and get better organized, we will be looking to recruit precinct captains (leaders) in each of the 16 voting precincts found in Dale County. Where there is interest, we encourage the development of smaller community based Democratic groups, with “community” defined as a geographic location (Newton Democrats as a hypothetical example), or a particular demographic group (for example, a Dale Democratic Women's group), or a group based on a common background / interest (for example, a Wiregrass Democratic Veterans' group). If you just want to volunteer, there will be many future opportunities, some of which are outlined on our website.
