URF LIFT Principles

In 2007 the United Republican Fund developed the LIFT principles for Illinois. Since then, the URF has encouraged candidates, fellow conservatives, and Republicans to use these principles as a basis for policy development, communication, and campaigning. We congratulate Eric Wallace for his use of these principles in his recent campaign for U.S. Senate. The URF LIFT principles are as follows:

LIMITED GOVERNMENT
Illinoisans deserve a government that is fiscally responsible. Waste, fraud and duplication in government must be eliminated. Public debt, except for infrastructure, should be avoided. Government budgets should fit within existing revenues. Spending reductions, not tax increases, are the preferred solutions to revenue shortfalls.  +  Taxation should be restricted to the most minimal levels, and the burden of taxation should be spread as equally as possible among Illinois citizens. Taxation should never be employed for the purposes of redistributing wealth or restricting productivity, economic growth, or savings.  +  Government policy should encourage self-sufficiency and promote the work ethic among Illinoisans. Public funds should not be used to support persons who are capable, albeit unwilling, to provide for their own needs. Government welfare programs should strive to elevate the dignity of the individual, strengthen families, and encourage self-sufficiency.

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
Laws restrict the free exercise of liberty and property. Consequently, no law should be passed unless there is a compelling reason to do so. The proponents of any law should have the burden of proof that passage is necessary.  +  The rights of an individual should include, but not be limited to, those rights guaranteed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States. They should also include those God-given rights of freedom, not specified in any written document, which necessarily exist in a nation where the individual is more important than the state. Conversely, these rights should not negate the responsibility of the individual's obligation to conduct himself as a responsible and productive member of society.  +  All citizens are entitled to security of their persons and property. Government's primary task is the maintenance of law and order to ensure these rights are protected. Accordingly, the system of justice must afford each person access to competent representation and a level playing field to ensure the imperatives of justice can be met.

FREE ENTERPRISE
Through free markets, individuals and groups form relationships and exercise self-government. The state should only intervene to establish minimum health and safety standards, and encourage competition. When the government does choose to use its power to regulate free people, it should be exceedingly cautious to use the least burdensome method possible.  +  Individuals have the right to choose in free market systems, and are vested with the responsibility to inform themselves and make choices that best suit their needs. While government should actively enforce fraud statutes, it should not attempt to protect the public from what it perceives as poor choices by eliminating those possibilities from the market.  +  Private property is the cornerstone of a free nation. Therefore, communal needs should override private property rights only in the most convincing circumstances - not merely for the sake of convenience. In those instances when a compelling need does exist, property owners should be justly compensated for their loss.

TRADITIONAL VALUES
Representative democracy cannot proceed or survive simply by inertia; instead it must be fed by ethical people who are engaged in the political process and who share the values necessary for such a government to thrive.  +  Therefore, traditional American values must be preserved and impressed upon each generation. Duty, honor and love of country are some of those values. Equally important are justice, equality before the law, hard work, humility, charity, integrity, and courage.  +  The family is the foundation of society. Consequently, the state should encourage its formation and interfere in its function as little as possible. Family inter-dependency is essential for long-term national stability. Hence marriage is intended to be a permanent relationship between one man and one woman, and the basis for strong families.  +  Human life is sacred and inviolable from conception to natural death. Protection for the unborn and elderly, and compassion for the sick and infirm, are essential elements of all healthy societies.

Comments

[Avid I.R. Reader]

Very well done URF. A concise, detailed and easy to understand guide to what Illinois could (and should) be. Now, if we can just get lawmakers to read, understand and proceed with these LIFT principles then your work would be done. Sign me up URF - I want to help get the word out for the LIFT principles. Do you have brochures or ways to get this message to the people. I will take it to all my neighbors and lawmakers on every level. Keep up the Great Work URF!