Core Issues
The Cascadian Independence Project is a non-electoral party. We choose instead to accomplish our long term goals through the use of referendums, legislative policies and popular initiatives. Instead of working through a system that is broken and can consume more resources than we would ever be able to generate, we seek to define and change issues that matter to our members on a community and regional level.
Our primary goal continues to be to achieve greater independence for Oregon, Washington and British Columbia from their respective federal governments in a peaceful and democratic manner, through the consent of the people.
As we pursue this goal, we have several priorities:
1. Increased Citizen Participation and Representation
It is the goal of the Cascadian Independence Project to establish an accountable and democratic partnership between communities within Cascadia to foster greater direct democracy among the peoples of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. We seek to harness innovation to engage with citizens to take a more active role in their government. By giving them a real voice and outlet in which to help us constructively build our society, we enable every citizen to play a key role in the governing process.
2. Implementation of Decentralized, Open Source and Associative Governing Models
The Cascadian Independence Project conceives of a world where every person, without exception, is able to substantively participate in the governance of any facet affecting their life. We envision a governance which is not only necessarily more open, free, and democratic but also which more effectively communicates, responds and takes advantage of an innovative populace, rapidly changing market forces, technologies and key stress indicators to dynamically respond to the demands of a 21st century working environment.
By applying a lightweight and dynamic approach through a decentralized democratic process, collaborative governance has the potential to be a versatile tool for being the most efficient means of collective action.
3. Individual Freedom, Civil Liberties and the Right to Privacy
We seek to bring many of the protections and natural freedoms outlined in the United States Bill of Rights and Canadian Charter of Rights into the 21st century. We seek to ensure that a strong freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly are all fiercely protected so that any democratic government can continue to organically evolve or grow as it needs to, through a true consent of the people. Any proposed governments by us are merely proposals, and will eventually be put to a vote of the people. The Cascadian Independence Project, however, seeks to ensure that any future governing bodies incorporates strong principles of individual freedom, civil liberties, social justice and an inherent right to privacy. Any proposed government must also incorporate principles of democracy, transparency and accountability, and include new constitutions that ensure that laws are updated to reflect the evolving and rapidly transforming need for consumer and digital personal information protection.
4. A Transparent and Accountable Government
Spreading democratization and rapid innovation continue to shift the balance among the state, the market and civil society, altering the environment in which governments are operating. The explosion of new information and communication technologies also allow for a rapid, global diffusion of ideas and practices, enabling the public to demand higher standards of transparency, accountability and civic engagement in the public sector. These prerequisite values of good governance and sustainable development not only support responsive public policy and high levels of public sector performance but also play a crucial role in preventing the onset of systemic corruption and lobbyism. There is now international recognition that corruption impedes economic development, undermines stability and erodes trust in public institutions.
Given its mandate in fostering principles of good governance, the Cascadian Independence Project works to define and be on the cutting edge of international standards in building the capacity to further public sector ethics, transparency and accountability. Poor administration and mismanagement allow unscrupulous public officials to exploit opportunities for putting self above public interest, contrary to the spirit of public service. We seek to put into place a "ethics infrastructure" that not only provides guidance for good conduct but also administratively and legally punishes misconduct. This "ethics infrastructure" includes measures to enhance and preserve organizational integrity, access to information that promotes transparency and accountability, and oversight by independent institutions and the public at large.
5. A Strengthened Social Safety Net, Increased Access to Necessary Goods, and a Higher Quality of Life throughout the Pacific Northwest
More than any targeting any specific issues, we instead largely seek remove opinionated politics and replace them with evidence based public policy. Upon independence, specific task force panels will be established to research, review and issue advisory notices based on successful policies that have been incorporated in other countries and states.
In addressing these issues, we will target the roots for many of the problems in our society today. Policies such as basic preventative care are proven to decrease costs and increase overall standard of living and population well being. It will be our goal to establish effective policies, at the lowest cost to the taxpayer with the highest outcome ratio possible. Again, technology can play a large role.
In the future, each one of our proposals will detail successful and failed case studies, the proposed economic benefit, as well as the net social and cultural effect that these policies would have.
6. Focus on Regional Economy, Global Competitiveness and a Dedication to Fiscal Responsibility
The Pacific Northwest has been undergoing a rapid economic transformation over the past two decades, as the North American Free Trade Agreement and World Trade Organization have removed traditional national protections and borders to trade. Left on their own, the unintended consequences of these policeis have been an increase in regional economic clustering and integration as communities band together to protect local jobs and industry. Increased regional planning and development have led to Cascadia being considered a 'megaregion' by the US and Canadian governments, and an 'ecolopolis' by the Portland University department of Urban Design and Planning. These areas are defined as an area where "boundaries begin to blur, creating a new scale of geography that have have interlocking economic systems, shared natural resources and ecosystems, and common transportation systems link these population centers together".
By looking inward on ways to increase our global competiveness, and having an economy more aligned towards the growing economies of Asia than our eastern counterparts (we are considered the 'Gateway to the East'), the Pacific Northwest has found many ways to stay resilient in the face of one of the worst economic crises in modern history, but we will still be years in the recovering. In order to stay competitive, Cascadia must continue to invest in educational and technological innovation, a high speed rail infrastructure, and continue to integrate our economic development and planning within the northwest to build a strong regional economic model that benefits all of our citizens.
This economic crisis was the result of economic policies of a government and economy, based more than 3000 miles away, that we are a part of but have little control over. This is unacceptable. The Pacific Northwest must have final say in our economy (as well as government) to ensure that these policies are not repeated.
Cascadia continues to control 2/3 of the ports in the western half of North America, and will likely play even more of an important role as an independent nation. Already we have some of the world's most integrated, cross border regional organizations. One example is the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, a bioregional forum in which all legislative members and governors of BC, WA, OR, AK, ID, AB are voting members, along with a consortium of the regions most powerful non-profit, public and private sector companies. PNWER is recognized by both the United States and Canada as the “model” for regional and bi-national cooperation that provides the public and private sectors a cross-border forum that former BC cabinet minister and legal scholar Andrew Petter describes the PNWER as one of North Americas most sophisticated examples of "regionalist paradiplomacy" and is the only statutory, non-partisan, bi-national, public/private partnership in North America.
7. Environmental Stewardship, Protection, Sustainability, and Complete Energy Independence
The Cascadian Independence Project supports responsible and sustainable urban and rural growth planning, as well as the protection and stewardship of natural resources around the Pacific Northwest. Roughly 2% of forests in the United States remain untouched, and large portions of these are found around the Cascadia bioregion. This area contains some of the last old growth temperate rain forest in the world, and 7/10 of the largest carbon absorbing forests within the continental United States are in Washington and Oregon. When combined with British Columbia, these forests remain one of the most powerful tools in our regions efforts to combat global climate change.
Cascadia is also in a unique position to become one of the first countries in the world to achieve complete energy independence based on renewable resources. Already, we generate a surplus of electricity based largely on renewable resources such as wind, hydroelectric, and soon, tide generators. Large portions of this energy is exported to California, Idaho and other states throughout the Northwest.
Furthering energy independence based on renewable resources is not only responsible and sustainable but a key to domestic energy security as we enter a period of increasingly volatile energy markets. The electric grid in the Northwest is becoming seriously aged, and is increasingly in danger of critical failures. In the case of independence, the CIP would continue to supply US states with power, and reinvest profits into sustainable development, research and establishment of a new and stable smart grid.
As a part of strengthening overall transportation and energy infrastructure throughout the Northwest, the CIP is also dedicated to the development and construction of a high speed rail infrastructure along the Cascadia Corridor, as well as spreading to urban centers in the east. Work on this project has already begun, and more information can be found on the benefits and details through the Cascadia Institute, who is heading up the project.
