Bill Maske's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Iowa Congressional Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| No | b) Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy? | ||
| Yes | c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| Yes | d) Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered? | ||
| No | e) Should federal subsidies be prohibited from being used for abortion procedures? | ||
| While I believe choices regarding abortion should be made within the first trimester of pregnancy, I do believe their may be cases in which abortion after the first trimester may be necessary. Such a case would be when the life of the mother is in jeopardy. Abortion is a complicated subject. I do not accept the term pro-life. This term demonizes those who believe in a womean's right to choose. I firmly believe in a woman's right to makie this decision. I believe federal subsidies need to be available to keep this from being a issue of socio-economic status. | |||
1) SpendingIndicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category- you can use a number more than once.2) TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category- you can use a number more than once.
| Slightly Decrease | a) Agriculture | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Maintain Status | 1) Intelligence operations | ||
| Slightly Decrease | 2) Military hardware | ||
| Eliminate | 3) National missile defense | ||
| Slightly Increase | 4) Salary and benefits for active duty personnel | ||
| Maintain Status | 5) Programs to improve troop retention rates | ||
| Greatly Decrease | 6) Research and development of new weapons | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Greatly Increase | e) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Homeland security | ||
| Maintain Status | g) International aid | ||
| Greatly Increase | h) Medical research | ||
| Greatly Increase | i) Scientific research | ||
| Greatly Increase | j) Space exploration | ||
| Maintain Status | k) United Nations | ||
| Maintain Status | l) Welfare | ||
| Greatly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | c) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Greatly Increase | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| No | 3) Do you support the elimination of the federal estate tax? | ||
| Yes | 4) Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year? | ||
| Yes | 5) Do you support using government funds in an effort to stimulate and improve the economy? | ||
| We face a serious budget challenge in the United States. With a runaway deficit, we must make tough decisions. In Agriculture, subsidies need to be revised to be a safety net not a bonus program. We do need a strong military posture as a prerequisite to securing the peace, however, we can still do this by reducing the overall defense budget. Education for our populace is the number one defense of Democracy. We must turn back the tide of global warming. Medical and scientific research as well as space exploration are an important part of our future. | |||
| Alcohol and cigarettes are luxuries which justify a significant tax. The decision to consume rests with each individual. We must increase taxes on those of greater means while providing relief to lower and middle income familes. The federal estate tax mostly effects those of greater wealth. Unto those who much is given, much is expected. The federal estate tax also promotes greater benevolence. We must do better than balancing the budget, or we will never reduce the deficit. The Bush Tax cuts for the wealthy must be allowed to expire. | |||
| I only support using government funds to stimulate and improve the economy if those funds are focused on small business and stimulating the local economy which will lead to the creation of jobs. Trickle Down economics is a myth perpetuated on the American people. A strong economy must be built from the bottom up. | |||
| No | a) Do you support privatizing elements of Social Security? | ||
| No | b) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing the federal minimum wage? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the ability of workers to unionize? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support federal funding for job-training programs that retrain displaced workers? | ||
| While I believe we need strict regulations and oversight of big corporations and Wall Street, I do support reducing government regulations on small business in a way that will allow them to be innovative and grow. I support increasing government regulations on large corporations and Wall Street in an effort to bring an end to predatory practices and corruption. The government needs to support a free enterprise system based on a level playing field. | |||
| No | a) Do you support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Congress regulate indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| No | c) Do you support removing all contribution limits on federal campaigns? | ||
| Yes | d) Should candidates for federal office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support limiting the President's ability to define how legislation is applied through the use of signing statements? | ||
| We need to have federally funded elections in which the amount of funds available to candidates remains at a prescribed level. This would take special interest groups, lobbyists, corporations, PACs, and other big money contributors out of the election process. Candidates would need to display their ability to run a budget and make campaign decisions. We need elections that are decided on the issues, not who has the most money. | |||
| No | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related training and job-placement assistance when released? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with substance abuse treatment? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support reduced prison sentences for non-violent offenders? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory prison sentences for selling illegal drugs? | ||
| f) Other or expanded principles | |||
| No | a) Do you support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support federal funding for universal pre-K programs? | ||
| No | c) Do you support federal funding for charter schools? | ||
| No | d) Do you support federal funding for K-12 school vouchers? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the federal government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| Because the federal government has a vested interest in education, the federal government should work as a partner with the states in creating and funding world class schools for all our children pre-K through grade14. This is the single most important investment we can make for the future of our society and nation. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support international emissions targets aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| No | c) Do you support allowing energy producers to trade carbon credits under a "cap and trade" system? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support strengthening fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles? | ||
| No | e) Do you support domestic oil exploration in federally-protected areas? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support federal funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the development of nuclear reactors? | ||
| We must address the serious environmental issues that face our nation and world. Cap and Trade is not the answer. This is nothing but a financial boondoggle for Wall Street which will result in corruption and a failure to successfully address carbon emissions. We must have a cap on carbon emissions, but we must pursue it in a manner that will achieve the desired result. Nuclear energy is the most cost effective and efficient of all alternative energy sources. We must invest in research and development to make this process safe! | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you believe that the Second Amendment guarantees the right of individual citizens to own guns? | ||
| No | c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support a ban on assault rifles? | ||
| While I believe the 2nd Amendment protects an individuals rights to own and possess guns, I do believe government has a responsibility to establish rules and regulations for the ownership and possession of guns. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| Yes | c) Should the federal government expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts? | ||
| No | d) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support relaxing regulations on the importation of prescription drugs? | ||
| The current health reform legislation is only a small step in the right direction. We need legislation which is going to make health care, prescription medicine, and wellness activities affordable and available to all members of our society. I do not favor tort reform. We have a judicial system in this country for the purpose of providing citizens an avenue for seeking a remedy when they may have been wronged. We must allow the judicial system to work. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants? | ||
| No | b) Do you support decreasing the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country? | ||
| No | c) Do you support establishing English as the official national language? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| We need comprehensive immigration reform in the United States. According to Daniel Griswold, Director of trhe Cato Institute's Center for Trade Policy Studies, and Professor Raul Hinojosa Ojeda, Founding Director of the North American Integration and Development Center, providing a pathway to legal status for undocumented workers is the right answer for dealing with this issue. Historically, immigants arrive speaking their native language, however, within two generations, the native language has been replaced with English. | |||
| No | a) Do you support United States military action in Afghanistan? | ||
| No | b) Do you support increasing military assistance for Afghanistan? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increasing economic development assistance for Afghanistan? | ||
| No | d) Should the United States continue to strike suspected terrorist targets in Pakistan? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States? | ||
| Yes | f) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support increasing sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq? | ||
| No | i) Do you support the United States' involvement in free trade agreements? | ||
| After eight years of cowboy diplomacy under George Bush, we needed a policy of diplomacy to resolve the many problems around the world. We have now been in Afghanistan longer than any other military engagement in our nation's history. It is time to disengage militarily from Afghanistan. We need to put diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to police its own nation and keep it free of terrorist outposts. The question of a Palestinian state must be resolved before we will achieve peace in the Middle East. Free Trade Agreements as they stand have been harmful to our workers. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support allowing openly-gay men and women to serve in the United States military? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| No | d) Should the federal government end affirmative action programs? | ||
| Embryonic Stem Cell Research holds great promise for many medical breakthroughs which could improve the quality of life for thousands upon thousands of people. | |||
| The economy is my top priority. The most important part of the economy is job creation. We must invest in small business, renewable energy, and a federal works program. We must make the investment needed for all students to receive a world class education including highly competent reading skills, high school graduation standards, and post-secondary work as part of the public school experience. We must enforce good stewardship of the environment! Funds would come from: Allowing the Bush Tax Cut to Expire, Ending our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and increasing taxes on those earning $250,000.00 a year or more. |
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