Jim Walters' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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Jim Walters has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2014 Political Courage Test.
Michigan State Legislative Election 2014 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| No | b) Should abortions be illegal after 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? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures? | ||
| No | h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| Abortion is a desperate act and I support efforts by moral authorities to preach against it. However, I oppose making abortions illegal, imprisoning women and doctors, and forcing my religious viewpoint on half the population that disagrees. Laws that do not reflect widespread consensus almost always create more problems than they solve. If men had babies instead of women, and our government told men what they could do with their own bodies, many men that now want to criminalize abortions might take a very different position on this issue. Our government should trust women to make their own health decisions. | |||
1) State Spending:Using the key, indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.2) State Taxes:Using the key, indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.3) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Michigan's budget.
| Greatly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Eliminate | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| h) Income taxes (mid-income families) | |||
| i) Income taxes (high-income families) | |||
| No | a) Tapping into Michigan's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | c) Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining | ||
| No | d) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions | ||
| No | e) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Yes | 4) Do you support providing financial assistance to Detroit's city pension system from the State of Michigan's "rainy day" fund? | ||
| Michiganders must invest in our state! Investments pay dividends, attract creative people, produce good jobs, and raise our standard of living. The conservative idea that we can cut our way to prosperity is false. 31 straight years of conservative control of Michigan's Senate and cutting taxes for the wealthy has devastated Michigan's middle class, our schools, and our infrastructure. Before 1983, under progressive leadership, Michigan did not have bankrupt cities, bankrupt school districts, terrible roads and 25% of our kids living in poverty. Taxes for mid and lower income people must be reduced and the high end tax rate increased. | |||
| To prevent corporations from leaving, Michigan should reduce corporate taxes to zero, but replace and expand that lost revenue by restoring a higher graduated income tax for high income taxpayers. Michigan should also eliminate the capital gains exemption that allows the very wealthy to pay a lower tax rate than middle income workers. Middle and lower income earners cannot afford and SHOULD NOT be taxed at a higher rate. The "pension tax" passed by our conservative legislature must also be repealed, again being replaced by increased taxes on high income earners. | |||
| There are two sides of a budget, revenue and expenses. As stated above, Michigan cannot cut its way to prosperity - we have already cut way too much from our schools, our infrastructure, our state employees, etc. Tax cuts for corporations and high income earners have damaged our state, devastated our middle class, and reduced opportunities for our kids. High income earners must again start paying their fair share. Eliminating tax loopholes and increasing the graduated tax rate is the preferred method. Middle and lower income taxes MUST NOT BE INCREASED. | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | b) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| The contribution limit I support is zero. Big-money's influence on government is destroying our democracy. Legislators are paid a salary to do their job. I will sponsor legislation making it illegal for any state legislator to accept money, gifts or services from anyone other than the State while in office. Legislators "cannot serve two masters," the public and big contributors. My bill will make it illegal to do so, forcing legislators to serve only the public interest. Big money contributors should not influence our democracy. Contributions to political parties can be used to finance election campaigns. | |||
| No | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana? | ||
| No | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| No | e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Regarding the death penalty, we have a commandment "Thou shalt not kill" which is very clear in its meaning. Regarding marijuana, I am strongly opposed to its use because it affects and alters our most precious resource, our brains, but think that efforts to criminalize it have been disastrous for individuals as well as our taxpayers. I would support treating marijuana as a civil crime, with monetary fines for its use, not jail or prison. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage? | ||
| I support periodic review of our regulatory statutes. Some are necessary and good to protect the public, but some have little benefit and should be eliminated. I support efforts to educate and retrain workers, job creation incentives and increasing the minimum wage to a living wage so taxpayers no longer have to subsidize the workers of huge profitable corporations like Walmart, Burger King, etc. with food stamps. Anyone working 40 hours or more per week should not qualify for state assistance. Profitable corporations in Michigan must pay enough so taxpayers do not have to subsidize their workers. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| Yes | c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers? | ||
| No | d) Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Michigan high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| Common core standards indicating the effectiveness of our schools compared to other states and nations are necessary. However, too much standardized testing is becoming a huge burden to teachers and must be reduced. I support teachers and believe that the tenure system has become the popular "whipping boy" for those who only care only about their taxes and not about our public schools. Abuse of the tenure system is rare and does not justify conservative attacks on our public school teachers. Charter schools, now a reality, must be supported but they should also meet the same standards as public schools. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support state funding for improvements to Michigan's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Climate change is real. Carbon dioxide levels have been rising ever since we began burning oil. The future of our planet depends on believing, not denying science. Alternative energy sources present a huge opportunity for our people and our state if we invest in their development, and for other methods of reducing carbon emissions. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| No | c) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| I support gun ownership. My grandsons and other family members are all hunters. The 2nd Amendment argument, however, is a right wing smokescreen meant to stir up anger that the "government is somehow our enemy and wants us to be defenseless." Almost no one wants to ban guns. However unless we want citizens owning nuclear weapons or being able to shoot down airplanes, we must have reasonable restrictions on the ownership of weapons. I believe reasonable people can logically determine where to draw the line between personal freedom and public safety, and encourage that discussion to move forward. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| Yes | b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Michigan's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Michigan's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| 1. Make it illegal for any state legislator to accept any money, gifts, goods or services from anyone else while in office. Legislators should only serve the public, not big donors to their campaigns. 2. Reinvest in our schools, colleges, universities and training facilities. Education is the key to prosperity for our state, paid for by making high income earners pay their fair share. 3. Reinvest in our state's infrastructure. Good schools and good infrastructure attract good companies and create good jobs. Once again, when high income earners pay their fair share, everyone benefits. |
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