Joseph Perske's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
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Joseph Perske has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2014 Political Courage Test.
Minnesota Congressional Election 2014 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| I am pro-life but I also recognize that this is a grey area. What I believe in is education, support and council to young women and men. I oppose abortion except in the cases of the life of the mother, rape and incest. Being a father of three daughters and a women's soccer and basketball coach, I am very concerned about education. I am a very strong advocate of women's issues and understand the need for education in healthcare, including reproductive health. | |||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| I believe in proportionate taxation on all levels. I support closing corporate loopholes and corporate subsidies. We need to take a good look at all levels of taxation and be sure we are treating all economic households fairly and proportionately. | |||
| No | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| I do not support contributions to the point of Citizens United. I do not believe corporations or unions should be treated as an individual or should have unlimited caps. Contributions from organizations or unions should have the same caps as individuals. | |||
| No | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes. In very rare cases. For instance in the case of cold blooded murder for a law enforcement officer or in the case of high treason. | |||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering taxes as a way of promoting growth in the economy? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| As mayor of my community, often times it has been in the best interest of the city and the community to create jobs by giving tax incentives to businesses to invest in our area and to provide jobs to our citizens. I believe we need to look at these on a case by case basis and look at how they will effect the existing businesses in the community, how they would enhance the existing workforce and business climate. | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| Having been a teacher for 35 years I do not want to see dollars wasted when they could be used to effect constructive programs and quality time in the classroom. There are schools that need the financial incentive to promote quality education within their schools. No Child Left Behind and the Minnesota Profile of Learning are two examples of many dollars spent with questionable returns. This top down model might be acceptable for those schools that are failing but for those that are exceeding standards they should not be handcuffed by needless regulation and testing. | |||
| Yes | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | Do you support reducing restrictions on offshore energy production? | ||
| Yes, provided that they do not reduce environmental safeguards and do not discourage the continued pursuit of green energy. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| There seems to be overwhelming support that humans contribute to climate change. We will never have a 100% consensus that we are contributing to climate change but this does not mean that we should not, at all times, be good stewards to our earth. We have the means and ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and we should hold corporations accountable to protect our environment. | |||
| Yes | Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| As an avid hunter, I am a strong proponent of second amendment rights. I believe we have a good balance in Minnesota with our law enforcement, hunter and firearm enthusiasts. I do support background checks and responsible gun ownership to keep weapons out of the hands of people that are considered dangerous or mentally unstable. | |||
| No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| We have needed a national healthcare plan for decades. Although there are problems with the ACA it is a good basis and has some very good principles. This has been a huge national undertaking and we can expect some bumps. I do not believe that this gives us an excuse to repeal a program that provides healthcare to millions of uninsured and underinsured citizens. Bottom line - do we want a healthcare system that works for some or for all Americans? | |||
| Yes | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| The citizens of Minnesota have voted on this measure and have approved it. I stand behind that vote. I do not believe in discrimination of any kind, be it sexual orientation, race or gender. | |||
| Yes | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| Yes | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| I think that it is obvious that it is in the best interest of US security to proactively prevent acts of aggression, especially nuclear attacks from hostile governments. | |||
| No | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| Social Security should remain under one umbrella. There are many opportunities for individuals to invest private dollars into private accounts. | |||
SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.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.
| Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Education | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Maintain Status | g) International aid | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Medical Research | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Space exploration | ||
| Maintain Status | k) United Nations | ||
| Maintain Status | l) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Payroll taxes | ||
| k) Other or expanded categories | |||
| I support the continuation of all of these programs. As a member of Congress, I believe we will need to look at all levels of spending and make appropriate changes. Our $17 trillion deficit needs to be addressed so all areas need to be scrutinized. | |||
| My most important issue is to get government to work together and to put the focus on people. To put the polarizing politics aside that has led our country into gridlock and shutdowns. There are many challenges that our country is facing. Their solutions are not Democratic nor Republican answers but answers that are best for the people. |
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