Mark Plaster's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
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Mark Plaster has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Maryland Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| As a physician for over 30 years I have spent my career in emergency medicine saving lives, so yes, I would be considered pro-life. However, the Supreme Court and the voters of Maryland have spoken on the issue of abortion. This issue will not be a part of this campaign. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| National security is an essential function of government and we must give the brave men and women who fight for our freedom the tools they need to do the job. I support changing the way the Defense department budgets to incentivize cost saving measures at the ground level. The national debt is skyrocketing because of out-of-control spending and a flagging economy, not for lack of taxation. I will support measures that encourage the economy to rebound and reduce needless government spending. Reforming the tax code, to make it fairer will be a priority. | |||
| No | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Political speech is one of the rights in the Constitution that is foundational to a free and open society. Regulation of political speech is therefore fraught with unintended consequences. Therefore I will tend to support more information for the voters, not less. | |||
| Yes | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| No | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| I personally support the appropriate use of capital punishment. Again, this is in the purview of the Supreme Court and will not be an issue in this campaign. There are cases where incarceration simply does not achieve the justice the government has a duty to deliver to the citizens. The question of when incarceration is appropriate is best settled by the court of law at the lowest level possible. It's a balance to be tough on crime and determining individuals who need treatment not imprisonment. Crimes for drug law infractions are a state matter. | |||
| No | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| The best way for the government to stimulate the economy is to streamline regulations and taxes. Compliance with our current tax code and regulatory burden is a massive non-revenue generating cost on businesses that prevent investment and hiring. Lowering the tax burden is important but equally important is streamlining the current tax system to ease the burden of compliance. Lowering taxes requires trimming government spending. A balanced budget is just as important as lowering taxes. We need to look at the taxes imposed on industries and see if relieving some of the taxes would create or keep jobs in America. | |||
| No | Do you generally support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | ||
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| I support the election standards that are enumerated in the Constitution. I do not support the federal government requiring anything beyond those standards. | |||
| Yes | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| No | Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| I support grants for research in all types of energy development. But, no, I do not support subsidizing certain players in that market. As we've seen with the Solyndra scandal, government investment in the development of renewable energy can have unintended consequences that the American people end up having to pay for. It would be far better to allow for commercial and private interests to develop renewable energy. They can spend and re-allocate money far better than the government can and energy companies have the biggest commercial incentive to develop renewable energy sources. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| No | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| We effect our environment. But to what level, I'm unsure. There were many instances before the industrial revolution when large fluctuations in global temperatures took place in short time spans, the causes of which are speculative. Reducing emissions is always a good idea, but we need to consider the human element of this. What we don't want to do is enact policies based on poorly understood scientific theories that result in job losses and destroy communities. We should remember that the pundits who shout about global warming aren't the ones who will face the cost of the policies they promote. | |||
| No | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| The Second Amendment was intended to provide for citizens to protect themselves. Excessive gun control of law abiding citizens simply leads to more vulnerability to criminals. I would support the actions of family and medical providers to remove the access to all means of violence, of those deemed to be a potential danger to themselves and others. Just as the President and members of Congress are afforded the right to protection by those armed with a variety of weapons, the average American should likewise be afforded the same. | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| I support replacing the ACA with the principles contained in the House bill HR 2300, namely the provision for a refundable tax credit for all Americans for the purchase of health insurance on a national market, the provision for high-risk pools, liability reform, and other measures that will lower the total cost of care while lowering health insurance premiums and deductibles. | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| The first step is to secure the border and enforce current laws concerning illegal entry and overstaying visas. The second step is to make every undocumented immigrant get in line for consideration for a legal status of some kind. The incentives for citizenship should always favor those who have entered legally, but massive deportation is simply not practical. | |||
| No | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| While my faith informs my views of marriage, this is a legal issue that has already been decided by the Supreme Court. I will abide by that decision. | |||
| Yes | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| Unknown Position | Do you support increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support? | ||
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| This would require more information to answer. Military intervention, economic, weapons support for allies? I am not for US "intervention" in Syria. I might support increasing various levels of support for allied forces. | |||
| Yes | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| It is my firm belief and promise that no action should or will be taken to change the level of benefits for those at or nearing retirement age. For those who are much younger, however, for whom Social Security is in danger of not being available when they reach retirement age, I would support a variety of approaches that would insure the solvency of Social Security while providing the maximum freedom and flexibility for younger taxpayers. | |||
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 | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Arts | ||
| Greatly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Environment | ||
| Greatly Increase | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Medical Research | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Slightly Decrease | j) Space exploration | ||
| Slightly Decrease | k) United Nations | ||
| Slightly Decrease | l) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| Invest in measures to protect the homeland and advance the national interest. Project a clear coherent foreign policy to reassure our friends and deter our enemies. And modernize and increase the size and capability of our military for maximum readiness. Replace ObamaCare with truly affordable health insurance without rationing or compromising quality. Provide universal access to all patients through subsidized insurance in high-risk pools and ensure affordable deductibles by eliminating state-wide health insurance monopolies and substituting competition across state lines. Reward healthy lifestyles with insurance costs tailored to reduced risks. Promote health care reforms that work for us, not Washington. | |||
| I will work to create a business-friendly environment to encourage job growth that results in better-paying jobs. Invest in growth engines that drive our economy: small business, startups, and innovation. We need to bring jobs back to America by lowering the corporate income tax rate, keeping large employers here, and unleashing billions stashed in foreign bank accounts. And streamline or eliminate suffocating regulations that kill investment and destroy jobs. | |||
| Create a business-friendly environment that results in job growth and invests in growth engines: small business and startups. Bring jobs back to America by lowering the corporate income tax rate and streamline regulations. Project a clear coherent foreign policy to reassure our friends and deter our enemies. Modernize and increase the size and capability of our military for maximum readiness. Replace ObamaCare with truly affordable health insurance without rationing or compromising quality. Provide universal access to all patients through subsidized insurance in high-risk pools. Ensure affordable deductibles by eliminating state-wide health insurance monopolies and substituting competition across state lines. |
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