Paul Romero, Jr.'s Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
On The Ballot: Running, Republican for State Senate (OR) - District 1
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This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
Oregon Congressional Election 2020 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Although I am pro-life, I am fundamentally against the use of taxpayer dollars for the indescretion of any individual. This is a State issue, by the absence of this topic in the Constitution. States each must decide for themselves whether abortion should be legal or not, under what circumstances and time frames, should it be made legal. The secondary issue is whether voters should be on the hook to pay for it should it be made legal. I support abortion in the event of saving the mother, rape, and incest, but options to abortion should be made available prior. | |||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| No | Do you support expanding federal funding to support entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare? | ||
| This is two separate questions. Social Security is NOT an entitlement program and is primarily funded by those who are supposed to benefit by it along with proper money management by the Federal Government. It should be used as intended and protected. Medicare is to help, largely, our elderly population. I think reducing medical costs and pharmaceutical costs are a first step to making Medicare more effective, but it should be maintained for our elderly population. Start with removing the law that prevents Medicare from negotiating drug prices. This creates an over-priced drug market. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| This is a two part question, State and Federal. Laws exist and yet PACs/Super PACs make it easy to circumvent the intention of the law. Unions give to Democrats, Corporations give to both. The playing field should be level and fair, thus equal. Oregon State has laws that are too loose regarding campaign finance. Either remove all laws or enforce fair campaign finance laws. | |||
| Yes | Do you support increasing defense spending? | ||
| One of the main tenants of the Federal Government is to defend our nation. Considering our opposition with Russia and China we can't be complacent. An appropriate level of spending must be maintained in accordance with the needs to protect America. | |||
| No | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19? | ||
| Federal spending may be necessary in special circumstances, which I would consider. As for COVID-19, it was a greatly exagerated/perceived threat. Relief to Americans was a great action by our government. The stay at home order greatly reduced the number of cases and deaths. The next step is to get America back to work. The jury is largely still out on the COVID questions. Many businesses will suffer, others will not come back by an excessive stay at home order for businesses in rural areas. Time will tell. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | ||
| This is a States Rights Issue. Some standardization, driven by colleges, would be helpful for State educators. Some collaberation for this standardization between the States and Feds will be best. Notably, the inclusion of home schooling as an option and eliminating Common Core. Common Core, as admitted by Bill Gates, was a dismal failure. | |||
| No | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)? | ||
| No | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Alternative energy has its place, but private industry will develop it as it becomes economically viable. Billions wasted on Solar plants who failed as soon as Government money ran out. Water vapor and carbon dioxide are parts of the cycles on this planet that without them our planet would die. Common sense biology. | |||
| No | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| "Shall not be infringed" is fundamental. Gun control legislation does not address the criminals. It addresses the law abiding citizens that the 2nd Amendment was meant to protect. | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| No | Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19? | ||
| Obamacare was a dismal failure with wasted Billions and fully undermined the previous, well established, healthcare industry. For businesses to provide paid medical leave in these instances would bankrupt them out of hand. The businesses weren't responsible for the health crisis. China should be footing the bill, not American entrepreneurs. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border? | ||
| No | Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| Build two walls, one on the southern border and one on the northern border. In the vein of being reasonable, if the illegal immigrant is using public assistance, welfare, and or committed fraud in doing so then they should be removed from the country. We have a legal immigration process available to all. They need to follow it. We need good citizens. | |||
| Yes | Should the United States use military force to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a weapon of mass destruction (for example: nuclear, biological, chemical)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support reducing military intervention in Middle East conflicts? | ||
| It is the job of the Federal Government to protect our Nation in whatever capacity becomes necessary. We have treaties with allies all over the world and as a nation we must fulfill the treaties that we have signed until which time we cancel a treaty. I would not support any new treaties with any country that supports any kind of terrorism or hostility towards other countries. | |||
| No | Do you generally support removing barriers to international trade (for example: tariffs, quotas, etc.)? | ||
| Tariffs are a tool to help create jobs in friendly countries and the United States. This is a way to level the playing field, notably when there is a significant trade manipulation by a host country. China devalues their currency at their own whim and on purpose to improve their position. This increases the cost to America/Americans. | |||
| 1. To reteach history in our schools and extend the priorities of our nation. No new funding, teachers just teach history of America and world history. 2. Anything that would bring jobs to Oregon. Federal lands that we don't do logging in become open with proper timber sales and forest management. Harvesting timber would be self supporting and new trees would be planted. The Forest Service was the only Federal agency to actually make a profit until it was pulled into the Department of the Interior decades ago. It's time to reverse that course and recover Oregon's Timber Industry. |
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