Peter Wells' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Oregon State Legislative 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) Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| No | f) Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | ||
| No | h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| a) - I am pro-choice with limitations. I am consistent with Roe v. Wade, in that in the first trimester the Woman has more options than later in the pregnancy. If I had chosen "pro-choice I would have been expected to prohibit all abortion. b) After the first trimester health of mother or fetus may justify abortion e) Normally I would expect the minor and parents to consult. There are cases where to do so would be hazardous to the minor. h) There should be provision to opt out of comprehensive sexual education | |||
1) State SpendingIndicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category- you can use a number more than once.2) State TaxesIndicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category- you can use a number more than once.3) Budget StabilizationIndicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Oregon's budget.
| Slightly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into Oregon's "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Redirecting excess income tax collections to a permanent "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | c) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| No | d) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| Yes | e) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Yes | g) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| a) Try to increase spending b) The goal is to increase education to a CPI-adjusted level of 4 years ago with a longer term goal of implementing the quality education model of several years ago. e) We need to reform the extraordinary cost of corrections. We need to consider whether we can continue to afford capital punishment and the mandatory sentencing. f) Transportation infrastructure will decrease with less funding from federal stimulus support. | |||
| These are my thoughts today, subject to change as I learn more of the issues ad problems of state finance. a) Taxes should be increased to reflect changes in the economy since the last increase. b) We may have reached the limit that discourages smoking to reduce health care costs and improve health. c) With the adoption of measures 66 and 67 we have reached the limit of the ability to tax corps. d) I support the increase scheduled to go into effect 1/11. Too soon to increase in '11. Maybe later I've run out of room. | |||
| In each case that I responded "Yes" I want more information before implementing. b) We need to reform the "kicker" to provide for the "rainy day" g) I did not answer "no" because there may be some services that can be privatized. I don't think corrections is in that category, but there may be others. | |||
d) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| Yes | a) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Oregon governors? | ||
| No | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Oregon state legislators? | ||
| Yes | c) Should the Oregon state legislature be required to convene in annual sessions? | ||
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| No | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| No | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | e) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| c) Limit the session in even numbered years to about 30 days. We can't adequately budget for the full two year budget and we shouldn't rely on the emergency board over the full legislature. d) The US and Oregon Constitutions and creativity of the candidates and campaign committees limit our ability to limit contributions. We can encourage voluntary limits, but those wouldn't limit truly independent campaign committees. We should give the voters as much information as possible. | |||
| Yes | 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) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| Yes | d) Should minors accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as adults? | ||
| No | e) Should minors who send 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? | ||
| a) Yes, for very limited circumstances. I'm not sure we afford it, considering how seldom it is imposed and the extreme cost of prosecution, defense, and appeals. c) It already is decriminalized by being an infraction. I will await the decision of the public on further changes. d) In very limited circumstances e) Not criminal charges, but should be considered to be part of the juvenile justice system f) We can't afford it. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | e) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| a) It depends on the regulation. There may or may not be areas that can be reduced. e) We have to balance the cost to the resources available. We may not be able to afford to do so. f) probably not. I can't think of an appropriate program, but there may be one out there. | |||
| No | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| No | b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| Yes | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Oregon high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| a) goals, not standards b) We need to accommodate special needs students and other special cases c) only if we can adequately judge merit. It can't be based on student test scores alone. There are too many factors the influence student performance other than the merit of the teacher. d) Somehow charter schools should be more closely linked to the local school dist. e) a long term goal that we may not be able to afford now. We already provide financial aid with state support of the Oregon University System and community colleges | |||
| 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 providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Oregon's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| c) d) and e) - When we can afford it. Not in 2011 f) To a very limited extent now. Those who will incur the charges are recently subject to referendum items 66 and 67. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| a) We are severely limited by the Chicago case recently decided by the US Supreme Court. I support background checks and limitations in some public places, such as municipal courtrooms. c) with a permit d) concealed weapons only | |||
| 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) Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support continuing to allow physician-assisted suicide in Oregon? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| b) No additional expansion until the federal law has been in effect for a few years. d) we should have universal coverage. The purchase may be subsidized for those in need. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Oregon allow same-sex couples to form domestic partnerships? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support state funding for stem cell research? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state's use of affirmative action? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Oregon's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Oregon's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| c) and d) if we can find the funds. | |||
| My first priority would be to balance the budget with as little pain as possible. Second is to find ways to support small business to grow jobs. My general principals are to allow local government to represent its community with few limitations or control from Salem and to encourage open government. |
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