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Andy Caffrey's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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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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Andy Caffrey has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2018 Political Courage Test.

What is the Political Courage Test?

California Congressional Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Pro-choice Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
Yes In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
Yes In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
I support a shift in tax policy to internalize the social and ecological costs of products. We should tax "the bads," like fossil fuels, and subsidize "the goods," like converting lawns to organic gardens, converting buildings for use as affordable housing, and free public transportation
Yes Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
Yes Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
No Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
Because we allowed politicians to keep us on fossil fuels to the point where our polar ice sheets are now collapsing and 20 feet of sea level increase this century is unstoppable according to NASA, we need to declare a climate national emergency federal program to rebuild a sustainable infrastructure to get off fossil fuels in ten years. This infrastructure would be designed locally around fitting ecologically into our bioregions, but funded by federal funds from reducing our military, ending the war on drugs, and restoring high top tax brackets on rich individuals and families and large corporations.
Yes Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
Yes Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
Yes Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
Twenty years ago I was the first and only person to warn of the urgent threat to polar ice sheets from accumulating greenhouse gasses. In 2014, NASA announced that the collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is now "unstoppable" along with 20 feet of rapid sea level increase starting in the next few decades. Sixty years ago when I was born CO2 was 315 ppm. Now it is over 410 ppm. Reform measures failed. The climate denialists who got us here are traitors who have doomed 132 nations with ocean coastlines and 80 of the 100 largest cities.
Yes Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
I support bans on semi-automatic rifles, high-capacity magazines, bumpstocks and ending gun show loopholes. But because nonviolent farmers with marijuana convictions can't own guns in a community ravaged with violent and armed thieves, I can not support at this time mandatory background checks. I do support cannabis delisting and full federal legalization. Once that has happened and some kind of pardon or purging of farming and transportation convictions is implemented, I will support mandatory background checks.
No Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
I support Medicare for All. Preventive care for everyone is critical for our nation's health and security, especially in this time of climate change which is bringing new invasive tropical diseases to our shores. Healthy individuals means healthy communities and a healthy nation.
No 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?
Yes Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
As a 2012 Democratic Congressional candidate, I smoked a joint as a direct action protest against President Obama coming into our district to shut down our medical cannabis dispensaries. This got me on MSNBC twice (see my youtube videos) where I called out the president, saying "No one should spend another hour in jail for marijuana. No one, especially our veterans, should feel ashamed to take their medicine. Thousands of people really suffer when he shuts down our dispensaries. It worked! He then announced ending mandatory minimums for marijuana, clemency to reduce sentences, and he would cease shutting down dispensaries
No Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
No Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
Since 2011, I've called for an electoral revolution to replace corporatist politicians with community leaders. Bernie joined the cause with his political revolution. Now it's our turn to win! I've signed the Contract for American Renewal, a contractual obligation to the people of CA-2 to introduce legislation within six months of taking office for a $15 minimum wage, infrastructure development, taxing the elites, taking bold action on climate destabilization, ending the war in Afghanistan, expanding Social Security and Medicare, ending corporate personhood and reversing Citizens United, free college tuition at public colleges and universities, and reversing globalist trade agreements!

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