DeeDee Vaughters' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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DeeDee Vaughters has demonstrated Political Courage by telling citizens where she stands on the issues she may face if elected.
South Carolina State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortions be illegal after 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? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| In the case of rape or incest; I would like for there to be couciling with the victim on adoption and other options other than abortion. However, if the mental status of the victim following the crime is such that the pregnancy is harmful to the mother; only then would I support the choice of abortion. | |||
1) State Spending:Using the key, indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.2) State Taxes:Using the key,indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.3) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing South Carolina's budget.4) Public Pensions:To mitigate South Carolina's public pension shortfall, do you support:
| Greatly Decrease | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Environment | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) Health care | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Welfare | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Other or expanded categories: | ||
| Eliminate | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Eliminate | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Eliminate | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Eliminate | d) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Eliminate | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Eliminate | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | h) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | j) Other or expanded categories: | ||
| No | a) Tapping into South Carolina's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | c) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | ||
| Yes | d) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Reducing benefits of current state employees? | ||
| Yes | b) Ending the Teacher and Employee Retention Incentive (TERI) program for future employees? | ||
| Yes | c) Reducing cost-of-living adjustments for current and future employees? | ||
| Yes | d) Requiring state employees to work longer before retiring? | ||
| Yes | e) Increasing employee contributions by current and future employees? | ||
| Yes | f) Preventing employees from factoring unused sick and vacation days into benefit calculations? | ||
| I feel strongly that there can be no budget expansion or increases without a Zero Based Budgeting approach being applied first. Justify the spend on a per line item basis before any more money is appropriated. | |||
| As a supporter of the fair tax; I would like to see all other taxes be eliminated and the fair tax be implemented in its place. This would mean a slightly larger sales tax paid by all citizens; but only if ALL other taxes were eliminated. | |||
| In addition, pension benefits for part-time legislators should be eliminated. Currently, their retirement is better than full-time teachers, firemen, and policemen. They work 72 days a year and should not be able to receive any benefits at all. | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| No | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| No | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| No | b) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| I believe that a person, PAC or corporation should get to spend their money in whatever way they choose. However, I believe that political giving should be completely transparent and fully reported. I do not think that any government appointed organization should be in charge of redistricting. I think that there are 46 counties and we should have 1 Senator for each county. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| No | e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support efforts to increase limits on unions in South Carolina? | ||
| No | c) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| No | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| No | e) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | g) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| No | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| No | c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers? | ||
| No | d) Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from South Carolina high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| As for the national Common Core State Standards; I would like to see the federal government out of education altogether. I believe in school choice through tax credits; not vouchers. I would like to see private companies provide the financial aid; not the state of South Carolina. | |||
| No | 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 opening South Carolina's waters to offshore drilling? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to South Carolina's energy infrastructure? | ||
| No | e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| Infrastructure is a core function of government. This is predominantly where all government monies should be spent....infrastructure and protection (military, police, fire, etc.) of the people. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| No | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| I believe in constitutional carry of guns. It is your right as long as you are a US Citizen and have not been convicted of a violent crime. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring individuals 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 allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| Being able to purchase health insurance across state lines would drive down the costs of health insurance, prevent monopolies, promote free market capitalism and ensure choice in the market place. | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| No | b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in South Carolina's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in South Carolina's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| 1. The elimination of the $8.2 billion dollar Other Fund. These monies are not subject to recorded votes or state spending caps They should be rolled into the General Fund where the appropriation would be transparent. 2. Judicial Reform - SC Supreme Court Judges should be appointed by the Governor with advice and consent. 3. The elimation of pension plans for part-time legislators. Each of these reforms would not require any additional funding. |
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