Ted Downing's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Arizona State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| i) Other or expanded principles | |||
1) State SpendingIndicate 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 TaxesIndicate 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 StabilizationIndicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Arizona's budget.
| Slightly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Yes | a) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| No | b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | c) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | d) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Yes | e) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| Expansions are contingent upon finding revenue sources. These require BOTH political parties to stop posturing on budget issues and work together line by line rather than sound bite by sound bite. | |||
| In Arizona, properties that cross county lines are accessed by the legislature. For years, they have been getting special breaks. If centrally accessed property taxes go down, both business and residences must carry a larger burden. To slightly increase taxes may NOT be necessary if we could gain more | |||
| Review of centrally assessed properties. Review all previous tax incentives whose usefulness has long expired...meaning that a tax incentive has become a tax subsidy. Consider new tax incentives with a sunset (limited time) based on their likelihood of stimulating job creation in the State. | |||
c) 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 Arizona governors? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Arizona state legislators? | ||
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | d) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| As a nonpartisan, I am deeply concerned about special considerations made to political parties that limit the free speech and competitiveness of independent and nonpartisan candidates like myself. Our Citizens Clean Elections Law, for example, handicaps nonpartisan candidates, granting them only 70% of a partisan candidate. Expenditures by a political party in favor of a candidate are not considered to be ok, while corporate and individual contributions are subject to limits and matching. Level the playing field for ALL candidates. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | 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 a comprehensive ban on text messaging while driving? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| ref g. Enforcement can undercut vital public safety services. My nonpartisan committee has developed a workable border and homeland security plan (at www.votedowning.com under issues) that reduces this burden on law enforcement. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | b) Do you support the reauthorization of the payday lending industry? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| Relaxing of gov't regulations (item a) varies with each regulation, but I am not in favor of deregulation in the areas of health and safety. Mt. Lemmon Highway used widely in my district was such a infrastructure investment. It does to the top of a mountain...nowhere to some ... but stimulate the recreation, ski lift and tourism business. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| Yes | 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 Arizona high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| Yes | 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 Arizona'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? | ||
| Re a and b, we should shift our mix from b to a. Traditional sources should be for innovations that save energy. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles | |||
| 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 legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Arizona? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| d) assuming they are employed and over a certain income level. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Arizona allow same-sex couples to form civil unions? | ||
| 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 Arizona's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Arizona's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Arizona is recovering more slowly than most states. Our traditional economic base is gone and finding a viable MIX of economic activities and the jobs they generate is my first priority. Second, the extreme gridlock in the legislature is a result of non-cooperation between the two political parties. A poll by the Morrison Institute shows over 80% of Arizonans favor nonpartisan primary elections....which tones down the partisanship and gives everyone a voice, if they want to speak. Governance reform to give us a responsive legislature is my second priority...particularly since I am a nonpartisan candidate. |
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