Edd Blackler's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Montana 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| The choice whether to bring a child into this world needs to be a personal decision free from governmental interference or regulation. | |||
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 Montana's budget.
| Slightly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Business equipment taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Oil and natural gas production taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | k) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Yes | a) Establishing a "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| No | c) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | d) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | e) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| No | f) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| Every department needs to be scrutinized for areas of wasteful spending and possible savings. | |||
| Property taxes must be reformed. It is inhumane to cause elderly owners to lose their private residence due to the inability to pay their property taxes. | |||
| The legislature needs to determine precisely what services need to be provided, and then work cooperatively to devise a means to generate the necessary funds to be able to pay for the services an a cash basis. | |||
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 Montana governors? | ||
| No | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Montana 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? | ||
| It's time to take influential funding out of the election process. Some form of election reform that levels the playing field needs to be enacted. Until we can find a way to elect 'statesmen' instead of 'bought and paid for' politicians, we will not see the necessary change that will provide true sustainability. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Capital punishment has proven to be more expensive than lifetime incarceration, and it doesn't appear to be an effective deterrent. The state desperately needs better methods to deal with crimes connected to addiction. Any use of marijuana leads to criminal actions eventually. Our courts need to have the ability to make discretionary decisions on a case by case basis. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| My support for these measures is tempered by the precise means that they may be implemented. I favor administering aid as a 'leg up' rather than a 'hand out'. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Montana high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| Imposing a "one size fits all" standard fails to consider the many differences that are present in America. Proof of legal immigration should be required for admittance to our public schools. | |||
| 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 Montana's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state management of wolf hunting in Montana? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| The State and Federal government need to be involved in the transition from fossil fuels to other forms of energy. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| Guns are only a means to an end. More attention needs to be paid to addressing the reasons that cause individuals to seek the end that they pursue which results in the use of a gun. | |||
| 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 Montana? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| Re: (g) If a doctor feels that a prescription for marijuana is necessary, it should then be available from a pharmacy. | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Montana 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 Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| There needs to be greater attention given to the elements of human respect and the equality of mankind in our education system. | |||
| My focus will be to fulfill the responsibility of working with fellow legislators to adapt a fiscally responsible budget that meets the mandates of the Montana Constitution. I think our property tax system needs to be reformed. We need to be careful to make sure that our air, water, and public lands are protected. We must accept the fact that the world is a sphere, a sphere has one side, and as humans, we are all on the same side. |
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