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William Durston's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
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Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
What is the Political Courage Test?

California Congressional Election 2008 Political Courage Test

The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester.
d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Dilation and extraction or "partial-birth" abortion procedures should be legal.
g) Medicare, Medicaid, and federal subsidies should be prohibited from being used on abortion procedures.
I believe that abortion is a poor form of birth control, but that this option should be kept available, legal, and safe for a woman who becomes pregnant and who does not feel she is prepared to care for a child. I respect the views of those who oppose abortion, but I believe that the decision of whether or not to terminate a pregnancy should ultimately be left to the patient and her physician. The patient may consult other sources if she wishes, but I do not believe that others should seek to impose their views on the patient.

Indicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.1) Budget Priorities2) Defense Spending3) TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.Family Income TaxesOther TaxesDeductions/Credits

a) Agriculture
b) Arts
c) Defense
d) Education
e) Environment
f) FEMA
g) Homeland security
h) International aid
i) Law enforcement (Federal)
j) Law enforcement (State)
k) Medical research
l) National parks
m) Public health services
n) Scientific research
o) Space exploration programs
p) Transportation and highway infrastructure
q) United Nations
r) Welfare
a) Armed forces personnel training
b) Intelligence operations
c) Military hardware
d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment
e) National missile defense
f) Pay for active duty personnel
g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
h) Research and development of new weapons
i) Troop and equipment readiness
a) Less than $12,000
b) $12,001-$40,000
c) $40,001-$100,000
d) $100,001-$180,000
e) $180,001-$350,000
f) $350,001 and above
a) Alcohol taxes
b) Capital gains taxes
c) Cigarette taxes
d) Corporate taxes
e) Gasoline taxes
f) Inheritance taxes
a) Charitable contribution deduction
b) Child tax credit
c) Earned income tax credit
d) Medical expense deduction
e) Mortgage deduction
f) Student loan credit
4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
5) Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
The United States spends as much on its military as the next 10 leading countries of the world combined. This cannot be construed as "defense spending." As a decorated combat veteran of Vietnam, I will work to keep our country strong and to provide our veterans with the support they need, but I will oppose continuing to divert massive human and financial resources toward war and preparation for war. Instead, I will work to redirect these resources toward rebuilding our infrastructure and economy and toward meeting the needs of our own people.
See answer to question #1.
I will work to close loopholes that allow some of the wealthiest individuals and corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. I will work to reduce wasteful spending in order to balance the budget and reduce the overall tax burden on all Americans.
I do not propose dramatic changes in the above taxes, except to close loopholes that allow some of the wealthiest individuals and corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
I do not propose dramatic changes in the above deductions and credits. I will work toward a system of universal access to affordable health care, toward affordable housing, and toward affordable public education.
I do not propose any dramatic change in the current federal estate tax law. I do support balancing the budget every year, except in unusual or emergent situations. Starting a war and military occupation on false pretenses is not an appropriate justification for massive budget deficits.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.

a) Support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
b) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
c) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
d) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
e) Support prohibiting ads containing candidates' name that are paid for by third parties from airing 60 days before a primary and 30 days before a general federal election.
X f) Support instant run-off voting (IRV).
X g) Support designating Election Day as a national holiday.
h) Support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations.
X i) Support limiting the President's use of signing statements in order to prevent an alternative interpretation of the bill.
X j) Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
It has been said that the United States is the "best democracy that money can buy." I believe that members of Congress and the executive branch are both unduly influenced by special interests as a result of the large financial contributions that special interests make to their campaigns. I will work toward public campaign financing to help take back our government from the special interests that currently control it. I do not myself take contributions from corporate political action committees. I will also work to close loopholes which allow incumbents to use taxpayers' money for partisan politicking.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
X b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
e) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
f) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
X g) Support strict penalties for internet crime (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
X h) Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
The death penalty is not applied equitably in our country. People of color and the poor are much more likely to be sentenced to death than other people convicted of similar crimes. There is no convincing evidence to show that the death penalty is an effective deterrent against homicide, or that it provides significant solace to victims' families. Finally, there are many documented cases in which people have been executed for crimes which they were later proved not to have committed. For these reasons, I oppose the death penalty.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

X a) Support the federal government funding universal pre-K programs.
b) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
c) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
e) Increase funding for the Pell Grant program.
f) Decrease interest rates of Stafford Loans.
g) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
X h) Ban university financial aid officers from owning stock in or accepting gifts from student loan lenders.
X i) Require universities to disclose financial relationships with lenders.
j) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
k) Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
While I support holding teachers and students to reasonable standards, I believe that the so-called "No Child Left Behind" Act has failed miserably. This law places undue emphasis on repeated testing of rote memory in math, science, and English, at the expense of fostering a life-long love for learning, critical thinking skills, and well-rounded students. The law also includes an unfunded mandate that fails to take into account the socio-economic backgrounds of students, resulting in poor schools becoming poorer. If the NCLB law cannot be completely overhauled, it should be eliminated.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

X a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that retrain displaced workers or teach skills needed in today’s job market.
b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector.
X c) Encourage employers to offer child care services, flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
X d) Increase the federal minimum wage.
X e) Support the right of workers to unionize.
f) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
X g) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
X h) Include gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws.
i) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

X a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
X b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
c) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
X d) Strengthen emission controls on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
X e) Strengthen fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
f) Support domestic oil exploration in areas that are currently restricted.
X g) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels.
h) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
i) Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source.
j) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws.
X k) Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
l) Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming.
I will work to reduce our dependence on foreign oil through promoting energy conservation, developing alternative energy sources, and expanding public transportation. I will support increased oil exploration and production in our own country in places in which there is good scientific evidence that the benefits of a short-term increase in oil production will not be outweighed by damage to our environment. Finally, I will support legislation to prevent oil companies and speculators from making exorbitant profits at the expense of the American people who are finding it increasingly difficult to balance their own budgets.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.On (c) and (d), indicate what levels (#1-6) you support for the following categories.

a) Allow individuals to carry concealed guns.
b) Ban the sale, ownership or possession of handguns except by law enforcement and other government officials.
c) Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
As a former expert marksman in the U.S. Marines and an emergency physician, I'm appalled by the epidemic of gun-related deaths and injuries in our country. Medical research shows that guns in the home are much more likely to kill or injure a household member than to protect against an attacker. As a U.S. congressman, I will work to pass sensible firearm legislation similar to the laws in other civilized countries that have only a small fraction of the gun violence in the U.S. but still allow legitimate hunters and target shooters to practice their sports.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

X a) Implement a universal healthcare program to guarantee coverage to all Americans, regardless of income.
X b) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
X c) Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.
X d) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
X e) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
X f) Support expanding child healthcare programs.
g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.
As an Emergency Physician, it has always been my philosophy that access to necessary medical care is a basic human right, not a privilege based upon one's ability to pay. The United States spends twice as much per capita on health care as most other democratic, industrialized countries, yet ranks below average in overall measures of quality, and is the only country that does not provide some form of universal health care coverage for all its residents. As a U.S. Congressman, I will work toward a system of universal access to affordable, high quality care for all our residents.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.

a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
b) Establish English as the official national language.
X c) Support a temporary worker program.
d) Support harsher financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
f) Illegal immigrants should have to return to their countries of origin before being considered for citizenship.
g) Illegal immigrants should be given a pathway to citizenship.
h) Support merit-based visas over family-based visas.
If we are ever to make progress on the issue of illegal immigration, we must replace the politics of hatred and fear with policies based on reason and understanding. I believe that a measured, stepwise, sensible approach to illegal immigration is in order, and that this approach should include respect for the rule of law at the same time that it includes respect for the dignity of human beings and for the contributions of immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, to our society. I support a pathway to legal residence for undocumented immigrants who have been living peaceful, productive lives.

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international aid.International PolicyIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international policy.International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

X a) Support the United States granting aid to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
X b) Support the United States granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
c) Eliminate United States aid for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
d) Aid granted by the United States should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
Yes b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
c) Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
d) Should the United States support the Lebanese government against insurgent forces?
No e) Should the United States maintain its troop levels in Iraq?
Yes f) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
h) Should the United States apply greater economic and diplomatic sanctions against North Korea if it fails to abide by its agreement to suspend its nuclear program?
i) Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
j) Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
k) Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?
l) Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?
m) Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?
n) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?
o) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
p) Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?
q) Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?
r) Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?
a) Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?
b) Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?
c) Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?
d) Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?
Humanitarian aid is a far more cost-effective and moral approach to preventing terrorism than military invasions and occupations.
The United States has failed to provide significant leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We must hold all sides to the same standard of accountability if we are to provide leadership in this conflict. We should have learned our lesson from the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon that we cannot secure peace in the Middle East through military force. I will not vote for one cent for further funding of U.S. military operations in Iraq that is not tied to a prompt, orderly, and complete withdrawal of U.S. troops.
There are very few points on which I agree with George W. Bush. I do agree with Bush's statement during his 2000 presidential campaign, though, that it should not be the job of the United States to police the rest of the world. I support strengthening the United Nations to take the lead role in resolving international conflict and in preventing human rights violations in other countries.
I support free trade, but free trade agreements must contain protections for workers and the environment, not just corporations. Current free trade agreements, such as NAFTA and CAFTA, have led to the loss of good-paying jobs in the U.S. to low-paid workers toiling under unsafe and undignified conditions in other countries, and to the degradation of the environment in those countries. I will work to revise these types of trade agreements to bring good paying jobs back to the U.S., and to reverse our massive trade deficit.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.

No a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
b) Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks?
c) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
d) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
No e) Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security?
f) Do you support the creation of a federal identification card system?
No g) Do you support long-term use of National Guard troops to supplement the armed forces in assignments overseas?
No h) Should the United States expand its missile defense shield?
i) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

Yes a) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
No b) Do you support a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman?
Yes c) Do you support federal funding for research on existing embryonic stem cell lines?
d) Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?
e) Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?
Yes f) Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?
g) Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?
h) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.

a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts that they manage themselves.
b) Ensure the viability of Social Security by increasing the payroll tax.
c) Decrease benefits paid to retirees.
d) Support proportional increases of Social Security benefits based on the cost of living index.
e) Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
f) Other or expanded principles

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

a) Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
b) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
c) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
d) Abolish all federal welfare programs.
e) Other or expanded principles
Please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.

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