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Derf Maitland's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Key

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.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Derf Maitland refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.

What is the Political Courage Test?
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.

Congressional Election 2006 National Political Awareness 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.
X b) Abortions should always be legal.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
X e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Prohibit public funding of abortions and to organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
The Federal Government should not be in the business of restricting choice. It should, however, streamline the adoption process, for adoptions within the United States and from without.

Using the key, indicate what federal funding levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category, you can use a number more than once.Budget Priorities

Slightly Decrease a) Agriculture
Greatly Increase b) Arts
Greatly Decrease c) Defense
Slightly Increase d) Education
Greatly Increase e) Environment
Slightly Increase f) Homeland security
Slightly Increase g) International aid
Maintain Status h) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase i) Medical research
Slightly Increase j) National parks
Slightly Increase k) Public health services
Greatly Increase l) Scientific research
Slightly Increase m) Space exploration programs
Slightly Decrease n) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Maintain Status o) Welfare
Maintain Status p) Emergency preparedness
q) Other or expanded categories

Defense Spending

Maintain Status a) Armed forces personnel training
Slightly Increase b) Intelligence operations
Greatly Decrease c) Military hardware
Slightly Decrease d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment
Greatly Decrease e) National missile defense
Maintain Status f) Pay for active duty personnel
Slightly Decrease g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Maintain Status h) Research and development of new weapons
Slightly Increase i) Troop and equipment readiness
Slightly Decrease j) Other or expanded categories
We need to slightly reduce the size of our military, yet increase quality.

Using the key above, indicate what federal tax levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.TaxesIncome Taxes:Family IncomeRetiree IncomeOther Taxes:Deductions/Credits:

Maintain Status a) Less than $25,000
Slightly Decrease b) $25,000-$75,000
Maintain Status c) $75,000-$150,000
Slightly Increase d) Over $150,000
e) Other or expanded categories
f) Over $40,000
g) Other or expanded categories
Slightly Increase a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Capital gains taxes
Slightly Increase c) Cigarette taxes
Slightly Decrease d) Corporate taxes
Greatly Increase e) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status f) Inheritance taxes
g) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Charitable contributions
Maintain Status b) Child tax credit
Maintain Status c) Earned income tax credit
Maintain Status d) Medical expense deduction
Maintain Status e) Mortgage deduction
Maintain Status f) Student loan credit
g) Other or expanded categories
No 4) Do you support the permanent repeal of the federal estate tax?
No 5) Do you support making President Bush's tax cuts permanent?
Reduce spending, increase revenues. We're still funding a cold war military - it's too large, too cumbersome and expensive; we need a leaner more agile defense department. There should also be some moderate targeted tax increases
Lift the sales tax moratorium on internet sales imposed by the Bush Administration. It puts local business at a disadvantage and robs the States of needed revenue.

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

X a) Support public taxpayer funding for federal candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
b) Increase the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
X c) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
d) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
e) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
X f) Require Section 527 organizations to register with the Federal Election Commission as Political Action Committees.
Yes g) Do you support instant run-off voting?
Yes h) Should Election Day be a national holiday?
No i) Do you support a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as a union between a man and woman?
The Federal Government must demand a better ballot access for third parties from the States, esp, for Federal Offices.

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

X a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with educational, 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.
X e) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
f) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
X g) Impose stricter penalties for those convicted of corporate crimes.
h) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
X i) Other or expanded principles
An ounce of prevention equals a poind of cure. The Government's dollars woud be much more effective by investing in programs that attempt to eliminate criminal atmosphere

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

a) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
X b) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
X c) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
X d) Allow doctors to recommend marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
X e) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
f) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs."
X g) Support a federal law to standardize testing and penalties for steroid use in professional sports.
Spend resources on "Dangerous" drugs - those dangerous to health, and those high profit drubs that breed the criminal element>

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

a) Support national standards for and testing of public school students.
X b) Allow parents to use vouchers, (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public school.
X c) Allow parents to use vouchers, (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any private or religious school.
d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
X e) Reward teachers with merit pay for working in low-income schools.
f) Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, technology).
g) Support affirmative action in public college admissions.
X h) Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
X i) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
We need a free market in our school system. Our present system was great 100 years ago; but now it's pushing all kids to the middle

1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action.

X a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
c) Provide tax credits or grants to businesses that offer child care services to employees.
X d) Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
e) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
X f) Increase the federal minimum wage.
g) Support the right of workers to strike without fear of being permanently replaced.
h) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
i) Other or expanded principles
a) The federal government should consider race and gender in government contracting decisions.
b) The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs.
c) The federal government should continue affirmative action programs.
d) 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.
X c) Support Clear Skies Act to reduce power plant emissions by setting a national cap on pollutants.
d) Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land.
e) Relax logging restrictions on federal lands.
f) Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage.
g) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
X h) Strengthen emission controls and fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
i) Support opening a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
X j) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
k) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
X l) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits.
X m) Support the Kyoto Protocol to limit global warming.
We should give both incentives and place mandated requirements on the automibile industry to greatly increase fuel efficiency standards. Why not shoot for 60mpg on average in 7 years, and 100mph in 15 years?

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

X a) Reauthorize the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
X b) Maintain and strengthen the current level of enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
c) Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
X f) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
X g) Require a license for gun possession.
h) Other or expanded principles

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

a) Providing health care is not a responsibility of the federal government.
X b) Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
c) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
X d) Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X e) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
X f) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
g) Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid.
X h) Support stem cell research on existing lines of stem cells.
X i) Allow laboratories to create new lines of stem cells for additional research.
X j) Other or expanded principles
The Federal Government must address the uncontrolled increases in health care costs. At its present pace, health care costs and/or insurance will be come unaffordable form the majority of Americans in the near future

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 that would enable illegal immigrants to work in the United States legally.
d) Relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from using government funded social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps).
e) Support amnesty for illegal immigrants already working in the United States.
Secure our borders to cut off the flow of illegal immigration; and deal with those already here in a reasonable way.

International AidIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding United States economic assistance.

X a) Aid should be granted to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
X b) Aid should be granted to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
X c) Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
d) International Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
e) Other or expanded principles

International Policy1) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the Middle East.2) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding Central and East Asia.3) Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the United Nations.

Yes 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?
Yes c) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
No d) Should the United States send more troops to Iraq?
Yes a) Should the United States use diplomatic and economic pressure to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program?
Undecided b) Should the United States use military force to dismantle the North Korean nuclear weapons program?
No c) Should the United States remove the North Korean government from power?
Yes d) Should the United States increase financial support to Afghanistan?
No e) Should the United States increase military support to Afghanistan?
f) Other or expanded principles
Yes a) Should the United States maintain its financial support of the United Nations?
No b) Should the United States decrease its financial support of the United Nations?
Yes c) Should the United States commit troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions?
d) Other or expanded principles
Yes 4) Should the United States lift the travel ban to Cuba?
Undecided 5) Should the United States increase its financial support to Colombia to combat "the war on drugs?"
Yes 6) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund distribution of contraceptives?
Undecided 7) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund abstinence education?
8) Other or expanded principles
Announce clearly defined exit steps (as outlined by the military) subject to clearly defined benchmarks of peace and order (as set by Congress/the Administration) If Iraqis want us out, then these benchmarks must be achieved.
We need to recognize Iran. For better or worse, they are a key player in Iraq and the Middle East. Let's start talking.

International TradeIndicate which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.

Undecided 1) Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
Undecided 2) Do you support the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA)?
Undecided 3) Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
Undecided 4) Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
Yes 5) Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) status with the United States?
No 6) Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
Yes 7) Should trade agreements include provisions to address environmental concerns and to protect workers' rights?
8) Other or expanded principles

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

Undecided a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
Undecided b) Should the United States grant law enforcement agencies greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks?
Yes c) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
Undecided d) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
Yes e) Do you support the prohibition of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment of prisoners in U.S. custody?
Undecided f) Do you support a policy of pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to U.S. national security?
Too many of the above are "blanket" statements - where a "case by case" basis would be more apt. For example, in both "a" and "f" who is doing the "deeming"? What is the standard? Or in "c", do we hold England or Germany responsible for terrorists who resided there?

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

a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
b) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government.
c) Invest a portion of Social Security assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of United States Treasury securities.
X d) Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form.
e) Lower the annual cost-of-living increases.
f) Raise the retirement age for individual eligibility to receive full Social Security benefits.
The choice is simple, yet the decision hard; Social Security will become insolvent unless the matter is addressed: You either increase Taxes or reduce benefits. I call for a moderate amount of both.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding technology and communication.

X a) Collect taxes on commercial Internet transactions.
b) Continue the moratorium on Internet taxation.
c) Implement government regulation of Internet content.
X d) Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television.
X e) Support strict penalties for Internet crimes (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
X f) Support legislation to detail how personal information can be collected and used on the Internet.
g) Regulating the Internet is not a responsibility of the federal government.
h) 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.
X b) Increase funding for child care programs.
X c) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
d) Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based, or other non-profit organizations.
e) Abolish all federal welfare programs.
f) Support housing assistance for welfare recipients.
g) Other or expanded principles
Through incentives and regulation, congress must mandate a significant increase in the miles per gallon standards for our cars and trucks: it will help our environment, reduce CO2 emissions, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and save us all money. We need to get out of Iraq, in a measured, but definite way. We need to fund excellence in education, especially in the arts and sciences.

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