Ken Wolski's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Ken Wolski has demonstrated Political Courage by telling citizens where he stands on the issues he may face if elected.
New Jersey Congressional Election 2012 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| The vast majority of abortions are done spontaneously by Nature itself. I support a woman's right to a legal and safe induced abortion. I believe a woman should have complete autonomy over her body. During the first trimester of pregnancy the decision to terminate should be completely the woman's. The question of whether or not to have an abortion beyond the first trimester should be decided in the privacy of the doctor-patient relationship, in the best interest of the pregnant woman, with no government interference. | |||
| No | Do you support United States' combat operations in Afghanistan? | ||
| Yes | Do you support a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan? | ||
| We should immediately begin withdrawing from Afghanistan and not engage in similar enterprises. | |||
Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing the federal budget.In order to balance the budget,
| Yes | do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| Yes | do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| No | do you support reducing Medicaid spending? | ||
| No | do you support reducing Medicare spending? | ||
| Yes | Is balancing the budget a legislative priority? | ||
| There must be major reductions in defense spending (25% to start), moderate income tax increases on millionaires and no reduction on Medicare and Medicaid spending, in fact, greatly expanding Medicare. A balanced budget is a legislative priority. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| The political process in America is inherently corrupting because of its reliance on money. Politicians in America no longer represent the people of the United States, they represent their largest financial donors--special interests and corporations. The Greens do not accept corporate donations. This is our strength==that we represent the people. We will not be a government of the corporations, by the corporations and for the corporations. | |||
| No | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| After 22 years with the NJ Department of Corrections, I have become a firm opponent of the death penalty. I have worked with organizations in NJ to successfully abolish the death penalty in this state. The death penalty is a flawed and inhumane policy and it is ineffective as a deterrent. The death penalty should be abolished throughout this country. | |||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | Do you support spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the temporary extension of unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the 2010 temporary extension of tax relief? | ||
| Jill Stein is the Green Party candidate for president of the United States. She has proposed a Green New Deal which is a program to provide full employment in the U.S. I support this Green New Deal. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| Requiring teachers to have their students score high on standardized tests in order to reap financial benefit stops teachers from encouraging independent thinking in the classroom. Education reform requires a much more fundamental approach in our society that begins with stabilizing the family structure in our inner cities by ending the constant warfare on our own citizens. Ending the War on Drugs is a prerequisite to education reform. Children are only in the classroom for a few hours a day--the majority of their education and development takes place in the home. | |||
| No | Do you support reducing restrictions on offshore energy production? | ||
| I do not support offshore drilling for oil. I support the development of alternative energy sources such as solar power, wind power and geothermal power. I proudly drive a Prius that gets 50 mpg. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| I support the right of Americans to own guns. However, there should be background checks required for the purchase of guns. Further, automatic weapons have no place in a personal arsenal. | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| No | Should individuals be required to purchase health insurance, as mandated in the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| I support free, universal health care for all Americans through an expanded Medicare program. Our current healthcare system focuses too much attention on profit, and not enough on outcome. The ACA should be repealed because it greatly increases the wealth of private insurance companies by forcing Americans to purchase their product. We do not need a middleman. We already pay enough money to provide universal health care for all Americans; we are simply not getting it. Health care is a right--not a privilege for the wealthy or those lucky enough to be covered by some accident of employment. | |||
| No | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| Yes | Do you support allowing illegal immigrants, who were brought to the United States as minors, to pursue citizenship without returning to their country of origin? | ||
| No | Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration law by state and local police? | ||
| The United States is a melting pot of immigrants. This is our heritage and our strength. We must create an easier path to citizenship. American has routinely discriminated against the latest wave of immigrants, going back to discrimination against the Irish, the Catholics, the Italians, the Chinese and others. It is time for this hazing to stop. | |||
| Yes | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| Homophobia in all its guises should be identified and ended. It has no place in a civilized society. Private, and/or religious opinions about homosexual acts should never be the basis for public discrimination against homosexuals. | |||
| Yes | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| No | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| The international community--not just America--must be fully engaged in identifying and appropriately dealing with terrorists. The U.S. should never again participate in a pre-emptive war. | |||
| No | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.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.
| Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Arts | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Greatly Increase | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Medical Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Space exploration | ||
| Slightly Increase | k) United Nations | ||
| Slightly Increase | l) Welfare | ||
| Eliminate | m) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Payroll taxes | ||
| k) Other or expanded categories | |||
| War on Drugs (domestic and international operations). | |||
| 1. End the influence of corporate money on elected officials, 2. End the destructive and ineffective War on Drugs, and 3. Ensure free and universal health care for all Americans. Additional funding is not required for #3. My plan would redistribute money currently spent on charity care and corporate profits into an expanded Medicare program that would focus on preventive care and chronic disease management through community outreach. |
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