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Bob Scott'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.

Bob Scott has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2014 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2014.

  • "I consider the decision to end a pregnancy with an abortion a tragedy for whatever reason. The "partial birth abortion" is a Republican euphemism for a medical procedure (D&X) that generates a lot of emotion- but little understanding. [...] There may be medically sound reasons to not use one procedure or another, but where is the moral superiority in choosing one abortion method over another." (votesmart.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "Economic development of East Tennessee needs to emphasize manufacturing, tourism and support for TVA and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory." (votesmart.org)
  • 2008 PCT:"k) Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind)." (votesmart.org)
  • "I would propose more resources to support college students." (votesmart.org)
  • "Federal government programs for long term sustainable energy solutions must be initiated and emphasized." (votesmart.org)
  • "In my opinion our country in not in dire straits enough to drain the last drop of oil from the earth in every environmemtally sensitive area we have- especially when it will not solve our problems." (votesmart.org)
  • "Environmental degradation in East Tennessee is too obvious for argument. What is less obvious but potentially even more serious is the world environment- with carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere rising annually. The Bush administration has done everything possible to avoid facing environmental problems, but the problems are not going away and letting a Republican president and Republican congressmen (especially OUR current congressman) continue to stick our national head in the sand only means the problems will be much worse if we wait until the national Republicans finally wake up." (votesmart.org)
  • "I think keeping track of guns is reasonable and in some cases essential. I do not fear the government trying to take guns away from people. There are people who fear the federal government but contrary to a small minority opinion the Second Amendment to the Constitution was not included to arm the people so they could fight their own government." (votesmart.org)
  • "The Affordable Care Act is a good start toward improving the health of all our people. There are bound to be start-up problems and we need a US representative who will try to improve it instead of someone who will just vote no no no no no………………………………..no………..no no…………………………..." (www.bobscottforcongress.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "My personal opinion is marriage should be between one man and one woman (I have been married to Julia for 47 years). My biggest concern about attempts to redefine marriage is primarily against opening the way to legalizing polygamy. I believe it is a reasonable exercise of government authority to prohibit polygamy. [...] I understand that people live together in other, alternate, arrangements and they may need health care, visiting rights during hospital stay, and other things that are available to one person and needed by both. [...] Calling other arrangements "marriage" may be a shortcut to getting other people the things available to married couples, but I, personally, think the legitimate needs of people in alternative living arrangements should be met another way. I think domestic partnerships or civil unions or handling each need individually on a state by state basis would be preferable to redefining or expanding the definition of marriage.I oppose amending the constitution to give the central government jurisdiction in an area the has traditionally been handled by the individual states." (votesmart.org)
  • 2008 PCT:"No a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?No b) Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, to prevent future terrorist attacks?Yes c) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?" (votesmart.org)
  • "The Republicans have proposed a change in Social Security which they say will improve it-ie. they have attempted to privatize a part of Social Security. The Republican position is a liberal position since- ostensibly- they wish to improve the Social Security program. Personally, I think the Republican attempt is misguided because it throws the element of luck into even the Social Security part of retirement planning. " (votesmart.org)
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.
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.
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.
X 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 think "partial birth" abortion is a political issue designed to embarass Democrats. The important thing is whether or not the abortion is taking place- not the medical procedure. I consider all abortions to be tragedies and all the medical procedures used are somewhat gruesome- not unlike a knee replacement which is also somewhat gruesome. The important thing is all politicians should try to provide the support to pregnant women to really make abortion safe, legal and very rare.

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

Slightly Decrease a) Agriculture
Greatly Increase b) Arts
Slightly Decrease c) Defense
Greatly Decrease d) Education
Greatly Increase e) Environment
Maintain Status f) FEMA
Greatly Decrease g) Homeland security
Slightly Increase h) International aid
Slightly Increase i) Law enforcement (Federal)
Maintain Status j) Law enforcement (State)
Slightly Increase k) Medical research
Greatly Increase l) National parks
Maintain Status m) Public health services
Greatly Increase n) Scientific research
Greatly Increase o) Space exploration programs
Slightly Increase p) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Maintain Status q) United Nations
Maintain Status r) Welfare
Greatly Increase a) Armed forces personnel training
Greatly Increase b) Intelligence operations
Maintain Status c) Military hardware
Greatly Increase d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment
Eliminate e) National missile defense
Maintain Status f) Pay for active duty personnel
Maintain Status g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
Greatly Increase h) Research and development of new weapons
Maintain Status i) Troop and equipment readiness
j) Other or expanded categories
Greatly Decrease a) Less than $12,000
Maintain Status b) $12,001-$40,000
Maintain Status c) $40,001-$100,000
Slightly Increase d) $100,001-$180,000
Slightly Increase e) $180,001-$350,000
Greatly Increase f) $350,001 and above
g) Other or expanded categories
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Slightly Increase b) Capital gains taxes
Maintain Status c) Cigarette taxes
Eliminate d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Slightly Decrease f) Inheritance taxes
Maintain Status a) Charitable contribution deduction
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 requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year?
It is easy to say increase this or that but hard choices have to be made when comparing resources and desires.
I favor eliminating taxes on manufacturing corporations as a way of helping make our USA manufacturing competitive with the low wage foreign companies that are flooding our markets.
When there is a recession or a war the budget should show a defecit and when we are in a normal situation we should pay something on the national debt.

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

X 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.
X 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.
j) Support a federal shield law to protect reporter-source privilege.
I think corporations( including their PACs) and unions should have to explain to stockholders and members what they have done and their motivation regarding political contributions. I remember being asked to donate to an industry PAC and the person collecting the money was our vice president of manufacturing- I considered it coercion.

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).
h) Require that crimes based on sexual orientation be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
I have to think about some of these. We have too many people in prison and something needs to be done about it. I would take commercial television out of prisons and provide special programming that would be helpful in rehabilitation.

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.
X d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive federal funding to establish charter or magnet schools.
X 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).
X k) Eliminate all federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
I would prefer to make available resources to strengthen the state's education programs and not have federal standards. More help for students wanting to go to college is needed.

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.
X 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.
Regulation of employers should continually be reviewed to minimize unnecessary burdens. Any anti-discrimination law needs to be carefully thought out to minimize infringing on the rights of employers. Employees should be allowed to form a union without fear of reprisal.

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.
X i) Support research and development of nuclear reactors as an alternative energy source.
X j) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits under "cap and trade" laws.
X k) Support international mandatory emission targets to limit global warming.
X l) Support international voluntary emission targets to limit global warming.
We need clean air and water. I support domestic oil production in well fields that are already developed - along with a guaranteed minimum price per barrel to protect our oil producers from predatory marketing practices -they are competing against a cartel and the cartel can cut the price of oil below their production cost and force them out of business (again!) without government intervention. We do not need to drill for oil in environmentally sensitive regions- that oil won't solve our problems and it will still be there if our children need it.

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.
Greatly Increase c) Enforcement of existing restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
Slightly Increase d) Restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
I think it is appropriate to regulate handguns as local governments see fit. I do not favor carring loaded guns in national parks. I think regulation of sporting and hunting guns should be minimal but if I were a policeman I would like to know if a house had a rifle or shotgun inside. I do not worry about the government confiscating everyone's guns and I believe people should be reasonable and realistic about guns (and I know some people will not be).

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.
b) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
c) Allow the importation of prescription drugs into the United States.
d) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
e) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
f) Support expanding child healthcare programs.
g) Providing healthcare is not a responsibility of the federal government.
I am a Medicare recipient and I perceive it to be a very good program. I believe a similar program for everyone would be the best solution for our healthcare needs. The Medicare drug program is not very good and it needs to be replaced by something much better. A national Medicare type program would help make our industries and businesses more competitive internationally.

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

X a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
X b) Establish English as the official national language.
X c) Support a temporary worker program.
X 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.
I don't know what to do about so many people . To return them all to Mexico (assuming Mexicans are prdominant) would be a mass displacement of unprecedented scope. If employers of illegal aliens are strongly prosecuted and the jobs are not available the ilegal aliens will presumably return to Mexico on their own over a period of time.

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.
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?
Undecided c) Should the United States impose greater international sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates?
Yes 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?
No 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?
Yes i) Should the United States increase financial support for Afghanistan?
Yes j) Should the United States increase military support for Afghanistan?
No k) Should the United States trade nuclear fuel to India for civilian purposes?
Undecided l) Should the United States decrease financial support for Pakistan?
Undecided m) Should the United States decrease military support for Pakistan?
Yes n) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in Darfur, Sudan?
Yes o) Should the United States be involved in bringing an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
Undecided p) Should the United States provide economic and military support to the Transitional Government of Somalia?
Undecided q) Should the United States use sanctions to encourage the government of Zimbabwe to end its human rights abuses?
No r) Should the United States support the creation of an independent nation of Kosovo?
s) Other or expanded principles
No a) Do you support the United States imposing economic sanctions on China?
No b) Do you support the United States imposing trade sanctions on Venezuela?
Yes c) Do you support the United States involvement in free trade agreements?
Yes d) Do you support the United States involvement in intergovernmental organizations dedicated to trade?
We should tailor our international aid to help other countries to improve the lives of their citizens. We should make every effort to get countries to eliminate human rights abuses whether that means giving aid or withholding it.
We do not appear to be doing anything but generating hatred for the US. We should recognize that our mistakes have taken away our ability to be successful. We need to give the central government enough resources to allow them to hire an army that can extend it's control over the entire country- we could provide air support as needed. The resulting government will be corrupt and unjust but hopefully it will be better than what they had before the war.
Our free trade agreements need to allow us to protect our manufacturers from competition with manufacturers that don't have to meet US laws on minimum wage, environmental responsibility, unemployment insurance, social security and medicare.

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?
No b) Should law enforcement agencies have greater discretion to monitor domestic communications, 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?
Undecided e) Do you support pre-emptive military strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to United States national security?
No 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?
Pre-emptive strikes are probably usually counterproductive but must be dealt with on a case by case basis.

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

No 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?
Yes d) Do you support federal funding to create lines of stem cells from new embryos?
Yes e) Should the federal government consider race and gender in government contracting decisions?
Yes f) Should the federal government continue affirmative action programs?
Yes g) Should the federal government regulate internet gambling?
I think each state should have it's own laws on marriage. I think marriage should be between one man and one woman. I think people in alternative living arrangements should be able to have domestic partnerships to give them some of the rights of married couples.

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.
Leave Social Security alone. Either pay the trust fund a higher interest rate, raise the $65,000 exemption or as a last resort raise payroll taxes.

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) 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.
The whole welfare program needs restructuring to support stable families, support people who have low paying jobs, help with childcare and in general, reward people who try to help themselves. Evaluate individual needs- no generalization is going to fit all people.
1.Help our manufacturers become competitive in our own country. I think we should manufacture about half of what we consume in every area. 2.Support energy independence by subsidizing a solar roofing industry. 3.Increase the taxes on high incomes and require US corporations to get specific stockholder approval for top executive salaries.

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