John Orzel's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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John Orzel refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.
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.
New York 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? | ||
| A 16 year old girl, raped by an uncle and pregnant, should not require parental consent to obtain a legal cost free abortion. Counseling should be mandatory. | |||
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 New York's budget.
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Greatly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into New York's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Allowing grocery stores to purchase licenses to sell wine | ||
| Yes | c) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| Yes | d) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | e) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| Yes | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Yes | g) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| Other sources of supplementary revenue for education and municipal services need to be pursued in reducing the tax burden of property owners. | |||
| Property taxes must be reduced!!!!!! | |||
| Before furloughing or laying off state employees, I would favor the freezing of wages. The state needs to "take back" control of Medicaid requirements and "benefits" and their costs from County governments. Medicaid should be centralized under a Director of Medicaid within the State health Dept. | |||
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 New York governors? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for New York 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? | ||
| Serious and comprehensive campaign finance reform is needed for all State office holders. It is alarming to see the money that pours into campaigns across the state. Given the state of dysfunction of the NYS government, I am to conclude that this is the "best government" that money can buy? | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | c) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| "d") Prosecution as an adult would depend on the nature of the violent crime and the age of the minor. "e)": A 16 year old male ( or female) sends nude photos to a 5 year girl( or boy). Criminal charges? Thin ice; I would say yes. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | b) Do you support legalizing mixed martial arts competitions in New York? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| g): assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure stemming from loss of job or economic downturn: yes. Foreclosure stemming from fiscal negligence of the homeowner: no. | |||
| Yes | 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 the state universities of New York be permitted to set their own tuition rates? | ||
| Yes | g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from New York high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| Yes | 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 New York's energy infrastructure? | ||
| No | e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring semiautomatic pistols made or sold in New York to microstamp bullet casings? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| No | d) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| I do support the 2nd amendment in principle as it pertains to basic home protection and/or hunting. Semiautomatic weapons ( sales and possession) need to be strictly controlled. The wretched extremes of those who advocate excesses like "cop killer" bullets are beyond the scope of reason. | |||
| 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 legalizing physician-assisted suicide in New York? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support a "presumed consent" organ donation policy? | ||
| i) Other or expanded principles | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should New York 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 New York's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in New York's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
| 1. Budget Reform. Move away from "cash budgeting" practices to GAAP (generally accepted accounting procedures) in drafting and adopting State budgets that must be adhered to. 2. The 3"E's". Examine, evaluate and if need be eliminate state agencies, authorities and mandates that are cost ineffective and inefficient. 3. Medicaid Reform. Have the State "take back" from the counties, the control and costs of Medicaid; Medicaid should be placed under the administration of a Medicaid Director working within the State Health Department. |
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