Terrance O'Hara's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Terrance O'Hara has demonstrated Political Courage by telling citizens where he stands on the issues he may face if elected.
Presidential Election 2012 Political Courage Test
| Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | |||
| Serious issues merit serious discussion rather than polarized selections. There are three issues: (1) when does "protected life" begin; (2) should "choice?" be criminalized; and (3) are there exceptions? The first has significant legal consequences because of foreseeable circumstances (negligence, etc.). The second has a fundamental impact on society, and the third is a matter of degree. If we strike a rational balance (a refinement of our current position) and focus on educating people to respect themselves and to recognize their responsibilities, we could reduce the incidence of abortion and preserve Life in all but the most heinous of circumstances. | |||
BudgetIndicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing the federal budget.In order to balance the budget,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.
| do you support reducing defense spending? | |||
| do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | |||
| do you support reducing Medicaid spending? | |||
| do you support reducing Medicare spending? | |||
| Is balancing the budget an administrative priority? | |||
| a) Agriculture | |||
| b) Arts | |||
| c) Defense | |||
| d) Education | |||
| e) Environment | |||
| f) Homeland Security | |||
| g) International aid | |||
| h) Medical Research | |||
| i) Scientific Research | |||
| j) Space exploration | |||
| k) United Nations | |||
| l) Welfare | |||
| a) Capital gains taxes | |||
| b) Corporate taxes | |||
| c) Excise taxes (alcohol) | |||
| d) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | |||
| e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | |||
| f) Income taxes (low-income families) | |||
| g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | |||
| h) Income taxes (high-income families) | |||
| i) Inheritance taxes | |||
| j) Payroll taxes | |||
| Again, let's not pretend that Yes/No answers are appropriate for anything other than political pandering. Since I'm limited to 100 words or less, I'll start here and finish in other sections. Article I, Section 8 restricts the role of the Federal Government "to provide for the Common Defence and general Welfare of the United States." It is incumbent upon any individual who takes the Oath of Office to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution that so defines our Government's role. Therefore, ALL Government programs should be administered in as efficient and cost effective manner as possible. | |||
| Consolidated Departments and Agencies; eliminate redundancy and waste; and systematically eliminate programs that do not "provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States." If Government regulation is required beyond those bounds, amend the Constitution under Article V but don?t unilaterally usurp individual Liberties. With respect to entitlements in the near-term, honor those that are tied to a contractual reliance (i.e., Medicare, Social Security, Unemployment) for those who are "vested" more than 50% and modify the programs for those who are not to make them fiscally viable. Have the DOJ aggressively prosecute program to reduce costs. | |||
| Simplify the tax code and eliminate special interest deductions and exemptions. Index taxes to GDP; calculate the minimum rate necessary to provide that base; and apply that flat rate on an equal basis to corporate and individual income (whether actively or passively derived). Then, have Congress work within that budget while reducing our Nation's debt. If a Constitutional Amendment is require to curb Congress' appetite for cash, push to have it passed. All programs should be examined and prioritized on the basis of their contribution to our Nation's defense and general welfare. | |||
| Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | |||
| This is another example of posing the question incorrectly. I do not support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions because I DO NOT THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE AT ALL. The opportunity to vote is restricted to people. Therefore, the opportunity to contribute to a campaign should be limited to people as well. No organization can accurately reflect the will of every one of its members. Realistically, it doesn't have to because the individuals can represent themselves. We should cut out the undue influence of money. The Presidency shouldn't be for sale. | |||
| Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | |||
| Capital punishment should be considered only for crimes that are so egregious as to shock the conscience of a civil society. The evidence should be overwhelming and irrefutable (DNA, video, etc.). Just as the crime was definitive for the victim, so should the execution of such punishment be for the convicted. A prolonged or abused appellate process unjustly punishes the survivors of the victim as well as society as a whole. Such individuals should be incarcerated in isolation and be provided with a means for terminating their own lves prior to the execution of their sentence if they so choose. | |||
| Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | |||
| Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | |||
| Do you support spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | |||
| Do you support the 2010 temporary extension of unemployment benefits? | |||
| Do you support the 2010 temporary extension of tax relief? | |||
| I support fiscal responsibility. The Federal Government and its programs need to be restructured and brought in alignment with the Constitution. I support infrastructure programs that are congruent with the guidance of Article I, Section 8. I do not support the expenditure of taxpayer funds on ultra vires programs. I support a simplified, flat tax on all corporate and individual income along with the elimination of most incentives except for those that are in the best interests of the United States (i.e., incentives that attract or expand jobs creation within our Nation or lower the need for Government support). | |||
| Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | |||
| Education is best administered at the local level (even more than the State). Could Federal funds be properly used within the context of "general Welfare?" Yes. A strong educational system is in the best interest of our Nation. Has the Government demonstrated any proclivity to succeed in this regard? No. Tying grants to the implementation of Federally-mandated reform is merely a way of extending Federal regulation beyond its authorized scope. Rather than go to the expense of taxing people only to redistribute it to the States, lower the tax rate and allow the States to deal with the issue directly. | |||
| Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | |||
| Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | |||
| Do you support reducing restrictions on offshore energy production? | |||
| The truth is: there isn't absolute evidence either way. Science is merely a method by which we try to explain that which we otherwise don?t understand. The question becomes: Why argue over it? Why not err on the side of caution and take reasonable steps in that regard? The reality is that we cannot legislate climate change. Unilateral measures we take have no impact on the actions of other countries that share this planet. The better course would be to educate our citizens and try to educate the rest of the world as well. (Voluntary recycling is an example.) | |||
| Do you support United States' combat operations in Afghanistan? | |||
| Do you support a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan? | |||
| Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | |||
| Franklin's definition of insanity applies to our attempt to do "Nation Building." We need to withdraw from any nation that is not a willing or supportive host. Correspondingly, we should fully respect their sovereignty by withdrawing all forms of aid as well as withdrawing our troops. The timetable should remain confidential and be dependent upon providing for the safe withdrawal of our troops and other assets. Terrorists have told us that we are a target because we occupy foreign territory. When we withdraw, that excuse is gone. They should be told that if we are attacked, we will respond disproportionately. | |||
| Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | |||
| The Second Amendment addresses that issue. However, I do believe that the range of weapons can be restricted to a degree because the argument of maintaining parity with the military is no longer sustainable. I also support thorough background checks to protect the general public against those who would pose a known risk ... just as I support voter identification to protect the general public against those who would commit fraud in an attempt to gain a political advantage and subvert the will of the People. | |||
| Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | |||
| Should individuals be required to purchase health insurance, as mandated in the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | |||
| Any bill drafted by non-expert personnel that requires 2,700+ pages to express its purpose, adds 159 new agencies to enforce it, and strips $500,000,000,000 from Medicare and incorporates $600,000,000 in earmarks to buy the votes it needs to pass...deserves to be repealed. It is an indictment of rational thought that it ever passed. Its good elements should be considered independently, but the amalgamation of disparate programs poses an unwarranted threat to our economy. There is no Constitutional authority to force citizens to procure anything. However, a rational solution (i.e., catastrophic insurance similar to federal disaster relief) could be considered. | |||
| Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | |||
| 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? | |||
| Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration law by state and local police? | |||
| It is estimated that it would take approximately $160,000,000,000 and many years to identify, prosecute and deport the illegal immigrants residing in the United States. Given our current economic climate and the potential impact on inflation created by the loss of those who contribute to our workforce, there are better choices. Within a prescribed period, all illegal immigrants should be required to register, leave, or be subject to deportation. If they have clean records, they should be able to apply for citizenship. However, they must remain in good standing, and they should stand in the queue behind every current applicant. | |||
| Do you support same-sex marriage? | |||
| A century ago, marriages of religious diversity were frowned upon. Interracial marriages were against the law until 1967. Yet, the Declaration of Independence declares that "all men are created equal." The reality is that marriage is a union of people exercising the Liberty to love someone else. Marriage shouldn't even be within the purview of a Government entity. The First Amendment should dispose of the issue for those who would attack it on religious grounds, and the Fourth Amendment should resolve it for everyone else. If it weren't for license fees and political contributions, the Government would have no interest. | |||
| Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | |||
| Individuals should have the right to divert ALL of their Social Security into personal retirement accounts. The Declaration of Independence only "qualifies" one unalienable right: "happiness." We weren't guaranteed happiness. We were only guaranteed the right to pursue it. Social Security was an attempt to guaranteed retirement. Educating people to prepare for retirement would have been a better course of action. While it is difficult to find a basis for the Social Security system within the Constitution, it has become so deeply engrained in the fabric of our culture that we should make an effort to fix it. | |||
| I would work with the private sector to identify solutions to our economic challenges that would not require government intervention. In the public sector, I would: (1) influence Congress by vetoing any bill that included provisions that were not specific to the purpose of the bill, expose who author the provisions, and provide a public record of who supported the offending legislation; (2) appoint Cabinet members tasked with the responsibility to consolidate Departments and Agencies, improve efficiencies and eliminate waste; (3) instruct the DOJ to aggressively prosecute government fraud; and (4) push hard for significant election and tax reform. |
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