Michael Benn's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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Michael Benn has demonstrated Political Courage by telling citizens where he stands on the issues he may face if elected.
Massachusetts State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy? | ||
| No | c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| RE: "D" ALL NECESSARY STEPS MUST BE TAKEN TO PROTECT THE LIFE AND HEALTH OF BOTH MOTHER AND CHILD | |||
1) State Spending:Using the key, indicate 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 Taxes:Using the key,indicate 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 Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Massachusetts's budget.
| Slightly Decrease | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| j) Other or expanded categories: | |||
| No | a) Tapping into Massachusetts's "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| Yes | c) Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining | ||
| Yes | d) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions | ||
| Yes | e) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| LAW ENFORCEMENT & CORRECTIONS NEED TO BE BEEFED UP TO ENFORCE STRONGER SENTENCING GUIDELINES FOR REPEAT VIOLENT OFFENDERS | |||
| THE RAINY DAY FUND WILL BE DEPLETED BECAUSE OF THE FALLOUT FROM THE STATE CRIME LAB SCANDAL. WE NEED PROPER OVERSIGHT OF THESE FACILITIES | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| No | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| No | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| No | b) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| WHILE I AM GENERALLY AGAINST TIGHT CONTRIBUTION LIMITS, I AM IN FAVOR OF FULL DISCLOSURE. THIS WILL HELP CHALLENGERS GET EXPOSURE WHILE GIVING VOTERS IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT THEY MAY USE IN CHOOSING A CANDIDATE | |||
| 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) Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| No | f) Do you support allowing for more judicial discretion in Massachusetts's "three strikes" law? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | b) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| No | c) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing bars and restaurants to offer daily or hourly discounts on alcoholic beverages? | ||
| No | h) Do you support extending the state's 5-cent deposit law to plastic water bottles and other non-carbonated beverages? | ||
| RE "B", I COULD SUPPORT THIS IF IT COULD BE DEMONSTRATED THAT THE INVESTMENT IS SOUND, THAT IS, HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT THE STATE WILL RECOVER ITS INVESTMENT IN THE FORM OF MARGINAL INCREASE - TAX REVENUE | |||
| No | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| No | c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers? | ||
| Yes | d) Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Massachusetts high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| RE: "A", I SUPPORT THE MENU RIGOROUS MCAS STANDARD THAT WE HAD IN PLACE FOR YEARS, THAT HAS RESULTED IN GREATER [ILLEGIBLE] IN THE PAST 10 YEARS | |||
| No | a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| No | 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 state funding for improvements to Massachusetts's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| No | e) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| RE: "D", I SUPPORT THIS ON A VERY LIMITED BASIS, I DO NOT SUPPORT UNRESTRICTED BUYING OF EVERY PARCEL THAT COMES ON THE MARKET. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| No | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| No | f) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide for those with a terminal diagnosis and less than six months to live? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Massachusetts continue to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Massachusetts's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Massachusetts's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| RE: "B", WHILE I DISAGREE WITH THE NOTION OF SSM, IT IS THE LAW OF MASSACHUSETTS. I WAS FAVOR A REVERSAL OF THE DECISION, BUT I HAVE TO RESPECT THE CURRENT RULE OF LAW. | |||
| Bring the sales and income taxes down to 5%. In 1989, we got a "temporary" hike. It did not come down by 2000, so the citizens voted to make them keep their promise, the Legislature said no. We need certainty in our tax code. Bring it to 5% and let THAT stimulate our economy. In 2010, they raised the sales tax by 25%. This has resulted in lost sales along the borders. When folks nee to make large purchases, particularly around the holidays, they can do their shopping in NH. We have taken away the inventive to shop in Massachusetts. |
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