Ovide Lamontagne 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.
1) Please answer the following questions.2) Indicate the importance of the following issues both to your state and to your administration if elected Governor.
a) Explain your two main priorities if elected Governor. | |||
b) Should your priorities require additional government funding, please explain how you intend to obtain this additional funding. | |||
a) Abortion | |||
b) Affirmative Action | |||
Very Important | c) Balanced Budget Amendment | ||
Very Important | d) Campaign Finance Reform | ||
Very Important | e) Crime | ||
Very Important | f) Economic Development | ||
Very Important | g) Education | ||
Very Important | h) Environment | ||
Very Important | i) Family and Child Issues | ||
Very Important | j) Gun Issues | ||
Somewhat Important | k) Health Care | ||
Very Important | l) Illegal Drugs | ||
Very Important | m) Moral and Ethical Decline | ||
Somewhat Important | n) Poverty and Homelessness | ||
Very Important | o) Taxes | ||
p) Term Limits | |||
Somewhat Important | q) Welfare |
Indicate which principles you support concerning abortion.
a) Abortions should always be legally available. | |||
b) Abortions should be legal in all circumstances when the procedure is completed within the first trimester of the pregnancy. | |||
c) Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape or when the life of the woman is endangered. | |||
X | d) Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered. | ||
e) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and parental notification requirements as decided by each state government. | |||
f) Abortions should always be illegal. | |||
g) Other |
1) Indicate which principles your positions concerning affirmative action programs.
a) The state government should consider preferences to minority-owned businesses in granting government contracts. | |||
b) The state government should consider preferences to minority students applying for college admission. | |||
c) The state government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public sector. | |||
d) The state government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the private sector. | |||
e) The state government should provide affirmative action programs as long as such programs do not include quotas. | |||
X | f) The state government should provide no affirmative action programs. | ||
g) Other | |||
No | 2) Do you believe that sexual orientation should be included in any non-discrimination laws and programs that are provided by your state? |
Yes | Do you support amending the US Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget? |
1) Indicate what changes you support (if any) concerning levels of state funding for the following categories.2) Do you support the use of block grants given to states, rather than federal spending, in the following areas?
Maintain Status | a) AIDS Programs | ||
Maintain Status | b) Arts Funding | ||
Maintain Status | c) Education (K-12) | ||
Maintain Status | d) Environmental Programs | ||
Maintain Status | e) Higher Education | ||
Maintain Status | f) Housing Projects | ||
Maintain Status | g) Job Training Programs | ||
Maintain Status | h) Law Enforcement | ||
Maintain Status | i) Medicaid | ||
Maintain Status | j) Student Loan Programs | ||
Maintain Status | k) Transportation | ||
Maintain Status | l) Welfare (AFDC) | ||
m) Other | |||
n) Other | |||
o) Other | |||
Yes | a) Agriculture | ||
Yes | b) Education | ||
Yes | c) Environment | ||
Yes | d) Farm subsidies | ||
Yes | e) Food stamps | ||
Yes | f) Housing | ||
Yes | g) Law enforcement | ||
Yes | h) Medicaid | ||
Yes | i) School lunches | ||
Yes | j) Welfare | ||
k) Other |
Indicate which principles you support regarding campaign finance reform.
X | a) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for state office. | ||
b) Provide public subsidizing of political campaigns. | |||
c) Require legislation that would increase the limits on individual contributions. | |||
X | d) Pass legislation that would encourage complete disclosure of campaign finance information. | ||
e) Remove all legislative limits on campaign financing. | |||
f) Other |
Indicate which principles you support to address crime.
a) Broaden use of the death penalty for serious crimes. | |||
b) Increase spending to build more state prisons. | |||
X | c) Require "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole. | ||
X | d) Require the use of "boot camps" as alternative sentencing for adult first-time felons. | ||
X | e) Limit the number of appeals allowed to inmates on death row. | ||
f) Implement and encourage drug and alcohol treatment centers and other alternative, community-based options for non-violent convicts. | |||
g) Expand funding for community policing programs. | |||
h) Increase funding for hiring of police officers. | |||
X | i) Prosecute youths, accused of murder, as adults. | ||
j) Increase funding for local Boys & Girls Clubs and other independent organizations in communities with at-risk youth. | |||
k) Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes. | |||
l) Require mandatory life sentences for third-time violent felons. | |||
m) Other |
Indicate which principles you support regarding economic development.
a) Provide tax credits for companies that move job-creating industries into the state. | |||
b) Increase state funding for job-training programs. | |||
c) Increase state funding for public works projects such as the repair of roads, bridges and telecommunications. | |||
X | d) Eliminate government regulations of the private sector to encourage investment and economic expansion. | ||
X | e) Establish enterprise zones in areas with large numbers of unemployed. | ||
X | f) Overhaul the current unemployment system by focusing on training and education in skills needed for certain industries. | ||
g) Eliminate any government programs designed to promote the state economy. | |||
X | h) Reform the current workers' compensation insurance system. | ||
i) Other |
1) Indicate which principles you support concerning education.
a) Maintain the national standards and goals set forth in "Goals 2000". | |||
X | b) Provide parents with vouchers to send their children to any publicly-funded school. | ||
X | c) Provide parents with vouchers to send their children to any participating school: public, private, religious or technical. | ||
X | d) Implement charter schools where teachers and professionals receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools. | ||
X | e) Require allowing voluntary prayer or a moment of silence in public schools. | ||
f) Increase funding for student loan programs available for college students. | |||
g) Increase funding for programs designed to reduce class sizes for elementary and secondary schools. | |||
h) Support a pay raise for public school teachers. | |||
i) Other | |||
2) In the space provided, describe your proposals to reform the funding of public schools. |
Indicate which principles or programs you support regarding your state's environment and natural resources.
X | a) Transfer public lands, such as federal forests and range lands, to the jurisdiction of state and local governments. | ||
X | b) Require the state to reimburse citizens when environmental regulations limit use of privately-owned lands. | ||
c) Increase state funding to expand recreational spaces such as parks, forests and other open spaces. | |||
d) Change the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to limit the number of habitats eligible to be designated as endangered. | |||
X | e) Utilize cost-benefit analysis to determine economic impacts of proposed environmental protection and cleanup legislation. | ||
f) Encourage development of alternative fuels and electric cars to reduce pollution. | |||
g) Phase in a prohibition of pollution-causing products such as gas-powered automobiles. | |||
h) Increase state taxes on gasoline and diesel fuels to promote conservation and alternative fuel development. | |||
i) Require that a percentage of purchases made by state agencies include recycled components. | |||
j) Promote the selling of pollution credits to encourage industries to decrease amount of pollution. | |||
k) Other |
Indicate which principles you support concerning family and children issues.
a) Increase funding for programs designed to reduce teen pregnancy. | |||
X | b) Implement programs designed to decrease availability of cigarettes to children. | ||
c) Increase funding for programs that enforce and collect delinquent child support payments. | |||
X | d) Revoke state licenses and permits of parents that are delinquent in paying child support. | ||
X | e) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees. | ||
f) Other |
Indicate which level of government should have primary responsibility for the following services.
State | a) Civil rights enforcement | ||
Local | b) Education | ||
Federal | c) Environmental cleanup | ||
State | d) Job training | ||
Local | e) Law enforcement | ||
State | f) Low-income housing | ||
State | g) Medicaid | ||
State | h) Medicare | ||
State | i) Welfare (AFDC) | ||
j) Other |
Indicate which principles you support concerning gun issues.
a) Expand the nationwide ban on the public sale of assault weapons to include all forms of semi-automatic weapons. | |||
b) Increase restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms. | |||
c) Maintain all registration procedures and restrictions on possessing firearms. | |||
X | d) Ease procedures on the purchase and registration of firearms. | ||
X | e) Repeal all bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from owning legally obtained firearms. | ||
X | f) Allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms that are legally owned and registered. | ||
g) Other |
Indicate which principles you support regarding your state's health care system.
a) Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all state residents regardless of income. | |||
b) Provide vouchers to the working poor so they can buy into a private health care plan. | |||
c) Support a "managed competition" health care plan to contain costs and improve access that does not include mandated health alliances, government cost control powers, or employer/employee mandates. | |||
X | d) Support community health purchasing alliances. | ||
X | e) Promote programs that assist in child immunizations. | ||
f) Establish limits on the amount of damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits. | |||
X | g) Encourage tax-free medical savings accounts, which would be taxed if used for any purpose other than medical costs. | ||
h) Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of government. | |||
X | i) Insure health insurance portability for workers who change jobs. | ||
j) Expand Medicaid to provide health care to uninsured working individuals. | |||
k) Other |
Indicate which principles you support concerning illegal drugs.
X | a) Increase penalties for selling illegal drugs. | ||
X | b) Require mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs near schools. | ||
c) Require capital punishment for convicted international drug traffickers. | |||
d) Require drug testing for state employees in sensitive positions (mass transit, state police, etc.). | |||
e) Increase funding of drug education and drug treatment programs. | |||
f) Decriminalize the possession and private use of certain illegal drugs such as marijuana. | |||
g) Other |
The American people have consistently mentioned the decline of morals and ethics in America as a major problem facing the country. Explain what you will do Governor to address this concern. |
Indicate which principles you support regarding the poor and homeless.
a) Provide tax incentives for companies to hire and train homeless people who want to work. | |||
b) Increase state funding of homeless shelters and low-income housing projects. | |||
c) Increase state funding of programs that help alcoholics and drug addicts recover and find steady work. | |||
d) Increase the minimum wage. | |||
e) Provide homeless families with apartment vouchers they can use to supplement the cost of an apartment. | |||
f) Provide government jobs for those who wish to work and cannot find a job in the private sector. | |||
X | g) Increase the income tax deduction on individual contributions made to charities that help the poor and homeless. | ||
X | h) Implement enterprise zones in communities with high unemployment. | ||
i) Other |
Indicate the changes you support (if any) concerning the tax levels for the following categories.1) Income Taxes2) Other Tax Issues
Eliminate | a) Retiree earning over $40,000 | ||
Eliminate | b) Family earning less than $25,000 | ||
Eliminate | c) Family earning $25-75,000 | ||
Eliminate | d) Family earning $75-150,000 | ||
Eliminate | e) Family earning over $150,000 | ||
Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
Maintain Status | b) Capital gains taxes | ||
Maintain Status | c) Charitable deduction | ||
Maintain Status | d) Cigarette taxes | ||
Maintain Status | e) Corporate income taxes | ||
Maintain Status | f) Earned income tax credit | ||
Maintain Status | g) Estate taxes | ||
Maintain Status | h) Mortgage deduction | ||
i) Property tax | |||
Maintain Status | j) Sales tax | ||
k) Other |
Undecided | Are you in favor of a limit on the number of terms which the Governor may serve? |
['Indicate which principles you support regarding the United States welfare system.']
X | a) Require a two-year limit on welfare benefits for recipients who are able to work. | ||
X | b) Require welfare recipients to accept some form of government-sponsored job after two years if unemployed in the private sector. | ||
X | c) Require that unwed teenage mothers live with a parent or guardian (if possible) and attend school to receive welfare benefits. | ||
X | d) Limit the welfare benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while receiving welfare benefits. | ||
e) Provide child care services to welfare recipients who work or attend school. | |||
f) Increase funding of programs that help homeless people find shelter and employment. | |||
g) Provide incentives for employers to hire and train welfare recipients. | |||
h) Require mothers to identify their child(ren)'s father in order to receive welfare benefits. | |||
i) Make no substantial changes at this time. | |||
j) Other |
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