Robert Schaaf's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Robert Schaaf has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2014 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests.
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.
Missouri State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test
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 of pregnancy. | |||
| 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) Abortions should be subject to a mandatory waiting period. | ||
| X | g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors. | ||
| Abortion as birth control is wrong; government has an interest in protecting the life of innocent citizens, protecting them from murder. Partial-birth abortion is especially abhorrent. Rape and incest are wrong, too; in those cases, IF it must be done, the decision should be made by the woman, not government. Parents should be made aware of and participate in decisions of their minor children; that said, there must be (and are) protections when parents are abusive. | |||
State Budget: Indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.State Taxes: Indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.
| Slightly Increase | a) Education (Higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Emergency preparedness | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Decrease | i) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Eliminate | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Sales taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Vehicle taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | j) Other or expanded categories | ||
| No | 1) Should state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales? | ||
| No | 2) Should accounts such as a "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget? | ||
| No | 3) Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget? | ||
| Increases in revenue are likely to be smaller in the near term, and spending increases must be kept to a minimum. Reductions should come from greater efficiency. Uneccesary programs will have to be eliminated or reduced. Government should provide basic services, and keep its promises, especially to those who cannot care for themselves. Those who can provide for themselves should be expected to. | |||
| I favor the fair tax, along with elimination of other taxes, not fees. Such a tax would not be regressive if basic necessities were eliminated. Smoking and alcohol addiction cost our society far too much; those who do those things should pay their own way. Fees should cover costs only, not be profit centers. Property taxes are out of hand and the entire tax system should be reformed. | |||
| Rainy day funds should only be used for emergency situations. The size of government should be kept at a minimum, but adequate to perform proper functions. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?
| Yes | a) Do you support the current limit of terms for Missouri governors? | ||
| No | b) Do you support the current limit of terms for Missouri state senators and representatives? | ||
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| No | 2) PAC | ||
| No | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Parties | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| No | e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns? | ||
| Yes | f) Should Missouri participate in the federal REAL ID program? | ||
| Yes | g) Should voters be required to show photo identification before voting? | ||
| No | h) Should voters be required to show proof of citizenship before voting? | ||
| Yes | i) Do you support a constitutional amendment prohibiting state judges in Missouri from ordering tax increases? | ||
| Yes | j) Should the composition of the Appellate Judicial Commission, the body responsible for selecting appellate court judge nominees, be altered? | ||
| The Judicial Commission should include more members who are not lawyers, so that our tort reform changes will not be undone. Political donations should not be restricted, but should be fully reported. No "pass through" should be allowed. | |||
| Proof of legal presence should be obtained in getting photo identification to be used for voting, but voters should not have to prove citizenship at the time they vote. Citizens should have effective identification, and the concept behind REAL ID is good; I am not convinced that REAL ID infringes upon our rights--that said, our participation should not be allowed to so infringe. Terrorism is a very real threat to our country, and we must have a good identification system. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.
| a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff. | |||
| b) Support the death penalty in Missouri. | |||
| c) Allow the use of the death penalty in cases involving the rape of a minor under the age of 12. | |||
| X | d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released. | ||
| X | e) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders. | ||
| f) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. | |||
| X | g) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults. | ||
| X | h) Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws. | ||
| i) Support hate crime legislation. | |||
| The death penalty is not administered fairly. The example of Governor Carnahan letting one man live because the Pope visited Missouri proves that the penalty is unfairly applied. Until the system can be shown fair, the death penalty should be halted; one reformed, I am not opposed to its use, especially for heinous crimes. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.
| a) Support state funding of universal pre-K programs. | |||
| X | b) Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind). | ||
| X | c) Support state education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students. | ||
| X | d) Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams. | ||
| X | e) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school. | ||
| f) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school. | |||
| g) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries. | |||
| X | h) Support using a merit pay system for teachers. | ||
| X | i) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable. | ||
| j) Support allowing illegal immigrant high school graduates of Missouri to pay in-state tuition at public universities. | |||
| Pre-K programs have been shown to have little effect in published studies. No Child Left Behind is a flawed law, and should be fixed at the federal level; it was based on a good premise, however, and should not be discarded. Children in failing schools should be allowed to use vouchers or take advantage of tuition tax credits. Education needs the element of competition injected into it. Education is the key to our future; worldwide evidence is that the US is failing. Illegal imigrants should never graduate; they should be deported (they are ILLEGAL!) | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.
| X | a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today's job market. | ||
| X | b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector. | ||
| X | c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses. | ||
| d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families. | |||
| e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families. | |||
| f) Include sexual orientation in Missouri's anti-discrimination laws. | |||
| g) Include gender identity in Missouri's anti-discrimination laws. | |||
| h) Increase the state minimum wage. | |||
| i) Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will. | |||
| X | j) Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants. | ||
| X | k) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients. | ||
| X | l) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients. | ||
| Government should help people help themselves, provide a hand-up not a hand-out. Business is over-regulated now. Government should not subsidize child-care. Generally, those who have children should support them, not other citizens. Many programs, however, are federally mandated, and the state cannot opt-out of them. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.
| X | a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology. | ||
| X | b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil, etc). | ||
| X | c) Support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops. | ||
| X | d) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned. | ||
| e) Support funding for improvements to Missouri's power generating and transmission facilities. | |||
| f) Support funding for open space preservation. | |||
| g) Limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases linked to global warming. | |||
| h) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law. | |||
| While certain biofuels may be temporary in popularity, supporting the industry will help drive it to better efficiency, especially the production of cellulosic ethanol. When possible, those responsible for making messes should pay for cleaning them up; but they must be cleaned up. Missouri purchases sections of conservation land every year through our sales tax; it is enough. I am not convinced that global warming is a proven theory; until it is proven, we should take care not to burden our economy with job-killing regulations and limits. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.
| Undecided | a) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | b) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | c) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| Undecided | d) Do you support current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Undecided | e) Do you support current state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Having never attended a gun show, nor purchased a weapon, I'm not familiar with the current law. I support concealed carry. Laws regarding sales and possession should be uniform and fair. Criminals who commit violent crimes should not be allowed to possess firearms. Law-abiding citizens should enjoy their second amendment rights. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.
| a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary. | |||
| X | b) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government. | ||
| X | c) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits. | ||
| X | d) Allow patients to sue their HMOs. | ||
| X | e) Require hospitals and labs to release reports on infections that are a risk to public health, while not compromising patient confidentiality. | ||
| f) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Missouri. | |||
| X | g) Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes. | ||
| Government should provide health care for those who cannot provide it for themselves. Everyone else should work and buy their own insurance. They may have to work two jobs to do so. I authored the infection control law in Missouri. Physicians already prescribe the active ingredient in marijuana; the plant is much cheaper, and in some cases more effective. I am a practicing physician, and have witnessed cases in which medical marijuana would have been appropriate. | |||
['Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.', 'Legislative Priorities']
| Undecided | a) Should Missouri recognize civil unions between same-sex couples? | ||
| No | b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry? | ||
| No | c) Should Missouri provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support a moment of silence in public schools? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support voluntary prayer in public schools? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | ||
| No | g) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| No | h) Should the state government consider race and gender in state government contracting and hiring decisions? | ||
| No | i) Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions? | ||
| No | j) Should Missouri continue affirmative action programs? | ||
| Yes | k) Do you support state funding of stem cell research? | ||
| No | l) Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| Yes | m) Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it? | ||
| Marriage should be defined by the voters; they did already, and we should not change their decision. Abstinence ONLY teaching has been shown ineffective. Children should be presented with the true facts, so that they can make informed decisions; it is up to parents to make sure they are prepared to make good ones. Affirmative action programs are inherently racist in reverse; rather, our laws should be color blind in all ways, racism rooted out of them. ESCR is morally abhorrent to some people; out of respect for them, it should not be funded publicly. | |||
| Health care costs should be brought down by making the health care market function more classically. (CON should be eliminated, any willing provider laws enacted, hospital cost reimbursement reformed.) Tax structure should be reformed. The "wage trap" should be eliminated through the coordination of all state-administered programs, providing each recipient an incentive to earn more money and escape dependency. | |||
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