Suzi Oppenheimer's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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New York State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| Question B is poorly phrased. I fully support choice, Roe v Wade, and do not support limitations on that right. | |||
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.
| a) Education (higher) | |||
| b) Education (K-12) | |||
| c) Environment | |||
| d) Health care | |||
| e) Law enforcement | |||
| f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | |||
| g) Welfare | |||
| a) Alcohol taxes | |||
| b) Cigarette taxes | |||
| c) Corporate taxes | |||
| d) Gasoline taxes | |||
| e) Property taxes | |||
| f) Sales taxes | |||
| g) Income taxes (low-income families) | |||
| h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | |||
| i) Income taxes (high-income families) | |||
| a) Tapping into New York's "rainy day" fund | |||
| b) Allowing grocery stores to purchase licenses to sell wine | |||
| c) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | |||
| d) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | |||
| e) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | |||
| f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | |||
| g) Privatizing certain government services | |||
| In the current economic environment funding for all programs will be challenged to lower costs. My focus has been mandate relief for school districts and municipalities to lower costs and reduce property taxes. | |||
| My focus is on reducing costs. Given the economic downturn since 2008 the vast majority of budget actions have been budget cuts, not increased taxes. That approach should continue. | |||
| I support modification of the SUNY tuition policy which has been discussed in the last year. Health care costs are one of the largest components of the state budget and need to be reviewed carefully since most of that spending impacts hospitals, nursing homes, and home health care providers. | |||
c) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| No | a) Do you support limits on the number of terms for New York governors? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| f) Other or expanded principles | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| No | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | |||
| No | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| On question e a minor should be treated as a minor under the law. | |||
| 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? | ||
| g) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | |||
| On question g I have supported informational resources to prevent foreclosure. | |||
| a) Do you support national education standards? | |||
| b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | |||
| c) Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers? | |||
| d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | |||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| Yes | f) Should the state universities of New York be permitted to set their own tuition rates? | ||
| g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from New York high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | |||
| I was sponsor of the Education Reform Law that allowed NYS to win the Race to the Top competition. The reforms to not create a national education standard but a process for improving education through innovation. Merit pay for teachers is a concept I support but need to be part of a larger negotiation regarding teaching. In NYS Charter Schools are funded locally. Avenues for increases state assistance would benefit charter and traditional public schools. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| d) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | |||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| Question D, NY already allows this with a permit. | |||
| 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? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| 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? | ||
| I support marriage equality legislation. | |||
| Property Tax Relief. Education/Governmental Reform. Jobs/Economy. Cut cost of government/taxes at all levels, improved efficiency through reorganization/innovation, mandate relief, shared services, accountability, fiscal responsibility. Repeal MTA tax. Restore STAR Rebates. Cap property tax increases. |
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