Scott Saunders' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Scott Saunders has demonstrated Political Courage by telling citizens where he stands on the issues he may face if elected.
Connecticut State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortions be illegal after 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? | ||
| 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? | ||
| While I personally believe in the sanctity of life for the unborn, I would do my best to talk an expectant mother into other options that allow the child to live. I do not presume to think I qualify to make the decision for them. | |||
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 Connecticut's budget.
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| No | a) Tapping into Connecticut's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | c) Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining | ||
| No | d) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions | ||
| No | e) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Welfare needs to be overhauled to include some accountability. We need to encourage those who are less fortunate to strive for the American dream by working hard and making smart decisions. | |||
| I'm a supporter of a flat income tax because I believe all people need to pay something towards the services provided by the government. When everybody pays, nobody will tolerate fraud and waste. | |||
| To balance the budget, Connecticut needs to eliminate wasteful or unnecessary programs. Additionally, we need to thin the ranks of the state employees, which can be done through attrition over time, particularly in the management positions. They need to learn to do more with less, just like the rest of us. | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | 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 greater public disclosure of donors for all organizations that seek to influence elections? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| We have to show a valid state ID to drive a car, buy alcohol or cigarettes, and even just to visit the Secretary of State's Office. I don't think that it's too much to ask for valid ID to participate in one of the most sacred of our patriotic responsibilities, the right to vote. | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Everyone must be accountable for their actions, even minors. It's the only way they will learn to function appropriately in a civilized society. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| We have to whatever we can to help those who are unemployed or underemployed. Through programs that offer job training, our less fortunate citizens can transition to a new career and get back on their feet. But, I think it's ridiculous for the state to offer incentives like they did for Johnson Labs, specifically about $1 million of taxpayer money for each job created. We need some common sense leadership on this issue. | |||
| Yes | 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 Connecticut high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| If we don't offer in-state tuition to veterans returning from conflict overseas, we should certainly not offer it to illegal immigrants. | |||
| Yes | 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)? | ||
| No | c) Do you support state funding for improvements to Connecticut's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| I support development of alternative energy but believe the utilities should pick up the tab for improving the infrastructure. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| Background checks should only be required between private citizens if the buyer doesn't have a license to carry concealed. The CCW requires a background check, so I think that covers they buyer. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| I support a VERY limited scope for doctors to prescribe marijuana, but especially in cases of terminal illness. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Connecticut continue to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Connecticut's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Connecticut's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| I'm all for equal rights and opportunities, but oppose "special" rights or protections. We all deserve to be treated equally. | |||
| I would like to see the state adopt even a basic premise of fiscal responsibility. We cannot continue to tax and spend because we're going to drive away the people and corporations that pay the bulk of the tax revenue. I would like to see changes in the regulatory mess that makes it so hard, long, and expensive to start a business. And, I would like to see reform of the Education Cost Sharing formula to more fairly balance the financial burden of educating our children according to the ability of a city or town to pay. |
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