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Carl Skalitzky's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
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Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
What is the Political Courage Test?

Wisconsin 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.
X 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.
e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Abortions should be subject to a mandatory waiting period.
X g) Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
I would allow an abortion within the first nine weeks, with consent of the father. If a woman wants to keep the baby, the father has no recourse. A minor would need parental notification and consent of the baby's father. A rape should be reported promptly.

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.

Maintain Status a) Education (Higher)
Maintain Status b) Education (K-12)
Maintain Status c) Emergency preparedness
Maintain Status d) Environment
Maintain Status e) Health care
Maintain Status f) Law enforcement
Maintain Status g) Transportation and highway infrastructure
Slightly Decrease h) Welfare
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Maintain Status b) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status c) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status d) Gasoline taxes
Maintain Status e) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Maintain Status f) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Maintain Status g) Property taxes
Maintain Status h) Sales taxes
Maintain Status i) Vehicle taxes
Yes 1) Should state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
Undecided 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?
... I prefer technical schools over liberal arts.
I would offer to lower payroll income tax rates for minors and students to age 19 who are single and who are not parents. If absolutely necessary, I would listen to sales tax increase of a quarter percent for a balanced budget and regarding budget deficits.
Eventually internet sales will be targeted. I do not shop online too often.

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?

Undecided a) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Wisconsin governors?
No b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for Wisconsin state senators and representatives?
No 1) Individual
No 2) PAC
Yes 3) Corporate
Undecided 4) Political Parties
Undecided 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 Wisconsin participate in the federal REAL ID program?
I support voter ID, is that what they mean by REAL ID?

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and hiring of additional prison staff.
X b) Establish the death penalty in Wisconsin.
X c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
X d) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
e) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
f) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
X g) Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.
h) Support hate crime legislation.
I support greater citizen action to assist law enforcement. Safety and justice are core government services, so increases are likely necessary. Teach law in public school. Teach my poem / creed One Voice in public school. Allow an opposing political party to caucus if a candidate is unopposed going into a general election.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

X 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.
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.
X f) Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
g) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
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 Wisconsin to pay in-state tuition at public universities.
I am in support of standards to grade ten. I support more work programs after the sophomore year, thus reducing standard courses and testing. Juniors and seniors are usually allowed more electives anyway.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.

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.
c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
X 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.
X f) Include sexual orientation in Wisconsin's anti-discrimination laws.
g) Increase the state minimum wage.
h) Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will.
i) Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
X j) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
X k) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
A state has to be willing to enforce laws regarding illegal immigration. All funding is subject to a balanced state budget.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

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).
c) Support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops.
d) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
X e) Support funding for improvements to Wisconsin'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.
Environmental policies should be policies and not law. Consider natural disasters in this view. Wind, solar, hydro power are fine if people want to invest in them.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

Yes 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?
Yes 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?
I can support gun training and a licensing database. I support a maximum of four small rounds of ammunition on conceal carry to counter assault with a deadly weapun. A person should not need to carry a permit with the use of a database. The right to self defense is constitutional, and should not require annual fees simillar to voting and marriage. A person should be able to give verbal identification in public or nature. However, a photo ID would be necessary for any registration.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

X a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
X b) Support a state health care plan that enables small businesses to offer multiple insurance options to employees (e.g. BadgerChoice).
X c) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
X d) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X e) Allow patients to sue their HMOs.
X f) Require hospitals and labs to release reports on infections that are a risk to public health, while not compromising patient confidentiality.
X g) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Wisconsin.
h) Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
i) Support a statewide ban on smoking in workplaces and bars.
A balanced state budget comes first. I am likely to vote along the Republican party line. The government can provide an insurance oversight as it would for other insurance. I realize there are benefits to privatization and to state funding. I do not smoke, but I feel people can make their own choices without state enforcement.

['Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.', 'Legislative Priorities']

Undecided a) Should Wisconsin recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
No b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
No c) Should Wisconsin 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?
Undecided 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 Wisconsin continue affirmative action programs?
Undecided k) Do you support state funding of stem cell research?
Undecided l) Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
No m) Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?
I think the tax code / benefits can be simplified regarding couples. Find and read my poem / creed One Voice online (Myspace). Voter ID --yes Taxation/Inflation --yes (consider those on fixed incomes)
In regards to campaign finance reform, I suggest there be a state sponsored website and webpage for all candidates. Communities in northern Wisconsin can download information in a public library or school by satellite. If a candidate is unopposed going into the general election, I support the opposing party an opportunity to caucus for a challenger.

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