Roger Ford's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Kentucky State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| No | b) Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy? | ||
| No | 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) Should an ultrasound be required prior to an abortion? | ||
| No | h) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | ||
| Yes | i) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| I am supported by the Kentucky Right to Life Association PAC and Take Back Kentucky. I have signed The Manhattan Declaration, which promotes the sanctity of human life.... | |||
1) State SpendingIndicate 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.2) State TaxesIndicate 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.3) Budget StabilizationIndicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Kentucky's budget.
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Greatly Increase | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Greatly Increase | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Eliminate | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| No | a) Tapping into Kentucky's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| No | c) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | d) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | e) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Yes | f) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| A total review of spending that sets long-term priorities that targets education and workforce development, while working on drug eradication and treatment which continues to be a dire circumstance for all families in the 94th District, should be conducted. Long-term commitments to education and workforce investment will yield a better trained/better prepared workforce. In the 94th House District, a focus on energy-industry development and expansion is needed. This includes expanded infrastructure and highway construction, includng the expansion of the Mountain Parkway, Highway 15 and construction of I-66. | |||
| Kentucky needs comprehensive tax reform that reduces the tax burden on low and middle income families. Consideration needs to be given to an elimination of the personal income tax, similar to states like Tennessee, so people keep more of their income. Tennessee has seen an increase of overall revenue and job creation in the last two decades compared to Kentucky. Tennessee abolished their state income tax and reformed its state tax code. I have signed to the Taxpayers' Protection Pledge against high taxes and wasteful spending. In addition, I support increased transparency in state government budgeting and spending practices. | |||
| A return of 100% of the coal severace tax to coal-mining counties is essential to the overall improvement in our quality of life and to diversify and development our communities. The "Golden Triangle" should stop taking our coal severance tax funds when they mine no coal. In addition, I will work to restore the decision-making on coal severance tax to the county fiscal courts.... Reviewing areas for privatization, such as some services at state parks and rest areas, is one way to reduce costs. | |||
c) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| Yes | a) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Kentucky governors? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Kentucky 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? | ||
| I support increased accountability through 'increased transparency' legislation of the conduct of government business. I have proposed, when elected, to sponsor a bill that would create timelines and benchmarks to ensure a state budge is passed during the regular session of the General Assembly. The bill would penalize legislators by cutting pay and benefits should the General Assembly fail to pass the state budget on time. This bill would also withhold all pay and benefits during budgetary special sessions. We must make government more accountable to the people. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| Yes | d) Should minors accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as adults? | ||
| Yes | e) Should minors who send 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? | ||
| Consideration needs to be given to state laws to empower Kentucky's state and local authorities to enforce illegal immigration laws, as long as the state law complies with the supremacy clause. We must stop illegal immigration in Kentucky to ensure public safety and to reduce crime, including the illegal drug trade. I support the Kentucky State Police proposal to eliminate multi-lingual licensing exams. I would sponsor and vote for a bill requiring all state governmental IDs be issued in English and mandate all state certification and licensing exams be given in English, including all mining and safety certifications. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support capping interest rates and fees on payday loans? | ||
| No | h) Do you support permitting video lottery terminals at horse racing tracks? | ||
| We need to focus on promoting public policy emphasizing creation of private-sector jobs that offer good pay and benefits not low-wage, no-skill/no future casino gambling jobs. Energy-related industrial/construction jobs and healthcare sector jobs are needed for an improved quality of life for eveyone in the 94th District. | |||
| No | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | ||
| No | c) Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Kentucky high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| Illegal immigrants should not be receiving any public educational services in Kentucky or be allowed to graduate from any state-funded public educational institution. Spending tax money on illegal immigrant education, who pay no taxes, takes money from students, including legal immigrants who pay taxes. Allowing illegal immgrants to receive the benefit of public education tax dollars takes away dollars from taxpayers' children. | |||
| 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 Kentucky's energy infrastructure? | ||
| No | e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| I support an all-of-the-above approach to energy, including coal-to-liquid, gas-to-liquid and using all resources in Kentucky. Energy independence is linked to job creation, economic growth, and national security. Kentucky must do everything it can to keep coal competitive, along with using other energy resources in Kentucky. I oppose efforts by the EPA to overstep its authority and destory coal mining jobs. I would support legislation to enable Kentucky to stand-up to the EPA, such as HCR10.... | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| No | b) Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| I would sponsor and vote for the Kentucky Firearms Freedom Act....I will sponsor and vote legisation like the Kentucky Firearm Freedoms Act and all pro-gun/pro-2nd Amendment laws that promotes gunowner rights. The right of law-abiding citizens to own guns should not be infringed. I am a NRA Life Member, member of the East Kentucky Sportsman's Association. I support gun safety training courses, such as the Eddie Eagle gun safety program for students. | |||
| 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) Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| No | 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 Kentucky? | ||
| No | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support Medicaid coverage for smoking cessation programs? | ||
| Government-run healthcare is not the solution. The Obamacare takeover of the health industry rations healthcare. Funding Obamacare wll require $500 million dollars in Medicare cuts and billions in new taxes on individuals and small businesses. Reform must reduce costs, targets waste, fraud, and abuse, while expanding competition across state lines. A system that insures pre-existing conditons by elimination of high-cost group plans into a system that will reduce risk for health insurance providers and lowers costs for people with pre-existing conditions is needed. In addition, another unfunded Medicaid mandate has been imposed on Kentucky that will bankrupt the Commonwealth. | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| No | b) Should Kentucky allow same-sex couples to form civil unions? | ||
| No | c) Do you support state funding for stem cell research? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the state's use of affirmative action? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Kentucky's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Kentucky's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
| My top three priorities will be 1) to fight for coal mining and to return 100% of the coal severance tax to coal-mining counties, while also working to restore real decision-making to the local fiscal courts as to how that money is spent; and, 2) to bring greater emphasis to education and workforce development programs in order to have an educationally prepared, highly skilled workforce for job creation; and, 3) to eradicate the illicit drug trade and to create a climate of comprehensive recovery for addicts. |
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