Diana Shaw's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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California State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| e) Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor? | |||
| 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? | ||
| I support Roe v. Wade which confirms a state interest following the first trimester, and therefore the right of the state to legislate certain restrictions (e) (f) Some situations warrant parental notification, such as repeated abortions that are potentially detrimental to a young woman's health. However, in some cases notification to a parent may the mere fact of an abortion itself can endanger the life of a young woman, as might be the case in a situation where incest is involved. Therefore each case should be decided on the merits by an advocate. | |||
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 California's budget.
| Greatly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| No | a) Tapping into California's "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| Yes | c) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | d) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| No | e) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| This question is about state spending. My answers do not indicate either where Federal supplements are warranted (e.g. under new Federal Health Care rules) or where current temporary fixes will be adjusted to normal levels when the economy levels out. | |||
| e) Home property taxes should remain subject to Prop. 13 rules, however, homeowners have been assuming a larger and larger proportion of the tax burden since Prop. 13 was passed, and therefore it is only fair to them that commercial property should be periodically reassessed. | |||
| California should consider the following revenue sources to balance the state budget gap, while continuing to seek ways to reign in spending: Oil extraction fee, tax enforcement increase, substitute personal income taxes and vehicle license fees for state sales tax because former are deductible on federal income tax returns. | |||
e) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| No | a) Should California hold a constitutional convention to rewrite the state constitution? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support changing the requirement for state budget passage from a two-thirds vote to a majority vote? | ||
| No | c) Do you support limits on the number of terms for California governors? | ||
| No | d) Do you support limits on the number of terms for California state legislators? | ||
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | f) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| h) 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| a) Studies indicate the death penalty is not a deterrent to violent crime. Finland has virtually no violent crime - and no death penalty. DNA testing has revealed too many errors. Loved ones need closure, yet not by executing the wrong person. That said, those found guilty should never gain release unless the accused is exonerated by new evidence. f) With limited funding, state and local police have enough on their plates. However, if there is a reasonable evidence that a felon is not a legal citizen the local and state police should immediately defer to Federal enforcement. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| No | g) Do you support suspending the sale of bonds that would finance the California high-speed rail? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | |||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from California high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | |||
| d) State funding should come with enforcement of rigorous state standards. f) Current law gives in state access to those who have completed 3 years of-in state education. I support that standard and would add a requirement that the student concurrently apply for citizenship on a special basis set aside for such instances. | |||
| 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)? | ||
| c) Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | |||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to California'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 background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| No | c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the establishment of a single-payer, publicly-administered health care system for California? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| No | d) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | ||
| Yes | e) Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| No | f) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in California? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| e) The current structure requires those who pay insurance as well as the taxpaying public to pick up the cost of health care for those who do not carry insurance. That obligation should be limited to the extent that those who can afford insurance must assume their fair share of their own health care. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should California allow same-sex couples to form domestic partnerships? | ||
| 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 California's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in California's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| a) The government must treat all of its citizens equally. It should not discriminate regarding the issuance of marriage certificates. This very divisive issue could be resolved if the government got out of the marriage business all together, and limited itself to issuing couples who are legally able to consent, domestic partnership agreements. Of course, religious organizations should be able to perform a marriage ceremony for whomever their tenets indicate is eligible for marriage and is legally able to consent, and the government should stay out of matters regarding religion. | |||
| First and foremost, I will make sure that lines of communication between my office and local constituents are opened. Service must be the number one priority of any representative. I will do my part to remove the 2/3 super majority impediment to getting budgets passed. I will focus on policies that create new jobs - especially clean energy technology jobs that will ensure California's place in tomorrow's economy, and will work to keep the ones we have. |
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