Michael Sopuch's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Montana State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| 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 sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| This issue is not now, nor has ever been black and white. If 35% of American women of reproductive age will have an abortion before age 45 but 51% of all Americans consider themselves to be Pro-Life; we either have a problem with honesty or guilt, or both. America is a republic that is an empire of laws, not of people. We must respect the rule of law and I feel women should maintain this right. Murder however is against the law, and at some point one is taking place. I support mandatory measures that choice is made promptly. | |||
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 Montana's budget.
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Decrease | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Eliminate | b) Business equipment taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Oil and natural gas production taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Property taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | i) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Greatly Decrease | j) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Yes | a) Establishing a "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| No | c) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| Yes | d) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | e) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| Yes | f) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Spending limits and budgets cannot be adequately analyzed in this manner. There is far more detail that must be attached to each of these lines. | |||
| Taxes on businesses small and large limit our ability to grow and compete with surrounding states. We are losing job opportunities in record numbers, taxpaying Montanans are fleeing to neighboring states seeking employment, and the great majority of higher-educated graduates cross our border upon graduation seeking recompense for their hard work at school. Now is the time to open the door and roll out the mat. Montana is a lovely place, let's be inviting. | |||
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 Montana governors? | ||
| No | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Montana state legislators? | ||
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Party | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| b) Executive term limits are a must. Legislative term limits should be imposed at the polls with our vote. The best people are termed out just as they are becoming proficient at their job. I would love to see US Senate, Congressional and Presidential race spending capped, because half-billion dollar war chests merely to get elected to office are ridiculous and insulting to Americans who are struggling simply to feed their family. Politicians are not celebrities and they should never become such at the risk of losing connection to the people whom they mean to honorably serve. | |||
| 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) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| (d) Age dependent. Crime dependent. | |||
| 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? | ||
| c) Temporarily. a & d) Now is the time to befriend industry small and large. State revenue is created with tax dollars. If people cannot work, they cannot pay tax and we will have no revenue to subsidize vital programs. Restrictions and prohibitions to industry have retarded growth long enough. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | ||
| Yes | 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 Montana high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| I feel that parental choice is the harbinger of turning mediocrity in education around. Competition is vital to achieving the best product in any marketplace and education is no different. I vehemently support voucher programs which allow parents to choose their child's schooling and thus force schools to compete with one another for these education dollars. The best possible education (and variety of choice in such) that money can buy will emerge and all should have access to it. | |||
| No | 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)? | ||
| No | c) Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Montana's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state management of wolf hunting in Montana? | ||
| No | f) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| No | g) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| I would direct voters to the content on my campaign site for this one. (b) Hydroelectricity is a traditional source, which I thus support. | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| No | f) Do you support continuing to allow physician-assisted suicide in Montana? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| I am for interstate compacts that expedite competitive health insurance product offerings to the marketplace. If regulations within a compact hinder timely delivery of such, I would not support it. Medical Marijuana, the type of physicians who prescribe it, and the conditions under which it is prescribed, needs to be refined. I feel we are in a zone where illegitimate users and distributors are acting with relative impunity, which is leading to a variety of social and law enforcement concerns. | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| No | b) Should Montana 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 Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Montana's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| First off, same-sex couples are 150-200% more likely to divorce than straight ones. Secondly, modern marriage is a union steeped in religious tradition, most of which condemn homosexuality. The question is- why would one embrace a ritual refined by religions than are generally condemning of their lifestyle? Just live together. (2) Enhancing anti-discrimination laws beyond what is present law really only enhances the grounds for frivolous suit, and consequently financial duress for employers. Occupational appropriateness and employer choice is paramount for maintaining a good and profitable working environment so the entire workforce maintains job security. | |||
| I'll support legislation that eliminates the roadblocks to growth and economic success in Montana. Taxes are far too burdensome for job creating industries we attempt to foster. Those taxes must be greatly reduced and in some cases, such as the business equipment tax, eliminated altogether. The red tape that many industries best suited to our state resources must navigate through to profit is alarming. Legal suit and misplaced liability stemming from a variety of sources thwart our opportunity at a better life. Augmenting MEPA to work for our prosperity instead of against it is thus timely and appropriate. |
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