Dave Baldwin's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Florida 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? | ||
| 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? | ||
| No | h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| I believe we should focus on reducing the need for abortions, rather than making them more difficult to obtain. Unintended pregnancies tend to result from women being victimized. We should help them before they become victims. I have mixed feelings regarding parental notification. As a parent, I don't want to see parental authority undermined. At the same time, I understand the concern that some young women could not possibly discuss abortion with their parents. Again, I would prefer to address the underlying problem - young women need adult guidance, either from parents or perhaps a guardian ad litem. | |||
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 Florida's budget.
| Slightly Decrease | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Greatly Increase | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Greatly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Eliminate | g) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into Florida's "rainy day" fund | ||
| Yes | b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| Yes | c) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | d) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | e) Reducing pension benefits for state employees | ||
| No | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| No | g) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| I believe we should help deserving students who would otherwise be unable to attend college, while asking more affluent students to shoulder more of the burden. While insufficient funding is by no means the only problem facing our public schools, current funding mechanisms are clearly both insufficient and too volatile. We must establish a stable, adequate funding source for K-12 education. I believe we must maintain our current infrastructure while building modern mass transit systems. I believe we must provide more assistance to parents who lack the resources to properly care for their children, for the sake of their children. | |||
| I believe we should eliminate sales taxes on clothing of less than $50 in value (with the exception of "accessories" such as neckties and scarves) and pet supplies. Our current system is regressive, with too great an emphasis on sales tax (which is generally regressive) and fees, and too many loopholes and exemptions. We need to review all exemptions, with the intention of eliminating most. We also should eliminate the tax credit scholarship program, which siphons needed revenue from government to private schools, and either redirect funds from the Lottery to K-12 education or eliminate it. | |||
| We face a fiscal crisis caused by the short-sightedness of our elected officials over the past decade. Essentially, they chose to live hand-to-mouth and offered tax breaks as political candy rather than following a prudent fiscal policy. The "rainy day" fund is intended to meet budget shortfalls like the one we face next year, so I would support tapping into it for a year or two. See above re tuition increases. All departments should have an optimum number of employees. I don't support reducing hours if the employees are needed. I also don't support reducing pension benefits in most cases. | |||
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 Florida governors? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Florida 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 believe all candidates should be required to qualify for the ballot by petition. I believe the influence of corporations, political action committees and political parties should be curtailed. I believe we should publish brief statements from all candidates for state office in a "voter's guide." Our Supervisor of Elections does so for local candidates, but lacks the funds to do so for candidates for state office. Such a guide would provide a convenient source of information for voters. | |||
| 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? | ||
| 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 for a first offense? | ||
| No | f) Should red light cameras be used to detect traffic violations? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| I understand the appeal of capital punishment. Unfortunately, in practice, a defendant's fate seems to depend upon socio-economic factors. I believe we should focus on the causes of drug abuse, not prosecution of abusers. I believe there is too great a risk of "red light" cameras being used instead for surveillance. I believe our law enforcement personnel have enough to do without trying to enforce federal laws. Furthermore, I believe enforcement of immigration laws would interfere with their primary mission. | |||
| No | a) Should Florida repeal its ban on public funding of religious institutions? | ||
| No | b) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | c) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | g) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| I believe we should make meaningful investments in our infrastructure because they are needed, not merely because they would lead to job creation. There is plenty of work needed, some of which has been put off for too long. I believe any re-training assistance must take into account the demand for jobs. Too often, training programs result in a glut of qualified workers, which results in depressed wages and continued unemployment. I believe financial incentives for private sector job creation should be implemented with an eye towards long-term economic growth, not short-term goals. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| No | b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | ||
| No | c) Should students be permitted to lead prayers at noncompulsory public school events? | ||
| No | d) Do you support ending the practice of tenure for Florida public school teachers? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| No | f) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| Yes | h) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Florida high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| Merit pay systems have been shown to have little or no impact on student achievement. However, if they are implemented with the cooperation of the teachers, they can provide rewards for teachers who excel in the classroom even though they lack experience or advanced degrees, and might help keep succesful teachers in the classroom. If illegal immigrants are allowed to stay in this country by the federal government, and if their families are paying taxes in Florida, why should we discriminate against them when they enroll in a public university? I believe we should eliminate FCAT. | |||
| 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 providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Florida'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? | ||
| I oppose offshore drilling. I always have, and I always will. I believe alternative energy sources are essential for continued economic prosperity. Whether it is a steel mill or a data center, companies will think twice before building a new facility if they will be dependent upon ever-more-expensive fossil fuels. I believe biofuels are a boondoggle. Plants are simply not efficient enough at converting sunlight into energy. However, I support the use of agricultural waste as fuel when appropriate. I believe climate change presents a major threat, and we should begin addressing both the cause and the effects immediately. | |||
| 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? | ||
| My father taught me to shoot when I was 12 years old. I have no objection to law-abiding citizens owning guns. However, I do believe we should take reasonable steps to get guns out of the hands of those who shouldn't have them. | |||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Florida? | ||
| No | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| I don't believe any responsible physician would prescribe marijuana due to the side effects. However, I do believe medical uses for THC and other active compounds in marijuana should be researched. I would prefer legalized physician-assisted suicide, with safeguards, over what happens today. The health insurance industry is extremely complex and I'm certainly not an expert, but I know the current "free market" system is not working very well. Personally, I would prefer to see MedicAid and MediCare expanded as a "public option." As a substitute, I would support the creation of "group" plans, open to all Floridians at cost. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| No | b) Should Florida 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? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state's use of affirmative action? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Florida's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Florida's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| I don't believe the state should fund research of any kind, unless it is needed to address a problem that impacts the state (such as degradation of our springs and rivers). I believe "civil unions" are a poor substitute for marriage. I believe state regulation of marriage on the basis of sex is unconstitutional in that it violates both the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment and the separation clause of the First Amendment. I believe our anti-discrimination laws should ban discrimination on the basis of anything which is beyond the control of the individual. | |||
| We must establish a stable, adequate funding source for K-12 education and early childhood education (which are inextricably linked). I would first increase funding through the elimination of tax exemptions and then look for additional sources of revenue. The added tax burden would be offset by future economic prosperity and savings in social services and criminal justice. We must establish a meaningful energy policy designed to eliminate our dependence upon fossil fuels within 30 years. Eventually this will be mandated or forced upon us by economic forces, anyway; the sooner we get started, the better. It will pay for itself. |
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