Tony Decubellis' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Tony Decubellis submitted the 2010 Political Courage Test after the official deadline and release of results to the media. The candidate's late responses are provided here as a public service.
Wisconsin 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| Abortion clinics should not be funded by taxpayer dollars as there are citizens who ethically oppose abortion. The legality or illegality of abortion should be voted on, by the people, via statewide referendum every four years. | |||
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 Wisconsin's budget.
| Slightly Decrease | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Decrease | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Eliminate | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into Wisconsin's "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 | ||
| No | f) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| g) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Wisconsin's 2011-2013 biennial budget deficit is projected to be $3.1 billion. There will be no easy way out of this budget crisis. Our choices are to raise tax revenue, cut spending, or a combination of both. I would solicit the opinions of my constituents, represent them fairly and bring their voice to Madison. | |||
| The Wisconsin tax rate is simply too high on all fronts. As a legislator, I would like to move a point of tax collection from the property tax to a sales tax. Wisconsin residents are continuing to lose their homes due to unemployment and the property tax inflates housing costs and rent in some cases by up to 50%. Wisconsin residents need property tax relief. Wisconsin residents also need jobs and by abolishing the property tax we would free up $50 million per year in our state economy which would be a draw for businesses to relocate here. | |||
e) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| No | a) Do you support online voter registration? | ||
| Yes | b) Should voters be required to present government-issued photo identification at the polls? | ||
| No | c) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Wisconsin governors? | ||
| No | d) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Wisconsin state legislators? | ||
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 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 | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the criminalization of drunken driving for first-time offenders? | ||
| Yes | e) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| No | f) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | b) Do you support capping interest rates and fees on payday loans? | ||
| No | c) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| No | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| No | e) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | g) Do you support using public funds to construct a high-speed rail line in Wisconsin? | ||
| No | h) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| There is a use for Payday Loans for people who can't obtain a loan from their bank or credit union and I don't believe there should be an artificial interest cap. If the interest rate is too high, less people will take a Payday Loan. Wisconsin can't afford increased state spending with our budget deficit. I would provide assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure by abolishing the property tax. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Wisconsin high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| Merit pay, as defined as a teacher bonus for children receiving higher grades, runs the risk of teachers inflating grades to claim a bonus. There is a built in moral hazard that some teachers may be tempted to exploit. Illegal immigrants should not be eligible for benefits provided by legal residents. Financial aid for college students drives up the cost of tuition; I would like to reduce aid and lower tuition costs. My daughter attends a charter school but I would prefer to use vouchers or pay a tuition for her to attend with reduced taxes from the school district. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Wisconsin'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 love the environment as much as the next guy but alternative energy sources will be made available to the general public when they're cost efficient. I don't believe the taxpayers should pay for its development. Traditional domestic energy sources should not receive state funding. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| No | b) Should it be a state felony to purchase a gun for a convicted felon? | ||
| No | c) Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| People who buy guns for felons should be prosecuted but not necessarily with a felony charge. Law abiding Americans have the right to bear arms as guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution. I would introduce a Firearms Freedom Act to the Wisconsin Legislature when elected. | |||
| No | a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| No | b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| No | 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 Wisconsin? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| Terminally ill patients and patients in extreme pain should have the advantage of using marijuana if it helps them. The doctor nor the patient should not be restricted in their treatment options. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| No | b) Should Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Wisconsin's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| The state has no business regulating one of the most intimate decisions a person makes: whom they will marry. Adult heterosexual and homosexual couples should be able to marry without state interference at any institution, religious or otherwise, that will marry them. The smallest minority is the minority of one, the individual. A person should not be judged by their race or gender but by their ability. I do not support hiring quotas. A company adhering to antiquated notions of race or gender will be punished by the consumer. | |||
| The focal point of my campaign is to create jobs by lessening the tax burden on residents and employers. One way to do this is to abolish the property tax and use the sales tax instead. The sales tax is efficient and does not artificially inflate the costs of homeownership in a time where we see record levels of home foreclosures. This would release $50 million into Wisconsin's economy and serve as a comparative advantage for all manner of businesses to create jobs and will give an instant payraise to all Wisconsin workers, union or non-union. |
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