Carl Wong, Sr.'s Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Carl Wong, Sr. refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2012 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.
Hawaii State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| b) Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy? | |||
| c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | |||
| 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? | |||
| g) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | |||
| h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | |||
| I believe we are responsible for our actions and that life is a precious gift and not to be tossed out like yesterdays lunch. I would consider alternatives to natural birth is if the mother's life is in jeopardy and specific safeguard and included in any proposed statute. Women subjected to rape or incest pose a difficult situation for me because the women did not have control of the situation (the sexual attack). Again, I would consider an alternative to natural birth if the statutes are drawn to safeguard the unborn child. | |||
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 Hawaii's budget.
| Slightly Decrease | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| No | a) Tapping into Hawaii's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| Yes | 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 | ||
| No | g) Legalizing and regulating gambling | ||
| We need to be fiscally responsible, scrutinize department budgets, and cut spending and programs to enable us to live within our means. It is insane to keep throwing money at problems, increasing the size of government, and continue to fund failing performances. We spend $2.4 Billion dollars, $16,000 per child, in our schools with declining test results. The Democratic legislature, in control for over 40 years, has made us one of the highest taxed states in the nation; and they're still raising taxes rather than controlling our spending and cutting out waste. | |||
| We need to get control of our spending and do a better job in scrutinizing our expenses. Our taxpayers struggle every time there is a fee or tax increase. We need to put our tax structure on hold, identify and prioritize our expenditures, and look to providing tax incentives for businesses to stimulate our economic growth and create jobs. We then need to roll back those taxes that impact the individual taxpayer the most and start to live within a well planned budget projection. Tax breaks for businesses and high income earners is necessary if they create jobs. | |||
| We are in a economic crisis because Democrats, over the last 40 years, have created and dipped into "emergency funds" rather than planning expenditures and anticipating financial and infrastructure problems. We need to cut the size of government and reduce contract entitlements that we cannot sustain and would lead to furloughs. If we reduce our staff, salary structure, restructure employee benefits we regain control of our spending. Gambling would be a disaster for our citizens who can ill afford to waste money on a game of chance. The certainty of punishment reduces crime, no early releases. | |||
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 Hawaii governors? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Hawaii 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? | ||
| As a new candidate I am a first hand witness to the problems of campaign spending. The simple solution would be to cap all races to a set amount, i.e. $15,000 except for the incumbent who should have a lesser amount, l.e. $10,000. No one has a financial advantage and, in some instances, the incumbent, because of name recognition, would have a lesser amount. There should be a limit by which all candidates for that office cannot exceed. | |||
| 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 a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Capital punishment has a place, the offender will not subject another human being to extreme brutality or death again. First time offenders should have the benefit of counseling and/or treatment, however, a second event should result in jail time. Hawaii and the rest of the U.S. need to be aggressive in securing our borders & shores from foreign intruders and non-citizens from entering and/remaining in our State without legal authorization. Local authorities are the first to encounter individuals who are not here legally and therefore should have the authority to detain and arrest. | |||
| No | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | b) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| Government cannot be the "cash cow" for all problems. I support limited, temporary government assistance to individuals who experience a crisis. I believe government can best help by enabling institutions and agencies, through tax incentives and de-regulation, provide long term assistance, training, and shelter. I do not believe it is government's role to "make work projects" to provide jobs. If there is a need for infrastructure projects, we need to plan and budget for this task. Government can assist foreclosure victims by working with financial institutions & through counseling. Some individuals over extend themselves; foreclosure may be the only option. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Hawaii high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| As a general rule I support a national standard, however this may not be suitable for all of our students. I would venture to say that if an exam was administered to a cross section of out citizens, I would be surprised if a significant number would pass. We need to revamp our ineffective, extremely extensive and wasteful Centralized Department of Education, and look to community based schools, voucher programs, and charter schools. I favor the concept of vouchers where the funds follow the student to whatever school that provides the challenges, programs and curriculum they desire. | |||
| 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)? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Hawaii's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| We need to encourage the development of alternative energy in Hawaii but this should be through tax breaks, incentives, etc., rather than taxpayer funding. The state does dig for oil, shovel coal, or build windmills--we need to provide the playing field for energy gurus can be created and make a profit. The exception is when government has a necessary project and the alternative energy option is designed to reduce operational expenses for that project. We need to keep our agricultural land and encourage more agricultural use. I am not a supporter the "climate change issue"; no to regulations. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Hawaii has adequate laws dealing with firearms and more restrictions are not needed. The issue is the use of firearms; this should be dealt with mandatory jail time for an extended period. As a former police officer I found that citizens who register their firearms are conscientious and responsible citizens. I would support enabling individuals who undergo training to carry a concealed firearm. The only distinction between a police officer and a citizen is the training, 6 hours on when to use it and 30 hours on how to shoot. Individuals who carry would be licensed. | |||
| 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 legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Hawaii? | ||
| No | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| Health care is an important issue, but its an individual's responsibility and should not be mandated by the federal or state government. Government's role should be to make accessibility uniform and equal to all persons; open across state lines. Government needs to institute tort reform and place a cap on awards which only lines the pockets of attorneys -DUWE -CHEETUM-& HOW. A limit on attorney fees, awards to cover cost, and then a fixed cap amount, will stop ambulance chasers from making a quick dollar and a quicker settlement. | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| No | b) Should Hawaii 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 Hawaii's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Hawaii's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| I believe that marriage is a union of one man and one women. The civil union of same sex partners is un-natural and, in my opinion, an effort to achieve a status of "marriage" and a level of legitimacy. Individuals have a right to choose their companion, be it a person of the same sex, a cat, or inanimate object, but it is not a marriage. No taxpayer money should be used to fund medical research, abortion, etc.; this is best left to the private sector. Affirmative action was needed 30 years ago; it's not needed now. | |||
| As a democrat I became increasingly disappointed by the dismal performance of the Democratic politicians who have been in control of the legislature for the last 40 years. I realized that they were more interested in getting re-elected than controlling cost, lowering taxes, and fiscal management. My first goal is insure there are no new taxes or increases. The second focus will be to reject projects that are not immediately necessary and destined to be an additional burden to our taxpayers. The third focus will be to move for an audit of the DOE and to cut waste |
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