Michael Cole, Jr.'s Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
Michael Cole, Jr. has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2016 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.
Issue Positions
For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2016.
- "A woman has a right to control her own body, and feel that the best way to reduce the number of abortions lies in education and access to birth control and contraceptives. [â¦] There is no bright line on when that right was forfeited, and until science can better answer that question, then we must protect the Supreme Court's demarcation of the first trimester." (votesmart.org)
- "The Internal Revenue Code is a national embarrassment and that exemptions and rates should be reduced. Income tax should be progressive, but not to the extent that success is penalized." (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "Over the past seven years, congress has been unable to produce a bill that will make the necessary repairs of our nations highways, roads, and bridges possible. [â¦] As your congressman, I'd work with both parties to make sure that it is safe to drive in our country once again." (mikecole.us)
- "Over-taxation chokes the life out of the economic growth. Every dollar that leaves the hands of business and goes to government is one dollar that could have been spent hiring workers or improving business service." (votesmart.org)
- "By expanding funding on the federal level for vocational studies, we increase the number of highly skilled people in well-paying jobs." (mikecole.us)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "I believe in the right to bear arms, but also in the right for society to be protected from mentally ill people having guns." (votesmart.org)
- " I vehemently oppose the removal of our Constitutional rights and will vote against legislation that does." (votesmart.org)
- "Every American should have access to a basic level of health care and be protected from the financial disaster of a catastrophic illness." (votesmart.org)
- "We need smart care, not Obamacare. It goes without question that something needs to be done. However, completely redesigning the system is not a solution." (votesmart.org)
- "Immigration as one of our country's great strengths and heritages, but believe that our immigration laws should be both reasonable and enforced. They believed that we should stop pretending that deporting 10 million people was a realistic option and came up with a plan to deal fairly with those who came here illegally while our system was broken. At the same time, we must have safe and secure borders and enforce the laws that exist." (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "Social Security is a solvent agency, when left alone by Congress and the White House. The Social Security trust fund must be off limits for purposes other than what it was intended. Additionally, removing the Social Security withholding cap will double the life of the trust fund without reduction of benefits." (mikecole.us)
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.
| Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Abortion is a tumultuous issue. We have the foundations of our nation that allow for a person to choose what happens to their body pitted against the spiritual and ethical topic of life. I believe that a woman should have the right to choose. In the end it is a tough choice between a woman, here morals and her doctor. | |||
| No | Do you support United States' combat operations in Afghanistan? | ||
| Yes | Do you support a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan? | ||
| If the Afghan people want freedom and democracy, they must be willing to fight for it. We cannot force democracy at the barrel of a gun. We can sacrifice a million soldiers to the cause, but in the end if the people of Afghanistan want democracy, they must be willing to fight for. We can support with material and other support, but combat troops only strengthen the resolve of the Taliban | |||
Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing the federal budget.In order to balance the budget,
| Yes | do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| Yes | do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| No | do you support reducing Medicaid spending? | ||
| No | do you support reducing Medicare spending? | ||
| Yes | Is balancing the budget a legislative priority? | ||
| We cannot spend our way into prosperity | |||
| No | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Neither corporations or unions are people. I can support them in get out the vote drives or none monetary endorsement, but beyond that they should be allowed no chance to influence directly the electorate. Only people should be allowed to contribute. | |||
| Yes | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| In a society, we as civilized people have surrendered our right to vengeance for the most heinous of crimes. We surrender that under the understanding that society will do it for us. If we take that away, we open the door for people to attempt to take that right back into their own hands. | |||
| No | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | Do you support spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the temporary extension of unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the 2010 temporary extension of tax relief? | ||
| Business should never be allowed to think that they are 'to big to fail' they are not governments. They are owed no special privilege. If we were to follow the logic of free enterprise, then government should not allow welfare for unprofitable business. Either a business succeeds of fails on its own merits, or it needs new leadership. | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| Universal Education is the wonder of the modern world. In ancient times we built monuments such as the pyramids that were lasting in order to appease the gods and to show the strength of our society. Today, the strength of our nation is in the future of our nation, our youth are our lasting monuments. If states are willing to take federal money they should be willing to ensure that their students are second to none education wise. | |||
| No | Do you support reducing restrictions on offshore energy production? | ||
| That would depend on what restrictions they are. Environmental no. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| I think we should create incentives for business to build better factories and cleaner industry. I would point out that I do oppose cap and trade, but I would also point out that the very cap and trade idea that democrats now tout, they opposed when republicans proposed it. And now republicans call it a government take over. This is just one of the many shill games and hypocrisy that both parties have become reduced to | |||
| No | Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| The second amendment makes that clear | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| No | Should individuals be required to purchase health insurance, as mandated in the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| Other nations such as Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom have universal care and their companies and people are just as free as ares. Are their societies somehow better? Why can't we the most powerful nation on Earth be unable to do the same. Is it because we are unable to, or are we unwilling to? | |||
| No | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| Yes | Do you support allowing illegal immigrants, who were brought to the United States as minors, to pursue citizenship without returning to their country of origin? | ||
| No | Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration law by state and local police? | ||
| We cannot effectively deport 12 million people. There is only one US entity capable of that, and it is the US Military. Do you support giving the military the right to go door to door to look for illegal immigrants? What happened to "give us, you tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free?" | |||
| No | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| No | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| We must abide by the rules of warfare. How are we the just if we use war to prevent war? Isn't that like robbing someone to prevent a robbery? | |||
| Yes | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| Social Security is not enough for someone to retire on. We must maintain our promise to existing seniors on Social Security, but we must realize that the system as it currently exists is broken. | |||
SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.
| Greatly Decrease | a) Agriculture | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Arts | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Environment | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Eliminate | g) International aid | ||
| Greatly Increase | h) Medical Research | ||
| Greatly Increase | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Greatly Increase | j) Space exploration | ||
| Maintain Status | k) United Nations | ||
| Maintain Status | l) Welfare | ||
| m) Other or expanded categories | |||
| Maintain Status | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | j) Payroll taxes | ||
| k) Other or expanded categories | |||
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