Martin Metz's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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Martin Metz has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2014 Political Courage Test.
Washington State Legislative Election 2014 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | b) Should abortions be illegal after 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 the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| Abortion is a supreme tragedy especially from rape or incest. If used merely as a simple birth control measure, it is incredibly disrespectful of human life. The disregard of life has a corrosive effect on the fabric of society and has long ranging consequences. What if a future Bill Gates, or an Einstein, a Gandhi, or an Edison was never born. What innovations will we never see as result? How much of the next generation will be lost that could have been productive and tax paying? | |||
1) State Spending:Using the key, indicate 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 Taxes:Using the key, indicate 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 Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Washington's budget.
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Sales taxes | ||
| No | a) Tapping into Washington's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| Yes | c) Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining | ||
| No | d) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions | ||
| Yes | e) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| The role of government should be to fulfill its constitutional duties for balancing the state budget, providing essential services, and allocating appropriate funding for K-12 education. Once those are met, then we have to decide as citizens what we want and work it through our elected officials. Government cannot be all things to all people. Prioritization of effort has to be applied. Schools should be funded first before one dime is spent elsewhere. | |||
| I am not in favor of a State income tax. Exemptions for business need to be carefully weighed and should not be granted unless value to the State is demonstrated. The B&O Tax should be up for review on whether it should be eliminated. | |||
| "Rainy Day" fund should be for unforseen emergencies and not to make it easier for legislators to do avoid their due diligence in formulating the State's budget. Government should routinely live within their means. | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| No | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| No | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | b) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| It is clear that the voters want the the legislature to use restraint in budgeting. It was unseemly for the Democrats to eliminate the 2/3 budget rather than accept the desires of the voters. I would vote to allow the people of Washington to have the opportunity to vote on a state constitution amendment to require a supermajority vote in the legislature to raise taxes. | |||
| 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 a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Illegal immigrants pose serious financial, security, and health burdens on the State and is unfair to the State's citizens who bear the brunt. | |||
| 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? | ||
| 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 government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| No | g) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage? | ||
| Private-Public partnerships are useful in improving job opportunities in the State. | |||
| No | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| No | c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers? | ||
| Yes | d) Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Washington high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| Top down imposed Federal policies should be discouraged. Control should be kept at the lowest local level possible. Charter schools should receive no more funding than do regular public schools. Not every student is destined for college. They should have opportunities for pursuing vocational education at technical schools and community colleges. Parents should not be directed how to raise their kids or require them to use specific programs. | |||
| 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 state funding for improvements to Washington's energy infrastructure? | ||
| No | d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| No | e) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| America needs to use its own domestic energy resources for self-sufficiency through private enterprise. We cannot rely solely on the so called green sources because our infrastructure and machines primarily operate on gas and liquid petroleum. The technology simply does not exist yet for these to replace traditional oil and coal. Can you imagine a current passenger jet or a long haul truck using anything but a petroleum product any time in the near future? Using oil and such for sources of energy are also a good boost to the economy and produces jobs when allowed to do so. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| Second Amendment rights are essential to ensure First Amendment rights. | |||
| 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) Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| Individuals and families should be allowed to seek out and purchase their own health insurance. Choice and competition are important to controlling health costs. Being able to buy insurance across state lines is also important to bring real competition. | |||
| No | a) Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| No | b) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Washington's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Washington's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Hiring people people should not be based on sexual orientation. It should be based on the qualities and skills that a person brings to the job. | |||
| My top three priorities are to reduce the burden of government on local businesses and communities, encourage job and free market economic growth, and improve schools and education. I further want to ensure there is a respect from Government and its agencies for property rights and that veterans along with their families are supported. |
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