Erich Miller's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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California Congressional Election 2010 Political Courage Test
1) SpendingIndicate what federal funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category- you can use a number more than once.2) 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.
| Eliminate | a) Agriculture | ||
| Eliminate | b) Arts | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Defense | ||
| Maintain Status | 1) Intelligence operations | ||
| Maintain Status | 2) Military hardware | ||
| Maintain Status | 3) National missile defense | ||
| Slightly Increase | 4) Salary and benefits for active duty personnel | ||
| Maintain Status | 5) Programs to improve troop retention rates | ||
| Slightly Decrease | 6) Research and development of new weapons | ||
| Eliminate | d) Education | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Environment | ||
| Eliminate | f) Homeland security | ||
| Eliminate | g) International aid | ||
| Eliminate | h) Medical research | ||
| Eliminate | i) Scientific research | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Space exploration | ||
| Eliminate | k) United Nations | ||
| Eliminate | l) Welfare | ||
| Greatly Increase | m) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Eliminate | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Eliminate | b) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Eliminate | c) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Eliminate | d) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Eliminate | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Yes | 3) Do you support the elimination of the federal estate tax? | ||
| Yes | 4) Do you support requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year? | ||
| No | 5) Do you support using government funds in an effort to stimulate and improve the economy? | ||
| To promote the benefits of opportunity to pursue Life, Liberty and Happiness, refocus federal government's roll both foreign and domestic to that for which it was built under the Constitution and Bill of Rights: Courts to address grievances, seek restitution or redress and protect property rights by enforcing liability and responsibility; Military defense, land sea, air and space of our nation; Domestic policing of our federal property; Agencies limited to the collection of statistics, information, impartial oversight of trade between states and international entities. | |||
| Renewed emphasis on user and excise taxes | |||
| The Constitution limits the federal government to very specific jobs�such as providing for the nation�s defense. The last century has proven that the expansion of government has negative consequences. Lowering taxes encourage economic growth, while raising taxes stifles growth. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support privatizing elements of Social Security? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | c) Do you support increasing the federal minimum wage? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the ability of workers to unionize? | ||
| No | e) Do you support federal funding for job-training programs that retrain displaced workers? | ||
| We the People create jobs and drive the economy. D.C can only spend. It?s critical that we make the difficult choices regarding entitlement programs so we don?t burden future generations of Americans with debt that will never allow them to pursue their dreams. A program purchasing annuities for current dependent recipients combined with tax free retirement savings accounts is needed now. We must end the failed cronyism and politically driven rules in favor of the needs driven regulations and dynamism created by the relationship between consumers and providers. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support increasing the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns? | ||
| No | b) Should Congress regulate indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support removing all contribution limits on federal campaigns? | ||
| No | d) Should candidates for federal office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support giving the President the power of the line item veto for items concerning appropriations? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support limiting the President's ability to define how legislation is applied through the use of signing statements? | ||
| Campaign finance and government reform should be subject to the marketplace of ideas. Donations = free speech. The government controls historically limit choice and prevent change. It?s important to put the power and reform in the hands of the people. Let them decide through their votes if they agree with how a candidate has raised funds. However, the government should play the role of referee in making sure that donations are not made by those with a criminal record, or in exchange for favorable treatment. Congress has the exclusive authority to legislate. The President may only agree or disagree. | |||
| No | a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related training and job-placement assistance when released? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support programs that provide prison inmates with substance abuse treatment? | ||
| No | d) Do you support reduced prison sentences for non-violent offenders? | ||
| No | e) Do you support mandatory prison sentences for selling illegal drugs? | ||
| No one has the right to take a life even the state. Victims are due their full restitution and criminals are liable for their actions The current prohibition policies are a failure. The violent crimes and human cost of the drug war are counter to providing security or promoting the general welfare. But for treason, damage to federal property, acts of fraud, coercion or violence against federal officials all crime is a local issue. | |||
| No | a) Do you support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students? | ||
| No | b) Do you support federal funding for universal pre-K programs? | ||
| No | c) Do you support federal funding for charter schools? | ||
| No | d) Do you support federal funding for K-12 school vouchers? | ||
| No | e) Do you support the federal government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| Education is a state and personal issue, and there should not be any federal involvement, nor is there any constitutional authority for the federal government to be involved with education. Additionally, we need to support the important role that parents, family, and after-school groups play in educating our young people. By eliminating the political strings that misdirect resources we can maximize our education dollars by keeping all control local. | |||
| No | a) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| No | b) Do you support international emissions targets aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| No | c) Do you support allowing energy producers to trade carbon credits under a "cap and trade" system? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support strengthening fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles? | ||
| No | e) Do you support domestic oil exploration in federally-protected areas? | ||
| No | f) Do you support federal funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the development of nuclear reactors? | ||
| As the Libertarian party�s platform states,� free markets and property rights stimulates the technological innovations and behavioral changes necessary to protect our environment.� Advocacy and social pressure�not interference by the government is the best approach. The federal experiment of central control over our environment is not working. We should pick the winners and losers of new technologies not bureaucrats. Release the power of the market to increase our options and long term energy solutions. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you believe that the Second Amendment guarantees the right of individual citizens to own guns? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | d) Do you support a ban on assault rifles? | ||
| "Congress shall make no law abridging..." The second amendment is clear. Right to life includes the right to defend your life as you see fit. Focus on the misuse and abuse of firearms not politics. Policies that support education, training and consistent enforcement of criminal use laws on the local level will provide a superior system of public safety. | |||
| No | a) Do you support a publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| No | b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| Yes | c) Should the federal government expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts? | ||
| No | d) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support relaxing regulations on the importation of prescription drugs? | ||
| To bring affordability, portability and more responsibility to healthcare we must put all control back in the hands of the consumer. End the tax codes that bind us to employers by making all health care savings and expenses tax free. End the current emphasis on prepaid healthcare and refocus on catastrophic, long term care insurance combined with direct pay for minor needs. Putting the consumer back in direct relationship with provider is fundamental to real reform. On the legal side I support a loser pays system instead of politically created caps. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants? | ||
| No | b) Do you support decreasing the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country? | ||
| No | c) Do you support establishing English as the official national language? | ||
| No | d) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Immigration is the exclusive role of the federal government. The current system is a complete political failure. It's a lack of policy that has created the violence and chaos on our borders. We must rely instead on solutions based on our fundamental strengths of liberty and markets. To bring order back to our borders we must finally institute a general guest worker program and immigration process that is driven by our economic needs and not artificial quotas. The road to citizenship must be clear and open to those interested. Entitlement and criminal abuse should be dealt with regardless of status. | |||
| No | a) Do you support United States military action in Afghanistan? | ||
| No | b) Do you support increasing military assistance for Afghanistan? | ||
| No | c) Do you support increasing economic development assistance for Afghanistan? | ||
| No | d) Should the United States continue to strike suspected terrorist targets in Pakistan? | ||
| No | e) Do you support granting aid to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States? | ||
| No | f) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state? | ||
| No | g) Do you support increasing sanctions on Iran if it continues to defy United Nations mandates? | ||
| Yes | h) Do you support the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq? | ||
| Yes | i) Do you support the United States' involvement in free trade agreements? | ||
| Americans should be free to openly exchange with any nation in the world. The US military should be limited to protecting our shores and direct threats to our freedom. Interventionist policies of policing, nation building and military welfare have made us less safe. We should not misuse the lives and trust of our soldiers for these political goals. Letters of Marque and Reprisal should have been used against Bin Laden not an invasion. George Washington and Ike Eisenhower had it right. We should listen considering the lessons we learned. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support allowing openly-gay men and women to serve in the United States military? | ||
| No | c) Do you support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| Yes | d) Should the federal government end affirmative action programs? | ||
| Such old school questions. The federal government has no role in personal relationships. It must insure equal protection under the law. Too, we must also be free from government intrusion into our peaceful practice and support of religious doctrines. Government has no Constitutional authority and national politics have no role in scientific research. In this regard the government must focus instead on using it's authority as referee to keep a free and open market place of solutions, ideas and opportunities. | |||
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