Andy Millard's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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Andy Millard has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
North Carolina Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Constitutional law in this area has been settled for a few decades now, and I support the law. Government should not come between an individual and her healthcare provider. But every abortion is a tragedy, and we must all do what we can to limit the number of abortions in a way that shows compassion to all concerned. | |||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| When it comes to the budget, everything should be on the table, and we need to understand the difference between the deficit and the debt. Within seven years, interest on the national debt will be the third-highest expense item in the federal budget. We must get it under control. Both sides of the ledger, income and expense, must be considered. We don't necessarily need to pay the debt down to zero; it should be more like a home equity line that stays under control and is available when needed. | |||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| I support transparency in all campaign money. | |||
| No | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| No | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| I support tax incentives, but they should be limited. Federal spending to promote economic growth should be limited to specific times of need. | |||
| No | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Yes | Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| I am opposed to fracking on the grounds that it injects dangerous chemicals into the ground, uses outrageous amounts of water, and increases the potential for small earthquakes. We need to move briskly and deliberately toward clean energy. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| The U.S. by itself cannot control worldwide greenhouse gases, but we can limit our own output of them while we move toward 21st-Century clean energy. I support the bipartisan, market-based carbon fee and dividend plan promoted by organizations such as Citizens Climate Lobby. | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| I do not like the term "gun control." In Western NC, we have many hunters and citizens who own firearms for protection. I would like to see: (1) no loopholes for background checks; (2) no guns in the hands of suspected terrorists and those on the no-fly list; and (3)no military assault weapons in the hands of civilians. | |||
| No | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| The ACA is the law of the land; it is not going away. But it is far from perfect. We need to stop the partisan bickering and work together to improve it. | |||
| No | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| As a financial planner and investment professional with two decades of experience, I have no doubt that privatizing even a portion of individuals' Social Security taxes would carry the potential for widespread disaster. Social Security is a promise we have made to our workers. It should remain in its current form and be strengthened so as to improve its long term viability. | |||
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.
| Slightly Decrease | a) Agriculture | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Education | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Maintain Status | g) International aid | ||
| Greatly Increase | h) Medical Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Space exploration | ||
| Maintain Status | k) United Nations | ||
| Maintain Status | l) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| Fiscal responsibility is extremely important to me. We have limited resources and many worthy uses for those resources. The national debt needs to be reined in; within seven years, interest on the debt will be the third largest expense item in the federal budget, larger than all military spending. I don't believe we necessarily need to reduce the debt to zero, but it needs to be treated like a home equity line: the balance needs to be reasonable, and it should be available for special situations when needed. | |||
| (a) Americans in the highest income brackets should pay at least the same tax rate as middle-income earners. If a high-income person derives all or most of his or her income from capital gains, their rate may need to be increased. (f) The federal gas tax has not been increased since 1993. With more fuel-efficient cars on the road, inflation-adjusted revenue has declined steeply. Gas tax pays (or should pay) to maintain our roads and bridges, and we need to make the hard choices. (k) The income limit on Social Security and Medicare taxes should be raised. | |||
| 1 - Get Congress back to functioning as a branch of government. This means setting aside partisan rancor and facing the tough issues. The only way to change Congress is to change your Congressman. 2 - Invest in clean energy, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. Congress passed a highway bill in 2016 that was inadequate to our needs and is not paid for. I would be realistic in saying that roads should be paid for with the gas tax. 3 - My overall message is socially inclusive, environmentally concerned and fiscally responsible. |
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