Tom Palzer'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.
Tom Palzer has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2018 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 2018.
- "Pro-Life " (www.tompalzer.com)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "Fully funding National Defense & State and Local law enforcement," (www.tompalzer.com)
- 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.
- "Ending 'Common Core' which categorizes American History and Civics as 'options.'" (www.tompalzer.com)
- 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.
- "Pro 2nd Amendment" (www.tompalzer.com)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "BUILD THE WALL!" (www.tompalzer.com)
- 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.
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.
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| No | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| Yes | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| Yes | Do you support funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| No | Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | ||
| I say no because the result of fracking, whether successful, meaning no damage was done to the integrity of the soil, including no harm to the existing water table or increased release release of gases under the earth's surface, or not successful is predicated on the testing of the soils integrity prior to drilling. If testing results in potential damage based on the testing, then fracking should not be permitted. | |||
| Yes | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| I am not a proponent of climate change and here's why. Since 1880, the temperature of the earth has only increased by 2.3 degrees Celsius. | |||
| Yes | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| Only to the extent of background checks to determine whether a person has a history of mental illness or has a criminal record. | |||
| Yes | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| Yes | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| Yes | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| As a veteran, I would use military force in the form of special forces and air power to take out installations that produce nuclear capabilities. | |||
| Yes | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
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 Increase | a) Agriculture | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Arts | ||
| Greatly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Medical Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Space exploration | ||
| Eliminate | k) United Nations | ||
| Greatly Decrease | l) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Decrease | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| l) Other or expanded categories | |||
| With regard to welfare. We are in our 6th decade of dependency on government to pay the cost of welfare. I would suggest a 'welfare-to-work' program like the WPA program implemented by President Roosevelt. WPA provided jobs for the poor that taught them skills. It resulted in rebuilding our infrastructure - roads, bridges, etc. We should provide a hand-up rather than a hand out. | |||
| National Defense/Anti Terrorism - I would divert funds from entitlement programs that make up over 50% of our National budget. The Economy - I would sponsor legislation to deregulate, reduce the corporate tax, reduce the capital gains tax, revise the 77,000 page tax code (shred it and replace it with a reasonable, graduated tax structure), and renegotiate our trade agreements which may have benefited America when the were ratified decades ago, but are not contributing to our National debt. Veterans Affairs - I'd sponsor legislation to reorganize the Department. Veterans died because of V.A. mismanagement. 22 veterans die each day. |
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