David Ball's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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David Ball has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2017 Political Courage Test.
Virginia State Legislative Election 2017 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| No | b) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| Yes | c) Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| Since life starts at conception, a human fetus is the most vulnerable lifeform to be protected. The assumption is that all intercourse will produce a fertilized egg and that is false. There is a certain period of time when the egg is likely to be fertilized. Human history is filled with examples of incest producing offspring without long-term negative affect. Repeated lineages of incest will die off. Rape is a violent crime. It should be reported and treated medically ASAP. A woman's life endangered becomes a family choice. Selling human fetus parts is illegal by law. Let's prosecute. | |||
1) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Virginia's budget.
| No | a) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions | ||
| No | b) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | c) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| No | d) An income tax increase on any tax bracket | ||
| It is so sad that the first ones attacked in a budget battle are the state employees. Politicians have no problem voting themselves a raise while punishing the ones who do the work. There is a crisis in government in Richmond. Agencies under or unstaffed. The pension fund is a disaster from neglect and incompetence. Virginia could become the next Illinois! The poor people on Medicaid, my heart goes out to them. Many are there through no fault of their own. We need to prioritize government spending, cut waste, and incentivize job creation. I have a plan to fix these. | |||
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) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| 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? | ||
| The US Supreme Court has already ruled that contributions represent free speech, which should not be infringed. No election should be for sale to the highest bidder. Money does not guarantee a candidate will win an election as in the 2016 Presidential Election. Free speech does not mean you will be heard. Secret indirect money should be fully disclosed. No political district should be gerrymandered. SBE Campaign Finance office is currently understaffed. Misuse of campaign funds needs to be investigated and prosecuted. Voter fraud is a major concern. A voter photo ID is proof. | |||
| 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? | ||
| No | c) Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction? | ||
| If every crime meant prison, we would create a subculture of criminals. Recidivism rates are the measure of how effective any form of punishment or alternatives are in the desired outcome. The biggest hurdle for any convict is re-entry into a productive member of society. Medical marijuana has to be carefully regulated. Minor possession of pot should be charged as misdemeanor unless couple with another crime. For minors, there needs to be a minimum age not to be prosecuted as an adult. Most state enforcement officers are deputized as Federal. MS13 is a real threat. No civil forfeiture without convictions. | |||
| No | a) Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| No | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits? | ||
| No | f) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage? | ||
| 2017 Virginia Economic Summit had experts present two alternatives. Keep pursuing the current sluggish economic recovery with no chance of improvement for decades. Or, become aggressive with tax and regulatory policies to jump start economic growth. I have a plan that will reward investment in economic growth, provide for health care and create high paying jobs. Welfare and unemployment represent a waste of human potential and lowers self-esteem. Minimum wage is an introductory wage for someone entering the job market. Not a living wage. Let's take minimum wage, set a baseline and adjust it annually based on CPI. | |||
| No | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| No | c) Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Virginia high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities in Virginia? | ||
| All these alternatives education initiatives have been a colossal failure. High standards of learning and achievement in education come from demanding high standards in academic excellence. 60 years of dumbing down the population has allowed other countries to surpass us in educating their children to take good paying jobs from us. Public schools have been used to prepare students to be wards of the state. The wealthy send their children to private schools to prepare them to be the ruling class. My plan provides tax incentives for families to pay for school choice. Unlawfully means illegally doesn't it! | |||
| No | a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| No | c) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| There is a business paradigm that if it has to be government funded it isn't a viable alternative. Osage Energy is a prime example of political payoff for a defunct company. Carbon credits are another get rich quick scheme for former politicians. Renewable energy can be funded by private money using tax credits to encourage development. I'm concerned with open space for recreation, fishing and hunting. My biggest concern is the loss of productive agricultural land and preserving 'farms for our future'. If Yellowstone erupted, renewables would be useless. We need to develop all of our technologies for our future. | |||
| No | a) Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| The 'G-man' said, "Gun control is hitting what you aim at." The Second Amendment is there for a reason, to prevent tyrannical government oppression of the people and the defense of all other rights. Gun registration has one purpose and that is confiscation. Cities with strict gun control laws have the highest crime and murder rates in the Country. I support conceal carry without a permit. With law enforcement spread so thin, your gun is your homes last line of defense. Now if you commit a crime using a gun, you should be prosecuted. I recommend gun owners have insurance. | |||
| No | a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| No | b) Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| No | c) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| I believe in competition and freedom of choice. We need open markets for health insurance competition. People should be able to form insurance pools to lower costs. I want tax credits for employers to cover the cost of health insurance for their employees. Coverage for wellness, non-taxable flexible medical savings accounts, remove regulatory obstacles for hospitals with emergence rooms in rural areas, 10 years tax free start-ups for medical practices and healthcare service in underserved areas, fix COBRA, and more. I have a comprehensive plan to fix healthcare in Virginia. | |||
| No | a) Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| No | b) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Virginia's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| No | c) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Virginia's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | d) Should individuals be required to use a bathroom that corresponds with the gender listed on their birth certificates? | ||
| I have known quite a few people who identify as LGBTQ. Some are really great conservatives but keep their sexual orientation private. Others would rather have their gun rights over the right to marry. This war on traditional values has one objective: to undermine the social and moral fabric of our Nation. It doesn't add color to our social fabric. It causes division and strife. The institution of marriage wasn't created by humans. It was ordained by GOD for our benefit and to establish strong family ties. People keep trying to modify marriage for selfish reasons. | |||
| First is rural high-speed internet access. DSL can be available anywhere there is a phone line. The money was available under the tobacco settlement funding. It is vital to business and school access. Second is more new business creation and high paying jobs with health insurance for rural Virginia. This can be done with tax policy and less regulatory oversight. The net will be more tax revenues. Third is the State Budget and Employee Retirement Fund need to be a priority to reduce spending and fund our financial commitments. The demand by retirees for pensions will affect all Virginians. |
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