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Tony Caputo's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.

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Tony Caputo has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2020 Political Courage Test.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Colorado State Legislative Election 2020 Political Courage Test

Pro-life a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
No b) Do you support legalizing abortion when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
Yes c) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
I understand the grief and inconvenience not aborting when someone is raped or is involved in incest, but the governing principle should look to the innocent like.
Yes a) In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
No b) In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
Would rather try to cut wasteful projects, expand tax base by encouraging new business, eliminate stifling and unnecessary regulation and limit overreach by governmental agencies and reducing the need for a bloated bureaucracy. (b) more taxation after an event like Covid and the response (wrongly done) would only do more to hurt recovery. (The Great Depression and Roosevelt's response is believed to have prolonged the depression) Would not want to repeatthe same mistakes.
No a) Do you support a limit on campaign contributions to state candidates?
No b) Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
Yes c) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
Yes d) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
No e) Do you support automatic voter registration?
No f) Do you support awarding Colorado's electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote?
I am for transparency but am bothered by groups like Planned parenthood who receives fund from governmental agencies and then turn around and donate millions to the Democrat Party. I also object to unions forcing members to pay for their officers political preference through their dues. (At Post Office we were allowed to be part of union by choice and no dues used in political races. They had a political fund separate from general fund one could contribute to if so desired)
Yes a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
Yes b) Should an individual under 18 accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
Yes c) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
Yes d) Do you support the use of private prisons in Colorado?
No e) Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders?
No f) Do you support a ban on flavored nicotine products?
I do believe in the freedom of choice on the last question. If vaping is deemed to be legal then flavored vape should not be banned. If they want to ban it then take it to a vote of the public. As far as sentencing mandates I would prefer it to be a case by case situation. Don't like now where certain DA's are refusing to prosecute illegals, vandals and rioters (Ones bought and paid for by George Soros). (b) depending on the crime and the age.
No a) Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes b) Do you support lowering state income taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
Yes c) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector?
Yes d) Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
No e) Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Colorado?
No f) Do you support requiring employers to provide paid family leave?
Yes g) Do you support providing financial relief to businesses AND/OR corporations negatively impacted by the state of national emergency for COVID-19?
Under a), I support local, regional and state governments to provide incentives to move to their locale. Not so sure about direct spending. Under g) depends on what the financial relief is. Would like tax relief, even over a period of time, loan relief, reduction of regulations. (I believe that government went way overboard and often overreached their constitutional authority.
No a) Do you support adopting federal education standards in Colorado?
Yes b) Do you support state funding for charter schools?
Yes c) Do you support increasing teacher salaries AND/OR benefits in Colorado?
No d) Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Colorado high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
Prefer local control but have problem with current practices of unions in education. System needs to be overhauled to allow for school choice, cooperation with home schoolers, and getting businesses to sponsor some types of business, electrical, mechanical, etc. cooperation with schools. (c) I believe in merit pay not current system. Increases based upon merit and performance, not across the board. We already (country) ranks highest in world for school costs, but are 17th out of 17 nations in performance.
No a) Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, geo-thermal)?
No b) Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
No c) Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
No d) Do you support the reintroduction of gray wolves into Colorado?
I believe in human ingenuity when needed. (B) Government ends up politicizing the process and claiming "projections" and models" are scientific when the don't fit the actual definition to qualify it as such. Also, they have been way off the mark in almost every such prediction, especially when they don't allow for any dissent from any who don't agree wit their orthodoxy. (d) State funding rather than municipalities and counties not preferred. Could there be an instance where it might be required, rarely but possibly.
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 teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom after passing gun safety training?
No d) Should a license be required for gun ownership?
I think the constitution leans toward little to no regulation. Crime, violence and shootings rise in areas with extreme gun control laws. Once a person has committed a violent, sexual and some other offences, then courts could put limitations on said persons.
No a) Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse?
No b) Do you support Medicaid expansion through Colorado's health care programs?
No c) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
No d) Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?
No e) Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
No f) Do you support requiring businesses to provide paid medical leave during public health crises, such as COVID-19?
Organizations both religious and other have done a good job with rehabilitation. Government, because of current disdain for religious groups and beliefs, approach the problem from a wrong approach and fail more often than not. Medicaid is being so abused now and is apt to go bankrupt should be reexamined for sustainability. (d0 Doctors should never be forced to abuse their hippocratic oath. Those desiring to kill themselves have too many other ways to do it. Also there are some bad practices in countries and states where it is already practiced. f) This a business killer.
No a) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Colorado's anti-discrimination laws?
No b) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Colorado's anti-discrimination laws?
No c) Do you support greater efforts by Colorado state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
The pay gap doesn't really exist when things are compared (apples to apples). Society can't correct every perceived inequality. I'd love to be strong muscled man, but such is life. When like situations occur, there is not that much difference in remuneration. Sexual orientations laws have allowed for great abuse.
Want better cooperation between regular schools, charter schools, religious schools, home schools, businesses both teck. and skilled (electricians, etc.) at high school level to meet the individual child's need and not a one size all plan that has been shown to be deficient. Would like far more transparency and parental involvement in what is being taught in schools today that are having such bad results. More transparency in governmental use of taxes. More restraint on a Governor who acts like a Caesar rather than a Governor. More to insure safety of population and prosecution of rioters and thugs.
If in the minority, I would want to be on the committees that I would have the best chance of affecting bad legislation getting it killed in committee or changing it to be less destructive to our society. If in the majority, I would seek like minded representatives to work on bills to bring about change in needed areas of education, parental rights and small business deregulation. I would be willing to co-sponsor or even sponsor legislation. I would need some help at the beginning how I can work the process, but I am a fast learner.

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