Jason White's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Jason White submitted the 2012 Political Courage Test after the official deadline and release of results to the media. The candidate's late responses are provided here as a public service.
Pennsylvania State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| No | b) Should abortions be illegal after the first trimester of pregnancy? | ||
| Yes | c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
| Yes | d) Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| No | f) Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for abortion procedures? | ||
| No | h) Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions? | ||
| I would not choose abortion for my family, but I support keeping the prodeedure legal and safe. I do not believe there should be absolute requirements for parental notification or consent for a minor. I believe an objective process should be in place to determine if non notification is warranted. In all cases counseling services must be available and those services should be without bias to ensure the well being of the minor. | |||
1) State Spending:Using the key, indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.2) State Taxes:Using the key, indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once.3) Budget Stabilization:Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Pennsylvania's budget.
| Greatly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Greatly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Environment | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Greatly Increase | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Increase | h) Other or expanded categories: | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| d) Gas/Oil taxes | |||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Greatly Increase | j) Other or expanded categories: | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into Pennsylvania's "rainy day" fund | ||
| b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | |||
| c) Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining | |||
| d) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions | |||
| e) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | |||
| f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | |||
| g) Stricter enforcement of the "use tax" | |||
| The word "welfare" is all too often used to refer to human services. The cuts that were were made to all but a couple of these areas have had detrimental effects across all of Pennsylvania. Funding to education must be restored. Funding for nursing homes, mental health, and services for disabled children must also be restored. | |||
| [d) Gas/Oil taxes] Candidate wrote "3,2" I would propose an excise tax or impact fee on oil and natural gas. This is routinely done in other states and would bring much needed revenue to the Commonwealth, and provide a source of funds to to offset any unforseen environmental impact. I propose a luxury tax on the sale of items priced over $150,000, excluding home sales. | |||
| Stop the phase out of the capitol gains tax and inheritance tax. Close the "Delaware loophole." A slight increase in the sales tax rate, this would apply only to items that are already taxed. | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| No | 1) Individual | ||
| No | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| No | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | b) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting? | ||
| No | e) Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls? | ||
| f) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | |||
| Yes | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Unfortunately some juveniles have already progressed to the point that they are a threat to the community to the degree of some adults. Minors should not escape punishment simply because they are not adults. The transmission of sexually explicit pictures by minors should be handled with discretion by the courts. A 15 year old sending a picture of his nude behind should be treated differently than a 15 year old sending explicit pictures of a 5 year old. | |||
| No | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| c) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | |||
| Yes | d) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| No | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| I believe the current system of unemployment benefits is probably adequate for most people. If there is evidence to suggest otherwise, I would be open to reexamining the issue. | |||
| a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | |||
| No | b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| c) Is the tenure process for public school teachers producing effective teachers? | |||
| No | d) Should parents be allowed to use vouchers to send their children to any school? | ||
| No | e) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Pennsylvania high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| I support our public schools and teachers. The tenure system is the current standard and, unless we find something better to replace it, should remain the standard. I would not support any measure that would strip more funding from public schools. The CCSSI warants further examination, I will look at the initiative and seek advice from professionals in the field. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | ||
| No | b) Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increased regulations on hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" in the Marcellus Shale? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support a statewide impact fee on drillers at the local level? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support state funding for improvements to Pennsylvania's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| It is necessary to protect the environment. I believe that we must do it in a responsible manner that respects our need for energy and how it is produced. | |||
| No | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| No | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| No | c) Should municipalities be able to enforce stricter gun laws than state law? | ||
| Yes | d) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | e) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| Current laws and standards are sufficient to define the lawful sale of firearms. Criminals regularly disreguard current laws, there is no evidence that stricter gun laws would have any effect on crimes involving firearms. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| No | e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| I support any proposal that will move us toward the goal of making healthcare affordable and accessable for every citizen. Tort reform requires us to put limits the liability of someone whose care, or lack of, may have been irresponsible, dangerous, or criminal. Some individuals may weigh the potential for profit over the cost of liability for their actions. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Pennsylvania's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Discrimination in any form should not be tolerated. The LGBT community does not expect special rights, they want equal rights. I do not believe I have the right to tell another person who they can love. We certainly should not legislate it. Laws are enacted to protect people, not to discriminate. | |||
| I propose we increase our investments in education and infrastructure. We must be able to attract and retain more business. These are essential to accomplish this. This investment will also have an immediate impact by putting people to work and providing needed financial stimulus for Pennsylvania. I have outlined many ways to increase revenue (see above); along with cost saving measures, we can afford to move the Commonwealth forward. I believe in fiscal responsibility, but the middle class has sacrificed enough while some are not being asked to share in the sacrifice. It's time to put people over politics. |
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