Catherine Barrier's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Catherine Barrier has failed to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2021 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.
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.
New Jersey State Legislative Election 2005 National Political Awareness Test
The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.
| X | a) Abortions should always be illegal. | ||
| b) Abortions should always be legal. | |||
| c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy. | |||
| d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape. | |||
| X | e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered. | ||
| X | f) Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions. | ||
| X | g) Other or expanded principles | ||
| The only reason for which I MAY make exception and agree with abortion is when the life of the woman is endangered. No tax $ for abortion. | |||
State Budget: Indicate the funding levels (#1-6) you will support for the following general categories. Select one level per category.State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels (#1-6) you will support. Select one level per tax.
| Slightly Increase | a) Education (Higher) | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Welfare | ||
| a) Alcohol taxes | |||
| b) Capital gains taxes | |||
| c) Cigarette taxes | |||
| Slightly Decrease | d) Corporate taxes | ||
| e) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000) | |||
| f) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000) | |||
| Eliminate | g) Inheritance taxes | ||
| h) Property taxes | |||
| i) Sales taxes | |||
| j) Vehicle taxes | |||
| k) Other or expanded categories | |||
| No | l) Should Internet sales be taxed? | ||
| No | m) Do you support raising the gasoline tax to help balance the state budget? | ||
| Undecided | n) Do you support raising the gasoline tax to finance road improvements? | ||
| No | o) Do you support installing video lottery terminals at the Meadowlands horse track to increase state revenue? | ||
| No | p) Should New Jersey convene a constitutional convention to address its property tax system? | ||
| Undecided | q) Should New Jersey convene a special session of the state legislature to address its property tax system? | ||
| The high property tax system needs to be addressed in NJ & more $ go back for schools & healthcare; $ from D.C. for item F. | |||
| Reducing the pain of property taxes is of key importance to me. After reviewing the numerous GOP proposals to do so and exploring the Democrat idea of a Constitutional Convention, I believe gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler's plan will work best. | |||
| Taxes should not be increased to balance the State Budget. Legislators must find ways to maintain services & "tighten the belt." | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates?
| Yes | a) Do you support the current limit of two consecutive four-year terms for New Jersey governors? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support limiting the number of terms for New Jersey state senators and representatives? | ||
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) PAC | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Parties | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns? | ||
| Undecided | f) Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying, and ensuring accuracy of votes? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support prohibiting the reporting of media exit polling results until all polling locations in New Jersey are closed? | ||
| Yes | h) Should New Jersey prohibit wheeling, the practice of funneling funds into a local campaign from various entities across the state in order to circumvent contribution limits? | ||
| Yes | i) Should New Jersey prohibit contributors to municipal level campaigns from being awarded state contracts worth more than $17,500? | ||
| Yes | j) Should New Jersey prohibit elected officials from holding more than one office at the same time? | ||
| No | k) Should New Jersey amend its constitution to create the office of lieutenant governor? | ||
| Undecided | l) Should New Jersey recognize civil unions between same-sex couples? | ||
| Yes | m) Should New Jersey restrict marriage to a union only between a man and a woman? | ||
| Item "l": If civil unions being recognized means the health care systems & pension systems, etc. be burdened w/ extra costs (like for marriages), NO. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.
| a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff. | |||
| b) Support the death penalty in New Jersey. | |||
| c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released. | |||
| X | d) End parole for repeat violent offenders. | ||
| X | e) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders. | ||
| f) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. | |||
| X | g) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes. | ||
| h) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults. | |||
| i) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth. | |||
| X | j) Increase funding for state and local emergency agencies to prevent and to respond to terrorist attacks. | ||
| k) Other or expanded principles | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.
| X | a) Support national standards and testing of public school students. | ||
| X | b) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school. | ||
| X | c) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school. | ||
| d) Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure). | |||
| e) Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers. | |||
| f) Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay. | |||
| X | g) Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools. | ||
| X | h) Require public schools to administer high school exit exams. | ||
| i) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries. | |||
| X | j) Increase funding for Head Start programs. | ||
| X | k) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable. | ||
| l) Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods. | |||
| m) Support abstinence-only sexual education programs. | |||
| n) Other or expanded principles | |||
Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity or gender be taken into account in state agencies' decisions on:
| a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today's job market. | |||
| X | b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion. | ||
| X | c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses. | ||
| X | d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families. | ||
| e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families. | |||
| f) Other or expanded principles | |||
| No | a) Public employment | ||
| No | b) State college and university admissions | ||
| No | c) State contracting | ||
| If we're all to be free and equal, these things should never come into play in decision-making! | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.
| X | a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology. | ||
| X | b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil). | ||
| X | c) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned. | ||
| X | d) Support funding for open space preservation. | ||
| e) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law. | |||
| X | f) Other or expanded principles | ||
| Regarding item "c": The State could help on this, but I'd like to see us partner with individuals & companies to improve these areas. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.
| X | a) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | ||
| X | b) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | ||
| c) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns. | |||
| d) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns. | |||
| e) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns. | |||
| f) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows. | |||
| X | g) Support current licensing requirements for gun possession. | ||
| X | h) Other or expanded principles | ||
| Current laws should always be enforced (a & g), or what's the point of laws; I'd be for an easing on some state restrictions (possibly) (b). 2nd Amendment issues are important. | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.
| a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary. | |||
| b) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs. | |||
| X | c) Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits. | ||
| d) Support patients' right to sue their HMOs. | |||
| X | e) Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied. | ||
| f) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government. | |||
| g) Legalize physician assisted suicide in New Jersey. | |||
| h) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes. | |||
| i) Support a $200 million housing trust fund for individuals with mental illness or other disabilities. | |||
| j) Forgive up to $20,000 in student loans for New Jersey residents who work in a state, county, or non-profit mental health or social service agency. | |||
| k) Allocate $150 million in capital funds to build a stem cell institute in New Jersey. | |||
| l) Support a $230 million bond referendum to increase funding for stem cell research. | |||
| X | m) Other or expanded principles | ||
| Citizens should have access to basic health care, but I'm not sure I agree with all the methods in "a". Those with mental illness/disabilities need housing help, but $200M! | |||
Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.
| X | a) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients. | ||
| b) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients. | |||
| X | c) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work. | ||
| d) Support current limits on benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare. | |||
| X | e) Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations. | ||
| f) Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to extend health and child care subsidies to the working poor. | |||
| X | g) Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients. | ||
| h) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs. | |||
| X | i) Other or expanded principles | ||
| (a) if jobs they're qualified for are available; (c) we need more transportation services in NJ period; (e) Private orgs work best in a community, but not all $ to them. | |||
| High property taxes in New Jersey drive indviduals/businesses away. My 2000 Council Resolution asked the Legislature to fix this, but we've only had talk. I believe Schundler's Constitutional Amendments provide the solution. Government corruption must be eliminated, and State government should not focus on parties or politics, but on the concerns of the people: health care, open space preservation, affordable housing, and improved education. Cuts in wasteful government spending could be used for these. |
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