Robert Kiss' Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Robert Kiss has demonstrated Political Courage by telling citizens where he stands on the issues he may face if elected.
Vermont State Legislative Election 2012 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| No | 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) Other or expanded principles: | |||
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 Vermont's budget.
| Slightly Increase | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Maintain Status | c) Environment | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Health care | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Law enforcement/corrections | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Transportation/infrastructure | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Other or expanded categories: | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Gas/Oil taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | e) Property taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (mid-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | j) Other or expanded categories: | ||
| Yes | a) Tapping into Vermont's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | c) Reducing or eliminating public worker collective bargaining | ||
| No | d) Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions | ||
| No | e) Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | f) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| See direction up, down, maintain as trend lines up or down for these issues with an ultimate goal of creating a budget that meets the needs of all Vermonters. | |||
| The ultimate goal is to build a budget that meets the needs of all Vermonters with a base that Vermont will not let anyone fall below. | |||
| The "rainy day" fund is there to used but it should be a last resort and, if done right, it should stay as a deep reserve and untapped. It is not untouchable. | |||
a) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions for state candidates?
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| It's unlikely redistricting can be removed entirely from politics so keep it in the political limelight and make sure that everyone is able to watch the process and fight for fairness, equity and common sense in the results. | |||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | ||
| No | e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | ||
| No | f) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| Let's give minors a chance if we can--this isn't a ticket to ride, it's a first chance. Subsequent violations are dealt with as second violations and carry weight. | |||
| 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? | ||
| Yes | 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? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| Job creation means job creation and the results need to be tangible. This "subsidy" should include a "but for" requirement. Financial assistance for families facing foreclosure should be finite and available if it can save the family from foreclosure in the foreseeable future. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative? | ||
| No | b) Do you support a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| Yes | g) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Vermont high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| There are too many variables for teacher's pay to be linked to student performance as a measure of teacher success and merit. Similarly, teacher tenure may protect a teacher's exit process but it already does not protect teacher job retention in an unqualified way. Secondary school teacher tenure isn't a full measure of "producing effective teachers." | |||
| 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 state funding for improvements to Vermont's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the construction of mountaintop wind turbines? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support closing the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant? | ||
| As a development standard I propose that Vermont's "open for business, but not for sale." Where we build wind turbines or make other infrastructure investments should be tempered by our keen awareness not to be sold down the river by limited vision, greed, or a failure of common sense--and with a commitment to sustainability and a plan for the future. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| No | c) Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns? | ||
| Yes | d) Should a license be required for gun possession? | ||
| Now that the US Supreme Court has made it clear individuals can own guns we should be in a position to responsibly talk and act to support gun violence prevention and responsible gun ownership. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | ||
| No | b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | ||
| No | 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? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the legalization of physician-assisted suicide for those with a terminal diagnosis and less than six months to live? | ||
| Death with dignity legislation has been regularly introduced for consideration in Montpelier. Before I say "yes" to this proposal I need assurances that adults faced with these circumstances have access to comprehensive healthcare, a palliative care plan meeting their needs, and full access to hospice when they ask for it. I'm not convinced Vermont is there yet and therefore more needs to be done on the subject. | |||
| No | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Vermont continue to grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Vermont's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Vermont's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| e) Other or expanded principles: | |||
| 1) Realize Single-payer universal healthcare 2) Build a State Budget that meets the needs of all Vermonters 3) Achieve a fair and balanced tax policy 4) Build a 21st Century infrastructure that develops good jobs with good pay consistent with long-term sustainability 5) Remain committed to economic and social justice & put people first |
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