Card image cap

Avery Hart's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Avery Hart has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2015 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests. Historically, candidates have failed to complete our test due to the advice they receive from their parties and advisors and out of fear of negative attack ads.

What is the Political Courage Test?
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.

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.
e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
f) Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
X g) Other or expanded principles
In some countries abortion is legal. In others it is illegal. Both kinds of countries have the same abortion rate, but in countries where it is illegal there are also 'coathanger' deaths. Consentual sexual behavior can not be legislated. Abortion should be safe and rare as it will unfortunately occur no matter what the law may be.

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.

a) Education (Higher)
b) Education (K-12)
c) Environment
d) Health care
e) Law enforcement
f) Transportation and highway infrastructure
g) Welfare
a) Alcohol taxes
b) Capital gains taxes
c) Cigarette taxes
d) Corporate taxes
e) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
f) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
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?
No n) Do you support raising the gasoline tax to finance road improvements?
Undecided o) Do you support installing video lottery terminals at the Meadowlands horse track to increase state revenue?
p) Should New Jersey convene a constitutional convention to address its property tax system?
Yes q) Should New Jersey convene a special session of the state legislature to address its property tax system?
Without a healthy environment we cannot have health or prosperity. Education can reduce the need for law enforcement. Obviously spending must be cost-effective and balanced.
Gov. Codey has recently balanced our state budget. However this is too complicated a matter for a 40 word response. I favor balanced budgets and disavow borrowing.
Taxes must not be onerous for any segment of the population.

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?
1) Individual
2) PAC
3) Corporate
4) Political Parties
d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
Yes 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?
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?
i) Should New Jersey prohibit contributors to municipal level campaigns from being awarded state contracts worth more than $17,500?
j) Should New Jersey prohibit elected officials from holding more than one office at the same time?
k) Should New Jersey amend its constitution to create the office of lieutenant governor?
l) Should New Jersey recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
m) Should New Jersey restrict marriage to a union only between a man and a woman?
c) Comprehensive Reform is necessary in this area. Sexual preference cannot be legislated. All citizens should be given equal treatment under the law

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.
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.
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.
j) Increase funding for state and local emergency agencies to prevent and to respond to terrorist attacks.
X k) Other or expanded principles
White-collar crime is an area deserving of more attention and focus of law enforcement.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

a) Support national standards and testing of public school students.
b) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
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.
g) Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
h) Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
i) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
j) Increase funding for Head Start programs.
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.
X n) Other or expanded principles
In general early education provides the greatest saving of tax dollars. Student testing is beneficial only to a point. Our children are currently over tested. We must find the balance between excellence and stress.

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.
b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
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.
X f) Other or expanded principles
a) Public employment
b) State college and university admissions
c) State contracting
No one who is truly alive can be happy about living in a world where others suffer. The "green growth" technology can benefit NJ while cleaning environment.
Affirmative action based on economic need is preferable to that based in color/gender/ethnicity. Preference for children of alumni should be discouraged, replaced by merit.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

X a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
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.
X e) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
X f) Other or expanded principles
The environment is our gift from providence. I would like to restore NJ's reputation as the garden state. All citizens should have access to natural land.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

a) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
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.
g) Support current licensing requirements for gun possession.
X h) Other or expanded principles
I fully support the 2nd amendment.

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.
c) Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
d) Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
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
I support access to health care for all. I support the development of alternative healing modalities working hand in hand with science. I support patients rights.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

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.
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.
g) Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
h) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
X i) Other or expanded principles
No one who is truly alive wants a society in which the poor suffer gravely. Where true need exists the government must be an empowering helper.
I am running: - to protect what is left of nature in our district - to fight - and win - the good fight for a clean environment, and clean government - to promote sensible, school/property tax reform - to assure health care, encourage small business, and promote cost-effective, creative solutions. My candidacy is about everyday people, and focus on positive solutions, open accountable government, health, and consensus. I am against extremism in any form.

Vote Smart does not permit the use of its name or programs in any campaign activity, including advertising, debates, and speeches.

arrow_upward