Thomas Erdmann's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Michigan State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
| Pro-choice | a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | ||
| No | b) Should abortion be legal only within 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? | ||
| Yes | 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 sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | ||
| No | h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | ||
| I would support efforts ato make adoptions free in Michigan. | |||
1) State SpendingIndicate 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 TaxesIndicate 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 StabilizationIndicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Michigan's budget.
| Maintain Status | a) Education (higher) | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Education (K-12) | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Health care | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Law enforcement | ||
| Greatly Increase | f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | ||
| Maintain Status | g) Welfare | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Other or expanded categories | ||
| Slightly Increase | a) Alcohol taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | b) Cigarette taxes | ||
| Greatly Decrease | c) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Gasoline taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Property taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Sales taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Greatly Increase | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Other or expanded categories | ||
| No | a) Tapping into Michigan's "rainy day" fund | ||
| No | b) Instituting a tax on physicians | ||
| Yes | c) Extending the sales tax to more services | ||
| Yes | d) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | ||
| No | e) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | ||
| No | f) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | ||
| No | g) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | ||
| No | h) Privatizing certain government services | ||
| Corrections needs to be critically compared to other states. Staffing and sentences among other factors should be analysed. | |||
| Go to a graduated income tax with federal deductions to be fairer. | |||
| Use the state's buying power to buy health insurance for public employees, as well as, other goods and services (vehicles, telecommunications, office supplies, mailing services, utilities, etc.), move retirement plans to defined contribution plans. | |||
c) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government?
| Yes | a) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Michigan governors? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Michigan state legislators? | ||
| Yes | 1) Individual | ||
| Yes | 2) Political Action Committee | ||
| Yes | 3) Corporate | ||
| Yes | 4) Political Party | ||
| Yes | d) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | ||
| I would support an overall campaign limit which might reduce the money that is spent on TV and radio advertising, as well as, robo-calls which currently make the last few weeks before an election very annoying for most voters. | |||
| 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) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | ||
| Yes | 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 repealing the state's motorcycle helmet law? | ||
| No | g) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | ||
| I would find ways to eliminate the incidence of "driving while black", "driving while hispanic" and "driving while Native American" in Michigan. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support state regulation of the auto insurance industry? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | ||
| No | d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | ||
| h) Other or expanded principles | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support national education standards? | ||
| No | b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | ||
| No | f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Michigan high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | ||
| The financial aid for college students should be in the form of a loan. Funding for education should be stable, so some changes are needed. | |||
| 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 providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Michigan's energy infrastructure? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | ||
| I would find ways for utilities to help fund alternative energy projects for their customers. | |||
| Yes | a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | ||
| Yes | b) Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | ||
| No | d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | ||
| I support hunting as other tourism. But, I would make classes more available for anyone interested in learning to hunt or target shoot. | |||
| 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) Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | ||
| No | f) Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Michigan? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | ||
| I believe, that the medical marijuana system of delivery should be allowed to develop. Outlawing clubs that are starting is counter-productive. | |||
| Yes | a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | ||
| Yes | b) Should Michigan allow same-sex couples to form civil unions? | ||
| Yes | c) Do you support state funding for stem cell research? | ||
| Yes | d) Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research? | ||
| Yes | e) Do you support the state's use of affirmative action? | ||
| Yes | f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Michigan's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Michigan's anti-discrimination laws? | ||
| Yes | h) Should legal counsel for indigent defendants be managed by the state? | ||
| Indigent defendants should also be funded by the state. Bullying in all it's circumstances should be eliminated. | |||
| I want to give small business, tourism and agribusiness some economic development resources that now all go to industrial businesses. I would establish a state bank to give loans to small business similar to North Dakota's (which has been around for 100 years). I would reform taxes to eliminate the "winners ans losers" in every tax system. A graduated income tax with federal deductions could eliminate the need for the Michigan Business tax, increase funding for roads and bridges, and help stabilize funding for schools. |
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