Vermont State Legislative Election 2000 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legally available.
- X

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- No Answer

4. Abortions should be legal when pregnancy results from incest, rape, or the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
- No Answer

6. Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
- No Answer

7. Support "buffer zones" at abortion clinics by requiring demonstrators to remain a certain distance from doorways and driveways.
- No Answer

8. Prohibit public funding for abortions and organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- No Answer

9. Require parental notification before a minor may obtain an abortion.
- No Answer

10. Other
- X

Budget and Tax Issues - Part 1

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories.

1. Education (Higher)
- Slightly Increase Funding

2. Education (K-12)
- Slightly Increase Funding

3. Environment
- Maintain Funding Status

4. Health care
- Maintain Funding Status

5. Law enforcement
- Maintain Funding Status

6. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Maintain Funding Status

7. Welfare
- Maintain Funding Status

8. Other
- No Answer

Budget and Tax Issues - Part 2

State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels you will support.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Capital gains taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Corporate taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Slightly Decrease

7. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Maintain Status

8. Inheritance taxes
- Maintain Status

9. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

10. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

11. Vehicle taxes
- Slightly Increase

12. Other
- No Answer

13. Should Internet sales be taxed?
- Yes

14. Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- No

15. Would you support returning any operating surplus to Vermont taxpayers?
- Yes

16. Would you support placing any operating surplus into a "rainy day" fund?
- Yes

17. Should tobacco settlement funds be used primarily for smoking prevention and cessation programs?
- Yes

18. Should tobacco settlement funds be used primarily for health treatment programs including the Vermont Health Access insurance program?
- Undecided

19. Do you support repealing Act 60, the Equal Education Opportunity Act?
- No

20. Do you support eliminating the Act 60 sharing pool?
- No

21. Do you support implementing a uniform statewide education property tax rate for all property that is not a primary residence?
- Undecided

22. Should an increased statewide property tax take the place of local education property taxes?
- No

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- No Answer

2. Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
- No Answer

3. End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- X

4. Implement the death penalty in Vermont.
- No Answer

5. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- X

6. Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
- X

7. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

8. Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
- X

9. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- No Answer

10. Support .08 blood alcohol content limit defining drunk driving.
- X

11. Prosecute as adults, youths accused of a felony.
- No Answer

12. Increase penalties for crimes committed on school grounds.
- No Answer

13. Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- No Answer

14. Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
- X

15. Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
- X

16. Other
- No Answer

Education

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

1. Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
- X

2. Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
- X

3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
- No Answer

4. Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- X

5. Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
- No Answer

6. Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
- No Answer

7. Support posting the Ten Commandments in public schools.
- No Answer

8. Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- No Answer

9. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- X

10. Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
- X

11. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- No Answer

12. Provide state funds for non-religious instructional materials, transportation, and teacher salaries at parochial schools.
- No Answer

13. Establish independent charter schools in Vermont.
- No Answer

14. Other
- No Answer

Employment and Affirmative Action

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning employment.

1. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- No Answer

3. Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
- No Answer

4. Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X

5. Other
- No Answer

Affirmative Action: Which of the following state agencies should take race and sex into account when making employment decisions?

1. College and university admissions
- Undecided

2. Public employment
- Yes

3. State contracting
- Undecided

4. Other
- No Answer

Environment & Energy

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

1. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
- X

2. Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
- No Answer

3. Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
- No Answer

4. Require states to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
- No Answer

5. Support funding for recycling programs in Vermont.
- X

6. Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
- X

7. Suspend participation in un-funded, federally-mandated, environmental protection legislation.
- No Answer

8. Restructure the electric utility industry to allow consumers to choose their power companies.
- X

9. Other
- No Answer

10. Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law?
- Yes

Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding government reform.

1. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Vermont Governors?
- No

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Vermont State Senators and Representatives?
- No

3. Individual
- Yes

4. PAC
- Yes

5. Corporate
- Yes

6. Political Parties
- Yes

7. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

8. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- Yes

9. Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
- Yes

10. Do you support voting on-line?
- Undecided

11. Do you support on-line voter registration?
- Undecided

12. Do you support Vermont's 1997 campaign finance law, which provides public funding to state candidates who agree to contribution and spending limits?
- Yes

13. Other
- No Answer

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

1. Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
- No Answer

2. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

3. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

4. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

5. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

6. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- No Answer

7. Require background checks of gun buyers at gun shows.
- No Answer

8. Require a license for gun possession.
- No Answer

9. Other
- X

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health issues.

1. Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees.
- X

2. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
- X

3. Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- No Answer

4. Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
- No Answer

5. Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer

6. Support a patient's right to sue his or her HMO.
- X

7. Support a patient's right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
- X

8. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer

9. Allow methadone treatment clinics for heroin addicts to be located outside of hospitals.
- No Answer

10. Implement price caps on prescription drugs.
- X

11. Require recipients of state-sponsored medical services to co-pay for doctor's visits and prescriptions.
- X

12. Other
- No Answer

Social

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

1. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
- X

2. Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- No Answer

3. Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
- X

4. Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
- No Answer

5. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- No Answer

6. Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans, and job training and placement.
- X

7. Implement criminal penalties for hazing at schools, colleges, and universities.
- X

8. Use the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund to finance paid leave for new parents.
- X

9. Require convicted sex offenders to take HIV tests at the request of the victim.
- X

10. Use federal grant money to pay for counseling, HIV tests, and drug treatment for victims of sexual assault.
- X

11. Other
- No Answer

12. Should physician-assisted suicide be legally available in Vermont?
- Undecided

13. Do you support Vermont's inclusion of sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination laws?
- Undecided

14. Do you support Vermont's recognition of civil unions between same-sex couples?
- Yes

15. Should Vermont restrict marriage to a relationship only between a man and a woman?
- Undecided

Welfare and Poverty

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

1. Maintain current time limits on welfare benefits.
- X

2. Maintain the requirement that able-bodied recipients work in order to receive benefits.
- X

3. Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- X

4. Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
- X

5. Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
- X

6. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X

7. Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
- No Answer

8. Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
- No Answer

9. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer

10. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- No Answer

11. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to expand state services to include the working poor.
- No Answer

12. Expand the definition of "work" required to receive welfare benefits to include time spent searching for a job, community service, vocational education, and internships.
- No Answer

13. Eliminate the TANF work requirement for the primary caretaker in two-parent families.
- No Answer

14. Other
- X

Legislative Priorities

Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.
- 1.Vermont must lower the high cost of prescription medicine. We can't wait for the federal government to act.Look at how the pharmaceutical industry gutted Senator Jefford's and Congressman Sanders' common sense bill to lower prescription costs. 2.My priority is education. We must see that Vermonters get the best paying new jobs. We must invest in adults and students to gain high-tech skills. I'd start by engaging Vermont State Colleges in a Tech Summit.