Michigan State Legislative Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- Yes

3. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- I personally abhor the thought of any woman facing this choice and advocate we do everything within our power as a society to prevent unwanted pregnancies from occuring. These measures would begin with comprehensive sexual health education and extend to a societal safety net that prevents every child from being raised under conditions of extreme poverty, which as many as 16 million American children are today. There is no excuse for the childhood poverty rates we have in a society with a per capita income in excess of 50K. Universal coverage single payer comprehensive health care will prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- No

2. Instituting mandatory furloughs AND/OR layoffs for state employees?
- No

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- No

4. An income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Decentralization of both political and economic power back to local governments and a complete end to corporate subsidization by state government. Our goal must be full employment and involvement in community life for every Michigander and these issues are best left to be managed by our township and municipal governments working together with county officials with minimal interference and direction by state government.This is especially important in the area of K-12 education, where 21st century technology has had a minimal impact on how our educational system is modeled and operated, very much as it was a half century ago

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Do you support any limits on campaign contributions to state candidates?
- Yes

2. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

3. Do you support the use of an independent AND/OR bipartisan commission for redistricting?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring a government-issued photo identification in order to vote at the polls?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- Automatic registration to vote when applying for, renewing or updating a Michigan Drivers license or State I.D. unless declined by a US citizen qualified to vote.Simultaneaously register to vote with proof of residency and obtain a ballot during the 2-week period prior to an election, up to and including election day.Obtain an absent voter ballot without a reason, irrespective of a voter's age or ability.

Crime & Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- No

2. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

3. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- No

4. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- I do not support the commercialization and taxation of either medical or recreational marijuana. The original MMMA caretaker model kept medical use private and marijuana production a cottage industry, without dispensaries on main streets. I support decriminalized recreational use by responsible adults and the right to grow, possess and use in the privacy of one's home. A secondary caretaker/provider classification to register cottage industry growers to provide recreational marijuana, operating under the same set of conditions as the original MMMA platform, regulated by county health departments, with registration required only for those provisioning responsible adults residing outside their own domicile.

Economic

1. Do you support state government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering state taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- No

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- Yes

5. Do you support requiring welfare applicants to pass a drug test in order to receive benefits?
- No

6. Do you support an increase of the minimum wage of Michigan?
- Yes

7. Do you support increasing state funding for improving Michigan's roads and bridges?
- Yes

8. Do you support eliminating Michigan's mandatory no-fault auto insurance?
- Yes

9. Other or expanded principles
- Universal access to single payer heath care coverage and not for profit healthcare providers, returning to community based hospitals will reduce healthcare costs overall, inclusive of the high costs of maintaining our current catastrophic claims fund. Capital investments in both new and improved infrastructure; specifically our highways, roads and bridges will improve highway safety, reduce accidents and their severity. Investment in public mass transit can also reduce highway congestion, improving highway safety thereby preventing accidents and claims resulting in lower insurance rates for private vehicles. While these investments may require increased taxes, their benefits will pay dividends to all Michiganders.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in Michigan?
- Yes

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- No

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Michigan high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- We need radical reform in our public education system, so every child has an individualized cirriculum that maximizes their abilty to learn in a noncompetitive environment according to their own unique aptitudes and interests as they develop intellectually. We aren't utilizing 21st century technology to its full potential to decentralize our schools and foster greater parental and community involvement. Time, energy and money spent busing students to centralized facilities are resources squandered, time wasted and one of many reasons behind the growing demand for private chartered schools. As for graduating "illegal immigrants"; what better time to become a citizen?

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support state government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

3. Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
- Yes

4. Do you support decommissioning the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline, which carries oil from Canada to the U.S.?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Regarding Line 5, in its current state Line 5 represents an unreasonable risk to the environment of the Straits of Mackinac, Lakes Huron and Michigan and surrounding shorelines. Sections of the existing pipeline must be decommissioned and removed; particularly the twin pipelines crossing at the Straits of Mackinac, but many other wetland and water crossings as well. Enbridge is responsible for the largest onshore pipeline spill in US history and must be carefully monitored by the State of Michigan and federal agencies to insure its complete compliance with the incumbent right of way obligations and protection of all adjoining ecosystems.

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- Yes

2. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- No

4. Should a license be required for gun ownership?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- My support of gun control legislation is limited to federal restrictions on fully automatic weapons and handgun ownership for individuals under 21 years of age. The current federal background check requirements for new firearm purchases isn't an infringement on 2nd amendment rights, so long as these measures do not result in a requirement for firearm registration and/or licensing. Most of the country doesn't have a serious firearm misuse or violence problem and we should rightly be addressing the social and economic justice issues in those regions that do, striking the very root of the firearm violence and misuse issue.

Health

1. Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse?
- Yes

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Michigan's health care programs?
- Yes

3. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- No

4. Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?
- Yes

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- No

6. Do you support using state funds to provide public health services to citizens exposed to lead contamination in the Flint Water Crisis?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- Regarding opioid abuse, increased state funding should be targeted towards covering the costs of an individual's recovery, not just addiction treatment, but complete educational/vocational evaluation and rehabilitation to return them to productivity and commmunity involvement. I support universal access to a single payer, not for profit, healthcare system for not only all Michiganders, but for every American; to maximize the benefits and reduce healthcare costs. Regarding the citizens of Flint; this manmade disaster falls squarely on the shoulders of Governor Rick Snyder, who should be held personally liable for damages. Personal protection via sovereign immunity makes Flint a SOM liability.

Social

1. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Michigan's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

2. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Michigan's anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

3. Do you support greater efforts by Michigan state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- No

4. Should able-bodied "food stamps" (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients meet a work requirement to be eligible for benefits?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- I support a UBI, universal basic income, for all Michiganders that would eliminate the need for a minimum wage and other social support programs by providing every citizen a basic stipend that covers their basic costs of living and health care coverage which would result in a surge of entrepreneurial activity with the availability of cheap labor; providing income and disposable income for those whose basic needs have been met with their UBI's. The concept that one must work to eat in an advanced developed economy is slavery, not citizenship, which should entail some basic benifits along with inherent responsibilities.

Legislative Priorities

In the following area, please explain in a total of 100 words or less, your top two or three priorities if elected. If they require additional funding for implementation, please explain how you would obtain this funding.
- Implementation of a universally accessible, state regulated, not for profit, community based healthcare system providing comprehensive healthcare locally, inclusive of dental and vision for every Michigander. Licensing and regulation of leases of State owned lands to be utilized for the agricultural production of industrial hemp by individuals and small businesses. Licensing and regulation of leases for deep water offshore floating wind turbines in Michigan's territorial waters of the Great Lakes, for placement a minimum of 10 miles offshore along with the necessary easements for connecting infrastructure on the lake bed, shoreline and inland to connect these turbines to the grid.