Massachusetts 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.
- No Answer

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 at least 25 feet from doorways and driveways.
- No Answer

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

9. Other
- No Answer

Budget and Tax Issues - Part 1

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

1. Education (Higher)
- Greatly Increase Funding

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

3. Environment
- Greatly Increase Funding

4. Health care
- Greatly Increase Funding

5. Law enforcement
- Greatly Increase Funding

6. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Slightly Increase Funding

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
- Slightly Decrease

3. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

4. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Gasoline taxes
- Slightly Decrease

6. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Greatly Increase

7. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Greatly Increase

8. Inheritance taxes
- Greatly Decrease

9. Property taxes
- No Answer

10. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

11. Vehicle taxes
- No Answer

12. Other
- No Answer

13. Should Internet sales be taxed?
- No

14. Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- Yes

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

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

17. Do you support establishing a state income tax deduction for charitable donations?
- Yes

18. Do you support providing state funds to pay for site cleanup costs associated with the Boston Red Sox stadium construction?
- Undecided

19. Do you support lowering the state income tax to 5%?
- Yes

The Big Dig Financing

1. Do you support using taxpayer revenue to pay for any future cost overruns resulting from the Central Artery/Third Harbor Tunnel Project (the Big Dig)?
- Undecided

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address any future cost overruns from the Big Dig.

1. Increase drivers license fees.
- No Answer

2. Increase car registration fees.
- No Answer

3. Increase tolls on the Massachusetts Turnpike.
- No Answer

4. Implement tolls on the Central Artery.
- No Answer

5. Other
- No Answer

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.
- X

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 Massachusetts.
- X

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.
- No Answer

9. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- X

10. Lower the blood alcohol content limit defining drunk driving.
- No Answer

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

12. Increase penalties for crimes committed on school grounds.
- X

13. Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- X

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. Allocate all profits from property seized in drug-related crimes to a drug treatment fund.
- No Answer

17. Require the state to prove that property was used to commit a crime before it can be seized.
- No Answer

18. 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. Support charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- No Answer

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

6. Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
- X

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

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

9. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- No Answer

10. Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
- No Answer

11. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- X

12. Implement stricter eligibility requirements for admission into special education programs.
- No Answer

13. Other
- No Answer

14. Should the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exam (MCAS) be required for high school graduation?
- Yes

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.
- X

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.
- No Answer

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
- No Answer

2. Public employment
- No Answer

3. State contracting
- No Answer

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.
- X

3. Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
- X

4. Require states to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
- X

5. Support funding for recycling programs in Massachusetts.
- 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. Other
- No Answer

9. Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law?
- Undecided

Government Reform

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

1. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Massachusetts Governors?
- Yes

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Massachusetts State Senators and Representatives?
- Yes

3. Individual
- Undecided

4. PAC
- Undecided

5. Corporate
- Undecided

6. Political Parties
- Undecided

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?
- Undecided

9. Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
- No

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

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

12. Do you support prohibiting jailed felons from voting?
- Yes

13. Do you support the 1998 Clean Elections Law?
- Yes

14. 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.
- X

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.
- X

6. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- X

7. Require background checks of gun buyers at gun shows.
- X

8. Require a license for gun possession.
- X

9. Prohibit the attorney general from using the Consumer Protection Act to regulate gun sales.
- No Answer

10. Other
- No Answer

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.
- X

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.
- No Answer

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. Require health insurance companies to provide contraceptive coverage for women.
- No Answer

10. Provide state funds to ensure that all Massachusetts state residents have health insurance.
- No Answer

11. Prohibit the conversion of non-profit hospitals, HMOs, and health insurance firms to for-profit status.
- No Answer

12. Prohibit health insurance companies from using genetic information to determine health care policies and coverage.
- No Answer

13. Allow the state public health commissioner to establish needle exchange programs.
- No Answer

14. 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.
- X

3. Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
- No Answer

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.
- X

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

7. Allow cities and towns to prevent landlords from converting subsidized housing into market-rate housing.
- No Answer

8. Prohibit dog racing as a form of gambling.
- No Answer

9. Extend health benefits to same-sex partners of state employees.
- No Answer

10. Use the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund to finance paid leave for new parents.
- No Answer

11. Prohibit employers from requiring genetic test results from being used as a criterion for employment.
- X

12. Other
- No Answer

13. Should physician-assisted suicide be legally available in Massachusetts?
- No

14. Should Massachusetts include sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

15. Should Massachusetts recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- Undecided

16. Should Massachusetts 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 the 2-year limit on receiving 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.
- X

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

10. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- X

11. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to expand state services to include the working poor.
- X

12. Allow education and training to be counted toward work requirements needed to receive TANF benefits.
- No Answer

13. Other
- No Answer

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.
- No Answer