Washington 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 support involuntary DNA testing up to 3 men for the father, expecting mother placed on the best medical plan offered to state employees (not the worst), $2,000 pre-delivery child support for newborn equipment, $500/month flat child support for the first 3 years, paid by the state; the state collects child support from the non-custodial parent, and one year paid maternity leave for the mother.

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. Other or expanded principles
- The state has given away about $10 billion in corporate tax breaks not approved of by the voters. I expect to cut these in half to fully fund the state government. Once it is fully funded I would consider a state income tax that replaces the current system, but not a state income tax in addition to the current system. The current system is simply hiding corporate tax loopholes and charging working families for them instead. The state AG should take corrective action to protect Washington residents from predatory pension reduction legalized in D.C. by the Kline-Miller Act.

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
- Washington State is vote by mail. Must carefully scrutinize any proposed redistricting methods for partisan politics.

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?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- The current legal system is a two tiered system based upon how much money you have and sends a disproportionate amount of poor people to death row. This makes the death penalty more of a reflection of how much money you have instead of how violent a crime was committed, which is morally wrong. DNA testing raises other concerns. Marijuana use for students under 18 increased significantly with legalization. We need better parental education, better drug testing policy based upon THC poisoning and treatment instead of criminalizing and incarcerating, and better research to determine the proper legal age.

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?
- Yes

3. Do you support reducing state government regulations on the private sector?
- Yes

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?
- Yes

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

7. Other or expanded principles
- Government increased spending and reducing taxes requires a balanced budget first, and we do not have one. Government regulations must be streamlined in all industries, including public education. Unemployment benefits may need to be expanded depending on the circumstances. Welfare applicants should pass a drug screening if local law enforcement has been involved and have reasonable suspicion drugs are a problem, then benefits paid as the individual receives treatment. I support a $15 minimum wage. I also support a 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100% phased in entrepreneurial tax program for new businesses who hire 3 or more employees.

Education

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

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

3. Should immigrants unlawfully present in the United States who graduate from Washington high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- Yes

4. Do you support increasing funding for the state education budget?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- The state education budget is reported as fully funded, but $1 billion was raided from the public works trust to fund it, which means it is not fully funded. Additional changes in definition raise questions. I support the federal government establishing national education standards, however, federally required End of Course test have limited to no evidence of raising career success. GPA and attendance are better predictors. Either prove your case or stop this testing. I support funding charter schools once public schools are fully funded. Washington state only has residents and guests, and both will receive equal dignity and respect.

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. Other or expanded principles
- Congress must outlaw corporations taking state tax dollars from employees and using them for corporate profit instead. This is how corporations are pitting one state against another for new contracts and facilities to lower their worker's wages while increasing management's profits. This is taxation without representation. We have already fought one war to stop this practice. We cannot ignore it now. We must look towards actual environmental impacts such as fewer salmon, and find funding for geoengineering and federally subsidized loans to restore salmon habitat where residents have lost water rights. Otherwise restore water rights with a state water bank.

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?
- Yes

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
- I hunt and own firearms. I support common sense legislation that keeps guns out of the hands of mentally deficient people. This means better background checks and delaying semi-automatic weapon purchases until age 21. It does not mean putting guns in schools, and it does not require a license for gun ownership. I support I-1639 which does not criminalize self defense. The Army issues pump shotguns to soldiers under 21. The USMC issues pump shotguns to Marines under 21. If you are too weak, wimpy, or whiny to learn how to use a pump shotgun, you don't need a gun.

Health

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

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

3. Do you support requiring individuals to purchase health care insurance?
- Yes

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. Other or expanded principles
- We desperately need both mental health and drug treatment facilities. We also need to pass laws to require insurance companies to cover up to 12 months in treatment instead of less than 30 days in many cases. I support universal healthcare. The Affordable Care Act covers over 800,000 Washington residents. People should have the right to choose euthanasia. I do not support religious exemptions from vaccinations, but support their right to vaccinations that do not contain mercury or other toxic substances. The USA pays more in healthcare per capita than any other country in to OECD. We deserve better.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Washington state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- There is no excuse for any pay gap between men and women. There is also no excuse for denying mothers one full year of paid maternity leave. Mothers have spent their lives underpaid; their mothers worked their whole lives underpaid; and their grandmothers worked their whole lives underpaid. Three generations of women have already bought and paid for this benefit with their lives. Soldiers are not the only people who represent America well. It is shameful, if not harassing, intimidating, and bullying, to pressure mothers to return to work before they have had enough time for their child to bond.

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.
- Politicians in Olympia gave away about $10 billion in tax loopholes to big businesses that fund their re-election campaigns without voter approval. Then they turned around and stuck working families with a huge property tax bill to cover it up. Since the taxpayers have already paid their share, I intend to cut corporate tax loopholes by 50% to pay their fair share. I expect to raise benefits for expecting mothers; to force corporations to receive a vote of the people to receive a tax cut; to begin constructing mental health facilities; and to restore the salmon fishery to 1970 levels.