New Jersey Gubernatorial Election 2017 Political Courage Test

Abortion & Reproductive

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- No Answer

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

3. Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?
- Yes

4. Do you support the prohibition of public funds for organizations that perform abortions?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- I am pro-choice politically. I am pro-life in my personal life. My opinions are formulated upon my religious beliefs and scientific knowledge. My beliefs should not be forced upon anyone else. I would beg and plead anyone considering abortion to not opt to ending innocent life, but I would never take any steps to make it illegal. I don't know what is best for you - only you know what's best for you. This is not a decision to be made by the government.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

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

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

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No Answer

4. An income tax increase on any tax bracket
- No Answer

5. Other or expanded principles
- The average NJ family is forced to pay approximately 30% of their income to the state, county, and municipal governments. My FISCAL DEMOCRACY plan will limit this to 10% and allow you, the individual, to choose which government programs your tax payments will fund. This moves the power of appropriations out of legislators' hands, and places that power directly into yours. YOU WILL CHOOSE WHAT TO FUND OR DE-FUND. "Fiscal Democracy" will eliminate property tax, gas tax, sales tax, and even vehicle registration fees. Fiscal Democracy creates massive incentive for companies to re-locate to NJ and will eliminate unemployment. www.Pete4NJ.com/tax-plan

Campaign Finance & Government Reform

1. Individual
- No

2. Political Action Committee
- No

3. Corporate
- No

4. Political Party
- No

5. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- No

6. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- No

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

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

1. Other or expanded principles
- Re-districting should be conducted by volunteer citizens selected by lottery if the number of volunteers exceeds a workable committee size. This should not be left to the old party politicians. I support that only citizens of the U.S. should be able to vote, and we should take steps to secure the integrity of the process by means of either public or private identification sources.

Crime & Public Safety

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

2. Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?
- Yes

3. Do you support legalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana?
- Yes

4. Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support delaying the seizure of assets by law enforcement officials until after a conviction?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- I'm for the total legalization of untaxed marijuana free of government permits. It should remain a crime to distribute marijuana to a minor if you aren't the parent or physician. Parents should have the option of administering marijuana products to their children for medical purposes. Civil Asset Forfeiture is unconstitutional and should be eliminated.

Economic

1. Do you support government spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

2. Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

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

4. Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?
- No

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?
- No

7. Do you support legalized state-sponsored sports betting in New Jersey?
- Yes

8. Do you support a tax on short-term housing rentals in New Jersey?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- My Fiscal Democracy plan will transform this state into the envy of the world. It is a new form of government based on choice and competition. See www.Pete4NJ.com/tax-plan

Education

1. Do you support the national Common Core State Standards initiative?
- No

2. Do you support state funding for charter schools?
- Yes

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- Your child's education shouldn't be dictated by your zipcode. I am advocating for voucher programs that will allow municipalities to cut their educational costs in half, improve their education, and give parents a choice of where their child attends school. We'll give local school boards the power to hand parents a check for their child's education. This could be as much as $18,000 per child for tuition to attend a school that best meets your child's needs.

Environment & Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- No

2. Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
- No

3. Do you support government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- No Answer

4. Other or expanded principles
- We only have 1 Earth. There should be some regulation preventing irresponsible contamination of the environment.

Gun

1. Do you generally support gun-control legislation?
- No

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

3. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- The right to defend your person, property, and home is non-existent in NJ. A restraining order will do nothing to protect you from harm. Police are minutes away when seconds count in an assault or carjacking. On Inauguration Day, I will sign a mass pardon from most of NJ's draconian gun laws. We'll follow Vermont's lead and revert to federal gun law only.

Health

1. Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?
- No

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- No

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

4. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- The government should be out of the medical industry save a few regulations.

Social

1. Do you support same-sex marriage?
- Yes

2. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

3. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- The government should make no laws on social issues nor private employment issues.

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.
- 1) School Choice Voucher Programs giving parents the ability to receive tuition checks from local school boards to be applied where parent sees fit.2) Fiscal Democracy significantly reduces your tax burden while giving you the choice of where to allocate those funds thereby promoting the economy and forcing the governments to compete for your tax dollars. www.Pete4NJ.com/tax-plan3) Concealed Carry4) Full legalization of untaxed un-permitted marijuana5) Age of Majority: Reduce age of alcohol, gambling, and tobacco to 18