Massachusetts State Legislative Election 2008 Political Courage Test

Abortion

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

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legal.
- No Answer

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

4. Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
- No Answer

5. Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
- No Answer

6. Abortions should be subject to a mandatory waiting period.
- No Answer

7. Require clinics to give parental notification before performing abortions on minors.
- No Answer

8. Other or expanded principles
- Abortions should be legal consistent with Roe v. Wade

Budget and Tax

State Budget: Indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.

1. Education (Higher)
- Greatly Increase

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase

3. Emergency preparedness
- No Answer

4. Environment
- Greatly Increase

5. Health care
- Greatly Increase

6. Law enforcement
- Slightly Increase

7. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Greatly Increase

8. Welfare
- Greatly Increase

9. Other or expanded categories
- No Answer

State Taxes: Indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category, you can use a number more than once.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Increase

4. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Maintain Status

6. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Slightly Increase

7. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

8. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

9. Vehicle taxes
- No Answer

10. Other or expanded categories
- We need to close corporate tax loopholes and consider creative "polluter pays" targeted taxes on low mileage vehicles

11. Should state sales taxes be extended to Internet sales?
- Yes

12. Should accounts such as a "rainy day" fund be used to balance the state budget?
- No Answer

13. Should fee increases be used to balance the state budget?
- No Answer

14. Other or expanded principles
- As a general principle I don't support using rainy day fund during times of economic expansion but there are times when its use is essential.

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

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

1. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Massachusetts governors?
- No

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Massachusetts state senators and representatives?
- No

Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?

1. Individual
- Yes

2. PAC
- Yes

3. Corporate
- Yes

4. Political Parties
- Yes

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

6. Do you support imposing spending limits on state-level political campaigns?
- No Answer

7. Should Massachusetts participate in the federal REAL ID program?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Crime

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

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

2. Establish the death penalty in Massachusetts.
- No Answer

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

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

5. Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- X

6. Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
- No Answer

7. Support state and local law enforcement officials enforcing federal immigration laws.
- No Answer

8. Support hate crime legislation.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Education

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

1. Support state funding of universal pre-K programs.
- X

2. Support federal education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students (No Child Left Behind).
- X

3. Support state education standards and testing requirements for K-12 students.
- X

4. Support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- X

5. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any public school.
- No Answer

6. Allow parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
- No Answer

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

8. Support using a merit pay system for teachers.
- X

9. Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
- X

10. Support allowing illegal immigrant high school graduates of Massachusetts to pay in-state tuition at public universities.
- X

11. Other or expanded principles
- Fully funded mandates and robust community engagement in the setting of educational standards and well-rounded, well-designed tests must be a part of any system that involves testing requirements.

Employment

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

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

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
- No Answer

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

4. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

5. Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

6. Increase the state minimum wage.
- X

7. Support laws that prevent employers from dismissing employees at will.
- No Answer

8. Support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ illegal immigrants.
- X

9. Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
- No Answer

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

11. Other or expanded principles
- My focus in the provision of tax credits for businesses would be to target them for small and/or local businesses. I would support financial punishments for those who knowingly employ and exploit illegal immigrants in the context of comprehensive immigration reform at the Federal level

Environment and Energy

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

1. Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
- No Answer

2. Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil, etc).
- No Answer

3. Support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops.
- No Answer

4. Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
- No Answer

5. Support funding for improvements to Massachusetts' power generating and transmission facilities.
- No Answer

6. Support funding for open space preservation.
- No Answer

7. Limit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases linked to global warming.
- No Answer

8. Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
- No Answer

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Gun

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

1. Should background checks be required on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- Yes

2. Should citizens be allowed to carry concealed guns?
- No Answer

3. Should a license be required for gun possession?
- Yes

4. Do you support current levels of enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No Answer

5. Do you support current state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No

6. Other or expanded principles
- Massachusetts can and should pass stronger restrictions on the purchase of guns in order to reduce the flow of weapons to the illegal market.

Health

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

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

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

3. Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- X

4. Allow patients to sue their HMOs.
- X

5. Require hospitals and labs to release reports on infections that are a risk to public health, while not compromising patient confidentiality.
- X

6. Legalize physician assisted suicide in Massachusetts.
- No Answer

7. Support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
- X

8. Support banning gifts from insurance company representatives to doctors.
- X

9. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Social

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

1. Should Massachusetts recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- No Answer

2. Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?
- Yes

3. Should Massachusetts provide state-level spousal rights to same-sex couples?
- Yes

4. Do you support a moment of silence in public schools?
- No Answer

5. Do you support voluntary prayer in public schools?
- No

6. Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?
- Yes

7. Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?
- No

8. Should the state government consider race and gender in state government contracting and hiring decisions?
- Yes

9. Do you support affirmative action in public college admissions?
- Yes

10. Should Massachusetts continue affirmative action programs?
- Yes

11. Do you support state funding of stem cell research?
- Yes

12. Do you support state funding of embryonic stem cell research?
- Yes

13. Do you support allowing pharmacists who conscientiously object to emergency contraception to refuse to dispense it?
- Yes

14. Do you support banning commercial dog racing in Massachusetts?
- Undecided

15. Other or expanded principles
- With respect to pharmacists who object to dispensing contraception, I believe that it is the responsibility of retailers to always have a pharmacist on staff who is willing to dispense contraception.

Legislative Priorities

1. 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.
- Education - I've been a public school teacher. I will never forget the struggles I saw my students, parents, and fellow teachers go through. Public schools are the driving engine of Massachusetts' economy. I will work ceaselessly to ensure that our schools have the resources and tools they need. Fiscal Responsibility - Massachusetts has a $1.3 million deficit. Elected leaders have a responsibility to speak honestly about this and have a frank conversation about what we want to pay for, and how to distribute these costs fairly and progressively. This is how we get to 'yes' on our policy priorities.