Idaho State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test

Abortion and Reproductive

1. Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life?
- Pro-life

2. Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy?
- No

3. Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?
- No Answer

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

5. Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

6. Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?
- Yes

7. Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?
- No Answer

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

9. Other or expanded principles
- I am undecided on abortion resulting from incest or rape. Personally, I feel abortion should not be legal. But this specific issue has deep issues for women that I am not currently prepared to render an opinion on. With regards to sex education I believe that this should be done in the home by parents. However, it is obvious this is not occuring in many homes. I do believe that something needs to be provided in schools, and lean to abstenence only. However, to the content and to what degree I am undecided and open-minded.

Budget, Spending, and Tax

1. Education (higher)
- Maintain Status

2. Education (K-12)
- Maintain Status

3. Environment
- Maintain Status

4. Health care
- Slightly Increase

5. Law enforcement
- Maintain Status

6. Transportation and highway infrastructure
- Maintain Status

7. Welfare
- Maintain Status

8. Other or expanded categories
- Regarding state spending I feel we have to focus on any possible effeciencies that could be obtained. I am concerened about the growing fiscal debt and deficits of the federal government and how it impacts states. The areas of special attention needs to be made in education and medicaid spending. There will be a growing demand on medicaid spending because of the economic environment and also an aging population that will increase demand for these services.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Cigarette taxes
- Maintain Status

3. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

4. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

5. Property taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

7. Income taxes (low-income families)
- Maintain Status

8. Income taxes (middle-income families)
- Maintain Status

9. Income taxes (high-income families)
- Maintain Status

10. Other or expanded categories
- The current fiscal crisis is one that we cannot grow our economy out of. We need to create a more competitive business environment and focus on bringing employers to Idaho that create living wages for Idahoans. Specifically, I would like to focus in the areas of healthcare, and energy.

1. Tapping into Idaho's "rainy day" fund
- No

2. Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders
- No

3. Increasing tuition rates at public universities
- No

4. Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees
- No

5. Withholding cost of living increases for Idaho state government retirees
- No

6. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients
- No

7. Reducing general fund support for Idaho state parks
- No

8. Privatizing certain government services
- Yes

9. Other or expanded principles
- As a financial advisor for 17 years I am committed to action specifically in other areas to protect against other proposals being considered to balance Idaho's Budget. I am committed to opening a dialogue to discuss defined benefit (DB) vs Defined Contribution (DC) retirement for public employees. The sooner we have this discussion we are better prepared to conserve a program for public employees nearing retirement currently, and not promising something to younger public employees that is fiscally unsustainable. Life expectancy of Americans dictate that the current method of definded benefit programs be addressed.

Campaign Finance and Government Reform

1. Individual
- No

2. Political Action Committee
- No

3. Corporate
- No

4. Political Party
- No

5. Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits?
- No

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

1. Other or expanded principles
- I do believe in comprehensive campaign finance. There is no question there needs to be some reform in this area. However, I believe that a business has the right to weigh in financially on issues that can impact the entity itself, just as an individual or political party. With regards to Political Action Committees I am undecided and this I feel is most likely an area that needs to be discussed. I don't have any answers or opinions either way, but I am most certainly open to good dialogue and discourse for a solution.

Crime and Public Safety

1. Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
- Yes

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

3. Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized?
- No

4. Should minors accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as adults?
- Yes

5. Should minors who send sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?
- Yes

6. Do you support the suspension of business licenses for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants?
- Yes

7. Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police?
- Yes

8. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Economic

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

2. Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?
- Yes

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

4. Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

5. Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation?
- Yes

6. Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?
- No

7. Do you support increasing the grocery tax credit?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- Regarding economic issues I believe that the role of government continues to expand which causes economic and social issues into itself. The more we grow and count on government the more issues we create. I strongly support a social net of protection for Idahoans. But the more responsibilities we create for our government to solve the more we weaken the protections that are already in place.

Education

1. Do you support national education standards?
- Yes

2. Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams?
- Yes

3. Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers?
- Yes

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

5. Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?
- No Answer

6. Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Idaho high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?
- No

7. Other or expanded principles
- With regards to state government providing college students with financial aid, I believe this needs to be focused specifically in certain areas of the Idaho economy that have the greatest chance to grow our economic base and deal with certain issues such as healthcare providers in rural areas. When I think of how Idaho spends money, I ask myself, 1st, is this the role of government? Second will this provide value and benefit for Idahoans? When I think about handling Idaho's money, I would follow the "Prudent Man Rule" If you are curious what that is, Google it.

Environment and Energy

1. Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?
- No Answer

2. Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)?
- No Answer

3. Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops?
- No Answer

4. Do you support state funding for improvements to Idaho's energy infrastructure?
- Yes

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

6. Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
- Yes

7. Other or expanded principles
- With regards to energy issues I would support state funding if it would actually yield a return in some measurable amount. Spending thousands of dollars to create one job in alternative energy is not my idea of being a good steward of Idaho dollars. However, I strongly support alternative energy, especially in the area of research and development. I would tend to support state funding more in R&D in this area. I am undecided on state funding for open space preservation. I support this to maintain natural wildlife and outdoor habitat.

Gun

1. Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?
- No

2. Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?
- No

3. Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns?
- Yes

4. Do you support requiring a license for gun possession?
- No

5. Other or expanded principles
- I am a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association (NRA). I should make this clear. I believe that gun owners should be held accountable for their personal guns, and if they use them in a crime. However, I do not like the constant government attacks aimed at trying to regulate, control, and take away our right to bear arms. Individuals commit crimes, not the firearm itself.

Health

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

2. Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?
- Yes

3. Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?
- No

4. Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance?
- No

5. Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?
- Yes

6. Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Idaho?
- No

7. Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- As a Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) from the American College I have a strong understanding of healthcare. I do not support a government administered healthcare program. I do believe that all Americans should have access to healthcare at a reasonable rate. If Americans cannot afford healthcare, I do support government assistance in providing funding to those Americans. Health insurance should be purchased through the private sector only. I support the Idaho Healthcare Freedom Act.... It is NOT the role of government to require by law that you purchase health insurance.

Social

1. Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?
- Yes

2. Should Idaho allow same-sex couples to form civil unions?
- No

3. Do you support state funding for stem cell research?
- No

4. Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research?
- No

5. Do you support the state's use of affirmative action?
- No Answer

6. Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Idaho's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

7. Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Idaho's anti-discrimination laws?
- No

8. Other or expanded principles
- With regards to the state's use of affirmative action I cannot comment honestly because I am not familiar with the current state's use. With regards to anti-discrimination laws you have to draw the line somewhere. If I am a vegetarian, I think I should be included. Of course, I am being facetious. Once again regarding state funding of something, there needs to be an economic or similiar return and additionally, Is it the role of government?

Legislative Priorities

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.
- My top priorities include education and healthcare. If elected, my first priority (already working on) is the requirement that high schools require either a 1/2 credit or a full credit to graduate high school in personal finance. 3 states currently require this, I want Idaho to be the 4th. Focus on school district consolodation and take a percentage of savings to give to teachers in the form of a pay raise. These pay raises for teachers that work "in classroom" only. Idaho's Medicaid program needs reform and to be prepared for increasing demand.