Maryland 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?
- Yes

4. Other or expanded principles
- abortion and pregnancy issues are and should be private and personal between the woman and her family and healthcare provider. I'm opposed to government involvement in these matters as much as possible.

Budget, Spending, & Tax

1. Reducing state employee salaries AND/OR pensions?
- Yes

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

3. Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- Maryland spends too much taxpayer money, and so spending needs greater control and accountability. Some state salaries are excessive, as too the number of employees in some parts of government. Wasteful spending comes from special interest legislation and lack of transparency, especially in the area of "public education". Lower taxes is a benefit to ALL Maryland citizens, making for better government and a healthy economy for job growth and business enterprise that promotes progress and prosperity. Private market energy and individual initiative is better than government subsidies and excessive salary and public employee benefits.

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- Corporations and unions, which are private, should be able to freely contribute to political campaigns and issues as they choose. But regulations should be oriented to full disclosure rather than rigid monetary values. Foreign entities should be barred from contributions to US political campaigns.

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?
- Yes

5. Other or expanded principles
- On c/, what is a "minor" and what is the degree of "violence" in the crime? Treatment of minors, convicted of "adult" crime should be incarcerated or held in confinement separate from adults, and emphasis placed on correction and return to normal society, rather than just penal incarceration.

Economic

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

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?
- No

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 Maryland?
- No

7. Do you support legalized state-sponsored sports betting in Maryland?
- No Answer

8. Do you support increasing state regulatory oversight of ride-sharing drivers (e.g. Uber, Lyft)?
- No

9. Other or expanded principles
- On "sports betting", I would need to first examine the laws regarding "sports betting" as it presently exists. To the extent possible, people should engage in this at their own risk, without government involvement. I would consider "state-sponsorship" if the private sector presented undue danger of corruption and abuse. On h), while I don't see a need for regulatory oversight of private ride-sharing activity, I would consider some modest government oversight if there was a substantial danger of abusive practices in this area.

Education

1. Do you support adopting federal education standards in Maryland?
- No Answer

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

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

4. Other or expanded principles
- On a), I would support Maryland adopting federal education standards only if they are beneficial to the overall well-being of students, families, and taxpayers in the state.

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 government regulations of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

3. Do you support increasing state funding for clean drinking water initiatives?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- On b), some state government regulations may be necessary to assure clean air, such as pollution coming from power plants that involve fossil fuels. However, they should not be so severe as to disturb normal use of energy resources that have no significant damage to air quality.

Gun

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

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

3. Should teachers be allowed to bring guns into the classroom?
- Yes

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

5. Other or expanded principles
- On a/ and b/, some limited control on gun use, such as background checks and permits to carry weapons in public is necessary. However, possessing a firearm is a protected constitutional right, and should not be restricted by gun-control rules and regulations that threaten the right of gun ownership. Licensing gun possession includes a danger to violate this right. Background checks that are not onerous or extreme may be accepted in certain commercial business transactions involving firearms.

Health

1. Should the state government increase funding for treatment facilities to combat opioid abuse?
- No Answer

2. Do you support Medicaid expansion through Maryland's health care programs?
- No

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

4. Do you support legislation that grants citizens the right to choose to die through euthanasia?
- No

5. Do you support eliminating religious exemptions for vaccinations?
- Yes

6. Other or expanded principles
- More funding for treatment of opioid use is not needed if private and existing government facilities are used properly. Increasing taxes to provide more "facilities" would be a last resort. The problem of opioid abuse comes largely from bad life-style choices which are acquired in childhood. Failure of the public school system, and the breakdown of traditional two-parent family structure, as well as illegal immigration and lax enforcement of immigration laws, is the more significant cause of the problem that should be addressed. More "facilities" to treat the symptoms is a misallocation of limited resources.

Social

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

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

3. Do you support greater efforts by Maryland state government in closing the pay gap between men and women?
- No

4. Other or expanded principles
- C/ - the private sector works out pay inequity much better than force and control from government that is based more on "politics" rather than reality of work duties and contracts between private parties, employees and employer.

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.
- Three main priorities for better government in Maryland is (1) lower taxes and (2) support for free market solutions and (3) improve education. Within these three categories, the solution is to provide more control and accountability for spending taxpayer money in a wasteful, unaccountable manner. In some cases, state employee salaries and welfare funds too generous and uncontrolled, leading to corruption and continual government dependence. In education, accountability and quality come through more choice and competition, decentralize public education, which enables greater direct control by individual parents, citizens and taxpayers.