Washington Congressional Election 2018 Political Courage Test

Abortion

1. Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation?
- Pro-choice

2. Other or expanded principles
- No Answer

Budget

1. In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket?
- Yes

2. In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending?
- Yes

3. Other or expanded principles
- I believe that Congress has given tax breaks to the rich and multi-national corporations for far too long. We tax the poor and subsidize the rich. We have an upside down tax system and need to bring back an FDR ideology where the those making the most need to pay the most while those in poverty should pay none. Small businesses need the tax breaks which would create stimulate job growth and strengthen the middle class.

Campaign Finance

1. Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- Campaign finance reform i.e. getting big money out of politics is tantamount in restoring our democracy. Until we end the legalization of bribery through the unlimited flow of lobbyist money and Super PAC's, representatives will continue to represent the interests of their high price donors and not the voters. We must return to and strengthen 'The Equal Time Rule' which gave equal airtime to all candidates running for office. Now, elections are undemocratic, designed to cater only to those who have millions in their campaign coffers.

Economy

1. Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth?
- Yes

2. Do you support lowering corporate taxes as a means of promoting economic growth?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- Congress has spent hundreds of billions of dollars on budgets that benefit the rich and powerful including the already bloated military industrial complex. In Article One Section 8 of our Constitution it allows for Congress to order the Fed to fill the treasury spending account for any said appropriations bill as well as addressing the debt instrument within the fiscal year of said appropriation bill as to not add to the national debt. We are the richest, most powerful country in the history of the world. We must spend on our infrastructure, our homeless and a Federal Jobs Guarantee.

Education

1. Do you support requiring states to adopt federal education standards?
- No

2. Other or expanded principles
- We cannot talk about education standards without talking about a federal standard for funding our schools and paying our teachers an above average living wage. We cannot expect to produce an educated generation that can compete in the global economy without investing in the infrastructure of our schools, including books and all supplies needed for an educator to stimulate and inspire their students. Standardized testing does not create critical thinkers that will grow up to solve the worlds problems and given that we have many, we need to make our educational system, our teachers and students a priority.

Energy & Environment

1. Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)?
- Yes

2. Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions?
- Yes

3. Other or expanded principles
- We are in desperate need of investing in our crumbling infrastructure. We are in need of transitioning away from fossil fuels. We are in need of addressing the 50% of our country living in poverty. If we combine the problems we have with the solutions available we can create living wage jobs for millions of Americans for decades to come. To be clear I do not support a cap and trade which creates a secondary futures market like mortgage backed securities that have crashed the economy. I support a flat carbon tax especially on corporations who are the biggest offenders.

Guns

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

2. Other or expanded principles
- DC, Chicago, Detroit and New Orleans have shown us that banning guns doesn't save lives but increases gun violence. The war on guns is much like the war on drugs in that it creates criminals without making society any safer. Our second amendment was put in place by our forefathers to stop an authoritarian overthrow of the people. We are living in an era where our civil liberties are being taken away one by one in the name of fear mongering by what is looking more each day like an authoritarian government. History proves that taking guns precedes totalitarian rule.

Health Care

1. Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- There has been over 350,000 deaths attributed to the underinsured and uninsured since the ACA was given as a gift to the insurance companies from Obama. An expanded Medicare for All, Single Payer system is being done successfully in many other countries. We have over 643,000 people who file bankruptcy from medical bills annually. This is shameful in the richest country in the world. For the fiscally responsible among us; we can pay for this by OCF (Overt Congressional Financing) which does not require the raising of taxes to fund this or any other appropriations bill and without causing inflation.

Immigration

1. Do you support the construction of a wall along the Mexican border?
- No

2. Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- I believe this is a complex issue that requires discernment on a case by case basis. Although I do not advocate unlawful entry into the country there are circumstances of asylum that warrants consideration for those fleeing violence. We absolutely need immigration reform to stop the human trafficking, as well as eliminating the exploitation of migrant workers who are paid slave wages that American workers cannot compete with. The only one who wins in this scenario are the corporations, not Americans out of work and not immigrants looking to flee their country for survival.

Marijuana

1. Do you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes?
- Yes

2. Other or expanded principles
- Thankfully federal laws are changing as it pertains to marijuana. Unlike narcotics such as heroin that are on the schedule one list, there are no recorded overdose deaths from marijuana. On the contrary, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence of the healing properties of cannabis. I also support the release of all non violent prisoners who are incarcerated from marijuana violations.

National Security

1. Should the United States use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the U.S. from possessing a nuclear weapon?
- Yes

2. Do you support increased American intervention in Middle Eastern conflicts beyond air support?
- No

3. Other or expanded principles
- I don't think denuclearization should be used as a ploy for regime change wars on behalf of the Petro-Dollar.

Administrative 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.
- 1. Getting big money out of politics (election reform, campaign finance reform, equal time rule)2. Lowering taxes on people and small businesses; ending corporate welfare and subsidies using the money saved for small business tax credits which incentivizes competition, stimulating our economy.3. Protecting our civil liberties (privacy) and keeping our internet free.