Following is a questionnaire that was sent to candidates for political office.
  It was designed to get people thinking about some of the issues facing this nation, and the discussion of possible solutions. Feel free to download it and offer solutions to some of the problems.

Following are my responses to this questionnaire.

Abortion Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.
___ a) Abortions should always be illegal.
___ b) Abortions should always be legal.
___ c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
___ d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
___ e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
___ f) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
 » g) Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
___ h) Other or expanded principles: Abortion should be an educational issue not a legislative one. People should be shown a sonagram before an abortion and should have to watch a “late term” abortion. If an abortion is still wanted then so be it, but not at tax-payer expense.

Abortion Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding abortion.
___ a) Abortions should always be illegal.
___ b) Abortions should always be legal.
___ c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
___ d) Abortions should be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape.
___ e) Abortions should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered.
___ f) Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
 ___g) Prohibit public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
___ h) Other or expanded principles:______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Budgetary, Spending, and Tax Issues: Using the key, indicate what federal funding levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.
 1) Budget Priorities
    KEY
1 = Greatly Increase         ___a) Agriculture                       ___i) Medical research
2 = Slightly Increase         ___ b) Arts                                 ___ j) National parks
3 = Maintain Status          ___c) Defense                             ___k) Public health services
4 = Slightly Decrease       ___d) Education                          ___1) Scientific research
5 = Greatly Decrease       ___e) Environment                     ___m) Space exploration programs
6 = Eliminate                   ___ f) Homeland security            ___n) Transportation and highway infrastructure
                                         ___g) International aid                ___o) Welfare
                                         ___h) Law enforcement              ___p) Other or expanded categories:________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) Defense Spending
  ___a) Armed forces personnel training     ___  f) Pay for active duty personnel
  ___b) Intelligence operations                  ___g) Programs to improve troop retention rates
  ___c) Military hardware                         ___h) Research and development of new weapons
  ___d) Modernization of weaponry and equipment    ___i) Troop and equipment readiness ___e)   National missile defense                        ___ j) Other or expanded categories:______________________________

Using the key above, indicate what federal tax levels you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category.
3) Taxes
Income Taxes:                              --Other Taxes:                                  Deductions/Credits:
Family Income
___ a) Less than $25,000       ___a) Alcohol taxes                    ___a) Charitable contributions
___ b) $25,000-$75,000        ___b) Capital gains taxes             ___b) Child tax credit
___ c) $75,000-$150,000      ___c) Cigarette taxes                  ___ c) Earned income tax credit
___ d) Over $150,000           ___d) Corporate taxes                 ___d) Medical expense deduction
___e) Other or expanded categories:    ___e) Gasoline taxes       ___ e) Mortgage deduction
________________________            ___f) Inheritance taxes             ___ f) Student loan credit
Retiree Income                             ___g) Other or expanded categories ___g) Other or expanded categories
___ f) Over $40,000                        ____________________________  _______________________
___ g) Other or expanded categories:_____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

4) Do you support permanent repeal of the federal estate tax? ___Yes __No __Undecided
5) Do you support eliminating taxes on dividends paid to individual investors?
  ___Yes __No __Undecided
6) Should a married couple filing jointly pay the same taxes as if they were an unmarried couple filing separately?  ___Yes __No __Undecided
7) Other or expanded principles:________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Campaign Finance and Government Reform Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.
___ a) Support public taxpayer funding for federal candidates who comply with campaign spending limits.
___ b) Increase the amount individuals are permitted to contribute to federal campaigns.
___c) Prohibit Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions to candidates for federal office.
___ d) Allow unregulated soft money campaign contributions to political parties or committees.
___ e) Allow ads paid for by soft money that support or attack a candidate for federal office.
___ f) Allow issue advocacy commercials by corporations, labor unions, and non-profit groups which appear within 60 days of a general election and within 30 days of a primary election.
___g) Remove all contribution limits on federal campaigns and parties.
h) Do you support instant run-off voting (IRV)?                                                ___Yes___No___Undecided
i) Should Election Day be a national holiday?                                                    ___Yes___No___Undecided
j) Should same-sex couples be allowed to form civil unions?                             ___Yes___No__Undecided
k) Should marriage be restricted to a union only between a man and a woman? ___Yes___No__Undecided
l) Other or expanded principles:__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Crime Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.
___a) Support the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
___b) Eliminate the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
___c) Impose "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve full sentences with no chance of parole.
___d) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
___e) Support programs to provide prison inmates with drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
___f)Reduce prison sentences for those who commit non-violent crimes.
___g) Support additional criminal penalties if a fetus is killed in the commission of a federal crime against a pregnant woman.
___h) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, and disability be prosecuted as federal hate crimes.
___i) Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
___j) Impose stricter penalties for those convicted of white-collar crimes.
___k) Enforcement of civil rights should primarily be the responsibility of the federal government.
___1) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
___m) Other or expanded principles:______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Drug Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding drugs.
___a) Support mandatory jail sentences for selling illegal drugs.
___b) Expand federally sponsored drug education and drug treatment programs.
___c) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
___d) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
___e) Increase border security to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States.
___f) Eliminate federal funding for programs associated with the "war on drugs
___g) Other or expanded principles______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________

Education Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding education.
___a) Support national standards for and testing of public school students.
___b) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any public school.
___c) Allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any private or religious school.
___d) Allow teachers and professionals to receive authorization and funding to establish charter schools.
___e) Increase funding for block grants to states to aid in the hiring of additional teachers.
___f) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
___g) Increase funding for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, technology).
___h) Support granting states limited control over Head Start programs.
___i) Support changing the mission of Head Start to emphasize improving the math and reading skills of disadvantaged children.
___j) Providing education is not a responsibility of the federal government.
___k) Support affirmative action in public college admissions.
___1) Increase funding of programs such as Pell grants and Stafford loans to help students pay for college.
___m) Support federal tax incentives to help families save for college.
___n) Other or expanded principles:______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Employment and Affirmative Action Issues:
1) Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.
___a) Increase funding for national job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
___b) Reduce government regulation of the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
___c) Provide tax credits or grants to businesses that offer child care services to employees.
___d) Encourage employers to offer flex-time scheduling, comp-time, and unpaid leave for family emergencies.
___e) Eliminate all federal programs designed to reduce unemployment.
___f) Increase the federal minimum wage.
___g) Support the right of workers to strike without fear of being permanently replaced.
___h) Allow workers to sell company stock and to diversify their company retirement funds into other investment options.
___i) Other or expanded principles:_______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

2) Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action.
___a) The federal government should consider race and gender in government contracting decisions.
___b) The federal government should discontinue affirmative action programs.
___c) The federal government should continue affirmative action programs.
___d) Include sexual orientation in federal anti-discrimination laws.
___e) Other or expanded principles:______________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Environment and Energy Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.
___a) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
___b) Strengthen the regulation and enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
___c) Require states to compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses of privately-owned land.
___d) Relax logging restrictions on federal lands.
___e) Relax standards on federal lands to allow increased recreational usage.
___f) Support increased development of traditional energy resources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil).
___g) Strengthen emission controls and fuel efficiency standards on all gasoline and diesel-powered engines, including cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles.
___h) Support opening a select portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration.
___i) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
___j) Support the use of ethanol as an alternative fuel.
___k) Allow energy producers to trade pollution credits.
___1) Support the United States re-entering the Kyoto treaty process to limit global warming.
___m) Other or expanded principles:______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gun Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.
___a) Renew the ban on the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
___b) Maintain and strengthen the current level of enforcement of existing federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
___c) Ease federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
___d) Repeal federal restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
___e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
___f) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
___g) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
___h) Require a license for gun possession.
___i) Establish a national database of ballistic "fingerprints" to track guns used in criminal activities.
___j) Support  legislation that would protect manufacturers, distributors, dealers and importers of firearms from civil lawsuits by crime victims.
___k) Other or expanded principles:________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Health Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding health care.
___a) Providing health care is not a responsibility of the federal government.
___b) Implement a universal health care program to guarantee coverage to all Americans regardless of income.
___c) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes appeal mechanisms when claims are denied.
___d) Support a Patient's Bill of Rights which includes the right to sue when claims are denied.
___e) Expand eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts.
___f) Establish limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
___g) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
___h) Support expanding prescription drug coverage under private managed care plans.
___i) Offer tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.
___j) Support automatic enrollment of children in federal health care programs such as CHIP and Medicaid.
___k) Allow 55-65 year-olds to buy into Medicare.
___1) Support stem cell research on existing lines of stem cells.
___m) Allow laboratories to create new lines of stem cells for additional research.
___n) Other or expanded principles:______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Immigration Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding immigration.
___a) Decrease the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.
___b) Establish English as the official national language.
___c) Increase the number of visas issued for agricultural workers.
___d) Relax restrictions barring legal immigrants from using social programs (e.g. public housing, food stamps).
___e) Support amnesty for certain illegal immigrants who already reside in the United States.
___f) Support the detention of asylum seekers from countries known to sponsor terrorism.
___g) Other or expanded principles:______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

International Aid, International Policy, and Trade Issues:
International Aid: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding United States economic assistance.
___a) Aid should be granted to countries when extraordinary circumstances cause disaster and threaten civilian lives.
___b) Aid should be granted to countries when it is in the security interests of the United States.
___c) Aid should be eliminated for any nation with documented human rights abuses.
___d) Aid programs should be scaled back and eventually eliminated.
___e) Other or expanded principles  _____________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

International Policy
1) Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding the Middle East.
a) Should the United States continue to provide leadership in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
 __Yes ___No __Undecided
b) Should the United States support the creation of a Palestinian state?
 __Yes ___No __Undecided
c) Should the United States withdraw its troops from Iraq?
__Yes __No __Undecided
d) Discuss your proposals for the reconstruction of Iraq. What funding sources would you use to implement these proposals? (75 words or less. Please use an attached page if the space below is not adequate.)
e) Other or expanded principles:_________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________

2) Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding Central and East Asia.
a) Should the United States use diplomatic and economic pressure to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
b) Should the United States use military force to destroy the North Korean nuclear weapons program?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
c) Should the United States remove the North Korean government from power?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
a) Should the United States increase financial support to Afghanistan?
 __Yes __No ___Undecided
e) Should the United States increase military support to Afghanistan?
 __Yes __No ___Undecided
f) Other or expanded principles:_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

3) Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding the United Nations.
a) Should the United States maintain its financial support of the United Nations?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
b) Should the United States decrease its financial support of the United Nations?
___Yes __No __Undecided
c) Should the United States commit troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
d) Other or expanded principles:_________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________

4) Should the United States lift the travel ban to Cuba?
  ___Yes __No __Undecided
5) Should the United States increase its financial support to Colombia to combat "the war on drugs?"
__Yes ___No __Undecided
6) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund distribution of contraceptives?
___Yes __No __Undecided
7) Should aid to African nations for AIDS prevention programs fund abstinence education?
___Yes __No __Undecided
8) Other or expanded principles:_________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

International Trade: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding international trade.
1) Do you support the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
2) Do you support the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
3) Do you support continued U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO)?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
4) Should a nation's human rights record affect its normal trade relations (most favored nation) status with the United States?
__Yes __No ___Undecided
5) Do you support the trade embargo against Cuba?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
6) Should trade agreements include provisions to address environmental concerns and to protect workers' rights?
___Yes __No __Undecided
7) Other or expanded principles:_________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

National Security Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding national security.
a) Do you support using military tribunals to try suspected terrorists when ordinary civilian courts are deemed inappropriate or impractical?
__Yes __No __Undecided
b) Should the United States adopt stricter rules for student visa applications from nations known to sponsor terrorism?
___Yes __No __Undecided
c) Should the United States grant law enforcement agencies greater discretion to read mail and email, tap phones, and conduct random searches to prevent future terrorist attacks?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
d) Should the United States hold foreign states accountable for terrorists who operate in their country?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
e) Should the federal government increase funding to states and cities for homeland security?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
f) Do you support a policy of pre-emptive strikes against countries deemed to be a threat to national security?
__Yes ___No __Undecided
g) Other or expanded principles: _________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Social Security Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding Social Security.
___a) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
___b) Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts managed by private firms contracted by the government.
___c) Invest a portion of Social Security assets collectively in stocks and bonds instead of United States Treasury securities.
___d) Increase the payroll tax to better finance Social Security in its current form.
___e) Lower the annual cost-of-living increases.
___f) Raise the retirement age for when individuals are eligible to receive full Social Security benefits.
g) Other or expanded principles:_________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Technology and Communication Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding technology and communication.
___a) Collect taxes on commercial Internet transactions.
___b) Continue the moratorium on Internet taxation.
___c) Implement regulation of Internet content.
___d) Support government mandates to curtail violent and sexual content on television.
___e) Support strict penalties for Internet crimes (e.g. hacking, identity theft, worms/viruses).
___I) Support legislation to detail how personal information can be collected and used on the Internet.
___g) Regulating the Internet is not a responsibility of the federal government.
___h) Impose regulations on "spam" emails.
___i) Other or expanded principles  ______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

Welfare and Poverty Issues: Indicate (») which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.
___a) Require welfare recipients to spend at least 40 hours a week in a combination of work and training programs.
___b) Increase funding for child care programs.
___c) Continue to give states and local governments flexibility in and responsibility for welfare programs through federal block grants.
___d) Direct federal poverty aid through religious, community-based or other non-profit organizations.
___e) Abolish all federal welfare programs.
___f) Support housing assistance for low-income families.
___g) Other or expanded principles: _____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________