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Jim Tedisco's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Conservative, Republican for State Senate (NY) - District 44

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Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
What is the Political Courage Test?
This candidate has responded to a Political Courage Test in a previous election. As a continued effort to provide the American public with factual information on candidates running for public office, these archived responses are made available here.

New York State Legislative Election 1996 National Political Awareness Test

The Political Courage Test asks candidates which items they will support if elected. It does not ask them to indicate which items they will oppose. Through extensive research of public polling data, we discovered that voters are more concerned with what candidates would support when elected to office, not what they oppose. If a candidate does not select a response to any part or all of any question, it does not necessarily indicate that the candidate is opposed to that particular item.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

a) Abortions should always be legally available.
b) Abortions should be legally available when the procedure is completed within the first trimester of pregnancy.
c) Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.
d) Abortions should be legal only when the life of the woman is endangered.
e) Abortions should always be illegal.
X f) Abortions should be limited by mandatory waiting periods.
X g) Abortions should be limited by parental notification requirements for girls under 18.
No h) Should New York government funding be provided to clinics and medical facilities that provide abortion services?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding affirmative action and civil rights in New York.

X a) The New York government should prosecute cases of discrimination in the public and private sectors.
b) The New York government should provide no affirmative action programs.
No c) Do you believe that the New York government should recognize same-sex marriages?
No d) Do you believe that sexual orientation should be added to New York's anti-discrimination laws?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding children and family issues in New York.

X a) Increase state funding for programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
X b) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
X c) Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime in New York.

X a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
X b) Expand and promote "community policing" programs.
X c) Support "truth in sentencing" for violent criminals so they serve their full sentences with no chance of parole.
X d) Expand the use of the death penalty for additional circumstances relating to murder.
e) Oppose the death penalty.
f) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
X g) Require mandatory life sentences for third-time, violent felons.
X h) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
i) Increase state funds for programs which rehabilitate and educate inmates during and after their prison sentences.
j) Decriminalize the possession and private use of certain illegal drugs such as marijuana.
X k) Strengthen penalties and sentences associated with drug-related crimes.
X l) Implement chain gangs in which prison inmates work together in chained work groups.
m) Contract with private sector firms to manage state prisons.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) to address juvenile crime in New York.

X a) Prosecute juveniles who commit murder or other serious, violent crimes as adults.
X b) Provide state funding for military-style "boot camps" for juvenile first-time felons.
X c) Increase state funding for local community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
d) Support state government funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans and job training and placement.
X e) Support legislation to enable teachers to expel violent or disruptive students from classrooms for up to ten days.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning New York's economic development.

X a) Increase state funds for improving the state's transportation system, including major roadways, railways and airports.
X b) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for expanding, start-up, or relocating businesses.
c) Expand legalized gambling (e.g. state lottery, casino gambling).
X d) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector.
e) Remove state government controls or caps from wages, prices, rents, profits, production and interest rates.
f) Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
X g) Increase state funding for programs to re-train unemployed workers.
h) Limit workers' compensation awards in order to lower businesses' insurance costs.
X i) Lower workers' compensation insurance rates for businesses with good safety records.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding New York's education system.

a) Increase state funds for professional development and salaries of public school faculty.
b) Endorse teacher-led voluntary school prayer in public schools.
c) Encourage private or corporate investment in certain public school programs.
d) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious, technical).
e) Implement charter schools where teachers and other professionals receive state authorization and funding to establish new schools.
X f) Require the use of state-wide achievement standards for all state public schools.
X g) Emphasize local control of education as long as the school district meets state health and safety standards.
X h) Support sex education programs which stress abstinence.
i) Support sex education programs which stress safe sexual practices.
j) Support "school choice" which allows parents to choose which public school their child(ren) should attend.
k) Change New York City's Board of Education from being appointed by the mayor to direct election by voters.
l) Support the proposal to convert the New York City school system to a mayoral agency under the direct control of City Hall.
X m) Require that students in state and city colleges maintain a "C" average in order to receive state tuition aid.
Yes n) Should state lottery revenues be used as a partial source of funding for local schools?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning New York's environment and natural resources.

a) Enact tougher environmental standards to encourage the sale of cleaner burning fuels throughout New York.
b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for polluting industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
c) Require a cost/benefit analysis be completed on the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
d) Require the state to reimburse citizens when state-sponsored environmental regulations limit the use of privately owned land.
X e) Continue to provide funding for recycling programs in New York.
f) Request flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
g) Suspend New York's participation in unfunded, federally mandated environmental protection legislation.
X h) Maintain minimum environmental quality as mandated by current federal regulations.
i) Use New York State's Environmental Protection Fund to clean up pollution created by New York State agencies.

a) Would you support amending the New York Constitution to limit the terms of the following state officials?

No 1) State Senators
No 2) State Representatives
No 3) Governor
Yes b) Do you support amending the U.S. Constitution to require an annual balanced federal budget?
Yes c) Do you support requiring limits on individual contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes d) Do you support requiring limits on PAC contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes e) Do you support requiring limits on corporate contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes f) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
Yes g) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
No h) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
Yes i) Do you support requiring lobbyists to disclose all gifts of food or drinks to individual lawmakers?
j) Should New York state funds be distributed to local governments via block grants?
Yes k) Should citizens be able to place initiative/referendum proposals on New York's statewide ballots?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

a) Support expanding the nationwide federal ban on the public sale of assault weapons to include all forms of semi-automatic weapons.
b) Increase state restrictions on the purchase and possession of firearms.
c) Maintain all state registration procedures and state restrictions on possessing firearms.
d) Ease state procedures and restrictions on the purchase and registration of firearms.
e) Repeal all state bans and measures that restrict law-abiding citizens from obtaining firearms.
f) Allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms.

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning New York's health care system.

X a) Expand state funding for pre-natal and infant care programs available in the state, including immunizations.
b) Provide tax incentives to assist small businesses in providing health care to their employees.
c) Ensure that New York citizens have access to basic health care, through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
d) Guaranteeing medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
e) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X f) Support legislation requiring health insurance providers to cover certain medical services (e.g. 48 hr. hospital stay for mothers after childbirth).
g) Require Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO's) to offer policies allowing individuals expanded choice of doctors.
h) Provide state-funded programs to encourage physicians to locate their practices in low-income communities.
No i) Should physicians be allowed to help terminally ill patients who want to end their lives?

Indicate what changes you support (if any) concerning levels of funding for the following categories. Select one option only.

Eliminate a) Abortion
Maintain Status b) Affirmative Action
Maintain Status c) AIDS Programs
Slightly Increase d) Education
Maintain Status e) Environment
Maintain Status f) Health Care
Slightly Increase g) Law Enforcement
Greatly Decrease h) Welfare

Please indicate the changes you support (if any) concerning New York's tax levels. Select one option only.

Maintain Status a) Alcohol Taxes
Greatly Decrease b) Business Taxes
Greatly Decrease c) Capital Gains Taxes
Greatly Decrease d) Income Taxes (incomes less than $75,000)
Greatly Decrease e) Income Taxes (incomes greater than $75,000)
Slightly Decrease f) Property Taxes
Greatly Decrease g) Sales Taxes
Greatly Decrease h) State Fees
No i) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?

Please indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding New York's welfare system.

X a) Provide child care services to welfare recipients who work or attend school.
X b) Allow welfare recipients to work and still receive state-funded health care and child care (if needed) until they become self-sufficient.
X c) Require that able-bodied welfare recipients receive job training, attend school, or work in order to receive welfare benefits.
X d) Require that unwed mothers under the age of 18 attend school and live with a parent or guardian (if possible) to receive welfare benefits.
e) Limit the welfare benefits given to recipients if they have additional children.
X f) Provide two-parent families living in poverty the same welfare benefits as one-parent families.
g) Eliminate government-funded welfare and advocate privately-funded assistance to people in need.
X h) Impose a two-year limit on welfare benefits for recipients who are able to work.
X i) Limit New York residents' eligibility for AFDC benefits to five years in a lifetime.
j) Rural welfare applicants should not be required to contact as many employers as urban welfare applicants as a condition for receiving benefits.
X k) Require mandatory drug testing for welfare recipients.
Cut the property tax by ensuring Lottery funds go directly to education; Enactment of reforms including: *initiative and referendum, including a statewide referendum on the state budget when it is not passed on time. *a ban on members of the Legislature serving as delegates to the state constitutional convention.

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