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Ethan Berkowitz's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

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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.

Ethan Berkowitz refused to tell citizens where he stands on any of the issues addressed in the 2010 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart, national media, and prominent political leaders.

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.

Alaska State Legislative Election 2004 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.

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 public funding of abortions and of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
X g) Other or expanded principles
Respect for personal privacy and individual liberty require that decisions about reproductive issues belong to a woman and her doctor. Abortions should remain safe, rare, and legal.

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels (#1-6) you will support for the following general categories. Select one level per category.State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels (#1-6) you will support. Select one level per tax.

a) Education (Higher)
b) Education (K-12)
c) Environment
d) Health care
e) Law enforcement
f) Transportation and highway infrastructure
g) Welfare
a) Alcohol taxes
b) Capital gains taxes
c) Cigarette taxes
d) Corporate taxes
e) Estate taxes
f) Gas taxes
g) Property taxes
h) Vehicle taxes
i) Other or expanded categories
j) Should Internet sales be taxed?
k) Should Alaska adjust the oil tax so the rate of taxation fluctuates in proportion with the price of oil per barrel?
l) Should Alaska institute a state income tax to increase revenue?
m) Should Alaska institute a state sales tax to increase revenue?
X n) Other or expanded principles
State funding must reflect state responsibilities for public education, public safety and public infrastructure. Quality of service factors as well as cost of services. The need to match federal funds, respond to annual changes, assess performance and continue to seek better efficiencies is part of annual budget responsibility.
Solutions for resolving the fiscal gap should be fair (everyone pays), add up (actually solve the problem), and protect the economy (safeguard jobs and businesses). All options should remain on the table as part of a plan. Sound fiscal judgment reflects the reality that the mesh of revenue proposals is significant in building a fiscal plan.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the Alaska Permanent Fund.1) The use of Permanent Fund revenue should be:2) Annual individual dividends from the Permanent Fund should be:3) Revenue from the Permanent Fund that is not used for individual dividends or inflation proofing should:

a) at the discretion of the Legislature.
b) limited by the state constitution to five percent of the Fund’s value.
X c) Other or expanded principles
a) at least one thousand dollars, regardless of revenue projections.
b) determined by revenue projections.
X c) Other or expanded principles
a) help fund education and other essential state services.
b) help finance state investments through general obligation bonds.
c) be distributed to local governments.
d) be reinvested in the principal of the Fund.
X e) Other or expanded principles
Permanent fund revenues represent the transformation of non-renewable resources (primarily Alaska's oil wealth) into a renewable resource. To insure that future generations share in oil wealth, the principal should remain untouched.
Dividends treat all Alaskans equally and give each Alaskan a share in our state. They are a part of the owner-state concept.
All revenue options should be considered as part of a fiscal plan. It would be unfair to use a permanent fund first or permanent fund only solution.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding campaign finance and government reform.c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative and gubernatorial candidates?

a) Do you support the current limit of two consecutive four-year terms for Alaska governors?
b) Do you support limiting terms for Alaska state senators and representatives?
1) Individual
2) PAC
3) Corporate
4) Political Parties
d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
f) Do you support adopting statewide standards for counting, verifying, and ensuring accuracy of votes?
g) Do you support prohibiting the reporting of media exit polling results until all polling locations in Alaska are closed?
h) Should Alaska recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
i) Should Alaska restrict marriage to a union only between a man and a woman?
1. Campaign finance laws should require full disclosure of contributions. Contributions in state elections should be limited to those who live or vote in the state - no corporate, PAC, or party money should flow to candidates. I support the idea of a non-partisan legislature to stem the torrent of soft money. 2. Article 22 of the State Constitution clearly states, "The right of people to privacy is recognized and shall not be infringed." 3. I support a constitutional amendment on subsistence.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding crime.

a) Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
b) Implement the death penalty in Alaska.
c) Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
d) End parole for repeat violent offenders.
e) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
f) Decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.
g) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
h) Minors accused of a violent crime should be prosecuted as adults.
i) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
j) Increase funding for state and local emergency agencies to prevent and to respond to terrorist attacks.
X k) Other or expanded principles
We must address public safety in a comprehensive fashion - we must be smart on crime as well as tough on crime. That means applying a strategy that links prevention, policing, prosecuting, prisons and public participation in the criminal justice system. Homeland security funds should be spent on homeland security.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

a) Support national standards and testing of public school students.
b) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any public school.
c) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
d) Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
e) Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
f) Support teacher testing and reward with merit pay.
g) Endorse voluntary prayer in public schools.
h) Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
i) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
j) Increase funding for Head Start programs.
k) Provide state funding for tax incentives and financial aid to help make college more affordable.
l) Support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods.
m) Support abstinence-only sexual education programs.
X n) Other or expanded principles
We need to support high standards and safe schools in order to teach students to think critically, empathize and exercise intellectual curiosity. Quality education, from pre-school through vocational training and college, is of the highest priority. We can have accountability and keep the focus on teaching, not testing. Students should never suffer when the educational institutions fail them, and we should always remember that each student is an individual and deserves to be treated as such.

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding employment.Affirmative Action: Should race, ethnicity, or gender be taken into account in state agencies’ decisions on:

a) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers and teach skills needed in today’s job market.
b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector in order to encourage investment and economic expansion.
c) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
d) Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for children in low-income working families.
e) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
f) Include sexual orientation in Alaska’s anti-discrimination laws.
g) Increase the state minimum wage.
h) Use administrative facilitators instead of courts to settle workers' compensation claims.
X i) Other or expanded principles
a) Public employment
b) State college and university admissions
c) State contracting
Workforce development helps create individual job opportunities and strengthens the state's economy. Small businesses and entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of a healthy economy, and Alaskans should make sure that all Alaskans who want a job can afford to take one.
Fairness is about more than equality. We are the second most ethnically diverse state in the Union and should never even tacitly condone prejudice.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

a) Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology.
b) Support increased production of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, and oil).
c) Use state funds to clean up former industrial and commercial sites that are contaminated, unused, or abandoned.
d) Support funding for open space preservation.
e) Support the construction of a natural gas pipeline in order to provide new sources of revenue in Alaska.
f) Enact environmental regulations even if they are stricter than federal law.
X g) Other or expanded principles
1. I support the gas pipeline and opening ANWR. 2. Alaskans have the right to clear air, clean water, no toxics, and the ability to hunt, fish and recreate in the outdoors.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding guns.

a) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
b) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
c) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
e) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
f) Require background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows.
g) Require a license for gun possession.
X h) Other or expanded principles
The Second Amendment appropriately protects the rights of law-abiding citizens. Within that context, there is room to improve gun safety.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health.

a) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary.
b) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
c) Limit the amount of punitive damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
d) Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
e) Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
f) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
g) Legalize physician assisted suicide in Alaska.
h) Allow doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes.
X i) Other or expanded principles
All Alaskans should have access to quality, affordable medical care.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare and poverty.

a) Support increased work requirements for able-bodied welfare recipients.
b) Increase funding for employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
c) Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
d) Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
e) Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
f) Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to extend health and child care subsidies to the working poor.
g) Support marriage promotion programs for welfare recipients.
h) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
X i) Other or expanded principles
No Alaskan should ever go hungry or be homeless, particularly children. Welfare should aim to provide a hand up, as opposed to simply a hand-out.
Please explain in a total of 75 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.

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