Scott Rupert's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
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Scott Rupert has provided voters with clear stances on key issues by responding to the 2016 Political Courage Test.
Ohio Congressional Election 2016 Political Courage Test
| Pro-life | Do you generally support pro-choice or pro-life legislation? | ||
| It can be argued that we are all pro-choice. We differ on when the choice to have a child should be made. I am pro-life, but more importantly, I believe the Constitution is too. The 14th Amendment protects life for even the most deranged criminal, until they've had their day in court. Do we not owe the same deference to the most innocent? It is not difficult, in this age, to avoid having a child, without killing one. | |||
| Yes | In order to balance the budget, do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| No | In order to balance the budget, do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| There are many ways to reduce defense spending, without reducing defense. Those in a position to know such things have told us of many wasteful programs and projects that fall under the Department of Defense budget. It's time take take action, not just talk. To be sure, we must maintain and strengthen our fighting forces, and our national defense, including border security, but it can certainly be made more efficient. Regarding taxes; I support the repealing the income tax altogether; replacing it with the Fair Tax, or something like it. | |||
| Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | |||
| Regulated or not, it is important to recognize, with regard to campaign contributions, that unions and corporations are different versions of the same thing. Neither are motivated by a love of country. Both are motivated by self-interest, and often by greed. | |||
| Yes | Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | ||
| Yes | Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | ||
| No | Do you support mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders? | ||
| There is much injustice in today's justice system. Many real criminals are effectively "getting away with murder", while minor offenders are swelling the population of prisons and jails across the country. Many, who have actually changed their lives for the better, are having their new lives interrupted by things they thought were behind them. To be clear; there absolutely MUST be meaningful consequences for criminal behavior. But, criminal behavior should be defined as behavior that is a threat to others, not simply to one's self. | |||
| No | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support lowering taxes as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| No | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Governments, at any level, cannot "create jobs", or "spend to promote economic growth". Every penny that governments spend comes out of the pockets of the people they are supposed to serve. The only effect government can have on the economy is negative, through regulation and market manipulation. I fully believe in the power of the free market, though not one of us has actually ever experienced that. For a start, we can promote economic growth by repealing the Affordable Care Act, in its entirety. | |||
| Do you generally support requiring states to adopt federal education standards? | |||
| There is no excuse for federal government making states jump through hoops to receive money that was taken from them in the first place. My objective, as a US Senator, is to fight to keep federal government from taking dollars out of Ohio, not to beg to get them back. Education should be monitored locally, or at best the state level. Parents should be the ones making he decisions regarding how and what their children are learning. | |||
| Yes | Do you support building the Keystone XL pipeline? | ||
| No | Do you support government funding for the development of renewable energy (e.g. solar, wind, thermal)? | ||
| Do you support increased regulations on the hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") industry? | |||
| I do support the development of renewable energy. I don't believe federal government must fund it. "Good ideas sell themselves" is a central theme to my campaign. The principle applies to energy development as much as to anything else. Regulations on "fracking" should be legislated and implemented at the state and local level, where its impact is felt. There is more to address, with regard to natural gas and oil production, than just its environmental impact. Land owners are being taken advantage of, deceived, and even stolen from, by oil and gas producers. | |||
| No | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| No | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| In the 1970's, when manufacturing companies were paying little to no attention to the environmental impact of their activities, there was a clear need for legislative intervention. At the time, science told us we were heading into another ice age. Federal government's penchant for taking things too far has run its course with the Environmental Protection Agency. It is time for congress (the ACTUAL law making body in Washington) to assert its constitutional authority, and reign in the EPA. There is a balance between environmental and economic stewardship. The US has not yet found it. | |||
| No | Do you generally support gun-control legislation? | ||
| No law can prevent those with evil intentions from acting out. Criminals, by definition, have no regard for the rule of law. Any honest American, who is of a mind to do so, has every right to defend themselves, their family, and their property, from those who would seek to do harm. I would also argue that those of us who are comfortable doing so have an obligation to arm ourselves, when we are in the public domain. If an extremist chooses to act, there is no scenario in which law enforcement can respond faster than an armed public. | |||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare")? | ||
| EVERY WORD OF IT! | |||
| Do you support requiring immigrants who are unlawfully present to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | |||
| No | Do you support same-sex marriage? | ||
| It is my opinion that no government, at any level, has any authority regarding marriage. Marriage is a covenant between a man, a woman, and God. For governments to give license is the moral equivalent to asking the king's permission. At the very least, it is not an issue that federal government, or the Supreme Court, has the constitutional authority to meddle in. | |||
| Do you support increased American intervention in Iraq and Syria beyond air support? | |||
| Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent governments hostile to the United States from possessing a nuclear weapon? | |||
| While it is the responsibility of federal government, constitutionally, to provide security to the states, it is not their job to be the world's police force. In the US, we don't take action against those we think MIGHT commit a crime, someday, nor should we do so on the world stage. I do see wisdom in closely monitoring those we assess as a threat being prepared to take action when danger is eminent. But, our focus should be on strong DEFENSE, not OFFENSE. If a nation acts against us, our response should be swift and strong. | |||
| Yes | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
| The Social Security "trust fund", is an account filled with IOUs, from a government that is 19 trillion dollars in debt. In other words, it is doomed to failure. Productive Americans are being stripped of a portion of wealth that will never be seen again. I support making participation in Social Security entirely voluntary, with no obligation from government to support those who opt out. | |||
SpendingIndicate what federal spending levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.TaxesIndicate what federal tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one number per category; you can use a number more than once.
| Eliminate | a) Agriculture | ||
| Eliminate | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Decrease | c) Defense | ||
| Eliminate | d) Education | ||
| Greatly Decrease | e) Environment | ||
| Greatly Decrease | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Greatly Decrease | h) Medical Research | ||
| Slightly Decrease | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Slightly Decrease | j) Space exploration | ||
| Eliminate | k) United Nations | ||
| Greatly Decrease | l) Welfare | ||
| Eliminate | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Eliminate | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Eliminate | c) Small business taxes | ||
| Maintain Status | d) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Maintain Status | e) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Eliminate | g) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | i) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | j) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Eliminate | k) Payroll taxes | ||
| My objective is to walk back federal government, until it has made it's way back to it's constitutional mooring. That will mean getting it out of many areas the Constitution doesn't authorize. States may choose to spend in these areas. They are certain to do so more efficiently. Along with decreasing, or even eliminating, spending in these areas, I would decrease taxes. | |||
| I support the FairTax. It will lead to great economic growth. | |||
| My top priority, and reason for running for the US Senate, is to restore the sovereignty of the states, beginning with Ohio. The role of the Senate is to protect the state from the federal government. If the states are free, the people are free; or at least, more able to defend their freedom at the Statehouse, instead of Washington DC. Second, but equal, is protecting the sovereignty of the nation. The greatest threat to our sovereignty is debt. This is why all of the answers in the previous sections are spending reductions and growth stimulation. |
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