Joseph McCray, Sr.'s Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)
Key
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.
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Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.
Joseph McCray, Sr. has refused to provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2014 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests.
Issue Positions
For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2014.
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Joseph McCray. Issue Position: Spending and Taxes. 1 January 2012. "As a retired military officer and small business owner, I'm ready to begin fighting to control government spending and prevent tax increases on work, savings and investments. I oppose a major tax increase proposed by the House Leadership." (votesmart.org)
- "As a retired military officer and small business owner, I'm ready to begin fighting to control government spending and prevent tax increases on work, savings and investments. I oppose a major tax increase proposed by the House Leadership. I oppose hiding earmarks in conference reports that have not been voted on by other chambers of congress. I believe the underlying fiscal problems facing Americans is not that Americans are under-taxed but that government spends too much." (votesmart.org)
- Joseph McCray. Issue Position: Spending and Taxes. 1 January 2012. "I'm ready to begin fighting to control government spending and prevent tax increases on work, savings and investments [...]. I believe the underlying fiscal problems facing Americans is not that Americans are under-taxed but that government spends too much." (votesmart.org)
- Joseph McCray. Joseph McCray Sr. For Congress-District 6. 17 July 2012. "Private sector creating jobs, not government. Government ensures that we have the right to work and that everything is in order." (youtu.be)
- Joseph McCray. No Title. 18 July 2012. "My campaign platform... Debt/Spending Reduction" (www.josephmccraysr.com)
- Joseph McCray. Issue Position: Education. 1 January 2012. "American education system is in a state of crisis and needs a major overhaul. Every year millions of children pass through America's school without receiving a quality education that should prepare them to succeed in life and to compete in the increasingly competitive global economy [...] However, the National Standards won't fix American education system. The problems that need fixing are too deeply ingrained in the power and incentive structure of the public education system and the renewed focus on national standards threatens to distract from the fundamental issues. Federal control over education has been growing since the 1960s as both standards and achievements have deteriorated. California must strengthen its State based accountability systems." (votesmart.org)
- "One size does not fit all. We need more local control of schools to best suit our varied socio-economic needs. We need creative and innovative methods to shift our children's mentality and empower parents to act on school-performance information as well as empower parents to hold schools accountable." (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- "The world is something we all have to share and I will work to ensure that energy needs of the consumer are met while not at the expense of the environment." (votesmart.org)
- Rated 92% by National Rifle Association (votesmart.org)
- Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
- Joseph McCray. Issue Position: Immigration. 1 January 2012. "The requirement to obey all laws is not optional for new citizens and should not be optional for visitors [¦] The Statue of Liberty reminds us that we are all equal, regardless of ethnicity, origin, or even state of wretchedness, and that America will continue to be a land of opportunity. However, we need to develop a comprehensive Immigration program that is fair to all individuals concerns." (votesmart.org)
- "America is a nation of immigrants, but we can and should also be a nation of laws. All immigrants should respect American law and traditions. The requirement to obey all laws is not optional for new citizens and should not be optional for visitors. While we encourage and insist on the primacy of American values for those who join our workforce. Also, we should remember the full spectrum of values ourselves. The Statue of Liberty reminds us that we are all equal, regardless of ethnicity, origin, or even state of wretchedness, and that America will continue to be a land of opportunity. However, we need to develop a comprehensive Immigration program that is fair to all individuals concerns." (votesmart.org)
- Joseph McCray. Issue Position: Marriage. 1 January 2012. "I'm a Strong supporter of Proposition 8 that was passed by the people of California [¦] Through the family, religious congregations, other forms of association as well as education, individuals learn the virtues necessary to sustain ordered liberty. Americans have seen these foundations of freedom eroded by several forces. Family has declined and marriage has weakened under pressure from policy and cultural changes." (votesmart.org)
- "I'm a Strong supporter of Proposition 8 that was passed by the people of California. The Founders' conception of a free society and limited government rested on the strength of institutions that precede our constitutional order, particularly the family and religion. Through the family, religious congregations, other forms of association as well as education, individuals learn the virtues necessary to sustain ordered liberty. Americans have seen these foundations of freedom eroded by several forces. Family has declined and marriage has weakened under pressure from policy and cultural changes. The role of religious freedom in maintaining liberty and the contribution of faithful individuals and congregations to common good are no longer adequately appreciated. Public education, intended to prepare future citizens for freedom, has become shackled by government bureaucracy and union power." (votesmart.org)
- Joseph McCray. Issue Position: National Security. 1 January 2012. "I want to go to the Congress to effectively defeat terrorist organizations that threaten our country and way of life. Gathering foreign intelligence on foreign individuals overseas those who wish to do us harm is vital to our national security. I will be a strong supporter of the Protect America Act, which would modernize the nation's Foreign Intelligence Surveillance capabilities and bringing it into the 21st century." (votesmart.org)
- "As a California Conservative Candidate, I want to go to the Congress to effectively defeat terrorist organizations that threaten our country and way of life. Gathering foreign intelligence on foreign individuals overseas those who wish to do us harm is vital to our national security. I will be a strong supporter of the Protect America Act, which would modernize the nation's Foreign Intelligence Surveillance capabilitie and bringing it into the 21st century. Together, we can win." (votesmart.org)
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.
| No | Do you support United States' combat operations in Afghanistan? | ||
| Yes | Do you support a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan? | ||
Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing the federal budget.In order to balance the budget,
| Yes | do you support reducing defense spending? | ||
| No | do you support an income tax increase on any tax bracket? | ||
| No | do you support reducing Medicaid spending? | ||
| No | do you support reducing Medicare spending? | ||
| Yes | Is balancing the budget a legislative priority? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the regulation of indirect campaign contributions from corporations and unions? | ||
| Yes | Do you support federal spending as a means of promoting economic growth? | ||
| Yes | Do you support providing tax incentives to businesses for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | Do you support spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the temporary extension of unemployment benefits? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the 2010 temporary extension of tax relief? | ||
| Yes | Do you support requiring states to implement education reforms in order to be eligible for competitive federal grants? | ||
| No | Do you believe that human activity is contributing to climate change? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions? | ||
| Yes | Do you support repealing the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| No | Should individuals be required to purchase health insurance, as mandated in the 2010 Affordable Care Act? | ||
| Yes | Do you support requiring illegal immigrants to return to their country of origin before they are eligible for citizenship? | ||
| Yes | Do you support allowing illegal immigrants, who were brought to the United States as minors, to pursue citizenship without returning to their country of origin? | ||
| Yes | Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration law by state and local police? | ||
| Yes | Do you support targeting suspected terrorists outside of official theaters of conflict? | ||
| Yes | Should the U.S use military force in order to prevent Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon? | ||
| Yes | Do you support allowing individuals to divert a portion of their Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts? | ||
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.
| Maintain Status | a) Agriculture | ||
| Slightly Decrease | b) Arts | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Defense | ||
| Greatly Increase | d) Education | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Environment | ||
| Maintain Status | f) Homeland Security | ||
| Greatly Decrease | g) International aid | ||
| Maintain Status | h) Medical Research | ||
| Maintain Status | i) Scientific Research | ||
| Slightly Increase | j) Space exploration | ||
| Eliminate | k) United Nations | ||
| Maintain Status | l) Welfare | ||
| Maintain Status | a) Capital gains taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | b) Corporate taxes | ||
| Slightly Increase | c) Excise taxes (alcohol) | ||
| Slightly Increase | d) Excise taxes (cigarettes) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | e) Excise taxes (transportation fuel) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | f) Income taxes (low-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | g) Income taxes (middle-income families) | ||
| Slightly Decrease | h) Income taxes (high-income families) | ||
| Eliminate | i) Inheritance taxes | ||
| Slightly Decrease | j) Payroll taxes | ||
| N/A "None" | |||
| 1. Fixing Social Security-Make no changes for existing participants who are 55 or over. Reform the system for younger workers. Stop using the Social Security fund to finance other programs. 2. Medicare-can be put on a stronger financial ground and protect today's seniors and future retirees from the burden of rising health cost by using moneys from overlapping Federal Agencies and cutting off foreign aid to those who are unfriendly to the United States. 3. Financial Security-we can help Americans Seniors build a financial nest egg during their retirement by enacting decreeing tax payment by 10% each year starting [...] |
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