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Joe Cryan's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Office:

On The Ballot: Running, Democratic for State Senate (NJ) - District 20

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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 Jersey State Legislative Election 2001 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) concerning abortion.

a) Abortions should always be illegal.
b) Abortions should always be legally available.
c) Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
X d) Abortions should be legal when pregnancy results from incest, rape or the life of the woman is endangered.
e) Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
f) Support prohibition of the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
g) Support prohibition of public funding for abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
h) Other

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories.State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels you will support. Select one level only.

Maintain Funding Status a) Education (Higher)
Maintain Funding Status b) Education (K-12)
Maintain Funding Status c) Environment
Maintain Funding Status d) Health care
Maintain Funding Status e) Law enforcement
Slightly Increase Funding f) Transportation and Highway infrastructure
Maintain Funding Status g) Welfare
h) Other
Maintain Status a) Alcohol taxes
Slightly Decrease b) Capital gains taxes
Greatly Increase c) Cigarette taxes
Maintain Status d) Corporate taxes
Maintain Status e) Gasoline taxes
Slightly Decrease f) Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
Slightly Increase g) Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
Slightly Decrease h) Inheritance taxes
Greatly Decrease i) Property taxes
Slightly Increase j) Sales taxes
Slightly Increase k) Vehicle taxes
l) Other
Yes m) Should Internet sales be taxed?
Yes n) Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
Undecided o) Would you support returning any operating surplus to New Jersey taxpayers?
No p) Do you support freezing property taxes for seniors?
X q) Other
Income level for seniors must be a factor.

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

a) Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
X b) End parole for repeat violent offenders.
c) Oppose the use of the death penalty in New Jersey.
X d) Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
e) Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
f) Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
X g) Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
h) Lower the blood-alcohol-content limit defining drunk driving.
i) Prosecute as adults, youths accused of a felony.
j) Increase penalties for crimes committed on school grounds.
k) Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
X l) Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
X m) Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
X n) Allow post-conviction DNA testing for death row inmates or lifetime inmates.
o) Other

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

X a) Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
b) Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
X c) Support charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
X d) Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
e) Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
X f) Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
g) Support posting the Ten Commandments in public schools.
X h) Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
i) Support national standards and testing of public school students.
X j) Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
X k) Increase state funds for higher education financial aid for middle-class families.
l) Increase state funds for colleges and universities to expand their campuses so that they can accommodate more students.
m) Other

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning employment.Affirmative Action: Which of the following state agencies should take race and sex into account when making employment decisions?

X a) Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
X b) Reduce state government regulations on the private sector to encourage investment and economic expansion.
X c) Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
X d) Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
e) Raise the minimum wage above the federal limit established by Congress.
f) Other
Yes a) Public college and university admissions
Undecided b) Public employment
Undecided c) State contracting
d) Other

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

X a) Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
b) Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
X c) Require a cost-benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
X d) Require states to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
X e) Support funding for recycling programs in New Jersey.
f) Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
g) Suspend participation in un-funded, federally-mandated environmental protection legislation.
h) Other
Yes i) Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law?

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning government reform.

No a) Do you support the current limit on terms for New Jersey Governors?
No b) Do you support the current limit on terms for New Jersey State Senators and Representatives?
c) Do you support limiting the following types of contributions to state legislative candidates?
Yes a) Individual
Yes b) PAC
Yes c) Corporate
Yes d) Political Parties
Yes d) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
No e) Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
Yes f) Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
No g) Do you support voting on-line?
No h) Do you support on-line voter registration?
No i) Do you support creating the office of Lieutenant Governor?
Yes j) Do you support increased public access to government records without violating the privacy of crime victims?
Undecided k) Do you support spending more state funds to provide easier and faster access to public government records?
l) Other

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

X a) Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
X b) Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
c) Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
d) Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
e) Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
X f) Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
X g) Require background checks of gun buyers at gun shows.
X h) Require a license for gun possession.
i) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning health issues.

X a) Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees.
X b) Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
c) Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
d) Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
e) Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
X f) Support patients' right to sue their HMOs.
g) Support patients' right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
h) Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
i) Use state funds to add more non-English speaking staff to hospital clinics.
j) Use state funds to set up clinics that serve both adults and children to increase the convenience to families.
k) Other

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning social issues.

X a) Provide tax incentives for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
X b) Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income, working families.
X c) Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
X d) Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
X e) Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans, and job training and placement.
f) Other
No g) Should physician assisted suicide be legally available in New Jersey?
Yes h) Should New Jersey include sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination laws?
Undecided i) Should New Jersey recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
Undecided j) Should New Jersey restrict marriage to a relationship only between a man and a woman?

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning state police reforms.

a) Require police officers that violate a motorist's civil rights to face criminal charges.
b) Require that racial profiling by police officers be considered a criminal offense carrying a prison term of three to five years.
c) Require an annual report of complaints filed against state troopers, including the outcome and any disciplinary actions.
X d) Require annual reports of racial statistics on trends in motor vehicle stops.
e) Create a 15-member Civilian Board of Review to investigate complaints and allegations of misconduct on the part of the state troopers.
f) Establish an independent prosecutor to investigate and prosecute civil rights and criminal violations on the part of state troopers.
g) Establish a yearly review of the performance of all state troopers.
X h) Create a joint Senate and Assembly State Police Oversight committee to oversee State Police policies and practices.
i) No reforms are necessary to the State Police force.
X j) Other
I am against racial profiling, but unsure of the penalties suggested here.

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning welfare.

X a) Maintain current time limits on welfare benefits.
X b) Maintain the requirement that able-bodied recipients work in order to receive benefits.
X c) Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
X d) Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
X e) Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
f) Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
g) Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
h) Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
i) Use federal welfare funds to expand state services to include the working poor.
j) Provide a six-month extension to those people who have received public assistance for 60 months.
k) Other
Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.

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