Old Drum Network
An Alternative News Source for Warrensburg and Johnson County Missouri

Candidate Interview Questions, November 5, 2002 General Election

121st Legislative District
Planned for Free Press interviews to be published later in the year
- as of 8/14/02

Gun & Crime issues

  1. Under what circumstances would you vote in favor of concealed carry legislation? What restrictions would you include?
  2. Under what circumstances would you vote in favor of firearm registration? Specifics?
  3. Should the state restrict private ownership of any firearms not restricted by federal law? Specifics?
  4. Should “armed criminal action” laws be more stringent for those who use a firearm in a crime, as opposed to other weapons? Reasons?
  5. Do you favor the death penalty? Even if it costs more to execute a prisoner than to imprison him for life? What sort of restrictions/controls should be used to prevent execution of innocent people?
Tax issues
  1. What type of funding should be used to support highway improvement? Why?
  2. Should the Hancock Amendment be repealed, strengthened or remain as it is? Why?
  3. Should the state place more controls on Tax Increment Financing? Reasons?
  4. Why is the state in a financial crunch and what do you think should be done about it?
  5. Would you support replacing income-based taxation with consumption-based taxation? Reasons?
School Issues
  1. Under what circumstances would you vote in favor of reducing the supermajority requirement for school bond issues? Reasons? (follow-up if favor: Do you think it’s fair for the 10-20% of the people who actually vote for an increase to bind the remainer of the population for 10-20 years?)
  2. Would you support allowing schools to be funded by other than property taxes? What types of taxes? Reasons?
  3. How would you balance the desire of school boards to removing the standard School opening date (allowing schools to open whenever the desired) versus the opposition by the tourism industry?
  4. Do you believe that a “school voucher” system should be allowed? Reasons?
  5. Do you believe that term limits should be applied to school boards?
War on Terrorism
  1. To what extent should civil liberties be restricted in order to fight the war on terrorism?
  2. Should the government have the right to investigate a suspect’s computer without a warrant?
  3. Under what circumstances would you vote in favor of a computerized ID card? Explain.
Other Liberties issues
  1. Should state or local government should have the right to take property by eminent domain and provide that property to a developer? Reasons?
  2. Which of the competing views on abortion is closer to your position: “A woman should have the absolute right to choose what to do with her body” versus “Abortion is murder”? Under what circumstances (if any) should abortion be restricted? When should abortions be paid for with tax money?
  3. Do you believe the War on Drugs is a success or a failure? If a failure, what should the state do? What measures would you support in relation to recreational drug use? Medical use of currently outlawed drugs (such as medical marijuana)?
  4. Under what circumstances would you vote in favor of requiring all counties to be zoned? Have building codes? Who within a county should vote on such issues?
Government Issues
  1. Do you believe term limits are a good idea?
  2. Should state pensions be provided for service in term-limited offices?
  3. What is a legislator’s responsibility to his constituents?
  4. Is it the proper role for state government to take money from one part of the state and provide it to another part through grants?
  5. What should be the government’s role in supporting the Arts?
  6. Would you vote in favor of ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment?
  7. Would you vote in favor of ratifying a constitutional amendment to prohibit flag burning?
  8. Would you vote in favor of a constitutional amendment to prohibit abortion?
Environmental Issues
  1. Should the state have stricter emissions controls than federal requirements?
  2. Should the state further regulate septic requirements in rural developments? How?
  3. Should the state seek to regulate non-point source pollution (often agricultural based)? How?
  4. Should additional controls be placed on mega-farms? What?
Economic Issues
  1. What should be the state’s role in promoting industrial development?
  2. What should be the state’s role in promoting commercial development?
  3. What should be the state’s role in promoting non-highway transportation (airports, rail, mass transit, rail-to-trail conversions)?
  4. What should be government’s role in financing health care and prescription drugs?

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