Yesterday, we took a look at State Rep. Jack Franks’ answers to Project Vote Smart’s questionnaire…from 1998 before he first won office.
Franks refused to answer this year’s questionnaire and was awarded a zero percentage of political courage for not doing so.
His opponent received a “100% political courage during this test” designation for answering the questionnaire.
O’Neill’s answers follow:
Illinois State Legislative Election 2010 Political Courage Test
Key: Abortion and Reproductive Issues |
Abortion and Reproductive Issues
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Pro-life |
a) Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life? | |
No |
b) Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy? | |
c) Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape? | ||
Yes |
d) Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered? | |
Yes |
e) Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor? | |
Yes |
f) Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor? | |
No |
g) Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods? | |
Yes |
h) Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs? | |
i) Other or expanded principles | ||
b) I oppose abortion c) The baby Is innocent |
Budget, Spending, and Tax Issues
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1) State Spending | ||
Indicate what state funding levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once. | ||
Slightly Decrease |
a) Education (higher) | |
Slightly Decrease |
b) Education (K-12) | |
Slightly Decrease |
c) Environment | |
Slightly Decrease |
d) Health care | |
Maintain Status |
e) Law enforcement | |
Maintain Status |
f) Transportation and highway infrastructure | |
Greatly Decrease |
g) Welfare | |
Eliminate |
h) Other or expanded categories | |
Any Program which caters to those who have entered this country illegally | ||
2) State Taxes | ||
Indicate what state tax levels (#1-6) you support for the following general categories. Select one level per category; you may use a number more than once. | ||
Maintain Status |
a) Alcohol taxes | |
Maintain Status |
b) Cigarette taxes | |
Slightly Decrease |
c) Corporate taxes | |
Maintain Status |
d) Gasoline taxes | |
Greatly Decrease |
e) Property taxes | |
Slightly Decrease |
f) Sales taxes | |
Slightly Decrease |
g) Income taxes (low-income families) | |
Slightly Decrease |
h) Income taxes (middle-income families) | |
Slightly Decrease |
i) Income taxes (high-income families) | |
j) Other or expanded categories | ||
3) Budget Stabilization | ||
Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Illinois’ budget. | ||
Yes |
a) Tapping into Illinois’ “rainy day” fund | |
No |
b) Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders | |
Yes |
c) Increasing tuition rates at public universities | |
Yes |
d) Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees | |
Yes |
e) Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients | |
Yes |
f) Privatizing certain government services | |
g) Other or expanded principles | ||
e) Primarily illegal immigrants
Perform a line-by-line audit to find and eliminate wasteful government spending. |
Campaign Finance and Government Reform Issues
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No |
a) Do you support eliminating the position of lieutenant governor? | |
Yes |
b) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Illinois governors? | |
Yes |
c) Do you support limits on the number of terms for Illinois state legislators? | |
Yes |
d) Do you support limits on the number of terms for the four top legislative leadership positions? | |
e) Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government? | ||
No |
1) Individual | |
No |
2) Political Action Committee | |
No |
3) Corporate | |
No |
4) Political Party | |
No |
5) Legislative Leader | |
No |
f) Should candidates for state office be encouraged to meet voluntary spending limits? | |
Yes |
g) Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information? | |
h) Other or expanded principles | ||
Limits on Campaign Contributions are similar to limits on free speech. We should steer clear of both. |
Crime and Public Safety Issues
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Yes |
a) Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes? | |
Yes |
b) Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment? | |
No |
c) Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized? | |
No |
d) Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult? | |
Yes |
e) Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges? | |
No |
f) Do you support requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets? | |
Yes |
g) Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by state and local police? | |
h) Other or expanded principles | ||
d) Some exceptions |
Economic Issues
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Yes |
a) Do you support reducing government regulations on the private sector? | |
No |
b) Should video gambling be legal in Illinois? | |
No |
c) Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers? | |
No |
d) Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits? | |
Yes |
e) Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation? | |
Yes |
f) Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation? | |
Yes |
g) Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure? | |
h) Other or expanded principles |
Education Issues
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No |
a) Do you support national education standards? | |
Yes |
b) Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams? | |
Yes |
c) Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers? | |
Yes |
d) Do you support state funding for charter schools? | |
Yes |
e) Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid? | |
No |
f) Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Illinois high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities? | |
g) Other or expanded principles |
Environment and Energy Issues
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Yes |
a) Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy? | |
Yes |
b) Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (e.g. coal, natural gas, oil)? | |
No |
c) Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops? | |
No |
d) Do you support state funding for improvements to Illinois’ energy infrastructure? | |
Yes |
e) Do you support state funding for open space preservation? | |
No |
f) Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change? | |
g) Other or expanded principles | ||
As long as there are children who go to sleep hungry, we should not provide financial incentives for bio-fuel crops. |
Gun Issues
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No |
a) Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns? | |
Yes |
b) Do you support requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows? | |
Yes |
c) Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns? | |
No |
d) Do you support requiring a license for gun possession? | |
e) Other or expanded principles | ||
Criminals regulary carry concealed, loaded weapons. I simply wish to “level the playing field.” |
Health Issues
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No |
a) Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option? | |
Yes |
b) Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform? | |
Yes |
c) Do you support interstate health insurance compacts? | |
No |
d) Should individuals be required to purchase health care insurance? | |
Yes |
e) Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits? | |
No |
f) Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Illinois? | |
No |
g) Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medicinal purposes? | |
h) Other or expanded principles |
Social Issues
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Yes |
a) Should marriage only be between one man and one woman? | |
No |
b) Should Illinois allow same-sex couples to form civil unions? | |
Yes |
c) Do you support state funding for stem cell research? | |
No |
d) Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research? | |
No |
e) Do you support the state’s use of affirmative action? | |
No |
f) Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Illinois’ anti-discrimination laws? | |
No |
g) Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Illinois’ anti-discrimination laws? | |
h) Other or expanded principles |
Legislative Priorities
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Please explain in a total of 100 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. | ||
*We are in the midst of what many have called, “The worst recession since the Great Depression.” and the Chicago political machine which has gotten us into this mess has got to go. *Over the last decade, many of the employers which have left the state have relocated to more “Employer Friendly” states within the Midwest. *We need to reduce taxes on employers and employees, eliminate the restrictive regulations preventing people from opening their own businesses, and look a the Illinois budget line-by-line in order to get rid of the wasteful government spending in our state. |
God Bless You John for answering. Agree or disagree you show fortitude and courage in your answers.
You are the kind of stud this country needs as a representative.
We, the People, are tired of, and unexcited by, those candidates who are too weak to stand on their principles.
We will never ever vote for a person who votes “present”.
This is not what we pay for and will no longer be acceptable.
I don’t vote “present” and neither should my representative.
I will pray for your coming victory and your accurate representation of your constituency in Springfield.
It will surely be better than the current gentleman who seems to be deeply conflicted over his choice of party and, sadly, seems to want to recuse himself from representing his constituency here at home.
If McHenry County passes on John O’Neill they will be making a HUGE mistake. John is head and shoulders above,the do what he’s told, Jack-a-rouse. John has fresh ideas, a true desire to better McHenry and not himself. John is a honest and sincer man. Who, on his own, is trying to bring employment to those without jobs. How can you not VOTE FOR JOHN!