Criteria for National-Office Candidates
Prepared by Luis Zapata and Emily Koechlin, Final Draft d

  1.  Healthcare

1A.  Do you support a universal, single-payer healthcare solution?  (This is not negated by subsequent support for Obama's compromise.) 

  2.  International Policies

2A.  Do you oppose war as a solution to political problems, including opposing the invasion of Iraq and the escalation of the war in Afghanistan? 

2B.  Regarding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, do you support a "just peace" that includes supporting full equal rights and self-determination for both Palestinian and Jewish Israelis -- this to include opposing the occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza? 

2C.  Do you support U.S. policies that provide assistance to countries that afford adequate protection for Human and Labor Rights; and do you support the denial of assistance for those that do not -- including, specifically, ending NAFTA and CAFTA agreements to countries where human/labor rights are violated? 

2D.  Do you support legislation that will help end the practice of international human trafficking and slavery, and support policies that will curtail U.S. aid to countries that do not work to eradicate the practice of female circumcision? 

  3.  Environment

3A.  Do you support renewable and alternative energy solutions and energy conservation, including mandating more efficient vehicles, increased funding for mass transit; and support legislation that reduces acceptable corporate carbon emissions?

3B.  Do you oppose off-shore drilling and drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

  4.  Taxation

4A.  Do you support graduated taxation solutions, eliminating tax breaks for wealthier individuals, making corporations pay their fair share, and taxing capital gains at the same rate as earned income? 

4B.  Do you support the elimination of tax breaks for corporations incorporated in countries with low tax rates, and for U.S. corporations that send jobs overseas?

  5.  Courts and Imprisonment

5A.  Do you support the repeal of the Federal death penalty?

5B.  Do you support equitable sentencing for crack and powdered cocaine, and for treating all addictions as medical problems instead of criminal issues? 

  6.  Immigrant Rights

6A.  Do you support immigration legislation that creates a path to full citizenship for undocumented residents? 

6B.  Do you support the right of undocumented residents and their children to have equal access to all publicly funded systems as do other residents , including schooling at all levels? 

  7.  Women's Rights

7A.  Do you support enacting laws that require equal pay for equal work irrespective of gender?

7B.  Do you support women's access to government-funded abortion without restrictions on those rights; and do you support allowing insurance coverage by private insurance and Medicaid for each individual's choice of birth-control solutions? 

  8.  LGBT Rights

8A.  Do you support the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and if elected, will you work toward its passage? 

  9.  Labor Rights

9A.  Do you have a history of advocating for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act? 

  10.  Education 

10A.  Do you have a history of support for a constitutional amendment making Equal Education a fundamental right? 

10B.  Do you support the NCLB (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) as it currently stands, and if not what changes do you advocate? 

10C.  Do you have a history of opposition to legislation that would provide tax funds and/or credits for private school education (including vouchers)?

  11.  Elections 

11A.  Do you support campaign finance reform and laws that curtail corporate influence on elections?

11B.  Do you support campaign finance reform and laws that enable publicly funded campaigns? 

11C.  Do you support the rights of ex-felons to have their full voting rights restored?