Josh Rales - Progressive Maryland

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survey title:
Progressive Maryland 2006 Federal Questionnaire
current report: Progressive Maryland 2006 Federal Questionnaire 6
Displaying 12 of 19 respondents
Response Type: Normal Response Collector: Web Link (Web Link)
Custom Value: empty IP Address: 69.251.249.127
Response Started: Mon, 3/20/06 12:49:22 PM
Response Modified: Sat, 5/26/07 3:34:59 AM
1. Candidate Last Name:
Rales
2. Candidate First Name:
Josh
3. Office Seeking:
United States Senate
4. District (If Applicable)
No Response
5. Campaign Address:
Committee Name: - Rales for Senate
Street Address: - 7300 Pearl Street, Suite 10
City: - Bethesda
State: - MD
Zip: - 20814
6. Candidate Contact Information:
Home Phone: - Not Available
Business Phone: - (301) 986-1639
Cell Phone: - Not Available
Fax: - (301) 951-1277
Email: - jrales@aol.com
7. Treasurer Name & Address:
Treasurer Name: - Harry Harrison
Street Address: - 700 King Blvd., Suite 300
City: - Rockville
State: - MD
Zip: - 20850
Phone: - (301) 986-1639
8. Does your campaign accept PAC contributions
No
9. Restrictions on PAC contributions:
I will not be accepting PAC contributions.
10. Previous Elected/Appointed Office:
No Response
11. Term of Previous Office:
No Response
12. Have you ever received the Progressive Maryland endorsement
No
13. When
No Response
14. Have you ever assisted Progressive Maryland in achieving its goals
No
15. Please Explain:
I have not yet had an opportunity to work with Progressive Maryland. However, I support the goals of the organization and look forward to working with you in the c oming months and continuing to talk about what we must do to protect Maryland's working men
and women.
16. Major Endorsements (Organizations):
No Response
17. Major Endorsements (Elected Officials & Opinion Leaders):
No Response
18. If elected, would you support an increase in the minimum wage to $7.15 per hour in 2006 dollars
Yes

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19. Comments:
No Response
20. If elected, would you support funding important infrastructure projects that generate good jobs such as transportation systems, school modernization, airports and water systems
Yes
21. Comments:
No Response
22. If elected would you oppose legislation to implement bilateral, regional, or unilateral free trade agreements that do not require enforcement of internationally r ecognized workers’ rights and environmental standards
Yes
23. Comments:
Yes, provided that legislation doesn't conflict with WTO rules.
24. If elected would you oppose any proposed legislation that would either weaken or repeal the Davis Bacon Act and the Service Contract Act
Yes
25. Comments:
No Response
26. If elected would you oppose any effort to exclude more workers from the protection of the 40 hour workweek or to deny more workers the absolute right to overtime pay
Yes
27. Comments
No Response
28. If elected, would you support legislation to provide for wage replacement during periods of Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave
Yes
29. Comments:
However, I want to qualify my answer and let you know that I would support measures that enable our workers to take the time they need to start a family, or care f or sick or elderly relatives. However, wage replacement is an issue that continues to present
challenges to the states, and I believe that further study is required to determine the full economic impact.
30. If elected, would you support measures to encourage the creation and expansion of defined benefit plans
Yes
31. Comments:
No Response
32. If elected would you support measures to protect the retirement savings of workers who participate in 401(k)s by broadening their diversification rights, ensuring their access to independent investment advice and mandating equal worker
representation on 401(k) boards
No
33. Comments:
I believe in taking measures to help provide our workers with a secure retirement, and would support measures that broaden 401(k) diversification rights and access to independent investment advice. I would publicly encourage companies to give workers input in
the retirement investment process through representation on 401(k) boards.
34. Do you oppose measure to replace any part of Social Security’s guaranteed benefits with individual investment accounts
Yes
35. Comments:
No Response
36. Do you oppose efforts to increase the retirement age or to penalize workers who retire before Social Security’s full benefit age (which is already increasing to 6 7 under current law)
Yes
37. Comments:
We have a responsibility to provide our seniors with a more secure retirement, and I am open to all options, with the exception of privatization, to make sure this happens. I would be open to increasing or removing the cap on income subject to payroll taxes as a
way of bringing more money into the system and eliminating the need to reduce benefits.
38. Do you oppose measures that would reduce the guaranteed defined benefits under current law
Yes
39. Comments:
First and foremost I am committed to ensuring the long-term stability of our Social Security system, and I will make every effort to do this in a way that doesn't reduce defined benefits.
40. Do you support a government-guaranteed universal health care initiative for our country
No
41. Comments:
I support an employer-mandated plan that will help broaden the pool of the insured, thereby reducing costs and eliminating the need to expose the government to add itional liabilities.
42. Do you support efforts to control rising health care costs, including pharmaceutical costs, in order to make coverage more affordable for workers and retirees
Yes
43. Comments:

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No Response
44. In light of the complex nature of the Part D benefit, would you support legislation that would protect beneficiaries from the harsh penalties associated with dela ying or making a bad choice, including delaying imposition of the late
enrollment penalty, allowing beneficiaries to change plans within the first year, and preserving retiree health benefits for retirees to retune to in the first year i f they were unaware of the full consequences of leaving their employer’s plan
Yes
45. Comments
No Response
46. Do you support efforts to rein in rising drug prices starting with requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to use the bargaining power of 40 million beneficiaries to get better drug prices.
Yes
47. Comments:
No Response
48. Do you support efforts to close the "donut" in Medicare Part D where participants currently pay the full cost of prescription drugs
Yes
49. Comments
I would support these efforts as long as we have a way to pay for them, and they don't increase the deficit.
50. Do you oppose all private school voucher proposals and other schemes intended to divert taxpayer dollars from public to private schools
Yes
51. Comments:
No Response
52. Do you support legislation that would help states and local school districts reduce their class size and finance school repair, construction and modernization pro jects at local prevailing wages
Yes
53. Comments
Reducing class size is only part of what we need to do to solve the problems facing our education system. We also need to increase teacher pay, attract and retain the best and brightest into the teaching profession, and create a better work environment for the
people who educate our children.
54. Do you support funding for the following mass transit projects:
Inner Purple Line
Baltimore Transit Plan
Corridor Cities Transitway
55. Comments:
No Response
56. Will you support measures that will commit funding to the operating cost of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) based on the number of fede ral workers who ride mass transit; such dedicated funding will not be an
excuse for modifying the labor protection features of the WMATA compact nor will such funding be restricted as the sole source of government support.
No
57. Comments:
If elected, I will aggressively work to secure funding for a transportation system that is critical to the livelihood of thousands of Maryland's workers. As Senato r, I will work to bring together groups with a vested interest in ensuring the continued success of a
functioning system, and making sure that all labor standards are upheld.
58. Portions of the Voting Rights Act signed in 1965 are due to expire in 2007. The law is designed to prevent voting barriers to voting such as: intimidation, voter harassment, the poll tax, English only voting instructions, literacy tests, racial
gerrymandering and other tools of disenfranchisement. The Act further guarantees that no federal, state or local government shall in any way impede or discourage peop le from registering to vote or voting because of their race or color. Do you
support reauthorization and restoration of the Voting Rights Act
Yes
59. Comments:
No Response
60. If elected will you endorse and strongly support the No Taxation Without Representation Act; and support full voting rights for residents in the District of Colum bia
No
61. Comments:
I would support giving the District of Columbia one voting representative in the Congress.
62. Would you oppose any attempt to amend the U.S. Constitution for the purpose of defining marriage including opposing the so-called “Marriage Protection Act” and “F ederal Marriage Amendment”
Yes
63. Comments:
No Response
64. The war in Iraq has cost thirty four Maryland soliders their lives through January 31, 2006 and the cost to Maryland's economy is estimated at $5 billion through November 2005. How would you characterize your position on Iraq
It's time to get out and hand Iraq over to Iraqi citizens.
Let's set a date to complete our business.
65. Comments:
No Response
66. In order to build progressive grassroots organization, would you be willing to help by:

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Speaking at Progressive Maryland events
Urging employers to respect their employees right to form a union by remaining neutral during a union organizing campaign and urge employers to recognize a union v oluntarily when the majority of their employees choose to form one
Lending your name to a membership drive urging citizens to join the National Organization for Women (NOW), the NAACP and other progressive organizations
Other (please specify) - I would be happy to be part of a host committe for Progressive Maryland events.
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