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John Carona (R - Incumbent)
Occupation: Business Management
P O Box 600035
Dallas,TX 75360
214-303-5510
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Rain Levy Minns (D)
Occupation: Attorney
9250 San Fernando Way
Dallas,TX 75218
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Paul Osborn (L)
liberty@osborn.tv
www.osborn.tv
3509 Potomac Avenue
Dallas,TX 75205
214-219-0661
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Candidate Questionnaire
(click show or hide to see responses to each question, or show all answers or hide all answers) |
What are your top three priorities if elected?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
lower taxes, smaller government and a cost effective education system producing high school and college graduates ready to help Texas businesses grow |
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What experience do you have that helps you to understand business issues?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
trained economist with over 20 years of developing and successfully implementing high tech business ventures worth 100s of millions of dollars, resulting in exceptional job growth and opportunities for employees |
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In your opinion, what are the greatest challenges facing the Texas business community? What would you do, if elected, to address these challenges?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
Excessive taxation and regulation.
As a Libertarian, I believe that a smaller, efficient government best serves the state and the nation. I would seek to reduce government to a size 'necessary' to support constitutional authority and sunset or abolish unnecessary programs and agencies. Additionally, I support balancing the budgets at all levels of government within the state without increasing net taxation.
I would defend the right of individuals to form corporations, cooperatives and other types of companies based on voluntary association. I would divest government of all functions that can be provided by non-governmental organizations or private individuals. I oppose government subsidies to business, labor, or any other special interest. Lastly, industries should be governed by free markets, rather than managed through government regulations and oversight.
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Will you oppose new taxes on business during the 2009 legislative session?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
Yes, I regard taxation as a ?necessary evil? such that the vital functions of government, as specified in the state constitution, can continue independent of undue outside influence. Therefore, I advocate the reduction of taxation to the lowest feasible level, and the replacement of taxation with user fees where practicable. |
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Should the state identify and implement a competitive incentive program for Texas businesses where jobs are at risk of being lost? Or where jobs can be gained?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient manner. The only proper role of government in the economic realm is to protect property rights, adjudicate disputes, and provide a legal framework in which voluntary trade is protected. All efforts by government to redistribute wealth, or to control or manage trade, are improper in a free society. |
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Should the state create incentives for employers to purchase health insurance and long-term care insurance for its employees?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, I will support only free market based health care systems and insurance programs, which do not rely on government administration and related subsidies to business. |
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Would you oppose any legislative proposal that would increase the cost of health insurance?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
Yes, Actually - none of the above is my answer. I oppose government intervention in the health care market, including legislative action. Let a free market system for health care determine costs and let consumers decide what level of health care and insurance they want. |
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Do you support measurable evaluations and accountability standards for students, teachers and schools in our public education system?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, There is an over-reliance on standardized tests, like TAKS, in deciding administrative and professional accountability, and student achievement. |
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Do you support streamlining common school district administrative functions in order to promote a more efficient and cost effective system?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
Yes, Education, like any other service, is best provided by the free market, achieving greater quality and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Schools should be managed locally in Texas to achieve greater accountability and parental involvement. In particular, parents should have control of and responsibility for all funds expended for their children's education. Lastly, I would foster a non-partisan education funding policy that would provide the optimal and fairest use of our limited financial resources, with a focus on eliminating waste and bureaucracy at both state and local levels. |
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Do you support establishing a more pro-active system for identification of, and intervention for, K-12th grade students who are falling behind?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, I advocate leaving testing decisions and intervention up to independent schools and local school districts. |
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Should public education and technical training programs be required to provide measures on how they are preparing a 21st Century workforce?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, I would rather advocate that these educational institutions develop specialties in conjunction with local businesses, venture capitalists and communities to further focus on program requirements in agriculture, business, education, engineering, medicine and science that reflects business needs in hiring high school and college graduates with the appropriate skill-sets. |
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Should additional incentives be provided to promote alternative energy production and implementation in Texas?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, The free market, led by consumer choice and reflective of the real cost of resources, should be the foundation of our state's energy policy. |
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Should measures be taken to increase oil & gas production for onshore & offshore exploration in Texas?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
Yes, But without government subsidies to the businesses involved or other usage of taxpayer dollars. |
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Will you support policies that ensure environmental regulations which protect the environment and public health while also allowing businesses to operate effectively in Texas?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, Government intervention, whether through more regulations or more subsidies (or both), hurts Texas consumers and businesses alike in the end. I support a clean and healthy environment and sensible use of our natural resources. And protecting the environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of individual rights in resources like land, water and air. Free markets and property rights stimulate the technological innovations and behavioral changes required to protect our environment and ecosystems. |
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Do you see water resource planning to meet the needs of the state's growing population as a critical issue that needs to be addressed by state lawmakers? If yes, how do you propose these projects be funded
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, A free and competitive market allocates resources in the most efficient manner. Privatization has shown superior competence, better incentives and better access to capital than state oversight and management. |
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Do you support public/private partnerships to accelerate transportation improvements in Texas?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, I oppose public/private partnerships which equates to double taxation. I do support the right of private enterprise to construct and operate toll roads provided they are not established by government power. |
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Should all funds raised by the motor fuels tax be spent on roads and road maintenance with the only exception being constitutionally dedicated funds to education?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
Yes, However, I am opposed to diverting tax revenue from the motor fuels tax for transportation funding to education funding and would seek to amend the constitution to eliminate this transfer. |
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Do you support retaining liability reform improvements enacted in Texas over the past decade?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
Yes, |
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Do you support requiring plaintiffs who are found to have filed frivolous lawsuits be required to pay the legal costs incurred by defendants?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
Yes, |
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Should the state enact certain measures to preserve the benefits of recently enacted property tax relief legislation?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, Small business owners in Texas have found that their property tax decrease was less than new increases in other business taxes. Taxation for business, where it does exist, should be singular and uniform as in a flat tax. |
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Do you support the creation of voluntary ?Reduce, Re-use and Recycle? initiatives to develop market-based approaches to reduce solid waste rather than banning plastic bags, PET bottles and other plastic containers?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
Yes, A voluntary, market-based initiative to save the environment, along with the use of restitution as both a deterrent and a restorative is the best solution. Why support bans enforced by the state when in fact, our government, at all levels - federal, state, and local, is the single greatest polluter in this country? |
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Will you oppose any new laws that allow firearms to be taken onto private property specifically in and around the workplace?
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John Carona:
Has not yet responded. |
Rain Levy Minns:
Has not yet responded. |
Paul Osborn:
No, The best defense against crime is law-abiding citizens ready and able to defend themselves. Gun ownership is a constitutional right for U.S. citizens. |
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