Steve Wozniak
No Party Preference | California
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Steve Wozniak
Party
No Party Preference
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
U.S. Rep., Dist. 5
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Plum Senior High School, Plum, PA, High Honors, 1991
University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN, Inc., 1995
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Bel Passi Baseball, Youth Coach, Sylvan Union School District
DELAC Chairman, Savage Middle School, School Site Council Member
Safe Families for Children, Contributor, Safe Parent, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
Altar Boy, Fight Club, We Don't Talk About It
Glenview Youth Baseball, Coach/ Board Member
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (3)
John Kerry (2006)
Jon Tester (2006)
Obama for America (2008)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Agree
Only should be provided in cases of rape or incest where the victim is indigent.
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Neutral
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Only in the first trimester, and only under the assurances that the decision is not being made under duress. A recent study found about 70 percent of women seeking an abortion only sought it because they felt pressured by their family or the father. That pressure kind of flies in the face of "freedom of choice."
ECONOMY
Redistribution of income is needed to lessen the gap between the wealthy and working classes.
Agree
While some economists argue that graduated taxation is the way to achieve this, I believe this could also be accomplished with the strengthening of unions. It is no coincidence that the income gap grew exponentially as union membership decreased at nearly the same rate.
The government should cut spending in order to reduce the national debt.
Strongly Agree
Heck, I'd be happy just to see the government cut spending enough just to plateau the national debt. Please stop adding to it. After that, we can actually tackle the current debt, not so much with austerity measures as with full audits to discover the most wasteful spending.
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Business taxes should be equal across the board. Currently, it's at 21 percent, but some major corporations find enough loopholes and credits to pay no taxes or almost no taxes. Very simple formula going forward: Profit= Taxable Income. No credits, no subsidies. If a local plumber has to pay 21 percent on profits, then so should FedEx, AEP, and Dish Network, who each paid no taxes in 2020 on more than $8 billion in combined pre-tax income.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Neutral
This is a tricky two-part question. Yes, it deserves the highest level of protection, but no, I don't believe it's at risk.
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Neutral
I'm not afraid to admit that this question provides quite the philosophical and theological conundrum. If we are supposed to hate the sin but love the sinner, is there a solution in business that would satisfy both? As of yet, I haven't found one. And in that absence, I would have to put respect of one's moral code ahead of a demand for service.
What should be the relationship between the church and the state?
There should be none. This is spelled out pretty clearly in the Constitution.
HEALTHCARE
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
None. Such a requirement violates freedom of choice, and in fact violates the Nuremberg Code.
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
B, but with a whole lot of nuance. I think it would be wise for the government to facilitate health care co-ops in much the same way that some progressive states have utility co-ops. The removal of profit and added bureaucracy itself would lower costs for millions of Americans.It would also allow patients to be stakeholders, avoiding some government oversight, and giving the people more of a voice in the direction of healthcare.
NATIONAL SECURITY
With regard to America's foreign policy, which view most closely resembles yours: A) The United States should intervene whenever freedom is threatened. B) The United States should selectively help countries trying to grow democracy and fight tyranny. C) The United States has become too involved in others' policies and should remain focused on issues regarding our own sovereignty unless in imminent danger. D) The United States should stay out of foreign conflicts completely.
C. The only reason it's not D is because I believe it necessary in certain circumstance to use
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Neutral
While I stand for full equality and rights for Palestinians, I think BDS is very ineffective in attaining that goal.
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Agree
While I think the military threat is not that high, the cyber and economic threats are a very, very real concern.
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Stop invading Islamic countries for oil and overthrowing leaders of the same countries.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Agree
The infrastructure can only handle so many new arrivals at once. A surge will leave border states, particularly California, struggling to keep up with the stresses that large influxes of population can put on community resources.
State and federal funds shall be denied to any public or private entity, such as a sanctuary city, that is not in compliance with immigration laws.
Neutral
On the surface, I agree, but painting with too broad a brush could harm too many communities. There is much more nuance to this.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Any citizen of the world with no criminal background and a skill set that can contribute to the country. However, there does need to be a cap to better manage any population growth.
VALUES
Sexual orientation and gender identity should be protected classes in non-discrimination laws.
Agree
There is no reason that one's sexual orientation or gender identity should ever even be public. Gender identity can't be codified for the purpose of laws. Sexual orientation, which can be shown through same-sex marriage, absolutely should be protected.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
An institution is not a person, and cannot be racist. Are there racists within institutions? Sure. But a blanket statement about a group's feelings is in itself a bit racist.
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Everyone deserves and should be shown peace, love and happiness. That's it.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
If I need an ID to buy cough syrup or sell my old golf clubs to Play It Again, I should probably need it to determine the course of the most powerful nation on Earth.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Absolutely no proxy voting (i.e. people who don't have power of attorney voting on behalf of disabled adults). I would try to install the blockchain voting system for which the U.S.. Postal Service received a patent. This would provide ultimate security as well as real-time results
EQUALITY
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Neutral
Only if we can seize any assets that remain from slaveholders and give them only to proven descendants of slaves. Folks like me whose families immigrated from Europe around 1900 had no responsibility for that scourge and should not have to contribute for the sins of some dead white racists years earlier.
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
No. It is hyped by the media to distract the pitchfork crowd from getting mad at the real criminals -- those in the elite class who thumb their noses at the law too often.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Agree
Of course, only if it's severely regulated to insure against environmental and future damages.
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
Neither. If done right, environmental laws and regulations can create jobs and grow the economy.
ABOUT YOU
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Moderate
Socially liberal, fiscally conservative -- like many, I think.
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Did not answer
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No.
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
I am focusing on all the issues that both sides of the spectrum, and particularly the middle, can agree on, instead of spending two years squabbling on "wedge issues."
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
When they violate that policy, they can be prosecuted either criminally or civilly, under a Section 1986 federal lawsuit.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
How about we fund both? This should never be an either-or question.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Just keep them out of the hands of court-determined mentally ill and those with histories of violent abuse. That's it.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Disagree
One exception -- if manufacturer error (i.e. a faulty safety) led to the violence.
