Richard May
Democrat | Washington
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Richard May
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary & Secretary of State Special
Race
State Rep., Dist. 42 - Pos. 2
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Vocational Institute, Vancouver, Chef, 1986
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
First Reformed Church, Lynden, congregation, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association
volunteer, Habitat For Humanity, volunteer, fundraiser
Communities In Schools drop out prevention, board of directors, 10 years, Donor's Choose
contributor, Whatcom Resilience flood relief, contributor
Lighthouse Mission, hiring for their work experience program, Whatcom Libraries PAC
led the winning library system levy, Northwest Business Club, member
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
was elected in 2014 as Whatcom Charter Commissioner, 2015
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (1)
The Environment & Climate Caucus of the Washington State Democrats
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (2)
Steve Harris, county law enforcement office and labor leader
Greg Hansen, mayor Ferndale
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (29)
Adam Smith (2010)
Alicia Rule (2020)
Alliance For Gun Responsibility (2016)
Barack Obama (2008)
Bernie Sanders (2019)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (4)
David Frockt (2010)
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (2022)
Luis Moscoso (2010)
State Democratic Party Organizations (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
The US constitution determines the law on this. Force of government must have checks and balances, as our founding fathers ensured with the constitution to avoid tyranny by a police state. As a community, though, we have failed to have enough honest factual conversations about conception avoidance. Ideally there should almost never be a young woman who is pregnant but does not wish to be. Conception does not just randomly happen by accident, it takes a very specific and very avoidable action to conceive. As a community, we must come together to ensure that almost every conception occurs within a loving home with the resources and enthusiasm to nurture a child, and that those who do not wish that responsibility can avoid conception.
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Choose not to answer
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Choose not to answer
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
WA State's business and occupation tax charges based on gross receipts, not on a percentage of actual profits in the black. The B&O tax is harmful to businesses with low margin or breaking even, or having a bad year. Furthermore, the state sales tax is a bad model that results in those with the least amount of money, paying the highest percentage of the money they do have. I am in favor of reducing the state sales tax for basic necessity items.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
Waste. Redundancy. Inefficiency. System wide.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Choose not to answer
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Choose not to answer
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Has the government been closing churches? I could only see such a thing happening in accordance with the US constitution. Example, when a church is violating the constitutional rights of others. There should be a separation of church and state, and the right to the free exercise to the extent it does not infringe on the rights of others.
HEALTHCARE
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. The other 30 richest nations pay half as much per person and cover everyone. Routine care is so much more simple and prevention based because there is no money making incentive for people to get sicker, and much more incentive to keep people well... unlike a for-profit system. But some Americans believe that those who did well and have more money should have better health care, medicine, and treatment than those who are poor. So America is probably best suited to a two tiered system, a public pooled funding system for the poor people, and a much better one for those who did well financially.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
No citizen should be required to have a vaccination. That said, if there is a life threatening contagious disease, then no citizen has a right to be in any place within infecting distance of any other citizen, because no citizen should infringe on the constitutional rights of others to not have their life or health harmed by someone else. Schools have been requiring a big list of vaccinations for children (polio etc.), but parents can home school and isolate their child if they don't wish their child to be protected from Measles, polio, mumps, rubella etc.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
I am not running for federal office and will not be able to impact foreign policy. I am opposed to Christian terrorism, Jewish terrorism, Islamic terrorism, and all other kinds of terrorism that involve harming people who don't even engage in any harm.
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.
Choose not to answer
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Choose not to answer
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
I am not running for a position that deals with foreign policy.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Choose not to answer
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Choose not to answer
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Choose not to answer
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Choose not to answer
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Choose not to answer
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
My mother has a masters degree in Theology. I spent my youth volunteering in churches. My children went to faith-based preschool and we participate in major faith-based holidays. I believe that many Christians, Jews, and Muslims exist who have strayed from the message of peace and acceptance that is set out in the articles of faith in scripture. I believe that good faith is not compatible with judgmental hate and exclusion and selfishness.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Choose not to answer
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Funding to verify if a voter has moved or died. Students should have a choice whether to vote at their permanent family home, or at their school location.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
The perception of racism can lead to civil disturbance. So can many other perceptions such as the ones that led to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Choose not to answer
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
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.
If this is the binary this or that choice, then we have not found the right way to do it. We must do both. We must ensure jobs and economy to do well, while also finding cleaner, smarter, less toxic ways of doing things and being better stewards to God's creation.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Choose not to answer
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
To use the economies of scale that can only happen when the whole community chips in to provide things like bridges and sidewalks and resources the whole community wants such as libraries and first responders and paved roads and sewer systems. Each citizen alone can not as effectively do all these things.
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?
Choose not to answer
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 support government that provides the services that the community needs and wants their money spent on, but otherwise does not get into their personal lives.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Choose not to answer
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Choose not to answer
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Known insane violent felons can lose their right to freedoms, in order to protect the constitutional rights of others not to be harmed.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Choose not to answer
