Sydney J. Ferreira
Republican | New Jersey
Candidate Profile
Moderate
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Sydney J. Ferreira
Party
Republican
Election Year
2023
Election
General
Race
General Assembly Dist. 31
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, Economics, 2004
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Acores Social & Sports Club, a Portuguese Association, Newark, Treasurer, St Stephen's R.C. Church
Choir Member, New Jersey Public Interest Research Groups, Internship
Students Against Political Corruption, Campaign Coordinator, NJ Hunger and Homelessness
Campaign Coordinator, NJ Water Watch, Campaign Coordinator
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Mayor, Town of Kearny, 2021
Councilman, 4th Ward, Town of Kearny, 2022
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (1)
NJ Public Health Innovation PAC
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (1)
Hillary Clinton (2016)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (0)
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
Abortion is an issue that should be left to the States, as the Supreme Court has ruled. Each State should be allowed to make laws that are reflective of the opinions of their constituents. If voters do not agree with the provisions set forth by their leaders, then they have the option to vote out their representatives and elect people who share their beliefs and values. I believe that all of us at our core are pro-life; no one is pro-abortion. No one wants to see a life cut short, even if that person has not yet entered into this world, because human life does indeed begin at conception, and a baby has every right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, as guaranteed by our Constitution. However, there are circumstances where abortion should remain safe and legal, such as the health and mental capacity of the mother (who ultimately has to care for the child), rape, incest, and other exclusions.
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?
Our tax system has evolved in such a way that it unfairly favors the super wealthy, while it squeezes the working upper and middle classes. We should work on creating a fairer tax system for everyone.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
As legislators, we are charged with being stewards of the public tax dollars. We should scrutinize every line item and ensure that every dollar is spent wisely and prudently. We should hold every department head accountable and reward department heads and employees for making sensible cuts to their budgets. I believe that every department has the ability and the obligation to run more efficiently. As a business owner, property manager and Treasurer for an organization, I do just that on a daily basis. It may be easier for me to just constantly raise rents on my tenants to cover increases in annual expenses. However, I always look to cut expenses first. That’s what we need to do in Trenton. We need leaders who will not just go ahead and increase department budgets on an annual basis because that’s the easy and expected thing to do, but we need responsible leaders who will make hard decisions and trim the fat enough to still run efficiently without affecting the services provided to the public. We have leaders now who tell us they can’t do that; they can’t make cuts without affecting public services. Well, if they can’t, then please make way for those who can, because I can and I will make sound financial decisions that will balance the budget.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Strongly Agree
I do agree with and fully support a free public education. I would gladly support FREE PUBLIC vocational, trade, and technical schools. As a landlord, I know how difficult it is to find a trusted plumber, electrician, or contractor. As the owner of an auto body shop, my brother has trouble finding qualified, experienced, and certified workers. We currently have a shortage of skilled workers in this economy. Funding trade schools would help supply more workers to meet this increased demand.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Strongly Disagree
We live in America, the land of the free. Our Constitution protects our right to worship and our freedom of speech. An owner/manager, in his/her private business, has every right not to provide a good or service to someone, just like a customer has the right and freedom to spend their dollar anywhere and anyhow they please. There is a saying: vote with your dollar. I personally do not enter into a place where I do not feel welcome, much less spend my money there.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
The government should not be allowed to arbitrarily close a church or any other place of worship. If something was found to be done illegally by a place of worship, the government should give the Church members the opportunity to make changes to prevent it from happening again, especially if the crime was committed by an individual or a small group within the organization. They should not punish the entire congregation for the actions of a few. Separation of Church and State not only protects the State from religious interference, but it also protects Churches and other places of worship from government interference.
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.
Our current system seems to be working, while it is not perfect, it's a great start. We should continue to fully fund Medicaid to provide assistance to those who need it and Medicare to support our seniors who already made their contributions to society and now need our assistance. We also have public healthcare options for those who do not have private health care or opt out of their plans; these options also come with public subsidies for those who need and qualify for them.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
No public entity (government, school, or employer) should ever be allowed to require vaccinations. If vaccinations are proven to work effectively and people deem them to be necessary, then they will willingly take them. No one should be forced to do anything which makes them uncomfortable. If the government deems the public safety to be threatened by a pandemic or other emergency, then tell us why we need to take the vaccination, basically sell us on the benefits. When the government forces We the People to do anything, it makes us very skeptical of its intentions.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
I do not believe that we should just be focusing on a single religion. There are many forms of terrorism. Government agencies, schools, employers, and other organizations have a social responsibility to monitor and report the radicalization of any one of its members. Together, we can help eradicate this threat by ending the persecution of the religious in this country and by being more inclusive and understanding of other religions and ideologies.
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
As a candidate for state government, I do not believe I would have any jurisdiction over this matter.
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
We should secure our Southern border, Northern border, airports, seaports, coastal areas, rail lines, and any other points of entry into our country. As a legislator, I would support funding greater security measures at our state's international airports, seaports, train stations, etc.
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
Anyone, who wants to work hard to provide a comfortable living for their family and contribute to improving our society, should be allowed to immigrate to the United States. However, they should be required to come here legally, as my family and many other families have done. I do believe that we do need to provide a pathway to citizenship for those who are already here, as long as they prove that they can provide for themselves and their families and have not committed any crimes or done anything to negatively impact their communities. While we should never forget where we came from (our culture and traditions), we should all see ourselves and each other as Americans first. That will help all immigrants assimilate into our society, while retaining their individual cultures and traditions, which help enrich our country and communities.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Neutral
I fully support a FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION. I also support the freedom of a parent to decide what is best for their child.
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.
I am a Roman Catholic Christian. I sing in the choir at St. Stephen's Church in Kearny. While my personal spiritual beliefs and values have and always will guide my decisions in life, they remain personal to me, as I was always taught to do. I was told to keep my personal beliefs to myself and respect the opinions and beliefs of others. My spirituality is very important to me, and I always pray privately to be guided in the right direction, especially when times get tough.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
If someone is unable to obtain a federal or state ID, then counties or municipalities should receive some type of funding to provide a free ID to anyone who wants or needs one to be used for voting and other purposes, such as banking for example. We need free, fair, and secure elections. People need to have faith in our electoral system again.
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
I would like to see us make Election Day a federal holiday in this country to encourage more working class people to contribute to the political process.
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Racism does exist in our country, but I believe it is politicized. Just as I wrote in another answer, we need to start seeing ourselves and those around us as Americans first, while keeping our individual cultures and traditions alive. Our diversity is one of the things that makes America great.
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
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.
I choose option C) Both A and B. We need to have a healthy balance of both. We should have environmental laws on the books and enforce them to protect God's beautiful creation, our home where we all live and hope to pass onto future generations, but too many laws and regulations may cost jobs and hurt the economy.
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Neutral
I do support oil and energy independence but I understand there may be environmental consequences to fracking. I will research the pros and cons and have a more concise response in the future.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Government leaders are public servants. They are elected to protect We the People form all foreign and domestic threats. Government should be there for people when needed to provide a hand-up, not a hand-out (teach someone to fish, as opposed to just providing the fish). Government leaders should not be career politicians. We should institute term limits to prevent powerful political machines that no longer answer to the people and do whatever they please. Our system was created to have checks and balances, and term limits help protect that.
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?
Lean Conservative
I am a fiscal conservative. I am also a religious person, and I believe that the family is the nucleus of any successful society.
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 will focus on taxes (levying and spending properly), crime, health care and mental well being, suicide prevention especially among veterans, programs for kids and seniors, and improving our educational system.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Neutral
Every case is different. We have a legal process to deal with these matters.
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Strongly Disagree
I support fully funding police departments, AND I support fully funding mental health and community programs. We should not be taking from one to provide for the other. We need fully funded police departments that interact with their communities. We also need to provide more funding for mental health programs to help address rising rates of suicide especially among veterans, increased drug use, and increased gun violence.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
We already have laws in place to address this issue. I fully support the 2nd Amendment. I do not support amending an original Amendment of the Constitution. The right to bear arms is a fundamental right that our Founding Fathers agreed was so important that they included it in our Constitution.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Strongly Disagree
Dealers and manufacturers should not be held liable for the decisions made by an individual to purchase and use a firearm for illegal purposes. We should hold that individual accountable for their actions, as we have always done in the past.
