Christopher Schmidt, Libertarian for Congress

American Jewish Congress
Candidate Questionnaire

1. Do you support the reinstatement of verbal school prayer?
No.
2. Did you support Proposition 187 in the November 1994 election (limiting services to undocumented immigrants)?
No, but I objected to the use of imprisonment to enforce the law and to the attempt to draft local government employees into the service of the state and federal governments. Limiting the availability of most government services to citizens does not seem unreasonable to me.
3. Do you support the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade?
Yes, but I support the outcome only and not the reasoning of the Court. I view abortion as the prerogative of the individual and her doctor, not that of the federal government to overrule state government.
4. Do you support the pending California Civil Rights Initiative (dismantling affirmative action programs)?
Yes, but I support the CCRI because it ends state-sponsored race and sex discrimination. The CCRI does not affect affirmative action programs that are consistent with the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act (eg. recruitment of minorities without granting preferences). California has too many discriminatory programs that are "affirmative action" programs in name only.
5. Do you support the repeal of the assault weapons ban, now pending in Congress?
Yes.
6. Did you support Proposition 198 in the March 1996 election (open primary, allowing for cross-party voting)?
No, I did not support Prop. 198 (a blanket primary, mislabeled by the state legislative analyst as an 'open primary'.)
7. Do you support vouchers which would allow public funding of private schools?
Only at the state and local level. The federal government lacks constitutional authority in this area. I seek federal office.
8. Do you support the public financing of political campaigns?
No.
9. Do you support restrictions on continued housing development in California?
No, but I do support market-based environmental reforms that cause considerations such as fresh water availability and smog impact to play a proportionate role in development decisions.
10. Do you support increased prison construction?
No. I support ending the War on Drugs, which will save billions of dollars and empty enough jail cells to permit all violent criminals to serve their full terms.
11. Do you support efforts to overturn the Community Right to Know Act of 1986 (requiring businesses to disclose their emissions)?
I'm not sufficiently familiar with this Act to express an opinion.
12. What do you think is the most critical issue facing California?
The same as the rest of the planet‹CO2 emissions far exceed the ability of natural mechanisms to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.