Richard Weiss, Green Party, Candidate for Attorney General
What are your positions on economic policy and job creation (ex: inflation reduction, taxes, regulations, etc.)?
The switch to renewable energy will create jobs and lower energy costs for Pennsylvanians. Ending fossil fuels is necessary to combat climate change and will improve health by lowering rates of cancer and respiratory and other diseases. Fossil fuel subsidies need to end. The world is switching to renewable energy because it is cheaper, creates more jobs, doesn't cause cancer and doesn't cause destructive climate change. We should not be behind the curve on this issue. Renewable energy will greatly improve the economy.
The current surge in inflation occurred when energy prices went up. The cost of oil/gas production didn't go up. All the price increase was due to sanctions and went to corporate profits. Set energy prices in the U.S. at pre-Russian sanctions prices and require oil companies to satisfy the U.S. market first. They'd be as profitable as before sanctions.
Taxes should be bearable, a maximum of 10% personal income tax (same for capital gains), and an income tax equivalent to 1% of sales on businesses/organizations, with no exceptions, no deductions, no non-profits, together with a land value tax (except one's own home) and a small tax on financial market transactions (one half percent on the seller and one half percent on the buyer).
There are more empty homes than there are homeless people. There is not really a housing shortage. Homes bought for investment/profit are held off the market to create a false scarcity. We could develop new laws to limit the holding of homes for profit. I am in favor of public banking and post office banking. Mortgages should be made available and affordable for ordinary working people. Expensive housing developments should at the same time be required to build affordable housing as part of their development plan. Existing neighborhoods that are being gentrified should require development of affordable housing at the same time as well, so that existing residents are not forced out. My office would work together with tenant unions and individual renters to provide resources to fight evictions and illegal rent increases. We will hold landlords accountable for uninhabitable living conditions, especially at senior centers.
I support Medicare for All with no premiums or deductibles, covering prescriptions, vision, hearing and dental. The US pays twice as much for healthcare as countries with universal healthcare, with worse outcomes. Medicare for All would cost less than our current system. Medicare for All is health insurance, not healthcare. Insurance isn't rocket science, there's no innovation, it's cut and dry. That's why insurance advertisements are non-substantive in nature. Pooling our resources to get a better deal on insurance is smart business. Cut out the middleman. Private insurance could exist in addition to public health insurance. The VA healthcare system is government run healthcare; it could be opened to all and expanded to areas underserved by private healthcare.
What is your position on immigration policy?
The issue of immigration is politicized and blown out of proportion. Four years ago, we heard incessantly about an "immigrant caravan" that was "funded by Soros." Then after the election we heard nothing about it again.
Instead of funding DHS, ICE and more border security, we should instead fund the vetting of migrants and processing of asylum requests. Immigrants make our country strong. Immigrants create jobs for the rest of Americans. Low paid prison labor incarcerated at the expense of taxpayers is what is taking jobs, and should be ended.
What is your position on abortion policy?
Because opposition to abortion is often or mainly religious, I have a religious answer.
A fetus without a brain (anencephaly) is made of human cells, has a unique DNA, and will never be a human being. Such a pregnancy should be allowed to be terminated at any point, due to threat to the health of the pregnant person. The same with ectopic pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy cannot develop to term and endangers the life of the pregnant person.
The soul enters after the body is formed: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7. The point of the fetus "coming alive" was in past times called "quickening." This is when the fetus starts to move, and occurs between roughly 17 and 21 weeks of pregnancy. An abortifacient was used in Numbers 5:15. Abortifacients have been used throughout history, including in biblical times. I believe this was allowed because it is done before the body is fully formed and not yet a human being. Benjamin Franklin included a recipe for an abortifacient in a popular reference book, The American Instructor. Such abortifacients would not be effective in late pregnancy. Jesus spoke against the death penalty (and was unjustly sentenced to death) but not the practice of abortion in early pregnancy. I support the right to a safe and prompt abortion with no questions asked, up to the end of 21 weeks of pregnancy. Although quickening can occur before 21 weeks, I would leave this up to the conscience of the pregnant person. In week 22, I would support restrictions on abortion, except in the case of threat to the life of the pregnant person and/or severe defect. Anencephaly is a clear example of such a severe defect. For clarity, I would not consider down syndrome to be a severe defect justifying an abortion after 21 weeks. I would not call an abortion after 21 weeks "murder," but rather something like "termination of a viable fetus after 21 weeks pregnancy." The penalty could be suspension or being barred from practicing abortion for a doctor. The pregnant person should receive counseling and birth control. Penalties could increase over time, becoming similar to that of homicide for termination of a healthy fetus in the ninth month.
We should not have police or the state in the room with anyone and their doctor. If an anti-abortion law were passed in Pennsylvania, I would use prosecutorial discretion to not prosecute anyone for an abortion prior to completion of 21 weeks pregnancy.
The "morning after" pill (levonorgestrel) also called Plan B, is emergency contraception and not an abortifacient. It serves to prevent pregnancy in the week to ten days that sperm remain alive and capable of impregnating post intercourse and is not capable of aborting an already implanted fertilized egg. It should be available without a prescription. The abortion pill (mifepristone/misoprostol combination) has potentially serious side effects and should be used under supervision of a doctor. However, if the pregnant person is prevented from seeing a doctor for the purpose of abortion, then they should be allowed to receive such medication by mail because there is no alternative.
What is your position on gun ownership policy?
I believe in reasonable restrictions on gun ownership and use.
Regarding the Second Amendment, I agree with the well-written dissent of Justice Stevens in the Heller case. Even Justice Scalia in the majority opinion agreed with reasonable regulation of firearms.
Whatever its flaws, the assault weapons ban, while it was in effect, did reduce the number of mass shootings.
However, I find it counterproductive to try to force anyone to give up guns they already have on their own property in their own homes.
My approach is similar to motor vehicles. In order to travel on public roads, a motor vehicle must be "street legal." In a similar way I would propose restrictions on what type of firearm may be carried off of one's own property. These restrictions could include licensing, test taking, continuing education, registration, inspection and insurance.
I grew up with guns in Pennsylvania. At the age of 12, I obtained a hunting license and went hunting with my father. We had several guns, rifles and shotguns, none of which were semiautomatic. Like race cars, I propose that semiautomatic weapons not be street legal or allowed off one's own property (except when being transported, in a locked case), with exceptions for store owners, bank security guards, and potentially others.
Although semiautomatic weapons could potentially still be sold under this regimen, I would propose to end sales of .223 or 5.56 NATO ammunition or weapons that fire them, because these are preferred by mass shooters.
What is your position on environmental policy? (ex: addressing climate change, clean water, clean air, etc.)
Article 1 Section 27 of the Constitution of Pennsylvania guarantees our citizens the right to clean air, pure water, and the preservation of our natural and historic beauty.
Renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels. The entire world is switching. We should not be behind the curve. Renewable energy is cheaper, creates more jobs, and doesn't cause cancer or climate change like fossil fuels. Renewable energy makes economic sense.
If elected, I will pursue those responsible for over half a million uncapped fracking wells in Pennsylvania and require owners of currently active wells to set aside funds for capping.
What is your position on LGBTQ rights? (ex: marriage, adoption, sports participation)
Let people be themselves.
There was no government issued marriage license for Adam and Eve. What the government does is completely separate from the church. If you do not wish to have a same sex marriage for yourself due to religious belief, then don't have one. However, that is no reason to prevent other people from marrying legally outside your religion.
I believe a Y chromosome does confer an advantage, therefore I support separate sports medal award categories based on Y chromosome status. Thus there would be medals for Men with Y chromosome, Men without Y chromosome, Women without Y chromosome and Women with Y chromosome. Post surgery trans women should be allowed in women's spaces, such as bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, shelters or prison. Separate facilities should be provided for pre-gender reassignment surgery trans women.
I believe in tuition free college for students. Anyone who is capable of doing the work and wants to study should be able to obtain a college education.
If elected, I would sue to overturn the provision of the law excluding student loans from discharge in bankruptcy.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
The United States should not be arming and funding the genocide being perpetrated by the Apartheid state of Israel in Palestine. The entire Palestine mandate area should be one state with equal rights for all. South Africa did it, so can Palestine.
I believe Pennsylvanians want:
--clean water, clean air, and to avoid cancer. If elected, I will pursue those responsible for over half a million uncapped fracking wells in Pennsylvania and require owners of currently active wells to set aside funds for capping.
--to reduce crime, lower costs to taxpayers, protect consumers, renters, workers, the uninsured, the unhoused, those discriminated against and the disabled.
--their politicians not to be corrupt by taking gifts. As PA Attorney General I will pursue public officials to refuse or return gifts they receive. I will not be partisan.
--no more genocide in Gaza. I will sue any federal government administration that continues to provide military aid in violation of the Foreign Assistance Act which requires that assistance may not be provided to any state which restricts humanitarian aid, as is currently occurring.
As Attorney General of Pennsylvania, I will appoint special prosecutors dedicated to trials regarding charges of police misconduct. Regular courts and prosecutors rely on cooperation of police to carry out their functions and thus are impeded from acting impartially with regard to matters of police conduct. These actions will restore and uphold public faith in our public servants.
We must end the practice of prison slave labor. Prison inmates work for pennies per hour for corporations, while the taxpayer pays for their incarceration. The U.S. has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Incarceration, and the costs associated with it will decrease when it is no longer profitable. Immigrant laborers make our country strong, creating more opportunity for all. No immigrants are taking jobs away from anyone, prison slave laborers are. Require payment of market rates for work of inmates.
Incarceration is for dangerous actors. There is no reason to spend taxpayers' money on incarceration of the elderly, infirm or nonviolent offenders, who can be diverted to other programs.
The New York City police budget is $10 billion. Ten billion dollars is more than the defense budget of some countries. If they cannot stop crime with $10 billion, then giving them another $10 billion isn't going to help either. We need to find and direct funds to programs that work. For instance, Denver's program of sending mental health personnel to calls to deescalate, and restorative justice programs such as have been used in Texas, which have been shown to reduce recidivism better than incarceration.
I would treat cannabis similar to alcohol, i.e. as an intoxicant that could be the basis for a DUI, but not as a scheduled drug or controlled substance. As Attorney General, I would exercise prosecutorial discretion not to pursue any charges that treat cannabis otherwise.
The Green Party accepts no corporate donations. Support the Green Party of PA by donating here gpofpa.org/donate. The Green Party works for the people not the corporations.