ISSUES

  • Govenment Accountability +

    Illinois has one of the worst reputations of government corruption in the country. Our inability to do anything about it is due to our failure to see any problem or solution beyond partisan politics. THIS CORRUPTION IS NOT PARTY SPECIFIC. For too long we have ignored and accepted the flawed character of those we've elected. By lowering the standards for them we have lowered the standards for ourselves. We the people need to stop settling, it's not too late. Together, we have the power to eliminate corruption. This issue is the primary purpose of my campaign.

    Most of our elected official's behavior reminds me of the children's fable "Jack and the Beanstalk." We send them to Springfield to deliver our message but some where along the way; our message is lost through persuasion by special interest groups and lobbyists. In the end, all we have are "magic beans" but unfortunately for the people, those beans don't lead to prosperity the way they did for Jack and his family. We need to put aside "Party Prejudice" and vote for the candidate who will maintain honest and open communication with the people and put the people's well being above their own.

    Another solution to corruption is term limits for our legislators. Thomas Jefferson wrote "Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, rottenness begins in his conduct." Term limits can prove as positive legislation to deter unethical behavior. It is evident that long term politicians control the power. Term limits can eliminate corruption, greed, and arrogance of those who put their own interests above that of the people they represent.

    Finally, I feel that all elected officials should be accountable for his or her actions as our representative. When they fail to vote the will of the people, we the people should have the right to remove that legislator or remove the authority of which they were elected. With your help, I will create venues to give the people of our district an opportunity to express their viewpoints through scheduled town hall meetings, telephone and internet communications. Honest and open discussion on the issues that face our state, listening to your responses, and passionately presenting our point of view to Springfield.

  • Taxes and Government Spending +

    Illinois has the 3rd worst budget crisis in the country and has been operating at a deficit every year since 2001. Illinois is facing an 11.7 BILLION DOLLAR budget gap for the next fiscal year.

    Our current elected officials feel the solution for deficit spending is too collect more taxes. Unlike the popular opinion amongst our legislators, I strongly oppose raising taxes. Actually, my long term goal as your legislator is to reduce the tax burden for the people of Illinois.

    I believe that we need to constantly audit governmental departments, programs and expenditures. Each one should be evaluated independently as its own cost/profit center. In other words, do the program and its merit justify the cost? How about all the politically driven spending that doesn't fall under the responsibility of the state?

    As legislators, we need find productive and inventive ways to balance the budget. Simply put, Illinois needs to spend within its means. This means tightening the budget and eliminating government waste. We need to better prioritize infrastructure spending and remove our exposure to project overruns. We need to reject no bid contracts. We also have to analyze entitlement programs and eliminate abuse. The taxpayer can no longer be held responsible for the reckless spending of Illinois government.

  • Veterans +

    I believe that we should extend every effort to our men and women who put their lives on the line to ensure our freedom. As a son and nephew of World War II veterans and grandson of a veteran of World War I, I grew up with the understanding of sacrifices men and women have made for this country. As your State Representative, I will push for top quality care and make sure benefits due to the veterans are clear of bureaucratic hurdles and red tape.

  • Jobs and the Economy +

    People in our community are feeling the burden of our current economic downturn. Unemployment rates continue to climb as higher taxes, and increased government regulation has resulted in many employers reducing their current workforce.

    Legislators have failed to answer the needs of businesses; especially small business's which create 7 out of 10 new jobs in our country. This has become especially evident to the changing business model as it applies to labor. Today, jobs are leaving the state in search of lower overall operating costs. Instead of incentivizing these businesses and stimulating growth, we answer our growing deficit with proposed tax increases. Taxing our way out of this problem is not the answer. We need to use legislation to encourage businesses to come to Illinois as well as stay in Illinois. In order to achieve long-term sustained growth you need to have an economy that incentivizes risk-taking, savings and entrepreneurship.

    As a small business owner I understand the cost burden businesses are facing in today's economic environment, especially the ever increasing labor costs. Most new jobs come from companies which have been in business less than 5 years. But with lower revenues and higher labor costs these new companies face more challenges than already established companies. Illinois needs to provide new entrepreneurs with the tools needed to successfully take their small business concepts and turn them into reality also provide existing small business owners with important financial and budgeting guidance to assist in long-term growth.

    Illinois has the advantage of location, location, location when it comes to distribution. We need to capitalize on Illinois' assets and provide incentives to stimulate long term growth. We must open our mind to new ideas and visualize our situation as a global competitor to create the best environment for employers.