The Vlahos View
Change must come to Springfield! The voices are getting louder! I want to help get back to a government that works in Illinois--one that responds to peoples' needs for jobs and well funded schools, and one that is fiscally responsible and works more collaboratively, gathering input from each representative doing his or her share to contribute to solutions that work.
Budget and Services
One of the primary responsibilities of the state legislature is to pass a balanced budget and provide funding to pay the state's bills in a responsible manner and on time. This has not been happening in Springfield and that has got to change. The businesses and citizens of Illinois are hurting because our legislators are not getting the job done. We need new voices in Springfield, and I am ready to step up.
Government in Illinois needs to be streamlined. There are 7,000 local taxing bodies, 4,000 special purpose districts. This adds to the tax burden. It's possible that services can be more efficiently delivered by combining or eliminating some units of government.
Some spending cuts may be needed, but the revenue base needs to be adjusted. The sales tax rate could be lowered if the base is expanded to include services. This would put our government funding on more sure ground by bringing the revenue sources more in line with the reality of the modern economy and would also spread the tax burden more equally between differing kinds of businesses.
Jobs and Pensions
Government must be wary of burdening small businesses that create the majority of jobs our people depend on. To encourage businesses to locate and stay in Illinois the corporate income tax rate should be lowered to match the individual rate.
Pension reform should start with the legislators themselves. Some past legislators are drawing pensions two to three times greater than what they were paid to do the job of legislating. Some loopholes need plugging and limits need to be set, including minimum ages for the tax exemption on pensions.
Reforms
Pay to Play has got to go! More is needed to send it on its way.
There is a rallying cry for term limits and recall, but the real problem is non-competitive districts drawn by a partisan process that must be changed to a more objective process as in Iowa or Ohio. Legislators must know that there is a real chance that they could loose their seats. They will be more inclined to listen to the voters, and we improve our chances of getting representatives that are there to do what's best for Illinois, not for themselves.
Replying to Voters
I’ve been asked to weigh in on the immigration issue. I support comprehensive immigration reform on the national level. This is a national issue requiring federal decisions and enforcement. I am running for state office, and, as the daughter of a local policeman, I want to emphasize my support for local law enforcement. Local police must have the trust of the people in the communities they serve. I would oppose adding enforcement of federal immigration law to the obligations of local police because it is counterproductive to their success in solving crimes at the local level. It diminishes the trust and hinders cooperation of the community. I would support a program like Secure Communities, which would automatically share the fingerprints of any convicted felon with Immigration and Custom Enforcement so that ICE officers could arrest and deport any who are unauthorized.
