Question
Gun control: Do you support further gun control legislation (if so, what?)? Do you support or oppose the federal ban on assault weapons? Are there federal gun control laws you would like to see reversed?
Answer:
I am not in support of infringing on the rights afforded us under the Second Amendment.
Question
Do you support or oppose gun bans in Chicago and other cities?
Answer:
I am not in support of infringing on the rights afforded us under the Second Amendment.
Question
Abortion: Do you support Roe v. Wade? If not, do you, do you make exceptions in your opposition for cases of incest, rape and the life of the mother?
Answer:
Yes, I do support Roe v. Wade. I am pro-choice.
Question
The U.S. is running a $1.4 trillion deficit this year and has a national debt of nearly $12 trillion. What is your prescription to return to a balanced budget?
Answer:
One of the effects of the current economic crisis has been a sharp increase in our national debt. Specifically, the current recession has significantly reduced tax revenues. In order to reduce the debt, we must grow tax revenues by creating jobs, making it easier for small and medium businesses to obtain credit through SBA lending, and to support the growth of green technology. Additionally, I support targeting tax reductions for businesses in order to grow their payrolls. With regard to the federal tax cuts that are due to expire in 2010, I call for Congress to carefully review the federal budget in order to determine whether these tax cuts are feasible or not.
Question
Congress is debating reform of the U.S. health care system. What specific steps should the U.S. take to improve health care access and delivery? Do you support a government-sponsored health insurance plan? How can the U.S. curb the growth in health care spending?
Answer:
I support the historic healthcare legislation that recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. As the U.S. Senate debates its own version of healthcare reform, I would encourage Senators to support the creation of a strong public option. We can no longer allow insurance companies to fleece Americans by increasing premiums at rates that are unaffordable for working families or by denying coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. As a businessman, I know that a strong public option would create competition and lower healthcare costs.
Question
What changes in revenue and benefits do you support to keep Medicare and Social Security solvent?
Answer:
For far too long, our elected leaders in Washington have put off dealing with the issue of keeping Medicare and Social Security solvent. Clearly, there are no easy solutions; however, I promise my constituents in the State of Illinois that I am fully committed to several key principles that will guide my search for a solution. First, I will never vote to privatize either program and could never vote for a reduction in current benefits. Second, I will vote against any options that include reducing benefits. As your United States Senator, I will not allow for a break in the social promise we have made to the American worker and our seniors.
Question
What are your views on the U.S. military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq? Should the U.S. change the focus of its antiterrorism campaign?
Answer:
For years, Americans watched our lack of a coherent foreign policy for both of these conflicts. This failure in leadership is one of the many reasons why Americans voted for change in 2008. As President Obama completes the first year of his presidency, I trust that he, his foreign policy team, and our country’s military commanders have been working diligently to bring peaceful conclusions to these operations and creating a plan to bring our troops home. There are no easy solutions at this point.
Question
Should the Guantanamo Bay detention facility be closed? If so, where should the detainees be transferred? Should the inmates be tried by military commissions or civilian courts?
Answer:
I want the voters of Illinois to know that I fully support the President’s decision to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. For far too long, this facility has been a recruiting tool for terrorists and an embarrassment. In our country, we are governed by the rule of law. At this point, I support Attorney General Holder’s decision to use both military commission and civilian courts as it relates to each case. Moreover, I believe we can safely hold the detainees in our country’s super-max prisons. In fact, there are several in the State of Illinois that are not only under-utilized, but also could be used for these purposes and bring thousands of new jobs to the state.
Question
Some provisions of the Patriot Act will expire at the end of this year, including ones allowing roving wiretaps and subpoenas of medical, business and library records without informing the person being investigated. Should these provisions be renewed, and if so, should Congress put tighter restrictions on their use?
Answer:
The Patriot Act was written in a time of crisis that followed the most horrific terrorists attacks ever committed on American soil. As your Senator, it would be my responsibility to review the law carefully to ensure that we are not infringing on the rights of law abiding Americans. That said I also recognize that in many ways, war today is different that it was in the past. Today, terrorism knows no country. Therefore, in reviewing the Patriot Act, I would make certain that we do not take any tools away that our military or law enforcement would need in order to keep us safe.
Question
What specific changes would you make to financial oversight of banks and financial institutions in the U.S. so that no single large entity could pose a systemic risk to the economy? Would you like to see more or less power given to the Federal Reserve Board? Would you favor a new federal regulator to oversee financial products sold to consumers?
Answer:
There are several key lessons that the country has had to learn from going through the current economic crisis. As the next United States Senator from Illinois, I am going to make sure that legislation is passed to ensure that the country never again has to experience an economic crisis of this magnitude. One of the solutions I propose is to make sure that financial institutions are not “too big to fail.” We need not only identify these institutions and de-leverage their balance sheets, but also break them up into separate and smaller companies. I would also support the creation of one large regulator for the oversight of banks and bank holding companies. I would also support the creation of a new regulator for oversight of financial products not sold under a bank.
Question
During the depths of the economic crisis, the U.S. government inserted itself in the private sector to a degree not seen since the 1930s. Does the level of government involvement in the private sector concern you? If so, how would you extricate the government? Do you believe the government should regulate executive pay in the private sector?
Answer:
I firmly believe that the level of government involvement in our capitalist system last year and in 2009 was necessary to stop the erosion of the U.S. economy. We should take steps to ensure that the U.S. government gets back any money loaned to those companies deemed “too big to fail” and once the money is received, allow for the federal government to extricate itself from that company. With regard to executive pay and compensation, I believe shareholders should be given more power to determine private sector executive pay.
Question
Should a vacancy in the U.S. Senate be filled through appointment by the governor or through direct election by voters?
Answer:
I believe the Governor should be allowed to appoint an interim representative to sit in the United States Senate should a vacancy occur. It is imperative that both Senate seats are filled in order to ensure that Illinois is fully represented in the Senate. With that being said, I would also like to see an election for a successor take place within 90 or 120 days to ensure the voters of Illinois have a voice in who represents them in the Senate.
Question
The Obama administration has committed $4.35 billion for education reform through its Race to the Top program. It is not clear yet if Illinois will qualify for this money. Please give us your views on how to improve public education in the U.S. and in this state. Do you support performance pay for teachers? Charter schools?
Answer:
As an educator and administrator, I am a strong supporter of America’s public schools. At the same time, I also support charter schools and performance pay for teachers. I believe the President and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are on the right path with creating the “Race to the Top Program” and with encouraging America’s public schools to reform themselves and seek “out of the box” solutions to improve student achievement. I would encourage the Illinois State Board of Education and the state legislature to work on making our State competitive for "Race to the Top" dollars.
Qualifications and goals for this office:
Education:
Indiana University Northwest, Gary, Indiana
Bachelor of Science Degree - Labor Studies Department
Keller Graduate School of Management, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois
Masters Degree of Business Administration (MBA)
Human Resources Concentration
Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
Master of Science in Psychology (M.S.)
This political race for me is not a career move and I am not running for fame or fortune. I am running to take common sense values to Washington representing the people of Illinois.
I believe the people of Illinois deserve a choice.
We have had enough division and it is now time to turn our attention to solving the enormous problems facing our state and nation.
I come from a single family home with a mother and grandmother who were the foundation for my values that include education, personal responsibility and perseverance.
I was educated in the public school systems and with the help of student loans, I made it through college and graduate school. I have been a business owner for most of my adult life.
As an entrepreneur
- I know what it is like to start from scratch;
- I know what it is like to fail and;
- I know what it is like to succeed in business and;
- I know what it is like to have to meet payroll and to feel over taxed.
- In addition, I have felt buried in the red tape of the very programs that are supposed to be designed to help small business.
Small businesses are the foundation of our economy and should be the focus of any economic recovery. It is definitely the focus of my campaign.
Over the past year, we have had a bailout to help banks, a bailout to help GM, and a stimulus package which has had mixed results. This is partly because not all the funds have left Washington, D.C. All of these decisions were made at a critical point when our economy was at the brink of collapse. It is now time to turn our attention to the poverty rate in Illinois, rebuilding the middle class, the number of uninsured and under insured in our state, and tax policies that affect small and large businesses. Moreover, we must address the capital needs of business as the banking system is failing to address them for many reasons.
I fully understand that this endeavor will require equal parts determination, sacrifice, and public support. I do not come to the decision to run lightly. As I stated before, I know what is like to start from scratch.
I also know the value of education, the value of mentors, the value of small business and I know the value of the people who love and support you. It is with this knowledge that I plan to hit the ground running, listening to communities throughout the state and educating myself on the issues that affect the State of Illinois and its people.
