WHY I AM RUNNING
I am running to help the working families of the 14th district by improving the function of Cook County government, while maintaining strong fiscal oversight always keeping in mind the sometimes onerous tax burden a resident must endure.
Cook County has seen too much lack of imagination in different methods of providing government services. Much of the functioning of Cook County government seems to be based on the phrase “we have always done it that way”. Business as usual, particularly in government operations, is no longer acceptable and new vigorous leadership is needed to change the mindset and operation of Cook County government.
While serving on the Glenview District 34 school board and during my 11 years on the Glenview village board, I have seen the importance of new ideas and creative thinking in government operations. During my time in government I have led this reform in the delivery of government services by instituting municipal partnering and maximizing the use of consulting services to reduce employee headcount. I will bring these new ideas to the Cook County Board as 14th district commissioner.
POLICY PROPOSALS
- Additional consolidation and partnering of government services through new and creative intergovernmental agreements
- Reducing expenditures on the Cook County criminal justice system by ending the policy of using incarceration to treat substance abuse
- Eliminate unincorporated areas in the county by annexation to local principalities to eliminate costly county services
- Continue to consolidate and economize the Cook County health care system through reorganized delivery systems and improved contract management
- Provide strong support to our local businesses to keep them in Cook County while maintaining our commitment to a livable wage and paid sick leave
- Address the significant continuing health problems caused by smoking through the institution of a countywide ban on the sale of tobacco products to those under 21 years of age
- Continue to support common sense gun-control measures including enforcement of rules and regulations against “straw men” gun purchasers, licensing gun dealers and maintaining vigorous defense of the county assault weapons ban