Adam Andrzejewski...Republican party candidate for Governor

The only true choice for Illinois Gov.


Responses to a Chicago Tribune questionnaire.....
and just for the record, The Tribune endorsed Andy McKenna


Q.Previous Political Experience
A.My first experiences was assisting in my Father's 1976 and 1978 campaigns against then State Representative George Ryan at the ages of 7 and 9. My dad, a teacher at that time, was ultimately unsuccessful in those efforts, but I learned at a young age that people need to step up and do what they can to make Illinois a better place, regardless of "political experience." Following founding a successful business, I founded and funded For the Good of Illinois (www.forthegoodofillinois.org), which spearheaded transparency in government. From November of 2007 until February of 2009, I identified and worked with volunteers to ask their local units of government to post their checkbooks. This movement brought scrutiny to public spending and gave the taxpayer respect. The result the posting of over $1 billion in checks detailing the spending of taxpayer money. This includes the vendor spending and salaries in the $140 million operating budget of College of DuPage. In January of 2009, I was a resource for Bob Grogan, Auditor of DuPage County, who made DuPage County the first of 102 in Illinois to post their spending. I was also a resource for Cook County Board Commissioner Tony Peraica, who spearheaded the vote to have Cook County post its checkbook(s). I can confidently state that I have brought meaningful reform to Illinois even before holding elective office. Imagine what I will do as governor.

Q.Education
A.B.A. from Northern Illinois University

Q.Illinois is struggling to balance its budget this year and may face a $12 billion deficit in 2010-11. Please answer the following questions:

Do you support an income tax increase? At what rates would you set the income tax for individuals and for corporations?
A.I do not support an income tax increase. Any increase in the Illinois income tax would remove one of the last vestiges of competitive advantage Illinois has over other states. This made even more clear when one understands that a) Illinois has 2 business taxes, and b) that the business income tax is tied to the individual income tax rate. Increasing the income tax will create more incentives for high earners to leave Illinois, and the 5/8th individual to business tax ratio will allow the Democratic legislature to quickly raise the business tax rate, which will chase more businesses and jobs out of the state. Illinois income tax rate may be "relatively low" compared to states that have a tax, but there are other competitive disadvantages relative to other states. Your readers can look here to see how we compare. http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.html If anything, Illinois needs to cut spending and balance the budget so it can begin removing/lowering various taxes. I would start with the 2.5% replacement tax and double taxation of gasoline.

Q.Should Illinois create a service tax or raise other taxes? Please explain.
A.No. While broadening the sales tax base to services might be the least damaging tax (according to some experts) relative to other taxes, the fact remains that Illinois is fighting 50 other states for jobs and investment. Any tax that lowers what little competitive advantage we have would be bad for Illinois. As for "other taxes," I've heard from businesses around the state regarding the numerous fees, add-ons, and Workers Compensation costs that are "nickel and diming" businesses. These nickels and dimes add up to the loss of jobs and investments. The Illinois political class that has hiked Illinois unsustainable spending fails to understand just how many jobs are created or destroyed "at the margins." When workers comp. costs rise based upon some administrative or court decision, the business costs associated with that prevent the creation of the next job or cause the destruction of the last person hired. The sharp rise is local property taxation and state and local debt has the same job-destroying effect.

Q.What should be the top priorities for spending cuts? Can the state balance its budget without a tax increase? Please explain
A.Anything non-essential to the most basic needs of Illinois citizens should be looked at as an opportunity to cut. While it will be very politically difficult to cut spending, the actual process is not. I've led with the policy of first putting "every dime on line in real time." This means 100% budget and process transparency for every line item in the budget. This will allow Illinois citizens to see exactly where the money is going. Next, I've led with the policy of auditing all the spending (agencies and every grant) to see if it meets the goals of the program/need it is designed to meet. Everything that can be cut or consolidated should be, including agencies that are not necessary. I've called for the following specific options for where can cut spending. 1. I would zero out the DCEO 2. Illinois Health Facility Planning Board 3. Possible reduction in Municipal revenue sharing until budget improves. 4. Review and audit every grant. Any grant that can’t show definite metrics of success on its stated goal should be zeroed out or consolidated. I also support the idea of "Zero-based budgeting" put forth by others in this race.

Q.Health care for state employees and retirees costs Illinois $2 billion a year. Active employees pay less than 20 percent of premiums; retirees with fewer than 20 years of service pay less than 10 percent; those who worked more than 20 years pay nothing. Should state employees and retirees contribute more for the cost of their health care? Please explain.
A.Yes. They should pay more. I enjoy hearing Democrats use the words "shared sacrifice" when extolling the benefits of their steep tax increases. It is time that "shared sacrifice" meant cuts in benefits for the public sector employees who have had a relatively nice run up in their payroll, pensions, and benefits over the last 10-20 years. While everyone is waiting to see just how bad the Federal Government plan will be, we have an opportunity to reduce costs in Illinois while keeping the level of care the same (or better) by following the lead of Mitch Daniels in Indiana. Gov. Daniels introduced an innovative, consumer-driven health care option for state employees for plan year 2006. The initiative consists of a traditional health plan with a health savings account tied to it. The plan’s deductibles are $2,500 for individual coverage and $5,000 for a family plan. Preventive services are not subject to the deductible. Employees pay nothing toward the plan’s premium. The state deposits money into each employees account, giving them more control over their health care. I would use every power conferred upon the office of Governor to implement such a plan in Illinois.

Q.Illinois has an unfunded pension liability of $80 billion. Would you favor reducing pension benefits for new state employees and/or require higher pension contributions from current employees? Please explain.
A.First, you have to understand the problem, next you have to stop the bleeding. Then you start paying for the promises made. My pension plan does that. First, any solution would likely require changing the benefit and contribution structure for all non-vested employees. The existing system is unsustainable. Everything has to be on the table. Funding of Illinois pensions is based on three components, employee contributions, and the state contribution and growth of investments. For decades, the state has not made its required contribution to the pension system. This has resulted in the low funding levels of the various pension systems. According to the most recent analysis, the state had to fund more than 68% of the 5 major systems. This was before the current market meltdown. The main problem is that the state’s contribution is done through the appropriations process in the General Assembly. When legislators want to lavish state funds on pet projects and special interests, they cut corners on the pensions and Medicaid to make ends meet. The General Assembly has been a poor steward of the pension obligation ever since the 1970 Constitution was ratified. While the state constitution requires that pensions be paid, it does not require that pensions be funded. This loophole – most likely intentionally placed in the Constitution by design – created one of the most clever and egregious examples of “taxation without representation” yet devised by a governmental body. There is nothing preventing High-level bureaucrats lobbying for, and receiving, rich pension perks from the Legislature. The General Assembly has intentionally under-funded the pensions for decades and has thus shown that itself to be untrustworthy. Unfortunately, there is no legal recourse to cut existing vested payouts. The only solution is to restructure the pension system. My plan would include the following. 1. Pension payments should be the obligation of the employing agency directly out of their own budgets. Saddling future taxpayers with unknown liabilities is immoral. 2. The employing agency’s contribution to worker pensions shall be paid at the same time employee contribution is taken out of the checks. 3. All pension benefits will be negotiated directly with the employing agency with no ability of the state to “add” benefits across the board. 4. A legal “cause of action” will be created so any employee, union, or pension system could sue the employing agency for non-payment of pension contributions and compel payment. 5. Pension benefits and calculations can be modified for future employees as economic circumstances dictate.

Q.Should the state expand or reduce eligibility for Medicaid? Do you favor or oppose moving the state's Medicaid system to managed care?
A.The state should not expand eligibility at this time, particularly given the current structure of the system. "Managed Care" is one solution, but the best person to manage health care is the patient and their doctor, not State or Federal Bureaucracies. Along with making Illinois Health Care spending and much more transparent (outcomes, cost of procedures, application of resources), I would spearhead reforms that put the patient in control of as much of their health care dollar as possible. For more details on how I would approach this complex issue, visit http://www.adamforillinois.com/Health-Care/

Q.Former Gov. George Ryan has been imprisoned on ethics charges. Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich is scheduled to be tried in 2010 on ethics charges. Does Illinois have a culture of corruption that encourages unethical behavior?
A.Yes. Illinois has a serious "culture of corruption" problem. Much of this problem stems from a political class that views a good portion of the state budget as a slush fund to pay out pension bumps, patronage hires, and state contracts to a connected set of insiders and powerful special interests. Ending this "culture of corruption" will require 100% transparency on the part of the state (and any entity receiving state money), as well as an ethics standard far beyond what is being discussed in Springfield. I support bringing the "Jindal Standard" to Illinois. To see the size and scope of these reforms, go to the link below. http://www.bayoubuzz.com/News/Louisiana/Government/Text_of_Louisiana_Gov_Jindal_Ethics_Reform_Legislative_Call__5752.asp To illustrate my seriousness on this issue, I have posted my tax returns on my website, and asked that all the Republicans in the primary do the same. So far none have done so, with Bill Brady calling it a "gimmick." Tribune readers should know that this "gimmick" resulted in the mass resignation of Louisiana officials, including many on the board of ethics. Illinois needs this type of aggressive ethics reform.

Q.Illinois will vote in 2010 on a constitutional amendment to allow the recall of a governor by citizen initiative. Do you support this amendment? Should all public officials be subject to recall?
A.I support Recall for all elected officials in principle, but the proposed Recall Amendment is not worthy of support. Illinois citizens should know that the proposed Amendment requires that 20 house members and 10 senators, equally balanced from 'both parties,' must sign before any signatures can be circulated. This means that the Proposed Recall Amendment is useless, as party politics would prevent Recall in virtually any circumstance. This Amendment, therefore, is more window dressing from a political class used to getting away with playing games. Like everything from Springfield, it reserves all power to the Government officials and none for the people. This is why I support a far more effective and robust Reform. It's called the Put-Back Amendment, and it re-organizes the legislature through a full legislative re-write. If it gains enough signatures and passes in November 2010, it will dramatically change Springfield for the better. It term-limits all legislators, strips legislative leaders of their undue power, ends Gerrymandering, along with other reforms. Your readers can find out more at www.putbackamendment.com.

Q.Do you favor or oppose limits on campaign contributions by individuals and interest groups? Should limits apply to contributions made by political parties and by funds controlled by the leaders of the House and Senate? Please explain.
A.Limiting campaign contributions at the Federal level has done nothing to improve ethics in Washington DC. Most campaign finance laws that pass a legislature is, by design, incumbent protection for those legislators. A system of far more rapid and effective disclosure is preferable to contribution limits. Anything that limits the power of House and Senate party leaders is good policy.

Q.Should the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts be drawn by an independent, nonpolitical organization, or should that power stay with the legislature? If you support a change, explain how that should be done.
A.Again, I am the only candidate who has endorsed the Put-Back Amendment (http://www.putbackamendment.com/?page_id=3), which effectively addresses the legislative boundary issue. (see Section 3 Amendment) It reforms redistricting so that legislative maps are drawn on objective criteria instead of the current method where politicians pick their voters to ensure their reelection. The methodology prevents the legislature and political class from controlling the process, and allows for a transparent process that empowers citizens groups to submit their own maps, using the tools that are now available on the internet. Most importantly, it also empowers citizens to challenge the map directly, circumventing the power of self-interested elected officials. Every citizen should be encouraged to support this amendment.

Q.Lawmakers this year approved revisions in the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Do you believe those changes were sufficient? If not, what other changes should be made?
A.Virtually public meetings should be virtually 100% public. The abuse of the "closed session" portion of meetings needs to be dramatically curtailed. The recording of these sessions is a good first step. As with many Illinois laws that purport to improve transparency, the exceptions often eat the rule.

Q.Illinois ranked 48th out of 50 states in job growth between 1997 and 2007, according to the 2009 Alec-Laffer State Economic Competitiveness Index. What specific steps should Illinois lawmakers take to enhance job creation, expand the economic base here and stem the flow of jobs to other states? What do you see as the greatest obstacle to job creation here?
A.As I noted in the tax section, jobs are created and lost "at the margins." As governor, I will aggressively fight to lower the cost of employment for ALL Illinois businesses. This is done by lowering the cost of government across the board. This means a reduction in state spending and regulation. The greatest obstacle to job creation is the cost of doing business in Illinois. This high cost retards job creation and repels businesses from moving (or forming) here. Again, this all comes back to the Illinois Budget and the overall business climate. Any business or entrepreneur can read the headlines and see that moving here will put them on the hook for over $100 billion in debts and unpaid bills. Couple that with the high cost of owning property (business and residential), and you have the perfect incentive structure to bleed jobs and investment while keeping new jobs out. All of the schemes for paving contracts and tax credits merely redistribute jobs from one place to another. If you are taxing citizens to "create jobs" you are merely destroying more jobs than you could possibly create. If you are offering tax breaks to one company to locate here, you are merely increasing the tax burden on the existing tax base. There is no way around the political reality. The to prosperity for Illinois lies in opening up the Illinois budget to the light of day and using that openness to dramatically reduce spending, thereby lowering the cost of doing business in Illinois.

Q.Illinois is competing with other states for the Obama administration's $4.35 billion Race to the Top education reform funds. The winning states must adopt higher educational standards, track student achievement, improve the quality of teachers and principals and turn around failing schools. What specific actions would you take to achieve those results?
A.I would abolish the cap on charter schools and begin the process of moving from a system that funds bureaucracy (890+ districts) to one where funds follow the student. The more the money follows the student directly, and the more choices that student/family has, the more effective the education system. Of course, to achieve even the smallest of these reforms, one must stand up to the special interests that have used our education dollars (now over $10,000/student) as a funding mechanism for their personal gain. For more details on my specific education proposals, go to http://www.adamforillinois.com/Education/

Q.In an essay of no more than 500 words, tell us why voters should choose you for this office and your goals if elected?
A.It is my goal to take Illinois from next to last in job creation, ethics, and reputation to first in all of those categories. I believe the citizens of Illinois are ready for this. I believe they are ready for the dramatic and bold changes in policy necessary to achieve those goals. Voters should choose me because it is leadership, not "experience," that Illinois needs right now. If Illinois was in moderately good condition, the ideology of a “competent manager” might make sense. In its current condition, however, something newer and bolder is in order. I am running on well-thought out and bold ideas (Check the “Issues Tab at www.adamforillinois.com). I have led on Transparency, calling for opening and auditing the books for Illinois taxpayers. I chose transparency and aggressive reform as the foundation of my policies because I can achieve many of my goals with out having to ask the legislature for permission. Through the use the powers conferred on the Governor's office, I can re-organize, rescind, and amend portions of the legislation that is sent to me. I promise that I will use those powers to challenge the foundations of the existing Illinois power structure while showing the citizens the workings of their government. I have led on giving Illinois citizens a real property tax cap by calling for the repeal of the numerous exceptions that allow for continuous increases. I have called for abolishing the cap on charter schools so that children across Illinois have access to more dynamic, and more efficient, schools. I have called for the zeroing out of entire agencies to balance the budget, and I have proposed meaningful pension reform that ends the legislature's almost yearly raid on Illinois' pension funds. As I travel across the state, I find that citizens are ready for these bold reforms. They interested in good policy, not warmed-over platitudes. In closing, let me say that any of my Republican challengers are probably preferable to the job-killing Democrats, Pat Quinn and Dan Hynes, who are hungry to institute a steeply graduated income tax to transfer more of your wealth to their powerful spending interests. The problem with my opponents is that they can't win against the Democrats, and I can. You see, collectively, my opponents have decades of "Illinois political experience," all of which the Democrats will be able to exploit against them in the General Election. I am free of that Illinois political baggage. My background is in business, where I built a business with my brother. We went from scratch to $20 million / year in sales in 10 years by taking on a monopoly that was under-performing and overcharging - just like Springfield. With your help, we can accomplish great things for this great state and its citizens. Vote for Real Reform. Please support me (Adam Andrzejewski) on February 2nd, 2010.