39 Comments - Fed up - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:26 pm: Pension reform and extending the school year Chicago and Ill have one of the shortest it puts the kids at a disadvantage,for gov. Immigration reform and national debt for senate. - OneMan - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:27 pm: For Gubernatorial candidates: Education For the Senate: Anythings besides mob banking and your a fibber. - The Mighty Swan - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:27 pm: Redistricting, TIF reform and changing to a more fair tax system. - federal up - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:27 pm: Immigration Reform is a federal issue, just an FYI - Ghost - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:28 pm: From the goobers: Building new prisons to replace our outdated ones; and a long term plan to get the state out of leased space and into state owned property (with storage and parking). From the seniles a discussion about increaseing our space program and elminating foreign aid. We need to pay our own bills first withut borrowing money to pay others. - TTL, III - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:30 pm: Equal pay for equal work. Women are still only paid 78% of what men are paid, on average. And for minority women that gap is much larger. For all of society’s advances, that’s a pretty pathetic statistic. I’d also like to see gay marriage discussed in an elevated, less-homophobic manner. You know, with economic statistics and not “God hates gays” rhetoric. - federal up - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:34 pm: Another federal note: Foreign aid makes up less than 1/10th of 1% of the Federal Budget. - Fed up - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:36 pm: Federal up. Senate canidates handle federal issues that’s why we send them to D C. - Liandro - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:37 pm: Gov: In a perfect world, specific cuts and budgets resolution plans would be nice. In the real world, I’m not sure we can hope to get that AFTER the election… Senate: Same as above, with a healthy discussion of entitlement restructuring as a centerpiece. I’m not even thirty, yet I’ve paid well into 5 digits of my earned money into programs that run out of funds well before I will be drawing from them. That’s not including the massive national debt, and its billions of debt payments per year. Why are you passing that debt off onto me and my generation for your grand plans? Frankly, I find it immoral. - matt - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:37 pm: Its not gonna happen, and most if not all the candidates views on the subject are clear, marijuana legalization. Its an issue that has far reaching implications like the economy, deficit, law enforcement, and medicine. Its also something that public opinion is getting closer and closer to parity each year as people realize the history and failure of marijuana criminalization. - A.B. - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:39 pm: Senate - Foreign relations…that’s still a mess and international trade; amazing concept, the two are linked! Gov - Pension reform, cuz we know that’s one big key to digging out of this hole. - Liandro - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:42 pm: @federal up: We’re not trying to cut 100% of the budget, so what’s your point? That we start nowhere? If someone throws out some pointless stat about the insignificance of any given cut, we can’t start anywhere. The idea is that cumulative cuts add up to a balanced budget. If you are $300 over your monthly budget, you don’t refuse to cut basic cable just because it is only $20/month. That’s just silly. You cut basic cable, then find other cuts to add up to your needed $300. So unless you are dropping suggestions for massive, earth-changing cuts… - Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:42 pm: For the Guvs … listing budget priorites, “money (what littls of it there is) where your mouth is!” For Senate … How do you see the role of Seantor … Illinois first, or national interests first? - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:49 pm: For Senate: How would you handle your role of recommending appointments to the Federal bench and for U.S. Attorneys? - Jake from Elwood - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:55 pm: Statewide: public pension reform US: social security reform - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:55 pm: Comprehensive ethics reform and enforcement. Yeah, I know. Silly me. - Plutocrat03 - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 1:58 pm: Governor : Learn to control spending. End the sweetheart deals available to many of the State worker unions, and politicians. Now. not for the next generation. Scuttle special interest legislation. Bring back the sunshine laws where programs simply expire after a period of time if their expenses are not justified by the benefits. Senator : Stop spending money the Treasury does not have. Stop the meddling with the economy. If Washington leaves things alone, the recovery will start again. Kill the TARP, and reclaim the stimulus that did not get spent and take it off the deficit list. Demand accountability from those who get grants ($2 Million per job in LA is a scandal), fix Obamacare before it sinks the recovery and further damages the health care delivery system. (I’m seeing insurance increases in the 20-25% rang for new renewals - higher than the last few years), Streamline the social engineering sections of the banking reform and heal care bills. Quit inventing new rights that were never contemplated by the framers. Stop the all apology all the time attitude of the State Department and the White House. Be proud of your standards and welcome all who share our values. Recognize that not all people are like Americans, and some times we will simply have to disagree. - anon - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 2:04 pm: The Dream Act. Durbin is now on C-SPAN explaining why it should be passed. It did not pass. As an American, I say thank you for not passing this bill. - dupage dan - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 2:08 pm: As a state employee, and citizen, I believe that fair pension reform is in the interests of all the folk in this state, including the employees of the state. The ballooning price tag for this is similar to the looming “insolvency” of Social Security. So, that issue can go to the gov and senator alike. Immigration reform for the senate also looms large. This country thrives on active immigration and, if done properly and legally, fosters assimilation and good citizenship. - Rich Miller - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 2:08 pm: ===As an American=== Aren’t we all here? - Responsa - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 2:14 pm: More “civilish” honest, and respectful discussion of the historic, legitimate, philosophical differences between the 2 major parties as to how they view government’s role under the constitution. How those philosophical differences influence the approach to specific policy issues, budgets, and legislation. And, discussion of what those differences might mean for the United States and the state of Illinois both long term, as well as shorter term. Yeah, I know. LOL - lake county democrat - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 2:15 pm: Pension reform, as many have noted. School district consolidation, changes to medicare, gerrymandering. - SAP - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 2:38 pm: Pensions need to be funded, not reformed. As many of you will recall pensions were reformed last spring. You also know that pensions cannot be “reformed” for retirees and current employees without amending the State Constitution, and even that probably wouldn’t suffice. While there have been some overgenerous pension sweeteners in years past, the bulk of pension underfunding results from raiding the pension funds to support government spending and pretending like the State wasn’t spending more than it was taking in over the last 3.2 decades. I’d like to see Guv candidates talk about how they’ll bring spending into line with revenue generation. - Vole - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 2:39 pm: Oil, coal, energy, global climate “disruption”, sustainability, natural resources, population — these are still the “biggies” that we keep ignoring at our future peril. We are about to experience the biggest bottleneck of history and we are totally unprepared. - Anonymous - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 2:45 pm: Absolutely none. The economic collapse of the state is the only issue that matters, since without effective budget management no other policies can be funded. - Cheryl44 - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 2:54 pm: I agree with SAP. Pensions are not the problem in most cases. It’s the pension *funding* that’s gotten us in trouble. - cassandra - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 3:00 pm: What are you going to accomplish in your first 90 days in the job. I think we know with Quinn (more of the same), but he should get a chance to answer. And Brady needs to understand that if he gets the job, he really is expected to do something, not simply do what Madigan tells him to do. Madigan will try though. Will Brady be his own person. Who knows. Senators are so useless, I don’t care what Alexi or Kirk does. Either would have no seniority. The winner won’t do anything. but pick out new office furniture and business cards. What a lazy gig. But I’d like to hear what they say anyway. - Ahoy - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 3:05 pm: For both of them: The budget and how specifically it will be addressed. I don’t want talking points or broad statements, I want plans of action. - VanillaMan - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 3:21 pm: Government reform and term limits. The corruption in this state is as famous as our skyscrapers. - Conservative Veteran - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 3:25 pm: I hope that all of the governor candidates will talk about immigration and whether Illinois should pass a law that would be similar to Arizona’s new law. They should also talk about election reforms, including term limits, for all elected officials, and the ability to recall all elected officials. - WRMNpolitics - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 3:37 pm: Closing of special interest tax provisions at both the federal and state level. These inequities have allowed the tax burden to be largely shifted to those with average W-2 type income. In Illinois an individual with $100,000 in earned income pays $3,000 in tax while and individual with $100,000 in retirement income pays $0. This is but one example of special interest tax legislation that are rife in both the federal and state tax system. - SouthernIL - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 3:41 pm: Hey Matt….good subject matter ~ legalization of marijuana. Think of the taxes we could implement on that product! Then, Ghost, we wouldn’t need to build new prisons!! What a concept! - LevivotedforJudy - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 3:42 pm: Gubernatorial = role of state in youth murder rate/crisis in Chicago. U.S. Senate = Immigration Both = Position on transfers to Thomson Correctional Center - Wensicia - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 4:19 pm: This probably is not possible, but I would take access to pension and school funds away from the politicians. Reduce and consolidate school districts, government departments. Get rid of townships, why are we taxed for the same services twice, locally? - The Enforcer - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 4:49 pm: Alexi: Being only 35 years old, what personal and professional accomplishments do you think make you the best choice to serve in the U.S. Senate? What specific programs would you look to cut from the budget and what changes to the tax code would you support? On immigration, do you support the construction of the border fence and making undocumented immigrants pay a fee to be eligible for citizenship? Mark Kirk: Having served during the Bush Administration, what specific policy positions did you take to prevent the the financial collapse? What steps would you take to prevent any future economic downturn? What specific programs would you target to cut from the budget? Do you favor repeal of Bush’s tax cut for those making over $250k? Bill Brady: Do you realize how *&%ing lucky you are to be running against Governor Jello? How will cutting 10% from the DOC and State Police make Illinois safer? What is the required time frame before one can be considered a “career politician?” Twenty years isn’t long enough. Gov Quinn: Why bother? - NW - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 5:04 pm: Preparing Illinois for the global economy with a smarter education-led economic development blueprint … - Amalia - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 5:23 pm: Senate: defense department authorizations, tactics in the middle east, the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, wind and solar power. Gov. race: the death penalty. today Cook County prosecutors asked for the death penalty in the case of two men charged with killing 7 people in an arson in Cicero. do you believe that the death penalty is a just form of punishment? and now that the system in Illinois has been changed, under what circumstances would you sign a warrant to carry out a death sentence in Illinois? - wordslinger - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 7:19 pm: Senate: Afghanistan, the costs of empire and trade. The never-ending war should be at the top of the list, as should how much we want to keep spending under our current obligations. Trade, because why should we keep being a chump in the market for some ephemeral notion called “free trade.” Governor: One piece of paper, proposed expenditures and revenues all lined up. It’s the only job right now. - anonymouse - Tuesday, Sep 21, 10 @ 8:28 pm: why we are in Afghanistan and what will we get accomplished by being there. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.