The Fox Facts
As the Libertarian candidate for Illinois State Comptroller, I bring three things to the table:
1. Experience in the private sector.
I have been working in the field of Accounting in the private sector for over 20 years. I passed the CPA exam in 1995. Since 1998 I have enjoyed my position as Controller for the U.S. operations of Bell Flavors and Fragrances, Inc., a privately-owned international manufacturing company.
2. Experience in the public sector.
I have worked in the public sector as former Treasurer of the Dundee Township Library District Board from 2003 to 2005 and as a member of that board’s budget committee from 2001 to 2005.
I understand the importance of the bottom line, in both the private and the public sectors! I also understand the difficulties that exist at times when putting together a balanced budget. As a former auditor, I understand accounting controls - checks and balances -
which must be in place in order to control spending and protect an organization’s assets.
3. Not a major party career politician.
I’m not looking at this office as a rung on my climb up the political ladder. I am motivated to run for Illinois State Comptroller for the same reasons that have motivated me to be politically active as a libertarian since 1993 – I want to use my expertise and experience to help bring government back to the people, as it should be, not in the hands of power-seeking career politicians who do not represent their constituents in Springfield or Washington.
I’m an ordinary citizen like you. When I see that things need fixing, I don’t wait for someone else to do it. If we want real change, we need to make that happen.
I’m not from one of the political parties that brought you the likes of Rod Blagojevich or George Ryan. While running as a Libertarian is more difficult than running as a candidate for a major party, it’s the obvious choice for a principled candidate who truly believes in and will work for smaller government.
As a Controller by trade and a libertarian in terms of my political views, you can be sure that as Illinois State Comptroller, my top priority will always be responsible handling of our taxpayers’ dollars.
[Back to Top]
Spending
A recent survey by the Illinois Policy Institute showed that state government spending in Illinois has increased 39 percent per capita from 1998 to 2008, while at the same time the state’s population increased by less than seven percent. In 1998, state spending per resident was $3,500. In 2008 it was $4,600 (adjusted for inflation). Not only is spending up, but it’s going up faster than tax revenue can cover it. In fiscal year 2009, Illinois spent $4.3 billion more out of the general fund than it brought in from revenues.
[Back to Top]
Solutions
Our current state budget is a mess because politicians, rather than accountants, are managing our state’s finances. Unlike our typical politicians, I learned subtraction in school. We can easily cut the budget spending and balance the budget without a tax increase. Let me count the ways:
-
Consolidate the offices of Comptroller and Treasurer. 40 other states have already done this. This would reduce the budget by at least $60 million.
- Eliminate the “Member Initiative” Fund, which is nothing but blatant pork barrel spending, providing such things as statues in our state legislators’ districts.
The Governor keeps reminding us that the state doesn’t have money to help the disabled, but it apparently has enough money for war memorials, park gazebos, pedestrian bridges, and stadium lighting for Little League games.
Lawmakers authorized $3.1 billion worth of projects to be financed through a $29 billion public works bill. This included $500 million in discretionary funds channeled to individual legislators to spray around their districts.
In this package is $40 million for a west side campus for Chicago State University that the University doesn’t even consider that it needs! There is also $17 million for infrastructure improvements for Brookfield Zoo.
Eliminating this fund would save Illinois residents over $500 million.
- Abolish the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. This department is responsible mainly for disbursing funds to local businesses. This is welfare for the politically connected. Savings of up to $10 billion.
- Release all non-violent drug offenders from our prisons. Liberate our police forces to pursue real criminals – those who murder, rape, cheat, and steal. Not only would this reduce the cost in terms of prisoners, but it would also allow the state to cut back personnel in the Department of Corrections.
Redeploy Illinois, a state pilot program that does this for young offenders, can be expanded to include all adult offenders, for a savings of approximately $20 million on the cost of incarcerating these individuals.
The overall cost savings of decriminalizing drug use would exceed $250 million annually.
- Use a 401(k) retirement program for all new state employees, one that operates similarly to businesses. The current pension program guarantees payments to teachers and others despite market downturns and other changes that reduce funds available for individual retirement earnings in the private sector.
The current state pension plan pays out over $300,000 a year to some retirees, something unheard of in the private sector.
- Revamp health insurance program for state employees. State employees with over 20 years of service receive free health insurance. By stopping these payments and forcing them to pay the private sector average of 41 percent of their premium cost, the state would save an estimated $146 million.
Meanwhile, current state employees pay a smaller percentage of their health insurance premium than most private-sector workers. Bumping the figure to 15 percent for single coverage and 23 percent for families would lower the state’s cost by $67 million.
- Kill the state’s indemnity health insurance plan. These expensive types of insurance plans were phased out over the last few decades in the private sector, and replaced by HMOs and PPOs. State employees can still opt for these plans. Savings of $200 million.
- Disallow further spending by the state to cover costs of the proposed Chicago 2016 Olympic games. The State Senate recently passed a bill for $250 million to cover any losses incurred by the Chicago Olympics. The bill also contained $250 million in pork to induce downstate politicians to vote for it, putting Illinois taxpayers on the line for $500 million.
In addition to measures which can directly reduce state spending, transparency in state financial records goes a long way towards helping to reduce costs by making the public more aware of how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent. If voters know more, they will question how their tax dollars are being spent, putting the onus on politicians to spend our tax dollars more wisely.
[Back to Top]
