Victor LaPorte: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: ElginWebsite: http://www.vic4kaneco.comOffice sought: Kane County board District 19Age: 58Family: Married 38 years to Deborah LaPorte Children: Katherine Wagener, Victor (V.J.) LaPorte, Daniel LaPorte eight grandchildrenOccupation: Retired/Disabled Elevator TechnicianEducation: 1:Associate of Science (Administration),Wm. Rainey Harper College, Palatine IL. 2:Montessori Teacher Certification,Seton Montessori School, Clarendon Hills, IL 3:Basic Law Enforcement Certification,University of Illinois Police Training InstituteCivic involvement: Kane County 9/12 Patriots Elgin Tea Party Patriots Illinois State Rifle Association. National Rifle AssociationElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 ETHICS TRANSPARENCY:Kane County has operated without a cogent ethics policy for too long.The people of Kane County deserve the security of knowing their county has the utmost ethical behavior.Kane County should post all expenditures online in the most user-friendly, easily searchable and cleanest manner possible.Key Issue 2 OUTSIDE CONSULTANT USE:Sometimes it is necessary to contract with outside "expert" consultants but I feel such resources are overused, expensive, and accomplish "homework" which generally should be done by board members.It becomes very easy to throw up your hands, when something goes wrong, and blame others.Board members should earn their pay!Key Issue 3 PRIVATIZATION OF COUNTY SERVICES:Competition leads to efficiency value.Many services could be opened to competitive bidding.Contracting gives access to expertise on an as needed basis.We must seek savings for our overburdened taxpayers and make Kane County run as lean as possible while maintaining the highest quality of serices.Questions Answers Do you support a more stringent ethics ordinance for Kane County governing the conduct of elected officials and county employees' Why or why not? If so, what should the ordinance contain?Yes.See campaign issue #1 above.The county's portion of gambling proceeds has been decreasing every year for several years. What is your plan to prioritize use of that money? What might be done to wean the agencies and programs that receive this money off of it?Gambling proceeds are not a moral way to finance government.Gambling adds costs to a community in increased crime to feed gambling addiction and takes money away from families affected by it.There are only 3 ways to create wealth.Mine it, manufacture it, or farm it.Illinois keeps diluting the gambling tax receipts by ever expanding it's outlets.Gambling is for "suckers" and only debases our culture.Do you believe the Kane County court system needs a computer system upgrade that might cost as much as $12.6 million? If so, do you support using RTA sales tax money to fund the cost, or do you have a different plan? If not, what is your alternative plan?Kane County must be equipped with up-to-date record keeping management.Competitive bidding by Information Technology Companies should be considered and compared with other county court systems to insure our system meets the needs of our judicial system and gives value to our citizens.Funding sources require further study.Do you believe county board members and the chairman should receive health insurance and pension benefits' If you are running for one of those positions, do you plan on accepting those benefits' Why or why not?Insurance, pension, and salary help to insure Kane County retains high quality personnel.The chairman and board members should earn their keep and not become "rubber stamps" for one persons agenda.As a retired person I have health insurance and would seek to offer that as a savings to the county.How do you resolve the ongoing debate over the county board setting budgets for departments run by other elected officials whom the county board has no control over? How should the county board enforce the budgets it sets'The county board sets the budgets for all departments but some operations are affected by state statute and union contract obligations.Communication and cooperation between the county board and department heads must be open, respectful, and honest.We work better if we work as a team.Kane County must become attractive to businesses as the "BEST PLACE TO DO BUSINESS".Jobs and tax revenue will follow.