Julie Cosimo: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: OswegoWebsite: www.electjuliecosimo.netOffice sought: 50th District Representative Age: 47Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Director of Career Development and Lecturer, Benedictine UniversityEducation: Doctorate of Higher Education and Organizational Change from Benedictine University, Ed.D.Master of Education from Loyola University, M.Ed.Bachelor of Arts from University of Illinois at Chicago B.A.Civic involvement: First Vice President of the Kendall County Republican WomenPresident of the Illinois Small College Placement Association (22 private colleges)Board member for the Kendall County Historical SocietyElected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoQuestions Answers Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is that?Why: My main objective is to move Springfield in a better direction by reducing spending, spurring job growth, holding down taxes, improving education. There are elected officials in Springfield that want to make a difference. I will find them, join them and work with them to create a TEAM to provide a better solution for the good of Illinois. We will do this by becoming a vocal minority that gets the attention of the media, voters, and eventually the legislators in Springfield.What: Our taxes are too high which is killing our job market.How: Lower taxes by creating more tax payers through jobâ#128;brvbar;jobâ#128;brvbar;jobâ#128;brvbar;creation. Think about it, more employed people will help reduce everyone's tax burden.What differentiates you most from your opponents in the race?I have never received a dollar from the taxpayers and have lots of experience in job creation and molding qualified employees attractive to employers.I have worked 17 years at a non-profit university in workforce readiness, creating jobs.If I was fortunate enough to be elected, I will resign from my current position at Benedictine University. I will be working full time to represent the citizens of the 50th district.Would you vote to make Illinois' temporary income tax hike permanent before it expires in January 2015? If not, how will you replace the billions of dollars the tax hike brought in, or what cuts would you make?I WILL NOT VOTE to make temporary income tax permanent.We have a spending problem in Springfield, not a tax problem.We cannot give Springfield more tax dollars until they learn what fiscal responsibility is all about.Cost reduction and containment. Trim the fat by looking at how efficiently we're spending this money. Fix the pension, look at the whole loaf not just one slice of bread or kicking the can down the roadEvaluate eligibility for Medicaid in order to eliminate Medicaid fraudEvaluate interest paid to vendors for late paymentsEnd corporate welfareEnd wasteful earmarksPlease outline your views on public pensions in Illinois.Retired workers in the public sector should be given what they were promised, but we need to ensure that in moving forward public pensions can be sustained. Additionally, our legislatures should be held to the same standards as their constituents and have retirement plans that reflect parity with those they serve. End Legislative pensions for part-time legislatures. Make Springfield comply with the ERISA Act passed in the 1970s which requires corporations to have an annual pension fund audit by a qualified actuary, funding the plan per the actuary's recommendation, and submitting to criminal penalties for violating the provision of ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act).What changes would you make to the state's new concealed carry law, if any? Would you change the number of exempted places where people cannot carry? In what way? Would you change the training requirements? In what way? Do you support restricting assault weapons? High-capacity magazines?- What changes would you make to the state's new concealed carry law, if any?The guidelines for training have not been fully established by the IL State Police yet, I would want to make a decision when all the requirements are released. At the very least, Illinois residents with concealed carry permits in other states should be "grandfathered" and granted an Illinois permit without further bureaucratic procedures. The US Supreme Court has spoken, upholding our founding fathers statement in the Constitution that all individuals have a "right to bear arms." Would you change the number of exempted places where people cannot carry? In what way?It is ludicrous to declare a "gun free zone" with the hope that criminals or deranged persons would comply. All that does is allow innocent people to get killed. Would you change the training requirements? In what way? Training requirements have not been set yet by the IL State Police.Do you support restricting assault weapons? High-capacity magazines?NO to both. What is considered an assault rifle? What is considered a High- capacity magazine? The classification on both assault weapons and High-capacity magazines is too vague. Many hunting rifles and shotguns can be classified as "assault" by modern, liberal definitions. Guns do not cause the problem. There are other contributing factors and we need to focus on the root causes, not mechanisms. To do so would require banning automobiles because of many traffic deaths. There is no logic to the anti-gun crowds' demands for fewer guns. We need fewer criminals.Which of the following do you support: New casinos, slot machines at horse racing tracks, gambling on the Internet? Would you approve legislation that includes all of the above in order to compromise and get the parts that you want?I will not be supporting any legislation on gaming.On what issues would you would break with your party, or have you broken with your party, and why?I agree with the current party platform, this is why I am running as a Republican. If the platform changes, I would have to revisit the Republican platformWhat is your position on limiting how much money party leaders can give candidates during a general election?Party leaders should be held to the same standards as individual donors. Why is it okay for a political party leader to 'bless' their candidates with large donations? Special clauses that allow for unlimited leadership support continue a culture of corruption and prevent candidates and elected officials from making the decisions that best represent their district and instead they represent the views of the leadership.If elected, do you plan to vote for the current leader of your caucus? Why or why not?The last thing I have thought about is the leadership of the Caucus. However, I will be paying close attention to this if I get elected into office. My first concern is creating jobs and cutting spending. You can be sure that I won't just vote for whomever my Party tells me to vote for. I am independently minded and only persons of the highest integrity and qualifications will receive my votes.What is your view of the tax breaks granted to companies like Motorola Mobility, Navistar and Sears, and should state tax breaks be given to companies moving from one Illinois municipality to another?Illinois has spent too much time in providing disincentives to creating jobs and has forced countless companies out of this state. Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce studies show that these jobs don't usually go overseas, but rather to neighboring states who have a better business economic environment. Economic incentives to attract and retain business should be used properly to create high paying new jobs. This strategy has been used and implemented by other states successfully. However, we must avoid Springfield's tendency to use economic incentives as a political tool to pick winners and losers in this process. We should use this strategy solely to create good paying jobs.Do you favor changing how Illinois sets new legislative district maps every 10 years? If so how?Absolutely YES!Current mapping only represents the need of the current political party in power and not the constituents.Small Counties like Kendall will be represented by 4 state senators and 4 house members.Kendall County is only an 18 x 18 mile area. How much more can they split this community?Kane County has 6 state senators and 9 house members. How much more can they split this community?STOP splitting our communities. I would support an independent, qualified, bi-partisan panel to remap legislative districts, not the gerrymandering that goes on now by both parties.Finally, is there anything we haven't asked about that you feel we should know?I will to go to Springfield to work full time on my job for my constituents, not to feather my own nest which is too often the case with political candidates! I am ready and willing to serve as a full-time representative in the 50th district.I bring much experience, knowledge, and energy to this position that other candidates do not either have or bring to bear.I will resign from all other jobs and become a full time solutions provider for the 50th district.I support Term limits