9th Congressional candidates differ on economy, minimum wage

The Republican candidates for the 9th District congressional seat have very different ideas about how to fix the economy, giving voters two distinct choices in the March 18 primary election.

Susanne Atanus is in favor of eliminating the stock indexes and raising the minimum wage, while David Earl Williams III supports lower taxes and keeping the minimum wage where it is.

The primary winner will face longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky in November.

Atanus, 55, of Niles, said the key to the "greatest economic stimulus" would be to eliminate the stock indexes, including Standard & Poor's 500, the Dow Jones industrial average and Nasdaq.

People would still be able to buy shares in publicly traded companies, but not have to keep up with the daily ups and downs of the market, according to her plan.

"If you look at these companies' balance sheets at the end of the year, they have billions of dollars. There is no way they have a 'down' day," Atanus said. "The indexes are a faulty indicator of the true profitability of corporations and banks."

Eliminating the indexes, Atanus said, would bring daily positive returns for stockholders, which she said will alleviate debt for both people and the government.

Atanus said she has told her idea to many, including Schakowsky, but it hasn't gained ground. That hasn't discouraged her though.

"I hope to get the Nobel Peace Prize for economics for this," Atanus said. "By the end of this decade, the indexes will be gone."

Atanus has an MBA, but at present does not work outside of her campaign. She said she came up with this idea about a decade ago.

"I woke up one day and God put the idea in my head. God spoke to me," she said.

Opponent David Earl Williams said he does not agree with Atanus' ideas about the stock market but chose not to comment further.

Atanus also said she believes the stock market crash of 1929 that led to the Great Depression was manufactured, just as the current recession is.

Atanus added that she wants to eliminate township government nationwide and use the money to donate $10 billion to the families of Holocaust victims.

Williams, 30, of Chicago, said he believes the way to fix the economy is through lower taxes for everyone, including a cut in the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 12 percent.

He's also in favor of a national sales tax of 23 percent on all goods and services that would replace the income tax and all other taxes.

"It might not happen anytime soon, but there are others across the political spectrum who support it," Williams said.

Additionally, Williams said the U.S. should stop sending foreign aid to nations that are hostile toward America.

Aside from their main economic plans, the two candidates disagree about what to do with the minimum wage.

Atanus said she supports raising the minimum wage to $10 per hour for small businesses and to $15 per hour for large corporations and publicly traded companies.

"People can't live or raise their family on $8.25 an hour, no one can live on that," Atanus said.

Raising the minimum wage is typically supported by Democrats, including President Barack Obama, who is pushing to raise the national wage to $10.10 an hour, but Atanus said she doesn't see it as a partisan issue.

"I am a Republican, but I have common sense and I know that people are struggling," Atanus said. "It's not a Republican idea or a Democrat idea, it's a common sense thing."

Williams disagrees and said raising the minimum wage would hurt both employers and employees.

"It discriminates against those who have no work experience," he said. "They are never going to get jobs because employers will be pickier about who to hire. It would be totally disastrous," Williams said.

One thing both candidates agree on is that neither would have supported the bank bailout.

"We need to stop giving money to these businesses. Our tax dollars are going toward these loser corporations," Williams said.

Financially, Williams' campaign has a distinct advantage over Atanus. According to the latest FEC filing for the period ending Feb. 26, Williams had raised more than $40,000 and had $19,133.24 cash on hand. According to itemized contributions, much of his money has come from out of state, including from Texas, New Jersey, Michigan, Connecticut, Florida and California.

Atanus has not filed any paperwork with the FEC, which recognizes federal candidates only after they raise more than $5,000.

Atanus said she has received a few contributions totaling less than $1,000.

"I need votes more than I need money," she said.

Atanus found herself in the middle of a media firestorm earlier in the campaign when controversial statements she made to the Daily Herald Editorial Board about religion and gay marriage went viral online. Leaders of the state GOP asked her to withdraw from the race, but she refused.

Williams has also faced issues this campaign season as he is currently appealing an order of protection that was brought against him in December by an ex-girlfriend in Washington, D.C. Williams said the allegations against him are untrue and stem from a bad breakup.