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Rod Drobinski: Candidate Profile

62nd District Representative (Republican)

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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: WaucondaWebsite: www.DrobinskiForRep.comOffice sought: 62nd District Representative Age: 38Family: Lisa Drobinski, wife Caitlin Drobinski, daughter (6) Roddy Drobinski, son (2) Erick Drobinski, brotherOccupation: ProsecutorEducation: Carmel Catholic High School, Mundelein, IL (1994) University of Notre Dame, cum laude BA in International Relations and Government, minor in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (1998) Georgetown University Law Center, juris doctor (2001)Civic involvement: Wauconda Police Commissioner, 2012-2014 Fremont Library Board Trustee, 2013-present Tutor, Midtown Educational Foundation, Waukegan, IL Coach, Carmel Catholic High School Speech and Debate Team (2006-present) Member, Grayslake Exchange Club Member, Lake County Bar Association Past member, Jefferson Inns of CourtElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers How will you work to make the General Assembly function more productively and effectively? Wlll you vote to retain your party's current legislative leader? In what specific ways do you support changing how government in Springfield works?I will focus on fiscal issues to foster economic development, cutting taxes and creating jobs. To that end, I will work with anybody in Springfield who wants to achieve the same goals. Unfortunately,change will be extremely difficult in Illinois as long as Mike Madigan is in charge. He's been speaker for almost 30 years, and my opponent has voted to keep it that way. Republicans, by contrast, have recently elected Jim Durkin their new leader, who I would support. More fundamentally, I will push for term limits and redistricting reform to make the process independent and nonpartisan.If the Supreme Court, strikes down the SB 1 pension reform, what is your Plan B and why do you think it would be both legal and effective?Regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, SB1 does not actually address the significant debt that Illinois has, nor solve the pension crisis Illinois faces. Politicians in Springfield sold the "temporary" tax hike as a way to pay down our debt, but they have proven themselves incapable of constraining spending. They've tried tax hikes, and they've failed. We must now focus on stopping spending increases. Government should follow the lead of the private sector and shift away from defined benefit pension programs, like the ones that have bankrupted GM and Detroit, toward employee-owned retirement programs, like 401k's.As it stands now, the 2011 income tax increase will expire as planned on Jan. 1. Do you think that expiration should be reconsidered? Would you support making the increase permanent or extending it for some period of time? Please be specific about what level of tax increase, if any, you would support.No. We in Illinois are taxed too much as it is, between property taxes, income taxes, sales taxes and fees. Since the 2011 tax increase was enacted, Illinois has taken in an additional $33 billion, and yet, little progress was made toward paying down our debt and balancing our budget. The time has come to re-evaluate our spending, line by line, starting with our exploding entitlement programs and corrupt grant programs. Jobs and businesses are fleeing Illinois, depleting our tax base. We must enact pro-growth policies that will make Illinois an attractive place for businesses to start, remain and expand.Do you support cuts in state spending? If so, what specifically do you suggest cutting and how will those cuts be sufficient to restore the state's financial health and economic climate?As taxpayers, we are told to work hard, play by the rules and live within our means. Lawmakers in Springfield have failed to do the same, even though tax revenue has increased 25% since 2007. We must hold government accountable by cutting wasteful grant programs and insider leasehold deals; tighten restrictions on Medicaid and welfare so only truly needy people receive benefits; and eliminate overlapping programs that only pay for bureaucracy. If we commit to stopping any growth of the budget, we can let new revenue growth pay off debts and pension obligations until they are paid in full.What changes, if any, do you believe the state should make in the area of education? Would you support the the so-called pension cost-shift to local schools?We, as parents, should have more control and more choices when it comes to the education of our kids. Our state's funding of education relies too heavily on a grant system that puts too much power in the hands of politicians. Our schools, teachers and children should also be held to higher, not lower, standards. We are already paying too much in property taxes, so I would not support the cost-shift. It would be unfair to lay the burden of the pension crisis that politicians in Springfield created onto the taxpayers who are struggling in this economy.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Besides working to bring tax relief to the taxpayers of my district and to bring more jobs back to Illinois, I would fight for greater accountability in government. Corruption in Illinois government is out of control and has made our state a national punchline. We need term limits on the career politicians that have run our state into the ground. I would also push for an independent audit of all state spending.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Marco Rubio. As the son of immigrants who fled a totalitarian government, I admire all that he has accomplished and the way he's done it.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Be respectful of everyone you come across and be honest, no matter the consequences.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have spent more time with my father, who died unexpectedly of a heart attack while I was away at school.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Economics. It stresses the value of common sense and teaches to look for consequences of decisions beyond the immediate effect that might otherwise be overlooked.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I would give my daughter and son the same advice my parents gave me: always be respectful and honest, in everything that you do.