Crespo, Juarez split on how to raise minimum wage

State Rep. Fred Crespo and Republican challenger Ramiro Juarez support raising the minimum wage in Illinois, but have diverging views on how the increases should be structured.

Crespo is seeking his fifth term representing the Illinois House 44th District, which includes parts of Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg. The Hoffman Estates Democrat faces a rematch with Juarez, a schoolteacher in Elgin Area District U-46.

Crespo backed Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's plan to place an advisory question on the Nov. 4 ballot asking voters whether the state should raise the minimum wage from $8.25 to $10 an hour for anyone over 18.

While he says he's looking forward to the results on the nonbinding question to give lawmakers some direction, Crespo has proposed tying periodic increases to inflation. Doing so balances the interests of employer and employee, he said.

"As a business, you can plan accordingly," Crespo, 56, said.

He thinks the $10 an hour is "for starters, a good target," adding that suburban manufacturers he's talked to already pay their employees more than what the state requires.

"The purpose of the minimum wage is to give people at least a living wage," Crespo said. "Obviously, our current minimum wage does not meet that standard."

Crespo also argued that the state shouldn't wait for hikes on the federal level.

"We're getting things done, but if we wait for Washington," Crespo said, "good luck with that."

Juarez, 32, knows he's breaking with the GOP with his stance, but says he's inclined to raise the minimum wage because of low-income families in the district. But he called it "temporary relief" and said the solution for bringing people out of poverty lies with education and job training.

"It's not a Republican or Democrat issue," said Juarez, of Streamwood. "It's more of a community issue and making sure that we're trying to solve it in a logical way."

Juarez opposes pegging increases to the consumer price index.

"If we can try to manage our state in a better way, the cost of living may not be as high as it is," Juarez said.

In their first contest in the November 2012 election, Crespo defeated Juarez by a margin of nearly 28 percent.

"I didn't run the first time because I knew I was going to win," Juarez said. "I ran because I felt it was necessary to put a little bit of pressure on our elected official."

Juarez says he's made his "bipartisan message" more straightforward on the campaign trail since his first attempt at political office.

"There was a lot of things that I did last time that just don't work," he said.