advertisement

57th District candidates Nekritz, Grossi on opposite ends of pension reform, income tax

There's not much the candidates for the state House's 57th District seat agree on, from pension reform to extending the income tax increase.

Still, Bill Grossi, a Republican making his first run for public office, says 12-year incumbent Democrat Elaine Nekritz is beatable.

"Regardless of what anybody says, in the talks that I've had with people in the district, it's 'She's been here for 12 years. She's very nice. She's very empathetic. But she hasn't done anything for us,'" said Grossi, 61, a tax attorney from Mount Prospect and Wheeling Township GOP precinct captain.

Nekritz, 56, of Northbrook, elected in 2002, has established herself in leadership roles in the House, as assistant majority leader, and one of the key figures who helped craft pension reform legislation approved last year. She only ran unopposed in her 2006 election.

Financially, at least, Grossi has an uphill battle. The most recent quarterly campaign finance filings, for the period ending Sept. 30, show Nekritz with $132,813 cash on hand, compared to Grossi's $23,597. Nekritz's money was coming from a combination of lawyers, political action committees and unions, among others. Grossi is paying for much of his own campaign, as well as depending on donations from family and other individuals.

The pension reform bill passed at the end of 2013, Senate Bill 1, is now before the state Supreme Court in a test of its constitutionality. Nekritz said she believes an earlier court ruling protecting health benefits of state retirees doesn't mean the court will strike down the pension reform bill since there are different legal arguments before the court.

Though Nekritz predicts the court may not rule until next fall, she said it is premature for legislators to begin crafting a Plan B.

"I still believe in Senate Bill 1 and I still believe it will get us where we need to go," she said.

Grossi said he thinks the court's earlier decision is a signal they will throw out the bill, which he doesn't support.

"The current retirees - whether they are firemen, policemen, teachers, judges - if they are retired, we have to protect them," Grossi said. "You just can't turn that off when people have made plans and they're 65 or 70 or 75 years old. You just can't take that away from them."

Grossi proposes putting current state employees on a 401(k)-style retirement plan, while also freezing wages until the state's fiscal health improves.

Another key disagreement centers on the extension of the 2011 income tax increase. Nekritz voted for it, and favors a rate somewhere between 3.75 percent and 5 percent. It is due to drop from 5 percent to 3.75 percent on Jan. 1 unless it is extended.

"I think if we were to just let it completely roll back, we would be impacting core state services in a way that would not just be cutting fraud, waste and abuse or forcing more efficiencies," Nekritz said. "I think we would really cut into the marrow."

In an effort to raise revenue, she favors putting a sales tax on services - such as lawn service and manicures.

"We need to find a stable growing source of revenue and ... be adults about making these decisions," she said.

Grossi said he opposes taxing services, believing that the taxes would be too difficult to collect, and that both businesses and consumers "will figure out a way to avoid it." He said he thinks the income tax increase should sunset.

"It was a promise made to the citizens of this state that it would be temporary," Grossi said.

He said state spending should be cut by targeting "waste, fraud and abuse," and duplication of services.

The 57th District includes portions of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Glenview, Mount Prospect, Northbrook, Prospect Heights and Wheeling.

Elaine Nekritz: Candidate Profile

Bill Grossi: Candidate Profile

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.