Richard Blass: 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: ElmhurstWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: DuPage County Board District 2 Age: 47Family: Katherine C. Blass SpouseTimothy L. Blass 8 yrs. sonCashel R. Blass 7 yrs. sonOccupation: AttorneyEducation: John Marshall Law School - Juris DoctorateDominican University MBALewis University BA BusinessNorthwestern University School of Police Staff CommandChicago Police AcademyCivic involvement: Visitation School Elmhurst 1st Grade Catechist (CCD Teacher)Visitation Parish Elmhurst Eucharistic MinisterKnights of Columbus ElmhurstLincoln Elementary School Elmhurst PTALincoln Elementary School Elmhurst Lincoln Dad's ClubElected offices held: Village of Berkeley Library TrusteeVillage of Berkeley Village Board TrusteeQuestions Answers With DuPage County's budget being squeezed by state fundung cuts and other factors, what initiatives would you support to increase revenue and/or save money?I would focus my efforts on revenue streams that the County has direct control over rather than be just in defense mode. Sales Tax, which is our County's number one revenue stream is key to the future of our county. Keeping a pro-business mindset by reducing unnecessary regulations and keeping commercial property taxes low to attract more businesses.Having a balance of Commerce that reflects a strong retail base, as well as strong industrial and commercial base, will strengthen sales tax, increase job creation and keep the Quality of Life that we come to expect in DuPage.What would you like to see happen to the county fairgrounds in Wheaton? Should the DuPage County Fair be moved? Why or why not?If the prime location which is currently occupied by the fair became available, some options of repurposing would include affordable housing for seniors, the mentally ill and the developmentally disabled. I would encourage engaging professionals and public advocates in a task force to see what the highest and best use of the land with it's unique location would be. I don't necessarily believe that the fair needs to be relocated, but if it did, this could be a good use of the space.What should the county do to improve transportation throughout DuPage and specifically in your district?The biggest thing the County could do for the 2nd district is make Ride DuPage more affordable for many of it's communities. Since Ride DuPage requires a buy in from each and every municipality, many communities are not members of this program. Many communities, including Elmhurst, utilize lessor expensive programs like subsidized taxi programs to help seniors and the disabled get around. We should take a bigger role and reduce the cost of the 36 communities so residents, especially seniors, can do simple things like go to the doctor and grocery shop without breaking the bank.How do you rate the county government on transparency and the public's access to records? If you consider it adequate, please explain why. If you think improvements are needed, please describe them and why they are important.Transparency in government promotes accountability and citizen oversight. This leads to a more informed public while counteracting malfeasance. The use of new technology has made it less labor intensive and less costly to provide vital information to the public. While there is always room for improvement, I believe that the County is doing a good job on maintaining an open and honest line of communication with the citizenry. Valuable information is consistently shared on the website and they have a strong Ethics Ordinance.I am confident as technology and demand continues to evolve, DuPage County will evolve as well.Please list any elected office you have ever run for and what the result of that election was. Have you ever been appointed to fill an unexpired term?April 2002 Berkeley Village Trustee appointed to fill unexpired term April 2003 Berkeley Village Trusteelost April 2005 Berkeley Village President lostWhat other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Public SafetyMy number one issue of why I'm running for office is to keep the families of DuPage County safe. As a former Deputy Chief of Police, I have seen first hand how manpower, training and technology is key to keeping gangs and drugs out of our county. Storm Water ManagementDistrict 2 is among the hardest hit in DuPage County and the lead disperser of federal storm water funds for local projects. I understand as I have been personally affected by flooding.Lower Taxes Through Economic DevelopmentTaking Care of Our Seniors, Mentally ill and the Developmentally DisabledPlease name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Francis because he has reinvigorated the church and sparked interest and hope in both Catholics and non-Catholics through his acts of kindness and leadership.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Having a family to rely on with strong bonds is precious and something to be cherished.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Any one of the moments in my life where I didn't act with as much patience or kindness as I could have.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Trial Advocacy in law school because it gave me real world experience in adjudicating a case from start to finish.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Always choose to be kind. You never know what battles other people are facing.