Martin McLaughlin: Candidate Profile

Back to 26th State Senate District

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: BarringtonWebsite: Fixourstate.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: 26th State Senate District Age: 50Family: Wife Kathleen K. McLaughlin married for 24 years.5 daughters. Allison 22, Morgan 20, Emma 19, Clare 17, and Elle 9Occupation: Managing Director of an Investment Advisory FirmEducation: B. A. Illinois Wesleyan University in Business AdministrationCivic involvement: Chairman BACOG Barrington Area Council of GovernmentsMember Barrington Lions ClubBoard Member The Einstein Academy Elgin IllinoisElected offices held: Village President - Barrington Hills, IllinoisQuestions Answers What needs to be done structurally to make the legislature more effective? Will you vote for your current legislative leader? What is your position on term limits in general and specifically for legislative leaders? Do you support the ongoing drive for a constitutional amendment on redistricting? What will you do to promote implementation of any changes you recommend?We need to identify and continue to send candidates that are from outside the Springfield political system who have professional expertise, strong leadership qualities, and are unafraid to make difficult decisions that benefit their constituents instead of themselves. The status quo is not serving the state, or the taxpayers, well. Holding office is a public service, and by limiting terms in office we ensure a steady supply of leaders with fresh perspectives and the energy to continue working in the best interest of the voters and taxpayers.I am strongly in favor of term limits, both for legislators and legislative leaders. It is healthy to rotate legislative leadership so that power is not concentrated in only a very few individuals. Should my legislative leader choose to seek another term, I would support her, as she has served in this position for only 6 years. By contrast, in the House, Speaker Madigan has been in power since 1983.I am strongly in favor of redistricting reform, as currently the politicians pick their voters rather than the voters picking their politicians. I believe that districts should be drawn based upon geography and population rather than on special interests and partisan bias.To enact these changes, I would do what I have done my entire life and lead by example. As the term that I am running for is a two year term, followed by two four year terms, I would limit myself to no more than 10 years in office.What approach do you support toward fixing the public pension systems, not just for teachers but for public safety personnel as well?The objective with pension reform is to extend and protect the pension payments promised to state employees, as those pensions cannot constitutionally be "diminished or impaired," while at the same time protecting the taxpayers of the state, who are being driven out of Illinois by an ever-growing tax burden.To ensure we no longer compound the existing problem, I support a Tier 2 program for new state employees. This ensures they have a fully-funded, sustainable plan. This plan would also be available for existing employees to elect to join.As people live longer, it is simple math that we cannot make our pension payments. Monthly benefits are determined by ensuring the full promised payout occurs by a certain age, called the "actuarial standard." The state needs to move closer to the federal standard, which is roughly 10 years longer than Illinois'. This would not diminish benefits but rather pay those same promised benefits over a longer period of time.We also need to address guaranteed compounded cost of living increases, which are resulting in many recipients getting more annually than they paid into the system in their lifetimes.Private and corporate pension plans have been made solvent through negotiated agreements that restructured plans to extend and protect benefits. Why are we not doing the same thing with public pensions? We need to bring everyone to the negotiating table.Finally, I do not support Springfield's efforts to dump this liability on our school districts, and by extension property taxpayers.On Illinois' budget, specifically, where do you believe cuts need to be made? Specifically, what tax increases, changes in tax policy or other opportunities for revenue growth do you support? What is your position on a graduated income tax?Specifically, I would eliminate wasteful programs like the one that has Illinois' state aircraft flying prairie chickens from Kansas to Illinois, costing taxpayers half a million dollars!I recognize that simply cutting wasteful programs will not solve our budget woes. I believe that government needs to follow the lead of the private sector and become more efficient. It is incomprehensible that we continue adding employees while our state is losing residents and our government is serving fewer people. By better utilizing technology, we can reduce our government workforce through attrition and retirement while providing expanded services.I am not in favor of new taxes. The revenue growth that the state desperately needs will come through making Illinois business-friendly so that our current businesses remain and thrive, growing businesses relocate here, and entrepreneurs begin new successful ventures within our borders. To accomplish this, we must make our state competitive by reducing the cost of doing business in Illinois and streamlining the regulatory burden.The voters have decided how they want their government to be run. I reject the argument that you can't operate government like a business and hold people accountable. In fact, when I was first sworn in, I was told that government would never act like a business. Well, 2 years later, we've used common sense business principles to reduce spending, cut taxes, maintain services, and plan for the future. We are leading by example, and it's time we instilled those same common sense business principles in Springfield.What changes, if any, do you believe the state should make in the area of education and education funding? How will you act to promote the changes you wish to see?I believe that our schools can be improved through competition. I am in favor of giving our parents choice in their children's education. My mother and sister were both teachers, and both of them believe that competition always leads to better results.We must always strive to improve our education system so that we prepare our children for the future. In the 26th District, we have some of the best schools in Illinois. It is one of the primary reasons people move and live here. But we need to continue to demand high standards.In addition, we must take steps to ensure that, once we educate our children, they put their roots down in Illinois and use those skills to advance our state. Sadly, many college graduates are discovering better opportunities for their field of study out of state, including my oldest who is about to graduate and is finding superior job prospects in Dallas.Too many Illinois families have similar stories. We are taxed too much and too often. With the 2nd highest property taxes in the nation, and a sales tax among the highest in the country, it is no wonder that our families are searching for opportunities elsewhere. It's time we took serious steps to get our tax burden under control. I would also be in favor of exploring an incentive for younger Illinois residents to become homeowners or entrepreneurs by giving a state credit on interest paid on student loans.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?I was elected Village President of Barrington Hills in 2013, defeating the two-time incumbent by nearly 18% despite being outspent 5-to-1. In the years prior, the Village had spent recklessly, increasing expenditures 83.5% and hiking taxes 177%. I brought business principles to a bloated local government rife with cronyism. Despite a 5-1 opposition board, we successfully reduced spending, cut taxes, raised cash reserves, and put the village on a path towards fiscal responsibility. In 2015, I backed a group of reform candidates, and after a 56%-44% resounding victory the new board majority is fully embracing my fiscally conservative reform agenda.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Illinois ranks 38th among states for cost of living for retirees. We can do a better job of making this state a place where our seniors want to retire and thrive so they can remain close to family and their life-long friends. We must reject a retirement tax on our seniors. We cannot solve our state budget problems on the backs of our seniors. We must provide our seniors some certainty and the ability to plan for the future by instilling sound, stable fiscal policies in Illinois.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Bruce RaunerWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The harder you work the luckier you becomeIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Enjoying my 5 children growing up all over again. It has gone way too fast.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History-Lessons from the past can help shape good policy for the future.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Listen to your Mother. She is always right and will have your best interests at heart.