Pamela Althoff: 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: McHenryWebsite: http://pamalthoff.com/Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: 32nd State Senate District Age: 62Family: two stepchildrenOccupation: Fulltime LegislatorEducation: BsEd Illinois State University Normal, ILMaEd Northeastern Illinois Chicago, ILCivic involvement: Pioneer Foundation-DirectorUnited Way of Greater McHenry County-DirectorFox Waterway DirectorNorthern Illinois Arts Council- Secretary/DirectorJourneyCare-DirectorElected offices held: City Clerk, City of McHenryFox Waterway DirectorMayor, McHenryState Senator- 32nd DistrictQuestions 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?Structurally the legislature needs to place term limits on leadership positions as well as prohibit members from holding leadership positions in both their political party and legislative chamber simultaneously. Yes I will be supporting Leader Radogno. I'm supportive of term limits.I definitely support constitutional amendment activity supporting a redistricting/fair map amendment. I was also a sponsor of the legislative fair map initiative. I will work with my Senate colleagues to draft legislation and obtain bipartisan support for a Fair Map constitutional amendment, term limits, leadership term limits and restrictions.Would you vote for an increase in state income taxes or sales taxes? Would you vote for new taxes, such as on services? What is your position on a graduated income tax?Before approving revenue enhancements (taxes) we must first fix Illinois's unbalanced, antiquated fiscal structure. We also need to develop a friendlier, stable business climate to ensure job growth and encourage economic development opportunities. I will however keep an open mind if asked to support an increase in revenues dependent of course upon the specific scenarios proposed. I am not however an advocate or supportive of a graduated income tax at this juncture.What changes, if any, do you support in education and education funding in Illinois? Please be specific.I support full state funding of both General State Aid and mandated categoricals so as to rely less on property tax dollars to fund education. I also believe in unfunded mandate relief for school districts with some state oversight. I do not believe in nor will I ever be supportive of any initiative to reallocate our collar counties tax dollars to other parts of the state. Nor would I support reducing state dollars for education funding based on current property tax values.On Illinois' budget, specifically, where do you believe cuts need to be made?I am currently working on a procurement reform with a team of legislators from both the Senate and House which has the potential of saving the State approximately $500 million per year. In addition, I serve by gubernational appointment on the Budgeting for Results committee which is tasked with developing a metric which will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of state programs; focusing on outcomes, goals and performances. Resources are then appropriated based on the effectiveness of a program as measured by the adopted metrics. I was also the chief sponsor of the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act which mirrors the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act ("FFATA") which will result in an increased accountability and oversight of the selection and implementation of all state grant recipients.What approach do you support toward fixing the public pension systems?The Illinois Supreme Court has made it abundantly clear that current retirees pensions cannot be diminished and that "fixing" the State's public pension systems for current state pensions enrollees must contain some type of consideration. The 3% compounded COLA component is, in my estimation, the most significant fiscal liability of the pension systems. I would consider President Cullerton's purposal to exchange the compounded COLA for a simple COLA permitting all future raises to be incorporated into the pension calculation in exchange for keeping the 3% compounded COLA but freezing the pension calculation at one's current salary level.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Developing a set of uniform standards for economic development incentives to attract and retain qualifying businesses as opposed to individual company considerations.Procurement reforms enhancing efficiencies and competition while streamlining and shortening the RFP process.Passage of Nurses Compact bill permitting Illinois reciprocity to with all other compact states (including Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin). Public safety pension reform which mirrors the states pension reforms.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice. She was tough, composed, relevant, and well spoken. She was grace under fire. A remarkably intelligent, competent, compassionate woman.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Try putting yourself in the other peoples shoes before you judge.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I'd spend more time with my husband and family...realizing life is too short.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History- for it teaches us who we are, where we came from, how we fit in the world's order and how to move forward.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Listen first, talk second.