David Olsen: 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: Downers GroveWebsite: https://davidsolsen.com/Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: 81st State House District Age: 27Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Ethics Compliance OfficerEducation: B.S. Finance, B.S. Management, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignCivic involvement: District 58 Education Foundation, Board MemberChamber630, Civic MemberBoy Scouts of America Rainbow Council Troop 35, Committee ChairmanElected offices held: Trustee, College of DuPage (February 2016-Present)Commissioner, Village of Downers Grove (May 2013-August 2016)Questions 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 must budget within the reality of state revenue being collected. It can no longer make promises it cannot keep and it must discontinue the practice of creating unfunded mandates on other taxing bodies that increase their costs or promise more in spending than current revenue streams. Pay-as-you-go, which must include repaying debt and past obligations, has to be the bedrock of future budgeting processes. I am confident in the leadership provided by the State Representative from our neighboring district, Republican Leader Jim Durkin.I do support sensible term limits which would ensure we truly are represented by citizen legislators, not career politicians. As I support overall term limits on legislators, this inherently will limit the amount of time a legislator can serve in a leadership position. In setting term limits, it is important that they offer enough time for members to gain expertise. I strongly support a Constitutional Amendment on redistricting reform. We need a non-partisan, independent body to redraw legislative maps with specific attention paid to community, neighborhood and natural boundaries. We should not allow legislators and political parties to divide communities and dilute their representation in Springfield in order to advantage one candidate over another.With regard to the implementation of any of these changes, I look forward to continuing dialogue with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. It will be through grassroots, bipartisan collaboration with strong public support that we will be able to secure these necessary reforms for our State.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?I'm not in favor of any tax increase. Yet, I recognize that Illinois is in a very dire financial position. We cannot responsibly tax our way out of the current troubles and we can't cut our way out of trouble either. The best way to balance our budget is to grow our economy - with more people employed in our State. Clearly, taxpayers in my district and across Illinois are unwilling to pay more for the same government. To consider any discussion on new revenue, whether from current or new sources, solid and constructive solutions must be first put forward and agreed to ensure sustainability. As we saw with the relatively recent 2011 "temporary tax", which raised the state income tax from 3% to 5%, a new tax increase without accompanying reforms to reduce the size, scope, and cost of State government is ineffective in driving down government debt. Over the past few years in the Village of Downers Grove and the College of DuPage, we have balanced the budgets by making the tough decisions on services provided, staffing levels, and how we make government more efficient and effective to benefit the community. Those and many others are the hard discussions that need to happen.What changes, if any, do you support in education and education funding in Illinois? Please be specific.The formulas for how to fund education need to be looked at in an entirely new way that takes into account the number of students, number of schools, locations of schools, charter schools (as they exist today - no expansion until we see positive results), and a truly student-centric approach to education. A few Illinois public schools are among the best in the nation; yet many are failing our students. Unfortunately, there is currently not enough focus on student achievement overall. Our system needs to provide equity for taxpayers in different parts of the state - urban, suburban, and rural - so there is no over-subsidy for schools in one category over the other. In the 81st District, we are fortunate to have some of the best public schools in the state. That did not happen by accident, but by the members of those communities making sacrifices to invest in their schools and teachers. As a recently appointed member of several education-focused committees, I look forward to working with my colleagues to reverse the troubling trend of additional unfunded State mandates on local schools. Relief from these mandates and the promotion of local control will allow schools across the State to more effectively use education dollars on furthering student learning and provide the ability to significantly reduce costs. Students and their achievement must be the central focus of what the entire structure of maintaining and regulating schools is built upon.On Illinois' budget, specifically, where do you believe cuts need to be made?Every line item in the budget should be reviewed and vetted for effectiveness and efficiency. Unfortunately, there are limitations by law and judicial decrees as to where we "can" cut, so it is difficult. We've made some strides in reforming Medicaid in our State, but we need to keep working on this. With regard to worker's compensation and other workplace reforms, Illinois must get in line with neighboring states and the national norms. These are big items with potential big savings and big growth opportunities. As an overall principle, we need to focus on becoming a more competitive state that delivers a greater return on taxpayer investments.What approach do you support toward fixing the public pension systems?Any approach that helps to narrow the pension deficit and move in the right direction is one worth serious consideration. I don't believe the legislature should consider anything that would affect people who have already retired. However, our State needs to face reality that existing plans are unsustainable. We need to work with current employees toward a solution that ensures retirement benefits will be able to be provided - a solution that will require some consideration regarding contribution levels on both sides. Reasonable compromise and recognition that the current system is not sustainable will help us keep pension promises.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I am part of a generation that has largely lost faith in government and its ability to deliver necessary services. Having served on the Downers Grove Village Council and the College of DuPage Board of Trustees, I recognize how difficult this process is and understand the widespread skepticism about the integrity of government. We must restore the faith of people when they face a choice as to whether to stay in Illinois or leave. Every Illinoisan should believe this is a state they can call home and prosper to their fullest potential.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Dr. Ann RondeauWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Work hard and be true to yourself.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Spend more time traveling with my late grandmother, Dorothy Stephan.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English literature, because it taught me to think critically and write well.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Carpe diem.