Timothy Curtin: 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: HillsideWebsite: curtin4comptroller.wordpress.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Comptroller Age: 67Family: Married to Nancy for 35 years. Two sons, Rafael 21 years old, and Nicolas, 24 years old.Occupation: retired union organizer, now p/t at MarianosEducation: high school diploma, Monona, Wis. 1967. UW-Madison, 1967-69, Indiana Univ-Purdue Univ. at Indianapolis, 1971-73.Civic involvement: helped co-sponsor meetings on I-290 expansion, working with coalition to improve education in High School District 209. Marched in July 4th, 2016 Brookfield Parade to honor veterans.Elected offices held: Oak Park Township Committman, Green Party.Chairperson, Westside GreensQuestions Answers Should lawmakers be paid on time or should they be put in line for payment among all the state's unpaid bills?Lawmakers should not be paid until they are forced to hold public hearing throughout the state to answer to the public why they will not balance the budget and follow the state constitution.Should a comptroller be more or less active in seeking court orders to pay for state programs during a budget stalemate? Should state employees get paid with no appropriation?State employees must be paid per their union contract. I would be active in searching for sources of new revenue so that court orders to pay for state programs would be unnecessary.Should the office be merged with the treasurer? Please explain why or why not.The office should be merged so redundancies can be eliminated. However, an independent office of Auditor should be appointed by a bi-partisan committee. The office will make all records available on line monthly and hold quarterly meetings around the state to educate the public on spending.How would you streamline your office's duties to save the state money?As stated elsewhere, the office should be eliminated. In addition, there should be no one that works in the office that is a political appointee. Also, competitive biding for all work that is performed.What special qualifications make you the best person to serve as state comptroller?I am the only one of four candidates that actually has a plan to raise additional funds to head in the direction of a balanced budget and restoring the drastic cuts in education and social services that has injured the public.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?As part of the office, I have the responsibility to look at how local government is being run. Mayor Emmanuel is destroying public education in Chicago by refusing to use excess TIF monies to fund the budget deficits. Instead, he is hiring lawyers to attack the Chicago Teachers Union, and force a strike. Good, equal, and free public education must become a public right for all the people of Illinois regardless of where they live. We also need a Financial Transaction Act passed, House Bill 106, to raise $10-12 billion in new revenue.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?If you see something wrong, do something to try and make it better because it is always the right thing to do.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have spent more time learning how important exercise is and then doing it.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject was US history. It has helped me understand that the only time progress has been made for people is through sacrifice.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Work hard, play hard and follow your dreams. Hopefully help create a better world.