Sheri Jesiel: 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: Winthrop HarborWebsite: sherijesiel.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: 61st State House District Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Three adult children, five grandchildren and lots of love to go around. :)Occupation: State Representative, 61st DistrictEducation: Bachelors in Business Admin and Accounting/ CPACivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: State Representative, 61st 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?It's hard to say what would make it more effective. I think Leader Durkin is an effective leader and yes, would vote for him again. I agree with the concept of term limits, and definitely agree with term limits for leadership. I also support the redistricting amendment - no party should have the power to draw maps in their favor. I would advocate and vote for legislation that addresses these issues.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 am not prepared to vote for any increase in taxes until significant reforms have been addressed and implemented. A 66% tax increase was passed 5+ years ago, raising somewhere in the neighborhood of an additional $30 Billion, and we still had significant systemic problems at the end of the four years, with not a lot of improvement in the condition of the state to speak of. If we are seeking new revenue, we should be jump-starting our economy, passing legislation that helps attract and retain businesses and taxpayers, creating more jobs to put Illinois residents to work, and creating more revenue. Taxes are just shifting money from one person/entity to another, rather than generating new revenue, which we desperately need.What changes, if any, do you support in education and education funding in Illinois? Please be specific.The thing we must do as a state is to provide an opportunity for every student - no matter what their economic position and no matter what their zip code - to have a quality education. We have too many students struggling in schools, and too many property owners struggling under the weight of funding local education to pick up the slack for the state of Illinois, who is ranked dead last in their share. Education funding should be both adequate and equitable, and in our Education Funding Reform commission, we are discussing the various options. There are some that I prefer over others (and I'd like to refrain from committing to any since we're still working on it in committee). As far as education itself, I think there is a place for charter schools when public schools are failing and I am also interested in the conversations that are happening statewide regarding the new ESSA guidelines for their potential to raise the quality of education that children in all schools will receive.On Illinois' budget, specifically, where do you believe cuts need to be made?Rather than straight-out cuts, I'd prefer to see us find ways to better spend the funds we have. Sometimes this is through efficiencies - for instance as has been done with the new Dept of Technology, where the project to consolidate some of our over 250 computer systems (many built with 30-year-old computer languages) will allow departments to actually talk to each other and will streamline MANY manual processes (I hear about these far too frequently in committees). Reign in the exploding cost of Medicaid - one of the bigger line-items in the budget - through more intentional review of eligibility. Workers' comp reform which would directly affect both state and local entities as well as business. Reign in the very high cost of pensions (means for which to be explained in next question), and to lower the cost of debt by strengthening the economy and thereby, credit rating. Reevaluate unfunded mandates. Evaluate programs for privatization, like was done with the state fair committee. We can refinance our backlog of payments, cutting our 12% interest rate to even 4%. These are just some examples. I have more!What approach do you support toward fixing the public pension systems?I think there are some obvious fixes - eliminate double dipping, capping salary used in calculations - but I think we need to address both current members (not retirees) and future entrants. For current members, I support the consideration model which allows participants to choose from among benefits such as no COLA in exchange for more vacation time, etc. For future members, I think we must move to a 401K type plan that protects their accounts from politicians who tend to not fund pension benefits adequately.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?There are several, but one of the biggest problems in my district is property taxes. The proximity to the Wisconsin border has a huge impact as businesses choose to move or locate in Wisconsin which is cheaper. Property tax rates increase to pay for education and local government, businesses are even less likely to locate here and the spiral continues. Everywhere I go, residents in my district tell me it is a matter of time before they move because they can't afford to live here. It is a crisis. Will explain how I'm addressing in my interview.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Benjamin NetanyahuWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?With 3 other siblings, selflessness and being considerate of others. I did better at some times than others. :)If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Would have gone directly into politics; it was my passion then and now. Glad I became an accountant, but wonder how different would have been.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Hard to pick one specific - liked them all. Most interested in history, civics, government. With history, must look back to learn lessons for future.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?It's not about you. The world doesn't revolve around you, live in humility and graciousness to others.