Adam Solano: 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: GrayslakeWebsite: www.electadamsolano.comTwitter: @ElectAdamSolanoFacebook: ElectAdamSolanoOffice sought: 62nd District Representative Age: 47Family: Wife - Dianna Children - Claire (19), Olivia (18), Dominic (16), Victor (15) Dogs - Sydney, Rocky, Ace, AllieOccupation: Financial AdvisorEducation: *B.A. English from St John's University *CRPC and LACP from College of Financial PlanningCivic involvement: *Past President of National Assn of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) in Illinois *Past President NAIFA Chicago *Volunteer in my church *Mentoring new financial advisors *Basketball and Soccer CoachElected offices held: NoneQuestions 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 for legislative leaders specifically?I am more supportive of term limits on leadership positions but I will also support a more traditional term limit approach if necessary. I think the former is more plausible. I will keep an open mind, if elected, to anyone pursuing position as the legislative leader for my partyOn budgeting, what should be done to ensure that the state does not again go through a period of time without a budget in place? What will you do as a legislator to help ensure that the spending priorities you espouse during your campaign are reflected in the budget?Two years without a budget hurt Illinois publicly and exacerbated the crisis of trust in our lawmakers. It hurt our citizens and small businesses and added to the back log of unpaid bills. What was accomplished with the 2 year budget impasse? A tax increase and further division and toxicity that the public has no patience for? As a state rep I will show up, engage, dialogue, listen and debate and not stall, demagogue and withdraw from the process.Should the legislature approve ballot initiatives either for a constitutional amendment on legislative redistricting or one on term limits? If so, how would you recommend the issues be structure? If not, why not?Underneath Illinois' financial burdens is a 'crisis of trust' in our elected officials. Most people do not believe life will get better in 3-5 years. 2018 might be the 5th straight year of population decline. Fair District Maps is one measure along with term limits on leadership positions. I believe these two changes will restore some faith in the electorate and help change the culture in Springfield and eliminate one person and one party power that has literally cost all of us time and money.What approach do you support in fixing public employee pension systems?I would support the idea of a defined contribution plan but only if this plan used a deferred income annuity to guarantee a future income to the participants. This type of plan would look like a 401k plan, but smell like a pension plan, which is important. Remember, a pension is not an opportunity to be rich but a guarantee to never be poor. Read any Dalbar report on Ãâ#128;™average investor rate of returnÃâ#128;œ and you'll see why fiduciaries of 401k plans are incorporating various types of income and deferred income annuities for their employees. Defined Contribution plans have a mindset toward accumulation while defined benefit plans (pensions) specify the exact retirement income. A retirement plan is supposed to replace your income which is why I support using deferred income annuities as part of pension reform. These have fully funded guarantees and satisfy fiduciary standards. Other ideas I'd consider supporting: * Eliminate the significant salary escalations in final years of work to maximize lifetime pension guarantees * Pension credits to certain income limits * Increasing teacher salaries and lowering future accrued pension benefits, especially if there is a change to a defined contribution planTo what extent do you support or oppose legalization of marijuana for recreational use?I am not a supporter of legalizing recreational marijuana. The lottery was supposed to help our schools. The casinos and local video gambling machines to help the state's economy and financial burdens and now comes along legalizing marijuana. Some Lawmakers seem content to add another vice to the menu with its 'easy money' because the hard work of reform is, well, hard. Legalizing marijuana is greed based and all the hype around it reminds me of that distant cousin that tries to sell all his friend and family on some get-rich-scheme when he should be out looking for a steady job.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Illinois is my home. I was born here. I was raised here, and I came back after college to start my family and my business here. Try shouting "I love Illinois" in public and watch all the eyes roll and heads shake. I want to restore the trust and confidence that me and my neighbors desperately want to place in the people entrusted with to lead our local and state government. I want our university system to thrive and be a place our children matriculate because its affordable AND desirable. I want our public schools to be fully funded and reduce the property tax burden in my district. And I want to be a constructive voice to innovate the ways our government delivers value locally.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Nikki Haley, Ambassador to the U.N.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?No matter what, my brother was never gonna keep his side of the room clean! Just being honest...If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Becoming fluent in another languageWhat was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I love my B.A. in English. It taught me history, writing, philosophy, and critical thinkingIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?The advice I give them is to live a big life on their terms