Race at center of 14th Dist. Congressional debate

Fittingly, issues of race and race relations took center stage as the 14th Congressional District candidates gathered in Aurora for yet another forum Monday -- Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Addressing a question about high unemployment rates among black Americans, Republican hopeful Chris Lauzen emphasized the importance of "traditional family," saying that one-third of U.S. children are born to parents who are not married.

"No government policy can make up for the deterioration of the American family," said Lauzen, a state senator for Aurora.

Oberweis said illegal immigrants harm black workers and job seekers.

"They compete unfairly for jobs," the Sugar Grove businessman said, adding that illegal immigrants suppress wages, a factor he said is embraced by too many business owners.

Both Republicans called quality education the key to job opportunities for people of any race or ethnicity.

Without speaking specifically to joblessness among blacks, Democrat Jotham Stein, a St. Charles attorney, said he would pursue policies that make an entrepreneurial economy thrive in the district.

Democrat John Laesch, a union carpenter from Newark, reiterated his call for "fair trade" agreements to allow all U.S. workers to compete on a more level playing field.

Asked to assess race relations in the local community, Laesch and Stein re-framed the question as "Does racism exist?" Both answered affirmatively. Laesch, a white candidate who has an adopted black brother, said his brother has always faced a tougher road than he.

"If I had to get a 3.5 grade point average to be considered smart, he had to get a 4.0," Laesch said. "He's faced a higher bar because of his skin color. That's wrong."

Lauzen noted a litany of the nation's historical offenses against black Americans and urged better understanding of different races through working, praying and attending school together.

Oberweis used the question to assert, as he did Sunday, that Lauzen has unfairly accused him of racism by mailing a flier quoting other people's criticism of Oberweis' 2004 television ad featuring a helicopter over Soldier Field and warning of the rapid influx of illegal immigrants. Lauzen said the mailing merely quotes others' interpretation of the ad.

While Oberweis and Lauzen offered general support for policies requiring set-aside provisions for minority contractors on public projects, both included caveats. Lauzen said existing requirements are not enforced and said set-asides are less important than economic policies promoting growth. Oberweis warned against expanding such provisions because majority-owned front businesses are sometimes established to circumvent the requirements.

Stein said he backs the minority hiring requirements, but he, like Lauzen, said sound economic policies are vital to job creation.

Each candidate was asked how many blacks he employs on his paid campaign staff. Oberweis said one or two of 18 staffers. Lauzen said 75 percent of his staff are women and, noting his opponent's 18-person staff, suggested that Oberweis is trying to buy the nomination. Stein said one of his two staffers is "Puerto/Peruvian." Laesch said two women and one black male comprise his three-person paid staff.

The forum, for candidates seeking to succeed Dennis Hastert, was sponsored by the Quad County African American Chamber of Commerce and conducted at the Aurora Township Youth & Community Center.

Republican Michael Dilger and Democrats Bill Foster and Joe Serra did not attend.