Five candidates want to represent 59th District in state House

While there may be a certain glamor about sitting in the hallowed halls of the state Capitol, the five candidates in the race for the 59th House District seat know that if they win, they'll be knee-deep in the state's budget mess.

Each of the three Republicans and two Democrats seeking the open seat says they'll make cleaning up that mess a top priority.

Former state Rep. Kathy Ryg held the office, but left in August to head a children's advocacy group. Carol Sente, a Vernon Hills Democrat, was appointed to the seat in September, and is facing a challenge from Buffalo Grove Village President Elliot Hartstein.

The Republican race pits Vernon Hills Trustee Cynthia Hebda against Green Oaks attorney Dan Sugrue and newcomer businessman Mohan Manian, also of Green Oaks.

The candidates responded to questionnaires from the Daily Herald in advance of the Feb. 2 primary election.

Realizing the state faces an $11 billion budget shortfall, Sente, 48, said corruption is a contributing factor, and it needs to stop.

"My priority will be to clean up state government by making it more transparent and stopping pay-to-play politics," she said. "I am eager to improve the budgeting process and work on ways to improve the efficiency and transparency of our government."

Hartstein, 61, says the state needs a combination of cuts, streamlining and a tax increase in the short term. "We need every agency to cut and find efficiencies and savings without depriving our citizens of needed services in these challenging times," he said. "Realistically, we cannot cut ourselves out of a $13 billion deficit. In the short term, we will need some type of tax increase along with much-needed property tax relief and increased exemptions so those with lower incomes are not unfairly burdened with our existing regressive system."

Saying she would not support a tax increase, Hebda, 53, said spending cuts need to happen first.

"The root cause of Illinois' budget problems is the runaway state spending and program expansion over the last ten years," she said. "Illinois suffers from a huge lack of fiscal discipline. It took seven to ten years to get into this predicament; a one-year solution should not be thrust upon our constituents."

Manian, 45, says it's possible to balance the budget without an increase in taxes. He would elicit advice from a panel of experts.

"It is imperative the state legislature to find ways to bring projected expenditures in line with projected revenues," Manian said. "If elected, I will seek to have a statewide task forces to review previous state budgets to determine the causes of deficit spending. The task force will conduct an audit of all programs to find out where there is duplication of effort and wasteful spending."

Sugrue, 46, also opposes any tax increase. He would target the state's pension system for reform and look for an across-the-board cut in programs.

"We need to reform our state pension system by switching from a defined benefits plan, which is too often abused by politicians switching from state job to state job, to a defined contribution plan, like people have in the private sector," said Sugrue, who ran unsuccessfully against Ryg in 2006. "We also need to roll back Gov. Quinn's spending increases this year and cut state programs across the board by 10 percent. The Illinois Policy Institute has identified more than $686 million in wasteful spending, so there is plenty that can be cut."

The 59th District includes portions of Buffalo Grove, Green Oaks, Gurnee, Indian Creek, Lake Bluff, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mettawa, Mundelein, Northbrook, North Chicago, Park City, Riverwoods, Vernon Hills, Waukegan and Wheeling.