Q&A: Silvestri, Capparelli for Cook County Board 9th District

The 9th District Cook County Board commissioner's seat is held by Peter Silvestri of Chicago, a Republican, who is being challenged by Cary Capparelli, a Democrat, and Green Party candidate Brock Merck, of Chicago. While Merck did not respond to questions, here are Silvestri and Capparelli's answers to the Daily Herald questionnaire.

Q. What is your Number 1 campaign issue?Capparelli: Spending and taxes. To reduce the size of the county budget with less spending and making all departments more efficient. This requires a better management style than in the past by the president and the present commissioners.

It would be first more appropriate to identify what county programs are indispensable. The most essential services are, and not in order of importance, its correctional facilities, its court systems, its hospitals and health care network, and the sheriff's division.

It is conceivable that the Board of Appeals and the Assessor's Office can be condensed into a single operation creating a lesser tax burden on the people of Cook County.

Furthermore, outside contracting needs to be further examined for cost effective analysis. There is obvious favoritism and waste under the current administration.

Finally, at first glance, there is seemingly vast waste in social welfare programs. These types of programs, for the most part, have little significant value to much of Cook County's residents and the 9th District in particular.

The ultimate goal is tax relief for the tax payers.

Silvestri: Reforming county taxing and spending policies and actions. I have been known as a consensus builder on the board, and progress has been made with Republicans and reform-minded Democrats. Soon, with a new board president, I believe I can take it to the next level.

Q. What is your Number 2 campaign issue?Capparelli: Health Care System. Cook County's health care system is already overburden and needs to be revamped regardless of health care reform. Health care reform will further burden private and other hospitals. This will theoretically increase costs for both government and private care institutions. Ultimately this will fuel further tax increases to the public. Reform is needed but not in its present design.

Typically I am for less government. Perhaps to illustrate my flexibility, I can perhaps favor a permanent Hospital and Health Care Board to address these specialization problems that can be overseen by the Commissioners. I understand and appreciate the need for such exceptional expertise.

Silvestri: Reforming county hiring practices to eliminate political interference and to hire the best qualified persons for the positionsincluding Shakman-exempt positions.

Q. What is your Number 3 campaign issue?Capparelli: Growth. There are two immediate solutions to stimulate growth in Cook County: 1) lesser taxation for both big and small business, and 2) lesser sales taxation for consumers.

Lesser taxation for big and small businesses will allow its ability to grow and hire more people to accommodate that growth.

A lesser sales tax for consumers will stimulate the market created by allowing business to prosper.

This is not an overnight process but a start to recapture prosperity. Since Cook County leads the nation in county taxation, there is certainly the need and the adeptness to accomplish this objective.

Silvestri: Consolidating various elected offices to reduce administrative costs associated with each office. The recorder of deeds, clerk of the circuit court and county clerk should be appointed offices. The treasurer and assessor should be consolidated. All tax functions should be administered by the new consolidated office, including those currently administered by the county clerk. These changes would result in lower administrative costs, reduce head counts, and improve cross training and efficiency. It would also streamline an antiquated and convoluted process, which is almost impossible for the person on the street to comprehend.

Q. Should the remainder of the 1-percentage-point sales tax increase be repealed? Why or why not? What cuts or other revenue generators would you support to replace that lost income? What effect does the sales tax have on businesses near other counties?Capparelli: Absolutely I would favor the repeal of the additional half percent point sales tax. Additionally, I would of never supported its full one percent increase to begin with.

If the county was properly managed the original increase was not necessary. The real solution is to eliminate waste, cut spending and make the county more efficient in general.

Again, it's matter of first identifying what county departments and services are indispensable as it would be foolish to put the county in jeopardy. However, it would be prudent to make all departments and services more efficient.

Lesser spending would require less tax revenue needed.

It can be assumed that the sales tax does have an effect on businesses in Cook County cities and towns near other counties. The effect probably varies from business to business from moderate to severe. An example of a severe effect would be gas stations.

Silvestri: I support repealing the remaining portion of the sales tax increase. I opposed the sales tax increase from the outset and have voted for each repeal. I also voted to override the president's veto on each occasion.

Cuts can be made in the following ways: 1. Transferring county highways to the state and local jurisdictions. Many of our highways are in the city of Chicago and incorporated areas of the suburbs. The city highways should definitely become part of the city road system, and those highways that go throughout the suburban areas should be transferred to the state. Local roads, isolated to one or a few local jurisdictions should be transferred to those municipalities. 2. Supporting the Independent Hospital Board in its recommendation to consolidate services in the health and hospital system, including the clinics. 3. Privatizing cafeterias throughout the county, the pharmacies in our health system, and the three pools at the forest preserve. 4. Consolidating various elected offices to reduce administrative costs associated with each office. 5. Working with the legislature to reduce the county government contribution to the CTA, PACE and Metra. The county should not be responsible for public transportation costs. In the alternative, create a parking fee at county courthouses to fund public transportation requirements of the state statute. 6. Improving bidding and awarding of bids process to encourage more businesses to bid. On a related note, improving the payment system so businesses, especially small businesses, do not have to wait excessive amounts of time to be paid. This discourages many businesses from bidding.

The sales tax is regressive, counterproductive and inhibits the very act we should be encouraging spending in our county.

Q. Do the suburbs get a fair share of Cook County resources? Explain and give examples. How would you repair any inequities?Capparelli: The suburbs do not always get a fair share of certain county resources. Health care and social services are examples where the city gets a greater share of a particular service. It is my understanding the county correctional systems also has a disproportionate share of city offenders serving in the jails.

At the same time, the suburban areas, in general, are served well by the county forest preserves, court system, and road networks.

Silvestri: The bulk of county services are concentrated on public health and safety. These are basically services based on need.

Although there are increasing numbers of suburbanites using the public health hospitals and clinics, the majority of individuals using these facilities and services are city dwellers.

Public safety services are fairly distributed.

The public health prevention programs, as well as animal control, zoning and building, highway services and environmental control initiatives and services are totally suburban based.

Generally, services and programs serve county residents based on service need. Some are more based in the city, some on the suburbs.

The only change I believe may be necessary would be greater clinic and hospital care for the uninsured and underinsured on the suburbs through more clinics and greater cooperation with existing suburban hospitals.

Q. Is the Cook property-tax assessment system equitable? Do you support the new formula for assessing homes at 10 percent of market value and businesses at 25 percent of market value? Why or why not? What changes, if any, do you favor?Capparelli: There is an essential need to reduce home market value assessments in Cook County because homeowners can no longer afford to live in Cook County. Foreclosures are abundant. Real estate tax reductions are needed to avoid any further disaster. This equally applies to the market value of businesses. Long term, once spending is under control and waste is eliminated, the desired change is additional property-tax assessment deductions.

Silvestri: I favor cutting taxes. The real estate property tax is archaic and based on a historical philosophy that owning property meant wealth. Reform the way property is taxed and change the schedule and method of reassessments. Fund schools through different fees and the income tax, stop penalizing school districts in the general fund by reducing such payments as lottery proceeds are received, and create incentives for school district consolidations and the creation of unit districts. Cut the regressive sales tax across the #8220;government menu of taxing bodies and cut expenditures. Enact legislation to grant broader authority with the use of special funds, like tax increment financing funds. Lower taxes will result in businesses staying or moving to our county and will result in economic and job growth.

Q. As revenues are likely to keep falling in the year ahead, what spending cuts can and should be made in Cook County government? Please be specific.Capparelli: The biggest concern overall is waste.

There are several departments that can be combined into one operational unit. This will require a lesser spending. Reiterating, the Board of Appeals and the Assessor's Office would make the most immediate sense to undergo this change.

In fact, the whole taxation structure of county government should be condensed and simplified.

Social welfare programs are allocated large amounts of money yet benefit only a small portion of the population.

There is tremendous waste in social welfare programs and, for the most part, have no large impact on the 9th District specifically. There is a need to define necessitated social welfare and eliminate extracurricular social welfare.

Personally, I have a distrust for outsourcing some governmental services. Outside contracting is reserved for political insiders who 1) overcharge and 2) sometimes produce an inferior product. The waste is in the system's ability to allow cheating. If it's not less expensive and/or better then the concept of contracting outside services is not acceptable.

Silvestri: See response to first QA question addressing cuts.

Q. Is there more or less corruption in county government than is commonly perceived? What needs to be done to root it out completely?Capparelli: The is considerable corruption in county government as was made obvious by the standing administration.

Political patronage hiring remains rampant. Double-dipping and triple-dipping by elected government officials is deemed agreeable. There are no term limits for elected officials. There are no actual campaign contribution laws. This is all wrong and needs to be addressed.

My own opponent receives compensation from 3 governmental offices as a Cook County Commissioner, as Mayor of Elmwood Park, and as a liquor commissioner. He has approximately $300,000 in campaign donations in his political fund. He facilitated for his City Clerk of Elmwood Park to double-dip and receive a county pay check by sitting on the Sheriff's Merit Board. This is all wrong yet the people vote in the same career politicians. The media needs to convey the truth about all county corruption; otherwise the people will never know.

Silvestri: Given what has happened at the state level, I think the perception is that just about anyone at any level of government is corrupt, and that is both tragic and untrue. Still, there have been some well-publicized cases of political hiring at the county, which is why I wholeheartedly support the federal court-appointed monitor who now oversees hiring at the county. I helped sponsor an ordinance requiring advice and consent of the county board in the appointment of various administrators and boards of the government, which had previously been simple appointments by the president. I was a primary sponsor of the Ethics Ordinance as well as co-sponsor to the recent amendments, which fill in any gaps that people had found a way around. I also sponsored legislation that increased the power of the inspector general and made that office independent of the president's office. A true Civil Service Commission would also help to create hiring practices consistent with those ordered under the Shakman decree.