James Long: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Downers GroveWebsite: www.electLong.comOffice sought: College of DuPageAge: 47Family: Married, father of fiveOccupation: Executive Director, Proud to be Republican, LLC Campaign Resource CenterEducation: College of DuPage, Loyola UniversityCivic involvement: Knights of Columbus, DG Youth Baseball Baseball Coach, DG Park District Basketball CoachElected offices held: Downers Grove Township Republican Precinct CommitteemanArea ChairmanHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: Candidate did not respond.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I will bring my professional background as an operations manager to the board, lend real world experience in creating and adhering to budgets, and identify cost control measures to ensure that the College of DuPage maintains its status as a one of the highest regarded community colleges in the nation.Key Issue 2 I will work to make certain that the College of DuPage remains an affordable, high quality option for not only traditional college students, but for those in need of continuing education to enhance their positioning in the work force, and for those taking classes to increase their knowledge and enrich their lives.Key Issue 3 I will protect the community's investment in College of DuPage and pledge that both tax dollars and student tuition are spent wisely.Questions Answers With enrollment up at my many community colleges, it can be challenging to keep pace as far as available classroom/lab space, the number of qualified teachers and available course work options. How would you manage that?Fortunately, College of DuPage has no shortage of excellent teachers. Additionally, ongoing capital improvements approved by the voters of District 502 will allow for continued growth in high demand curriculum areas, such as nursing, law enforcement fields and the sciences.In tough economic times, many students (and working professionals) turn to a community college for its educational value. How do you ensure that a person's financial sacrifice equates into an educational benefit?I will assist faculty and administration in their constant evaluation of curriculum to make sure that the college is offering the educational opportunities that are in line with the needs of the community while preserving the top tier quality education.Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?The administration has done a tremendous job in cutting expenses while maintaining a high level of education. That said, my first option to increase revenue would be to fight for our state dollars as mandated by the Illinois Community College Act. That act states that there will be equal contributions between the state, local taxes and tuition. As it stands now, the tuition has reached its cap, but the state is far beneath its 33% contribution, at around 4%. I would exhaust all other options before supporting any increase to the already escalated tax rates.Community colleges provide many services to a diverse population. Is there a service your college should be providing that it is not, or reaching a segment of the population that it is not?It would appear that COD's broad curriculum offers across the board options to all who seek advanced education and training.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.I have always had a desire to serve my community; whether as coach for youth athletics in Downers Grove over the past 25 years, as an Officer and 4th Degree member in the Knights of Columbus, or representing my neighborhood as a Precinct Committeeman. I seek election to the College of DuPage Board of Trustees to preserve its status in our community as work force development engine and for it to remain an educational treasure.