Curt Renz: 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: Arlington HeightsWebsite: http://curtrenz.comOffice sought: 53rd District RepresentativeAge: 66Family: Single - three younger brothers - many nieces and nephewsOccupation: -Semi-Retired -Former Anchor, Financial Editor Market Analyst for ?Stock Market Observer? program on Chicago?s WCIU-TV for 16 yrs -Author of ?The Investor?s Guide to Technical Analysis? -Former Stockbroker Real Estate Broker -Vietnam War VeteranEducation: Northern Illinois University: BS in Business Management ? GPA 3.73 Harper College: AA in Business Administration ? GPA 4.00Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: None, first-time candidateHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 JobsKey Issue 2 Fiscal responsibilityKey Issue 3 Short-term independent citizen legislators rather than career politicians. (I was not slated by Madigan, am too old to make this a career, and have voted independently all of my life.)Questions Answers How would you fix the state's pension gap? Should pension costs be shifted to suburban school districts? Why or why not? Should this issue be voted on in a lame-duck session? Why or why not? How can partisan gridlock be eased to solve the crisis?- Place responsibility with the local school boards. - Pay current retirees as agreed. - Negotiate realistically with current employees. - Make realistic offers to new employees. - Eliminate pensions for all legislators. Yes, pension responsibilities shoHow, specifically, would you cut the budget? What does Illinois need to do to fix its status as a "deadbeat state?" How will you vote on future gambling bills? What is your view of slots at racetracks? Casino expansion?- Continue to implement the "Budgeting for Results" programs for which Senator Kotowski, Representative Mussman and others have fought in the legislature. This will mean reducing budgets not just for state agencies, but also for third-parties that performWhat can you do specifically to help the economy in your district? How can you help create jobs in your district and statewide? What is your view of the tax breaks granted to companies like Motorola Mobility, Navistar and Sears?To help the local economy and create more jobs, we can: - Provide incentives for small and medium sized businesses to encourage hiring unemployed workers and training them in the skills necessary to perform. ? Continue to support emerging green-collar jobs and local energy-efficiency companies like those in Arlington Heights, etc. - Support common sense construction projects such as the high speed rail system to improve Illinois' status as the backbone of the Midwest's agriculture and manufacturing corridor and take advantage of public-private partnerships with support from the federal government and rail companies. - Build highway bridges and underpasses around suburban railroad tracks and develop the plan to extend Route 53 to save motorists? time, save energy, save lives, reduce pollution and make it easier for our state's businesses to bring their products and services to market by road or rail. This should fully utilize public-private partnerships including the federal government, railroads and other infrastructure companies. - Allow well-managed slot machines at the race track provided there is strong ethical oversight. - Support the arts, especially filmmakers and stage producers, and continue to support and expand Illinois' tourist industry. Our state's tourism business not only leads directly to thousands of jobs, but also draws money from outside of Illinois. The ripple effect of all those visitors is huge. The return on investment and economic impact of productive citizens gaining full employment amid transportation improvement will greatly increase business activity and profitability. This would allow these projects to pay for themselves. Regarding tax breaks granted to companies, I am reluctant to ask taxpayers to provide incentives to large profitable corporations.Do you favor limiting how much money party leaders can give candidates during an election? If elected, do you plan to vote for the current leader of your caucus? Why or why not? Do you support or oppose campaign contribution limits? Please explain.Do you favor limiting how much money party leaders can give candidates during an election? Yes, and would consider zero as a sound option. If elected, do you plan to vote for the current leader of your caucus? Not if a good person runs against Madigan. Any Speaker must consider the interests of all citizens and legislators. He/she should not block legislation based on personal whims or the fact that bills were introduced by the Republicans. He/she should not offer campaign contributions or outside jobs to legislators who provide unwavering support. I am for short term limits for legislators, and most especially for party leadership positions. Do you support or oppose campaign contribution limits? Please explain. Voters are growing weary of negative mail, harassing phone calls and deceptive TV ads made possible by huge campaign contributions. Although the conservative Roberts Supreme Court has currently rendered the issue of campaign contribution limits moot, far fewer dollars in campaign accounts would help alleviate much of that negative campaigning. I would support a constitutional amendment to mitigate the negative impact of the Supreme Court?s failed ?Citizens United? decision. While my incumbent opponent has received generous backing from his party and other entities, to date the state's Democratic Party and leadership have not offered any financial assistance to my campaign, nor am I seeking such help as I choose to remain independent. My local independent grassroots campaign to bring the citizens' voice to Springfield is driven by volunteers, friends and neighbors not by SuperPACs. Even so, our grassroots group was forced to defeat a frivolous GOP objection to my slating which was launched by Republican Party officials locally and in Springfield.Should gay marriage be legalized in Illinois? Should it be voted on in a lame-duck session as civil unions were? Should Illinois define life as beginning at conception? How would you vote on a concealed carry plan? Should the death penalty return?Should gay marriage be legalized in Illinois? Yes, discrimination against fellow citizens is unacceptable under any terms. In fact, discrimination against citizens should be eliminated as soon as possible whether during a lame-duck session or in a regular session. Should Illinois define life as beginning at conception? No. So-called ?personhood amendments? in other states lead to slippery slopes whereby women who suffer a miscarriage are treated like criminals rather than as someone who needs medical attention. Moreover, such extreme regulations could lead to the criminalization of the entire in vitro fertilization industry which has helped countless loving parents bring bright, healthy babies into the world. Illinois should not follow in the footsteps of such infamous Tea Party conservatives as Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin who launched a 2011 proposal in Congress (HR 3) to redefine rape or Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell who supported legislation to force women to endure a trans-vaginal probe simply to speak with a doctor about their own health and well-being. How would you vote on a concealed carry plan? No. We simply need common sense oversight of the weapons industry to prevent more gun violence. I was indeed armed while serving our country in Vietnam and have enormous respect for our Constitution and its Bill of Rights. Nevertheless, I see no desperate need to bring hidden handguns into our playgrounds, parks, shops, theaters, etc. The PR blitz of the gun lobby is overblown and thwarts reasonable discussion. Should the death penalty return? No, the problems inherent in the justice system which led to many innocent citizens being convicted for crimes they did not commit have not been resolved. And, a little-known fact is that it costs the state significant amounts in attorney?s fees and incarceration costs to maintain a ?Death Row? as opposed to imprisoning convicts for life terms. During these economic times when there are proposals to consolidate prison facilities it doesn?t make sense to increase costs.