Laura Hois: 2024 candidate for DuPage County Board District 2

Bio

Party: Republican

Office Sought: DuPage County Board District 2

City: Downers Grove

Age: 66

Occupation: Former corporate attorney, law firm owner

Previous offices held: Town Clerk, Downers Grove Township (2013-17)

Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election for the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you? If so, what?

I am running for county board to provide better representation for the people in District 2. The need to balance the board with more conservative members is evident.

Spending decisions have been made to satisfy leftist political agendas, top down from the Biden Administration. While hardworking families and business owners had to cope with masks, vaccine mandates, loss of employment, business closures and high costs of living, the county's budget increased to over $625 million.

Where is the heart for the taxpayer? The board supported soft on crime policies, expanded government control, D.E.I. initiatives, health department directives, and coordination of illegals from Texas put on trains to Chicago. These actions diminished citizen's constitutional rights and created hardships.

We now know that the CDC and health departments' “guidance” was false and misleading. People have lost trust in government. DuPage County citizens deserve to be told the truth.

If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?

Restoring public safety will be my #1 priority. Fiscal responsibility will be my #2 priority. I will stand up for DuPage County citizens to put them first. People have been harmed and angered by radical left policies that have robbed their peace of mind, their livelihoods or their ability to find work (a young male white person is not likely to be hired by the public library where WOKE hiring practices rule the day).

The rich elites get richer while We the People in the private sector get poorer. Every. Single. Day. Crime in DuPage County has increased by 500% in the past few years. The sheriff's office is down 33 officers. That is not good for anybody. The county board voted to substantially increase its budget as it went along with DuPage County Health Department's lockdowns and “safety” measures which caused more harm than good. The health department's budget increased by 50% from year 2020 to 2021.

Describe your position regarding the balance between county spending and revenues as it exists today, then describe the chief threats you see looming in the future and how the county should deal with them.

My position: county board members have a sworn duty to prioritize American citizens and abide by the U.S. and Illinois constitution when making spending decisions. Recent reports show the county budget is balanced with a 2023 year-end surplus of $18.9 million and a 2024 plan to use the county's ARPA allocation for various purposes.

The chief threats I see looming in the future are: increased crime, plummeting math/reading scores in schools, negative impacts of diversity, equity and inclusion programs such as discrimination against whites, the harm caused by gender influencing in public institutions, higher taxes to pay for “free everything” for illegals, and higher income individuals and businesses leaving Illinois.

The people are the sovereign: they are to tell the government how they want their tax dollars spent. The government is supposed to work for us. Goal: smaller government, lower taxes.

Does there need to be more bipartisanship and cooperation on the county board? If yes, what would you do to help make that happen?

Yes, definitely. Bipartisan cooperation and meaningful debate would be nice but it does not happen often enough. Some members of the county board do not give law enforcement the respect it deserves to function properly.

A “we have the power” (regardless of what you say) attitude persists in spite of opposition. DuPage County is now Democrat-controlled with an 18-member board comprised of 11 Democrats and 7 Republicans. The Democrat County Board Chairman drives health department and personal initiatives (e.g. taxpayer-funded mental health and substance abuse treatment), bolstered by Congressman Sean Casten who is known for wanting to decriminalize fentanyl and take away constitutional rights.

At the same time, our federal government allows open borders and drug cartels, while the state government facilitates the invasion. Where is the resistance to this from the county? What we need now is to achieve balance, or better yet, regain a Republican majority on the board.

Earlier this year, some suggested that the 1996 state law that established a separate forest preserve board in DuPage County should be undone and that the forest preserve should be returned to the control of the county board. Do you support that idea? Why or why not?

The State of Illinois has more government entities by far than any other state. Illinois has the second-highest taxes in the country. Yes, I would support undoing the 1996 state law and returning the forest preserve commission to the control of the county board.

As I walk door-to-door in this campaign, I see that many people have already left DuPage County to move to other states like Tennessee or Florida. People I meet tell me they want to get out of Illinois as soon as possible. Illinois' net loss of wealthy, young workers to other states is accelerating, according to Wirepoints, Sept. 14, 2024. Productive people are being driven out of Illinois, leaving a higher tax burden for those who must stay. This is not sustainable.

The growth of government must be reversed in favor of pro-small business policies to support the private sector and allow young people to stay and thrive in Illinois.

What are your thoughts about the condition of the county fairgrounds in Wheaton? Should the county play a greater role in improving and maintaining the structures on the property?

My husband and I brought our grandson to the county fair this year and last year. We enjoyed the fair but saw that the condition of the fairgrounds has deteriorated. However, in my view, improving the fairgrounds must be postponed until county spending is re-evaluated to provide relief to taxpayers. Many families struggle to pay their bills, with higher gas and food costs the last thing they need is tax increases to pay for even more spending. DuPage citizens are fed up, tired, and angry. I'd vote to maintain but not improve the fairgrounds now.

What are your thoughts about the consolidation? Should the county play a greater role in streamlining and consolidating local government? Why or why not?

I favor consolidation to keep taxes in check. However, it is not the solution to what ails us. The ideological divide is the real problem that must be solved. To serve DuPage County citizens we must balance the board to allow all voices to be heard. Many people share my view that our current District 2 board members do not speak for me or half of the residents in DuPage. I am a conservative who knows we must act now to save our country one county at a time.

We the People do not want socialism. We do not want communism. We do not want more lockdowns or vaccine mandates. We want election integrity. We demand quality, merit-based education for our children, not marxist indoctrination and sexualization. We did not ask for “fundamental transformation.” We want national sovereignty, closed borders, freedom, life, liberty, and U.S. constitutional values as interpreted by our Founding Fathers.

What role should the county play in combating the opioid crisis?

The county board should combat the opioid crises by standing up to and speaking out against the powerful forces that have allowed it to continue (Big Pharma and the federal government), on behalf of the citizens in DuPage County. We need county leadership to say “no more.”

The opioid crises started in the mid-1990s when OxyContin was promoted by Big Pharma and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Then the heroin market was expanded to attract already addicted people. A third wave of deaths arose from illegal synthetic opioids like fentanyl. It has been left up to the drug industry, not regulators, to educate and advise prescribers on how to mitigate risk. The profit motive is powerful. Often, officials who leave government agencies join the pharmaceutical industry. it is a circular problem that has not been checked.

DuPage taxpayers are paying the price. Dr. Richard Jorgensen is excellent and has been as effective as he can be in his role as county coroner.

What role should the county play in increasing affordable housing in the region?

The county should support (but not partner with) private sector construction companies with incentives to develop affordable housing in DuPage County where and when feasible.