Mussman, Read debate immigration, state finances in 56th District House race

The hot issues of immigration and state finances were among many debated by the hopefuls for the 56th District Illinois House seat at a recent candidates’ forum.

Democratic incumbent Michelle Mussman of Schaumburg is seeking her ninth term in the House in the Nov. 3 election. Republican Rhys Read of Des Plaines, a certified public accountant who previously served nine years as a Des Plaines Library trustee, is challenging her.

Mussman said immigration has been a boon for Illinois ― building up the state’s population and generating billions of dollars in property, sales and income taxes.

“Many of them are entrepreneurs, many of them came here because they absolutely want to work,” she added. “So I believe it is reasonable within our state policies that we should encourage and uplift our immigrants and help them integrate and be a productive part of our society.”

Read said he is pro-immigrant — his wife was born in Mexico — but of the legal variety. Those here illegally cost the state billions of dollars, an expense that needs to end, he added.

“Nobody resents the illegal aliens more than people who have gone through the process to come here legally,” Read said. “We need to work with federal agencies to remove the illegal aliens from the state while at the same time providing a mechanism of support to increase the legal method to make sure people who want to come here and will contribute to society will do so.”

Both candidates see finances as the state’s biggest challenge, but one for which they favor different solutions.

“Our revenue and tax system is absolutely out of date,” Mussman said. “It is regressive, it needs to be modernized and changed so that it is more fair for everyone and bringing in a more adequate amount of revenue for us to address our historic deficits and shortfalls.”

Read agrees Illinois has to fix its finances, but by reducing excessive spending and fighting fraud.

“The biggest fiscal issue we have is the $140 billion unfunded pension liability which will bankrupt the state,” he said. “We can no longer have these unsustainable pensions where some people are getting over half a million dollars a year … retiring on double salaries at 55 years of age.”

Illinois’ taxes would automatically become more progressive if the state spent less and increased the personal exemption, he said.

Mussman responded the state is spending less overall than in 2000 and that the majority of the budget is mandated by state and federal laws or even court orders.

“It is not optional,” she argued. “We cannot just choose to spend less because we’d like to be a little more fiscally conservative.”

The problem with the pension system isn’t the generosity of its benefits but the state’s failure to fund it, Mussman added.

The 56th District covers all or portions of Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows, Roselle and Des Plaines.

epeterson@dailyherald.com