Karen Feldman: Candidate profile

Bio:

Name: Karen Feldman

City: Lincolnshire, IL

Website: www.karenforil.com

Twitter: @KarenforIL

Facebook: @KarenFeldmanforStateRep

Party: Republican

Office sought: State Representative, IL Legislative District 59

Age: 49

Family: Married to Jeffery Feldman, mother of Ariel (20), Sam (17), & Jadyn (13)

Occupation: Residential Realtor

Education: DePaul (BA Psychology)

Civic involvement: Volunteer at Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Local community and school volunteer, Sisterhood at BJBE Synagogue, Volunteer at Orphans of the Storm, Volunteer at Habit for Humanity, Volunteer at The ARK, Volunteer at Lincolnshire Sports Association, Lincolnshire Village liaison to Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce and Lincolnshire Park Board,

Elected offices held: Lincolnshire Village Board Trustee 2009-2017

Questions & Answers

Would you vote to approve a graduated income tax? If so, what qualifiers would you impose and where would you set the brackets? What would the top tax rate be?

No. We are already one of the highest taxed states in the nation. People are already leaving in droves, taxing more would just exacerbate the situation. The only proposal we have seen by the Democrats thus far is the FRIENDLY Act (HB3522) and that's ridiculous.

How big a problem is the level of property taxation in Illinois? If you view it as a problem, what should be done about it?

Illinois has the most amount of taxing bodies of any state in the nation and they crowd the property tax bill. Duplicative services, waste, corruption, and poor budgeting leave the taxpayers on the hook. I am in favor of streamlining and consolidating services to cut costs and we have done that during my service on the Village Board. Where I live, the Vernon Township blankets a tax on our bill and I believe that any services it provides can be absorbed by local municipalities that are adjacent. The Township has multiple staff salaries and pensions, as well as, vehicles, equipment, and buildings to maintain. These costs and duplicative services can be absorbed by municipalities that have staff and programs already in place.

One of the largest portions of the property tax bill goes to funding schools. Our constitution requires the State to be the majority funder of education, yet the State only funds education at a sad 28%. The schools then reach out to the taxpayers to fill the gap. If we could make the State fund education at a higher rate, the schools would have smaller deficits in funding to fill via the property tax bill.

Illinois' burdensome regulations and red tape have blacklisted our State for many businesses. If we can become business friendly again, we can gain new revenue from those job creators, instead of relying heavily on the property owner, and perhaps fund education better.

What is your evaluation of Gov. Rauner's job performance? Please specify what you view as its highs and lows.

No one can change decades of single-party rule and thinking in three and a half years. Some of the high points includes great strides in taking on the opioid crisis, criminal justice reform, education funding reform, and the creation of the Department of Information Technology (DOIT) that updates and streamlines our government agencies' IT systems providing savings and curing some vulnerabilities, but so much more can and should be done.

The low point was the budget impasse. It resulted in a reduction in social services, hurt families, and caused people to lose confidence in state government. We need restore that confidence with a more balanced General Assembly that is dedicated to reform and genuine taxpayer relief.

What is your evaluation of Speaker Michael Madigan's (President John Cullerton's) job performance? If you voted for him for speaker (president) in the last legislative session, please explain your vote.

I would never have voted for Michael Madigan as Speaker and I never will, nor am I beholden to him and his money unlike my opponent. Speaker Madigan has amassed an incredible amount of power with the result being high taxes, mass exodus of businesses and residents, pension problems, lack of confidence, and frankly, fostered an environment for corruption and pervasive sexual harassment. Who would ever vote for Mike Madigan as Speaker, based on his past performance?

Should there be term limits for legislative leaders? If so, what would you do to make that happen? What other systemic changes should be made to strengthen the voice of individual legislators, limit the control of legislative leaders, encourage bipartisanship?

Yes. I would advocate changes in the House Rules and I would vote “yes” for any House Rules that contain such term limits and “no” on any Rules that do not. Without term limits for leaders, the Speaker has been able to wait out his political opponents, because he knows he will be there next week, next year, even next decade. By establishing term limits, leaders will be forced to work together in a timelier and more collaborative fashion to get things done and that gives power back to rank and file legislators.

How concerned should we be about Illinois' population loss? What needs to be done to reverse the trend?

I am seriously concerned. The loss of hundreds of thousands of residents will lead to Illinois losing its power in Washington by potentially losing two congressional seats. I know from my experience as Realtor, as inventory builds, property values plummet. Businesses shy away as there are fewer consumers and the skilled workforce leaves the State for jobs elsewhere. Just as in any free market, people need to discover Illinois' value. To make Illinois more desirable, it needs to be affordable, fair, and command confidence. Pro-growth reforms, political reforms, investment in education, infrastructure, and transportation, and training workers for the jobs of tomorrow will support a better quality of life and move our State forward.

Illinois has tremendous locational advantages and resources. There is no reason except for Michael Madigan's failed political leadership as to why our neighboring states are thriving while we are not.

Please provide one example that demonstrates your independence from your party.

My time on the Lincolnshire Village Board is a proven record of my independence and shows that I have the ability to work in a bipartisan manner. There were times when I entered the Board meetings with a firm opinion on a matter only to have that opinion changed after listening and reviewing expert testimony and the needs and wishes of the community.

What other issues are important to you as a candidate for this office?

Illinois has many serious issues, however, as I go door-to-door I hear two consistent complaints. One is the punishing tax burden.

The other is the highly charged political climate and polarization of political parties. Resident are disappointed and frustrated. The district is a more moderate district with some political diversity. The toxic environment right now seems to make it acceptable for the opposition to launch outrageous claims and lies without any accountability. The negativity just ends up polarizing people even more, accomplishes nothing positive, and encourages voter apathy.

In addition, here a few questions meant to provide more personal insight into you as a person:

What's the hardest decision you ever had to make?

The most difficult but most rewarding decision of my life was the decision to start a family. As a type-1 diabetic there are severe risks and complications involved with pregnancy. After several years of discussions between my husband and I and our doctors, we decided to start our family and have three wonderful kids despite navigating those challenges. Having a family has given me a wonderful perspective and view of the world that I would not have had without them. I'm dedicated to solving today's problems for the next generation.

Who is your hero?

Golda Meir. A lot of her story resonates with me as the daughter of immigrants and as a Jewish woman. She was the first and only woman to hold the office of Prime Minister of Israel and one of the very first women to hold such an office in the world.

Each amendment in the Bill of Rights is important, but which one of those 10 is most precious to you?

The First Amendment is the most precious to me, especially in these times when everyone's speech is under such scrutiny and the amendment seems to be more and more relevant each day.

What lesson of youth has been most important to you as an adult?

When I was a child, I was painfully shy and quiet. I never spoke, up nor did I ever advocate for myself. The most terrifying moment for me was when I moved to a new school and had to make new friends while being the shy, quiet kid. Almost immediately I was bullied, my mother told me if I let the bullies define me, the other students will never get to know who I was. She encouraged me to find one person and tell them about myself in a safe moment. She promised that if anything went wrong she'd have my back. Sure enough as soon as I reached out to one girl she introduced me to somebody else and so on until we had a good friend group.

After I built my confidence, it was easier to raise my hand in school and to talk to people. My mother taught me that whatever I'm worried about, everyone else is worried about the same things. We are all human. People by nature are good and understanding. Today, I love talking to people. I still have moments when I get nervous speaking in front of large groups, but it helps realizing we are all human.

Think back to a time you failed at something. What did you learn from it?

When I was younger, there was a cheating scandal in my class. I overheard some kids blaming another student and threatening her to make her take the blame. The teacher ended up punishing the student. I was a bystander and was too scared to come forward. I was very disappointed in myself for not speaking up. Today, I tell my kids that if they are a bystander, they are just as guilty as the bully and you have to stand up for what is right.