Ann Gillespie: Candidate profile

Bio:

Name: Ann Gillespie

City: Arlington Heights

Website: Annfor27.org

Twitter: @AnnforILSenate

Facebook: @anngillespieforillinoissenate

Party: Democrat

Office sought: State senator, 27th district

Age: 59

Family: Father James Gillespie, deceased; mother Jean Kapplinger Gillespie, deceased; son Kevin, daughter Gillian.

Occupation: Retired from CVS Caremark.

Education: BA in History, University of Illinois; JD from DePaul University.

Civic involvement: Organizer of efforts to support the county minimum wage and sick leave law with We the People Mount Prospect (a progressive community group) and Arise Chicago; liaison with congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's office for We the People Mount Prospect; weekly tutor at La Rabida Children's Hospital; site leader, Lung Force Walk (American Lung Association); Northwest Suburban United Way Women's Leadership Council; Girl Scout troop co-leader; election judge.

Elected offices held: Illinois HMO Guaranty Association chairwoman, 1989-1991; vice chair, 1987-1989.

Questions & Answers

Q. 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?

Yes, I support implementation of a graduated income tax. As the vast majority of states already recognize, you cannot sustain world-class infrastructure and education and provide for other needs on a flat income tax structure. Illinois is one of only nine states with a flat tax; 34 states, including the District of Columbia, have a graduated income tax. Contrary to the arguments of dissenters, implementing a graduated income tax would not place Illinois at a competitive disadvantage compared with neighboring states. Although Indiana and Michigan have flat state income tax rates, counties or municipalities are allowed to assess a separate income tax in addition to the state tax. Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, and Minnesota already have graduated income tax rates. I would review multiple bracket proposals, focusing on the bracket that balances optimizing needed revenue with keeping Illinois in line with similarly situated states and results in tax relief for the middle-class and working families.

Q. 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?

The property tax system is broken. Identifying four root causes will lead to new solutions:

• The greatest portion of funding for our schools comes from local property taxes, which have increased as the state's support of local schools declined from over 40 percent to about 24 percent. The Illinois Constitution makes clear that the state has "the primary responsibility for funding education," and the first step to achieving this constitutional requirement is fully funding the new formula, which adds at least $350 million each year to K-12 education during the next 10 years.

• Illinois' large number of taxing districts is an inefficient use of tax dollars. These districts exist because bonding limits for municipalities makes it advantageous to create a new district when infrastructure improvements are needed. Adding incentives for consolidation and changing the debt level requirements for districts would help end this practice, make government more efficient and save taxpayers money.

• TIF districts are abused and are a hidden tax used to support business development. I support TIF districts to reinvigorate blighted areas, but suffering school districts should be either given relief from the cap that is placed on raising the assessed property valuation in the district or included in the allocation of TIF dollars at an amount that offsets the tax loss, since business is a primary beneficiary of our schools.

• Cook County is suffering from preferential assessment for businesses and those who can appeal. Adjustments under the new County Assessor will take time.

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

Bruce Rauner has adhered to an ideological agenda from the day he assumed office. Rather than negotiate as other leaders in divided governments do, he attempted to bully the legislature into accepting his agenda. In addition, Gov. Rauner has remained silent on the many egregious actions by the Trump administration; and when he has voiced criticism it has been mild and come only after significant pressure from citizens and the media.

The results of this approach are clear. Job growth has been slower than during Gov. Quinn's post-recession period. For the first time in many years, the state experienced a net loss in population. Students began leaving the state for other higher education opportunities. The state's bond rating fell to almost junk level. And prior to the balanced budget passed over his veto, past due bills skyrocketed to $16 million. The results speak for themselves as an evaluation.

Q. What is your evaluation of Senate President John Cullerton's job performance?

The role of the President of the Senate is to facilitate the passage of legislation that the majority of senators believe is in the best interest of their constituents. Doing this frequently involves negotiating with members of his party and with the executive branch to achieve those ends. With a solid majority from his party, Senator Cullerton could pass most items without holding discussions with Republicans. However, a review of legislative votes, including veto overrides, shows that President Cullerton is fairly successful in working with both Democrats and Republicans. As for working with his own caucus, based on my discussions with other senators, President Cullerton appears to be a good listener and incorporates positions from caucus members into legislative solutions.

Working with Gov. Rauner has been much more challenging. The governor frequently stonewalled negotiations on critical issues as a tactic to win the most concessions possible. It appears that President Cullerton was able to keep the lines of communication open with the governor, even through some of the most difficult negotiations. For these reasons I feel that President Cullerton is doing an effective job in his role as President of the Senate.

Q. 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?

I do support term limits for legislative leaders. Legislative leaders have tremendous say in the decisions of the state, and, following repeated elections by a small constituency, Springfield insiders should not be in a position to elect someone who has the power to maintain a leadership position indefinitely. The Senate already has a 10-year term limit on the Senate presidency.

What I believe will affect change is electing new legislators to both houses. This election, in particular, is an opportunity to bring about a generational change to our state house as well by electing legislators who are focused on getting the work done rather than on a career in politics. The activism and engagement we are seeing this election cycle is driving younger and more diverse candidates, which is a positive change.

This momentum should be continued in future elections. Too many seats remain uncontested. So I plan on working with others to recruit additional candidates in the future so that voters across Illinois always have a choice about who will represent them in Springfield.

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

Out-migration has been occurring in Illinois since the 1920s but for a number of years the losses have been offset by immigration from outside the U.S. Net population almost always increased until 2016, but has been in decline the past two years. Population loss in Illinois can be attributed to two Republican policy decisions: Trump's immigration policies, which have brought immigration to a standstill; and, Rauner's budget impasse, which created major uncertainty in the state's economy.

Two additional issues have increased the outflow: high property taxes, which especially affect people preparing for retirement and are caused by the current tax system, and the failure to properly fund higher education.

Recognizing these root causes makes reversing the situation manageable. This leads to four policy steps that can reverse this trend: 1) stabilize the state's economy as described in my earlier answer; 2) reduce the tuition costs of higher education in state universities and community colleges while reversing the brain drain that the budget impasse caused; 3) establish alternatives to college through building the Career and Technical Education Programs in high schools based on the business development needs of the communities; and, 4) invest in people and infrastructure to attract and retain businesses.

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

My candidacy grew out of a grass-roots movement that is fighting for working class families on such issues as demanding a living wage for workers, health care as a right, support of voting rights, and upholding women, minority, immigrant, and LGBTQ rights. These supporters worked to create a stunning victory for me in the primary, when I did not have party support. Just as importantly, as I have stated at all my gatherings, I am not running to make the legislature or politics my career. I have had a career. When others suggested that I leave the state when I retired, I chose instead to run for office and be part of the solution. I am running to do the work, not to parlay favors from the party or to move up a political ladder. This perspective reinforces my independence.

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

• Investing in the future of Illinois by providing a world class education to all students, from early childhood through college. This can be achieved by assuring adequate and equitable funding including reducing our reliance on property taxes, expanding opportunities for vocational education, relieving teachers and administrators of overly burdensome administrative duties and excessive testing, and restoring funding to higher education. This should also include career training, particularly in geographic areas impacted by changing industries and automation.

• Establishing a fair tax system for working families. This will require evaluating the state's tax system at all levels. Steps to achieve this include establishing a graduated income tax and finding methods to reduce the burden on middle and lower income taxpayers; having the state pay its fair share for education funding to reduce reliance on property taxes; and identifying other revenue sources.

• Assuring that health care is accessible and affordable for all residents of Illinois. This will require maintaining the affordable care marketplace including opening up Medicaid to users of the exchange. We must also assure that women continue to have access to affordable reproductive health care and that adequate funds are provided for mental health, addiction treatment, and senior health care.

• Continued development of the state's infrastructure to attract 21st century businesses. We must develop new strategies for funding infrastructure projects at rates which pay workers a living wage. Developing infrastructure includes the use of green industries and being conscious of our impact on the environment.

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

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

The decision to run for office. I take the commitment very seriously and that made the decision, particularly in the current political climate, one that required a great deal of thought and support from my family and friends.

Who is your hero?

My mother, who held our family together after my father's plane crash when I was a child. My father suffered life-altering injuries and the economic impact resulted in our family losing nearly everything, including our house. My mother went back to work as a nurse, supporting my three sisters and me while caring for my father through his recovery and beyond. And yet she maintained a positive outlook on life and instilled that in all of us. I could not have had a better role model.

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

Current events have made it very clear that the First Amendment, with its protections of freedom of speech, the press and assembly, is the first line of defense in protecting our democracy.

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

My sisters and I are products of the robust social safety net that was in place during the years following my father's plane crash. It helped us afford college and helped my family get back on our feet. That experience showed me the power of government to be a positive force for good when it focuses on investing in people.

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

Over the course of my life there have been many times when I failed at something. What I learned each and every time is that you never give up trying. You admit your mistakes, examine what went wrong, identify what you can change or how you can approach it differently next time, and you move forward.