53rd district candidates discuss economy

The three candidates for the 53rd state house race all agree that passing a capital bill for Illinois is the best way to bolster the economy, but there's still the question of how that would actually happen.

The plan that would bring infrastructure improvements - and jobs - to the state has not been passed for nine years.

Much of that is due to infighting among Democratic leaders and questions on how to pay for it.

Incumbent Sid Mathias, a Republican from Buffalo Grove, said it may take public outcry to really push the leaders in Springfield to get anything done.

"We can change the dynamics in Springfield," he said.

Rob Sherman, the Green Party candidate from Buffalo Grove, said that since he's not tied with either the Republicans or the Democrats, he can reach across the aisles to work out an agreement.

Carol Javens, the Democratic candidate from Wheeling, said she'd like to see an independent commission oversee who gets construction projects in the state so that there's no question about awarding contracts to campaign contributors.

"Versus having it done by someone like the governor, people would be much more likely to get behind (the capital bill) quickly," she said.

Besides the capital bill, Javens said she'd also like to see the Cook County sales tax increase repealed.

"A lot of people are shopping outside Cook County, and it's not helping local businesses," she said.

Mathias agreed that more taxes in an environment where people are losing jobs is unhealthy.

"We're chasing jobs away from Illinois," he said. "Why would you want to start a business in Illinois if you think that the governor's going to put a gross receipts tax on your business?"

However, Sherman said that since both his opponents have been endorsed by teachers unions, he takes that as an indication that they'd want to have the state income tax hiked to provide money for education.

"Their constituencies are the people who consume taxes," Sherman said. "My constituency are people who pay the taxes."

Both Mathias and Javens deny they would want to raise taxes.

Sherman said he would also want to eliminate grants from the state.

He said when one town receives a grant, it's really taxpayer money from all over the state paying for it.

Javens said she'd like to go through the state budget line by line to eliminate any programs that are unnecessary.

Mathias said he would use a similar strategy with programs that Gov. Rod Blagojevich keeps pushing. He said many programs are being expanded by the governor to include more and more people who don't need help.

"We don't want to run a welfare state," he said. "We need to help those people who can't help themselves, but we don't want to encourage people not to work."

The 53rd district covers much of Buffalo Grove and parts of Arlington Heights, Wheeling, Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights.