Jim Hickey: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Orland ParkWebsite: http://www.JimHickeyForAmerica.comOffice sought: 11th District U.S. RepresentativeAge: 38Family: Married, Four ChildrenOccupation: President, Orland Fire Protection DistrictEducation: BA DePaul University, Liberal Arts, 3.98 GPA, Honors. MBA Keller Graduate School, 3.86 GPA, will graduate in 2012. Golden Key International Honour SocietyCivic involvement: Member of the Realtors Association, Member of the Mortgage Brokers Association, Member of the NRA. I am a coach for the Orland Youth Association: Baseball (10 Years), Basketball (5 Years), Soccer (3 Years) I was a coach for the Pioneer Organization, Coach Football (5 Years) I was a member of Toastmasters International, Past Local President I am also a member of Our Lady of the Woods Parish.Elected offices held: 2009 Trustee, Orland Fire Protection District 2011 President, Orland Fire Protection District.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: In 1992, when I was 19, I was driving with No Insurance.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 JOBS: Bring manufacturing back to the 11th District. Lower Corporate Tax Rate to 20%, and remove all taxes on foreign profits. Currently corporations are keeping profits off-shore to avoid being taxed 35%. Common sense states to remove what doesn't work. Also we need to Invest in Rebuilding our Infrastructure, Schools, and Bio-Fuels. We need to bring the American Dream back to the district, so everyone knows that America is a place where as long as you are willing to work hard, you and your family can achieve the American Dream. I plan to be a congressman that walks proud with the voters in the district. I will continue to walk the district, ask families, seniors, business owners for ideas to make our District the Nation great again. As of Jan 12th, I have walked 205 miles door to door talking to concerned voters.Key Issue 2 Housing Market: The housing market is a crucial, we need to fix the housing market. Once this is fixed, confidence will rebound and Americans will start to feel good again. There are many trades involved in building new homes and the upkeep. If a family owes $300,000 on a home that is currently appraised at $200,000, we should allow the bank to lower the loan amount to appraised value, and place a lien of the difference on the home. This lien will be repaid upon sale of the home. But this allows the homeowner to refinance the loan to a lower interest rate, and dramatically lower their payment. An example ( not counting taxes insurance): $300,000 Loan @ 6% Interest -30 year Fixed = $1800/month $200,000 Loan @ 4% Interest - 30 year Fixed = $ 955/month This gives the family an extra $845 a month to spend in the local economy!!! Plus the bank will have greater confidence the loan will be repaid on-time, and will still have a lien of $100,000 to be repaid in the future.Key Issue 3 Increase Cash Flow to Citizens: Student Loan Payments and High Gas Prices are hardships on the American wallet. The average student loan payment is $500 a month, under my proposal that would drop to $100 a month, that is $400/month that could be spent in the local economy. Gas prices are high, today it costs nearly $80 to fill a tank a gas per week. 10 years ago the cost was only $20 a week. That is $240 a month that could be spent in the local economy. If citizens have money to spend in their local economy, that causes small businesses to open and prosper. Then the small business owner is busy and needs to hire another worker, which gives them money to spend in the local economy. If the small business owner is busy, then the warehouse is busy and needs to hire, if the warehouse is busy, then manufacturer is busy (I want to bring manufacturing back to America). I call this the GROUND UP THEORY. My opponent believes in the Trickle Down, which does not work! Giving millionaires tax breaks in hopes of them creating jobs does not work, these businessman are more interested in creating profits not jobs! I believe in the GROUND UP THEORY!Questions Answers What would you do to help ease partisan gridlock? Are you willing to compromise on sticking points including spending cuts and taxes to produce results' How can Congress move from being a "crisis-driven" institution?Compromise is how our American Government was originally formed, and compromise needs to continue to part of all negotiations. I believe I can be a bridge that can get things accomplished in DC. We need to reduce our deficit, and not burden future generations. This is done by putting the policies in place to rebuild the economy from THE GROUND UP, not by raising taxes. We also need to stop wasteful spending. I am unique because I have a family that has been in Unions for 4 generations, I was a small business owner for over a decade, I was a stock broker for nearly a decade. I understand the hardships that Americans face firsthand.Should tax breaks be extended? Why or why not? If so, for whom? What should Congress do to improve unemployment? Why do you support or oppose President Obama's jobs plan? What cuts or revenue increases do you support for deficit reduction?I believe we should propose a Flat Corporate Tax of 20%, and a 0% tax on overseas profits. This will bring money back into America that can be used to modernize factories and create jobs. I also propose a20 Year Tax Holiday for all manufacturing companies that have atleast 75% of their employees here in America. This will enable companies to bring jobs back to America instead of outsourcing. I also believe we need to rebuild our infrastructure and schools. We need to set a goal of being Foreign Energy Free by the end of the decade!What steps should the country now be taking in the war on terrorism? What policy should the U.S. have toward Iran and North Korea? What is your view of terrorism policies that pit public safety against civil liberty?I know that a nuclear Iran is not good for the middle east, nor the world.America must continue to have international sanctions and we must have our nuclear inspectors in Iran to continue investigating. If Iran gets close to creating a nuclear bomb, we must take military action.Middle East: Israel-Palestine Peace I support the two-state solution which has been embraced by both Israeli and Palestinian government officials. And while the peace process has stalled, I believe returning to the peace table by both sides is in the best interests of securing Israel's right to exist and security, and also the rights of Palestinians as well as helping to reduce the conflict level in the Middle East where so many American soldiers have sacrificed their lives and where so much American taxpayer dollars have been invested over the years.As for the details of a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians, I believe that should be left up to Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.I also believe that as an American elected official, my responsibility is first and foremost to the security and safety of Americans, and secondly but also importantly, to help bring about a peaceful resolution of the conflict. We should be smart not to incite more violence and at the same time what we say should make a positive contribution towards these goals.How should Medicare and Medicaid be changed overall to fix fund gaps' How should Medicare be changed for those currently enrolled? How should it change for the Baby Boomer generation?Under my proposal, Social Security/Medicare entitlements can be funded forever, there are 2 loopholes that need to be fixed.1) Remove the maximum income limit. Currently any income over $106,000 there are no social security taxes paid. A maximum of $6,400 is paid into social security regardless if the person makes $500,000; $1M or $10M a year. Everyone should pay the same percentage.2) Receiving benefits, we need to have a maximum income limit including income capital gains. This is where compromise comes into play. Should this be $250,000 or more? Currently everyone receives social security, even Warren Buffet said this is unfair, and he should not receive Social Security. But since his income comes from capital gains he is able to collect. This needs to be fixed! Benjamin Franklin, my favorite founding father, stated it best, "We are growing old fast ourselves, and shall expect the same kind of indulgences. If we give them, we shall have a right to receive them in our turn."What is your position on concealed carry gun laws' How do you believe marriage should be defined legally? What is your position on abortion? What, if any, abortion exceptions do you support? Should abortion clinics receive government funding?I am a NRA Member, and I believe in Protecting the 2nd Amendment.An American Family needs to be able to protect themselves against criminals.I grew up on the South-side of Chicago, and the gang-bangers and criminals all have guns. Look at the 18 year old mother in Oklahoma that was able to protect herself and her baby from an intruder breaking into her home.I am a Irish Catholic, and I believe in the family structure, but at the same time, America is where people are able to live their life free as long as they are not hurting others. I am for Gay/Lesbian Marriages, if two people want to commit to each other, who am I to say that they cannot.We can not discriminate!I am Pro-Life, I believe that an abortion should only be performed to save the mother's life, or in the case of incest or rape as stated by the Pro-Life Organizations.Abortion Clinics should not receive government funding.We need to Focus on: 1) Getting Americans Back to Work,2) Get our Infrastructure in good working condition,3) Modernize our schools to be able to compete in the global world,4) Create Cash-Flows to our citizens by:Reforming Student Loans,Fix Housing Market,Lowering Fuel Prices, andWe need to be Foreign Energy Free by the end of this decade. www.JimHickeyForAmerica.com <div style="margin:8px 8px 0 8px;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.congressionalprimaries.org/static/primaries/js/widget_api.js"></script><script type="text/javascript">document.write(CongressionalPrimaries.tweets("www", "www", "D1129646BCBE92C41681", "Jim", "Hickey"));</script></div>