State House candidates share income inequality fixes in Naperville
The Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation gathered candidates for three state House districts to answer questions, some prepared and others - like a query about how to fix "income inequality" - thrown in at a moment's notice.
Whoever submitted the income inequality question wanted to make sure it was answered by candidates to represent the 41st, 81st and 84th state House districts, said Bob Fischer, president of the homeowners confederation.
Fischer said the anonymous audience member wrote "DO NOT OMIT THIS QUESTION!!" during the Wednesday forum, held about a month before the Nov. 4 election.
"What are your views about the incredibly inequitable spread of incomes between people barely surviving on minimal salaries, often working two part-time jobs, and very highly paid executives?" the question asked six candidates seeking the three seats. "Is that the basic democracy of our wonderful country?"
Each candidate answered it in a different way.
Krishna Bansal, a 43-year-old Naperville business owner running as a Republican for the 84th House District, responded first and said income inequality is a result of the economy and can be solved by improving Illinois' business climate.
"Unless we encourage the job creators to come here and create more jobs, create better-paying jobs, I don't think this is going to get resolved," Bansal said.
Bansal's opponent, Democratic incumbent Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego, said providing better job training and employment opportunities for young people will help close the income gap. She said teenage jobs, such as paper routes, ice cream shop attendants and grocery cashiers, aren't as plentiful these days, which makes it difficult for young people to gain experience.
"There were a lot of job opportunities in my youth to set the foundation for being a better worker for the companies," said Kifowit, 42. "We need to start focusing on our youth, job skills training for our youth and working to match up individuals with the companies that are hiring."
Candidates for the 81st House District seat took the question and made a campaign point - Republican incumbent Ron Sandack voicing opposition to "overtaxation," and Democratic challenger Liz Chaplin taking a stand in favor of raising the minimum wage.
Sandack, a 50-year-old attorney from Downers Grove, said every "good-hearted, good-souled person should be concerned" about income inequality. But continuing to tax income at 5 percent instead of letting the rate decrease to 3.75 percent by 2015 only would cut job opportunities and widen the gap between "those who have and those who have not."
"No society has ever taxed their way into prosperity," Sandack said. "Illinois is trying that and all we're doing is going down the tube further."
Chaplin, a 49-year-old accountant from Downers Grove, said too many good-paying factory jobs have been outsourced, leaving workers to find minimum-wage jobs in industries such as fast-food.
"It's the morally right thing to raise that minimum wage," Chaplin said.
Candidates in the 41st House District, Grant Wehrli, a Naperville Republican, and Ed Agustin, a Naperville Democrat, also suggested different ways to tackle inequalities among the lowest and highest earners.
Wehrli, a 45-year-old sales and business management consultant and Naperville City Council member, called himself a "compassionate conservative" who is concerned with helping those in need. Changing state policies on topics such as workers' compensation could help address the shrinking middle class by allowing businesses to cut costs and pay higher salaries.
"Simply raising the minimum wage isn't the solution unless you have some way to free up those dollars in which corporations, small businesses primarily, can afford to pay a higher wage."
Agustin, a 70-year-old retired architect, said better technical education and training will allow low-wage employees to increase their earning potential.
"Right now there is a huge need for technical training, and jobs that have been going vacant can be filled by people if they're trained with the right skills," Agustin said. "Opportunities do exist, but they're hard to find if you're not qualified."
The homeowners confederation invited candidates for the 84th, 81st and 41st districts because they all represent parts of Naperville. The 84th also includes parts of Aurora, Montgomery, Oswego and Boulder Hill; the 81st covers parts of Darien, Downers Grove, Lisle, Westmont and Woodridge; and the 41st covers sections of Warrenville.