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Jim Caffrey: Candidate Profile

City: Elmhurst

Website: www.jimcaffrey.org

Twitter: NA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jimcaffrey.il/

Party: Democrat

Office sought: State Representative District 47

Age: 53

Family: Wife, Mary, and two sons, Jacob and Dylan

Occupation:

Clorox - Account Management

Customer Team Manager

Resigned from Clorox in 2017 to run for this office.

Education:

University of Michigan, AB Political Science 1987

American College in Paris, Winter Semester 1986

Boston University, MBA, 1995

Civic involvement:

Board Member, Elmhurst Youth Baseball

Former PTA Secretary, Churchville Middle School

Democratic Precinct Committeeman

Elected offices held: None, first time running for office

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?

Yes, I support a graduated income tax. The model I'm proposing would reduce taxes for the vast majority of Illinoisans and create a fairer tax system. Income under $100,000 would be taxed at a lower percent than the current flat tax rate. Income from $100,000 to 300,000 would remain at the current rate. Anything over $300,000 would be taxed at higher rate. Final rates on the lower and higher end would need to be negotiated.

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?

Property taxation is a significant concern in District 47. This tax issue is the one raised most often as I canvass in the district. The rates are too high, it is a regressive tax, and it is driving people out of the state. We need reform. The best way to reduce the rates is through consolidating local taxing bodies, our local pension systems, and by having the state pay a bigger share of education costs.

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

Bruce Rauner has mostly missed the mark as a governor. His failure to agree on a budget with the legislature for over two years made Illinois' financial situation go from bad to worse. That breakdown was caused by his inability to understand how government works and that compromise is needed to be successful in Springfield. He arrived into office with an executive attitude thinking he could tell people what to do. He was going to shake up Springfield. Well, it's hard to shake up a place when control of the legislature was held by a different party and he was unwilling to work with them.

Governor Rauner did have a few successes during his term including the passage of FEJA (Future Energy Jobs Act), the Trust Act, and his efforts at developing a campus on the South Loop for the Discovery Partners Institute.

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

Michael Madigan, too, has been ineffective and that is why I have been calling for a new Speaker of the House.

It is simply an issue of results. After 33 years as Speaker, do we believe the state is going in the right direction? I would say, no. Otherwise we wouldn't have $7 billion in unpaid bills, $130 billion in unfunded pension liabilities, and a breakdown in the state's social service network.

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 support term limits for legislative leaders. This move could be done by simply changing the House rules similar to what the State Senate did for their leadership positions in 2017.

We have a real opportunity to create a more effective legislature by selecting a new Speaker of the House, putting an end to gerrymandering, and pushing party primaries back to August or September. These steps will encourage bipartisanship and reduce control by legislative leaders.

Select a New Speaker of the House: I will not vote for Mike Madigan. Illinois needs a fresh perspective, and a new leader who can build coalitions and compromise with other elected officials.

End Gerrymandering: Illinois has legislative districts that look like poorly designed jigsaw puzzle pieces. These districts were created purely for partisan purposes. We need a bipartisan, independent commission to create fairer, more competitive legislative maps.

Late Primary: Illinois should move party primaries to later in the year. Primaries in August or September would reduce time and money spent on campaigning and allow more opportunities for cooperation in Springfield. Twelve other states already have a similar primary structure.

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

People are leaving Illinois because of the state's financial problem and the fear that nothing can be done to fix it because of the dysfunction in Springfield. Reversing this decline starts with elected officials taking steps to reestablish trust between themselves and the voters.

The campaign priorities I listed in other questions are designed, in part, to reestablish this trust. Working on government reforms (selecting a new Speaker of the House and ending gerrymandering) along with developing concrete plans to improve our financial situation (pay back our overdue bills and solve our pension crisis) can restore confidence, make Illinois a more desirable place to live, and reverse the pattern we're now seeing.

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

I'm a Democrat, but I've shown my independence from my party by calling for a new Speaker of the House and choosing to run a campaign without any financial support from the Democratic Party of Illinois.

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

Getting our fiscal house in order is the key to our future here in Illinois.

We have $7 billion of unpaid bills and $130 billion in unfunded pension liability. We can't truly invest in education, infrastructure, and human services until we pay down this debt. My plan to remedy this situation includes:

• Prioritizing the payment of overdue bills:

We need to create a 3-to-5-year plan to pay back our overdue bills so that businesses, investors and workers know that debt will end. And then we need to make each year's allocation a mandated line-item in the General Fund.

• Reduce our unfunded pension liability:

I believe that we should re-amortize our pension debt. Illinois would pay a level amount each year instead of an increasing amount which will absorb over a third of our General Fund discretionary spending by 2045 if nothing changes. This plan requires slightly higher funding in the near term but will save billions over time compared to the current payment schedule. To ensure this plan succeeds, annual pension funding needs to be paid in full each year - no more pension holidays.

• Create a sound retirement system for the future.

All options should be on the table including traditional pensions, 401K-style plans, and Social Security. The solution should be one that is stable and secure for retirees, and sustainable and affordable for state government.

If we take these three steps, I believe Illinois can rebuild its financial health and our economy can thrive.

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?

Joining the Peace Corps was the hardest decision I ever made. I really wanted to serve my country and make a difference in the lives of people less fortunate than us in America. However, it meant that I would be away from family and friends for over two years. I made the decision to go and never had any regrets. It was a wonderful experience.

Who is your hero?

My political hero is Joe Biden. His basic decency as a human being and his ability to work across the aisle inspires my work in public service.

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 one to me because it voices the fundamental rights that make America the beacon of freedom around the world. At its core, the First Amendment is what makes America, America.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

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

Telling the truth was the most important lesson I learned as a youth. I once lied to my mother about something trivial when I was four years old. Instead of yelling at me, she explained why being honest is critical to the character of a person. I have never forgotten the shame I felt that day and have done my best to live up to her expectations.

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

I did a poor job managing an employee early in my career. I did not set clear expectations and then measure that person against those expectations. That situation resulted in difficult conversations and hurt feelings when review time came.

I learned that setting expectations early in a work or professional relationship is critical to success. Regular reviews to ensure everyone remains on the same page is also important for both the relationship and business results.

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