Katy Dolan Baumer: Candidate profile

Bio:

Name: Katy Dolan Baumer

City: Streamwood

Website: katyfor44.org

Facebook: katydolanbaumerfor44

Party: Republican

Office sought: State representative, District 44

Age: Not given

Family: Husband Mike Baumer, CFO ASC Industries, East Hazel Crest

Occupation: Graphic artist

Education: Hotel Administration, UNLV; Culinary, ECC

Civic involvement:

Current:

Township Officials of Illinois Governing Board Director

Township Officials of Illinois Clerks Division past-President and current Secretary/Treasurer

Township Officials of Cook County Governing Board Secretary

Township Officials of Cook County Clerks Association President

Streamwood Chamber of Commerce Board past President (4 terms) and current Director/Secretary

Village of Streamwood appointed Commissioner (21 years)

Elk Grove Village Lions Club immediate past Secretary and member (17 years)

Streamwood Woman's Club member

Past:

Lions District 1-F Cabinet Secretary (2 terms)

U-46 Education Foundation Secretary Pro-Tem

Hanover Township Mental Health Board member and Secretary

Medical Accountability Network Charter Board Member

MD-1 Lions of Illinois State Lioness Chairman and co-Chair

Lions District 1-J Lioness Chairman

Streamwood Lions Club Secretary and PR Chairman

Poplar Creek Public Library District Strategic Planning Committee member

Pre-Cana Leader Couple - Church of the Holy Spirit

Elected offices held: Poplar Creek Public Library District Trustee 2 terms (12 years);

Hanover Township Trustee 1 term (4 years); Hanover Township Clerk 3 terms (10 years)

current.

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?

I believe that in Illinois we have a spending issue, not a revenue issue. There is no need to raise taxes

further on Illinois residents before we explore real reform to government spending.

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 - every day I hear a story of how property taxes are affecting residents in my

district. The stories are heartbreaking - never do I hear of someone who is happy to pay the

escalating tax rates; they say they will pay their fair share, but this is higher than they ever envisioned

it becoming. In fact, I have heard of people who have paid off their home, but now are faced with

increasing property taxes (for the very same home that is already paid off), and those property taxes

are becoming so prohibitive that people are leaving their homes, families and communities. They ask

me - "Who really owns my home after 20 years?" noting that they are paying taxes that are larger

than their mortgages. Many homeowners today were not homeowners when the pension debt

skyrocketed to over $130 billion, yet they are being forced to pay for it, as will their children and

children's children. We need to reduce property taxes and certainly halt passage of any legislation to

increase them. We need to look at the driving factor of the debt that is forcing the taxes to increase.

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

Governor Rauner was elected because people in Illinois knew then, and know now, that a new

course of action is critical to halt the deterioration of our state. He underestimated the power of Mike

Madigan to block any reform, causing his agenda to fall short. The high point of his first term was

the election of enough reform-minded state representatives to eliminate the Madigan supermajority.

The low point for the state was the override of Rauner's veto of the 32-percent Illinois income tax increase.

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.

Madigan & Getzendanner, fake opponents on the ballot for the 22nd Illinois State Rep.

District, patronage army, Joe Berrios, $203 billion in pension debt. Spending outpacing

revenue. Property tax increases outpacing inflation. Jobs moving out of state. Families

fleeing because they can't afford Illinois.

Madigan's agenda is twofold: Maintaining and growing his power; and maintaining the

status quo.

Twelve years ago Madigan's men asked me to run, I told them that I did not have the

finances to run a campaign; "Don't worry," they said, "Mr. Madigan will fund your

campaign." And when asked what I needed to do to pay him back, they replied in a whisper

that I only needed to do a few favors for him, and that in fact, no one would need to know

that I am a Republican. Fred Crespo took the deal, and continues to take it to the tune of

over $895,336.

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 believe that term limits for legislative leaders will allow for new ideas and fresh faces. If lawmakers

had the ability to get bills called and moved through the General Assembly without needing the

support of the Speaker the process would be more open and taken out of the hands of one individual

and the special interests he protects. This can lead to true bipartisanship as both sides can work out

an issue, not just the Speaker's Office.

While I think term limits would be effective to ensure legislative leaders do not accumulate massive

amounts of power, it is especially important that voters understand they currently have the power to

term limit elected officials every election.

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

Illinoisans should be very concerned about population loss! With that loss goes our entrepreneurs,

our long-standing businesses, large businesses, small businesses, and our future. When a neighbor

waves goodbye heading for less extremes in weather, well, we can understand that; but when it is

because they can no longer afford to live here, that is another story that greatly saddens me. We

should be concerned because losses in population result in drops in funding from state and federal

sources to villages and municipalities. Services get scaled back, agencies cannot be paid. Further, the

incoming workforce is not there. With a loss of people there is a corresponding loss in investment in

Illinois. Who will pay for my police department? Who will help me with my family's mental health

issues? Who will plow and repair the roads? Should my nieces and nephews attend college here; are

the universities attracting top-notch educators? As legislators, we need to reign in spending - if we do

not have it, we should not spend it. Work on consolidating programs and services, and units of

government that have failed, are duplicative, or outlived their service. Hold down development of

programs and services without means of support (the "if we build it they will come" does not always

hold true for funding).

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

I think that township governance is the government closest to the people and I support township

government. I believe and have seen firsthand how townships do more for their residents with the

smallest amount of money than the state or local municipalities can or should. I believe most

townships are people driven, resident and volunteer manned and the officials in most cases have

their roots deep in the town they serve. They generally do much work themselves remembering that

their tax dollars are supporting those same services they are offering. While most people do not

know about a township services unless they are in need of the offerings, when they do, townships

stand ready. I believe that consolidating township government across the state of Illinois should not

be done with a broad paintbrush; should be done by the people by vote or mandate; and should be

done on a case-by-case basis.

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

Lack of pension reform is crippling our state now, and the problem will not go away in the future; at

the rate it is going now we will have saddled our future generations with a debt that is unfathomable.

The opioid crisis is hitting our communities hard. Young and old people alike are being affected.

While I am concerned about adults and the crisis, my emphasis is on children. These children are

going to be our leaders one day!

Education, at all levels, is an ongoing concern. Are we attracting the best teachers to our state and

district? Are we paying them enough? Are our facilities in good repair? Will there be pensions down

the road for retirees? How much should the state regulate and fund education?

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?

Giving up medical power of attorney for my mother.

Who is your hero?

Rosa Parks - I respect what she did - it took guts and stamina. I often wonder if I, when the time

comes, can be as firm in my resolve as she was in hers.

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

Most Important: Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Speech, and the Press

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.

Most Precious: Amendment 10 - Undelegated Powers Kept by the States and the People

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states,

are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.

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

Money does not grow on trees. This lesson was important in our family because we did not have

extra money. We were a lower income family of eight living on the South Side of Chicago. The

lesson has made me thrifty, and cautious with my money, my family's money and money belonging

to other people.

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

I failed the cancer detection test and had ovarian cancer. I lost everything that I thought was dear: my

organs, friends, hair and, in some cases, my respect. I learned that what is really important in life is

the moment you have with those you love, not hair or trinkets or fake friends. My husband and my

family who stood beside me - I learned of their strength and love and it helped me to become a

better person. Most important, I learned to take time with life and not rush through everything to get

to the next thing; it is worth taking the time because time is all we really have.