Lynn LaPlante: Candidate profile
Bio
Name: Lynn LaPlante
City: Glen Ellyn
Website: HelpLynnWin.org
Twitter: @HelpLynnWin
Facebook: @HelpLynnWin
Party: Democrat
Office sought: Chairman of the DuPage County Board
Age: 47
Family: My husband of 21 years, Michael Allaway. Our four children, Aidan, 16; Sophie 13; August 11; Lucy 7. Our Dog, Blue and our two kittens, Indiana Jones and Wonder Woman.
Occupation: Violinist and principal violist with the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic, and freelance writer and political activist, featured on Huffington Post and many other online platforms
Education: Bachelor's Degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana; Master's Degree from the University of Notre Dame, awarded merit-based full scholarship and stipend; attended Roosevelt University for Artist's Diploma, also awarded merit-based full scholarship and stipend.
Civic involvement: I am heavily involved in my community: volunteering at my kids' schools, with Bridge Communities, and am active in the gun violence prevention movement - attending workshops, going to Springfield to meet with legislatures and participate in civic discourse. I created, founded and am President of GEWLS (Glen Ellyn Women Leaders), a nonprofit support group for local Moms who work outside of the home. I give thanks for my gift of music by playing my violin for people in the hospital and in nursing homes, for those ill and recovering at home, for those under hospice care at the end of their lives, for children in their classrooms, at school events and at our church - and it feels just as satisfying as playing on a stage in front of a large audience.
Elected offices held: Like a historic number of women from around the country, I am seeking elected office for the very first time, inspired by the 2016 election and the national call for a new generation of citizen servants.
Questions & Answers
1. Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?
When I saw that the incumbent was running unopposed for his third term, I found that unacceptable, especially in our current volatile political climate. When I found out that we have never had a woman in this position in the entire 179-year history of DuPage County, I knew it imperative to change that. I was inspired by the words of President Obama in his farewell address to the nation: "Change only happens when ordinary people get involved. If something needs fixing, lace up your shoes and do some organizing. If you're disappointed by your elected officials, grab a clipboard, get some signatures and run for office yourself." I am motivated to end professional politicians' chokehold on local politics. I am motivated by the need to have fair and equitable representation on our county board in order to serve the needs of the many, not just the needs of the well-connected. I am motivated to be an example to my children, showing them you don't just complain about government, you get involved and do your part to make things better. I am motivated by the guiding principles behind public service: I want to do my part to improve my community.
2. If you are an incumbent, describe two important initiatives you've led. If you're not an incumbent, describe two ways you would contribute to the running of county government.
1. As county board chair, I would make this position less political by leading with transparency and unity, working as neighbors regardless of political party. We can lead by example with the type of bi-partisanship we all want to see at the state and federal levels. One easy change to encourage community involvement would be to move county board meetings from Tuesday mornings to a time more accessible to working families.
2. As chair, I would eliminate no-bid contracts. This obvious pay-to-play scheme would no longer be an acceptable way of doing business in DuPage County, with lucrative government contracts being awarded to the highest political donors. This stinks of corruption and is bad for DuPage County's bottom line.
3. Is there a specific service or amenity that is lacking in the county? If so, how do you propose to provide and fund it?
I am very concerned over federal and state budget cuts and lack of county funding for Meals on Wheels. As good neighbors, we should care about protecting our senior citizens. As for funding this lifesaving program - that's easy! I would start by freezing the salaries of all county board members: so far, DuPage has among the highest paid board members in the state. And I would cut the many frivolous perks given to these part-time positions. For example, I will not allow my constituents' tax-dollars to pay for my car to drive me to my part-time position, the way the current chairman does. I would also absolutely veto spending $260,000 on lobbyists - which my opponent just approved. As the Daily Herald itself recently reported in a front-page article on August 29, 2018, "For every dollar DuPage County taxpayers send to Springfield, the state returns 31 cents. That's the lowest rate of return among all 102 counties in Illinois." So not only is the money my opponent is spending over-the-top wasteful, it is not even getting the job done. What a waste of taxpayer's money that could be better used to help the members of our community.
4. With DuPage County's budget being squeezed by state funding cuts and other factors, what initiatives would you support to increase revenue and/or save money?
As chair, I would work to expand our tax base in order to provide much-needed economic relief to our taxpayers. A very easy way to save money would be to stop my opponent's preferred method of doing government business: by handing out no-bid contracts to his largest political donors. Instead, I would insist that DuPage County require multiple-vendor bidding in order to procure the most competitive bid for our DuPage. My opponent provides contracts to vendors who donate to his political campaign fund - currently around half a million dollars. In many industries, such as the financial sector, this practice is considered a conflict of interest and would not be allowed. I believe the same rules should apply to our local government. If we took that practice off the table, we could save millions of dollars by having competitive bids for government work. Pay-to-play schemes helps my opponent line his pockets and enrich his donors, but they hurt the constituents and DuPage County's bottom line.
5. The county has been focused on consolidation of services and government agencies. How effective has that effort been and how could it be improved?
This effort to consolidate the clerk's office with the elections commission could have been so much more effective had it been implemented when it was first proposed thirteen years ago (by a local government watchdog and now Democratic candidate for County Clerk, Jean Kaczmarek). Instead, my opponent played politics and ignored it for years - even voting against it. After bungling the past two elections and refusing to take responsibility, my opponent finally agreed to the change. It took all that negative attention and those needless and very public election-night mishaps for him to do the right thing. He refused to acknowledge the years of advocacy and work done by Kaczmarek and instead has tried to take full credit for this idea. Thank goodness for public records. As chair, I would work collaboratively with constituents and hold their best interests at heart, instead of preening for election-year optics with the presumption that no one is paying close enough attention to notice the facts. Great ideas don't come stamped with a D or an R - you just have to keep your eyes and ears open for them and ignore partisan politics. If we do that, it won't take 13 years to get things done!
6. Please name one current leader who most inspires you.
I am utterly inspired by Jimmy Carter. I am in awe of how he lives his life in the true spirit of giving through public service. His work with The Elders, Habitat For Humanity, monitoring worldwide elections and eradicating River Blindness through his Carter Foundation - all of it is to help others. I have traveled twice to Plains, Georgia, in order to hear him preach Sunday school. Both times while there, I also had the unbelievable honor of playing my violin for President Carter, Mrs. Carter and their congregation. My family and I found that experience to be life-changing and hugely impactful, by seeing up close and personal how one's service to others can so hugely impact their lives.
7. What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?
As the youngest of eight children, I learned from my parents how to live with an open heart. The door to our home was always open to anyone, from foreign exchange students from around the world who became like sisters to me; to friends who needed a place to stay while traveling through Chicago, there was always somehow room for all! I learned that we are all the same no matter where we come from and we all are here to help one another.
8. If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?
I love my life and where I am in it and how it turned out, so I wouldn't change a thing about that. What I would change, however, is the time that I spent worrying about things that really didn't matter in the big picture of life. I could have saved myself needless anxiety by realizing earlier that everything would be OK and happen exactly as it was meant to be.
9. What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you later in life?
My favorite subjects were always music, reading and writing, from my very earliest memories as a child of a musician and educator. Making music with people from all over the globe has informed my world view and brings me untold joy. Reading every book I can get my hands on has opened my eyes to other people's experiences who are different from me. Writing has helped me connect with others on a much deeper level by teaching me how to organize my thoughts, choose my words carefully, and to use communication as a way to bridge gaps, not to divide.
10. If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?
We tell our children that it is up to them to find their own passion, and then when they do, to find a way to use it in order to give back in service to the world around them. Our job as parents is to guide them along the way, and lead by example.