Cristina Castro: Candidate Profile

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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:BioQA Bio City: ElginWebsite: http://www.castroforstatesenate.orgTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: 22nd State Senate District Age: 38Family: MarriedOccupation: Marketing and Communications ManagerEducation: M.B.A., Northern Illinois UniversityBachelor of Science, Marketing, Northern Illinois UniversityCivic involvement: Board Member, Illinois Housing Development AuthorityBoard Member, Black History Family FestivalBoard Member, Centro de Informacion (2013-2016)Past President, Elgin Hispanic Network (2007-2008)Commissioner, Zoning and Subdivision Hearing Board (2004 - 2008)Member, Centre of Elgin Advisory Board (2003-2004)Elected offices held: Commissioner, Kane County Board, 20th District (2008-Present)Questions Answers What needs to be done structurally to make the legislature more effective? Will you vote for your current legislative leader? What is your position on term limits in general and specifically for legislative leaders? Do you support the ongoing drive for a constitutional amendment on redistricting? What will you do to promote implementation of any changes you recommend?The legislature needs to be open to new ideas and to working together to address the issues affecting Illinois. Political posturing and partisan rhetoric are standing in the way of progress. I support term limits on legislative leaders. Putting indefinite power in the hands of one or two legislative leaders, no matter what party they are from, for long periods of time especially only encourages partisanship over doing what's right for the people. Legislator term limits can work, but I am concerned about unintended consequences, like providing special interest groups/lobbyists with additional influence over the legislative process. As I did in the primary, I also continue to support redistricting reform and the Independent Map Amendment. A fair map strengthens the voice of voters by making it free of political influence.Before making a decision on leadership roles, I will see who all the candidates are for the position, meet with each one to understand their vision and goals and then make my decision.Would you vote for an increase in state income taxes or sales taxes? Would you vote for new taxes, such as on services? What is your position on a graduated income tax?The state's massive debts are inhibiting the proper funding of much needed services and programs. In order to move forward, we need to take a balanced approach to addressing these issues rather than raising taxes on families. We first need to fix our financial problems to reduce our instability and make us attractive to businesses. We also should look at ways to reduce state spending by streamlining government services to save taxpayer dollars and increase efficiency. We need to look at all other options first before just running to raise taxes.What changes, if any, do you support in education and education funding in Illinois? Please be specific.We need to have a broad discussion on how Illinois funds education. From K-12 to our universities and community colleges, Illinois has failed to pay its fair share of funding resulting in local property taxes hikes (levy increases), increased student fees, and skyrocketing increases in tuitions. While far from perfect, SB318 was and SB1 is a good start to a conversation on addressing school funding reform. However, I do not support the shifting of large amounts of funding from one school district to another because in the end we will be right where we started. We need to work together to modernize the school funding formula and find a way to invest more in education so we can give our children the equitable, quality education they deserve while offering tax payers some relief.On Illinois' budget, specifically, where do you believe cuts need to be made?Illinois' continued financial issues and lack of progress has many negative long-term effects on our state's workforce and economy. It has caused many organizations and businesses to re-think operations resulting in the loss of jobs and production. We need a balanced approach to solving the issues - we need to protect vital programs and also cut unnecessary spending. We need to stop hurting those who need us the most, like seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities.I am committed to addressing our state's financial issues, and am continually examining these issues to determine potential cuts like cutting corporate tax loopholes and eliminating duplicative and non-essential government services in addition to looking at other revenue sources.What approach do you support toward fixing the public pension systems?We can no longer "kick the can" down the road. I will work hard to bring all parties together to find a solution. We need to work in a together to pass efficient, sustainable, and legal reform. I would like to revisit a proposal that was introduced in 2013, SB2404. All parties were brought to the table and this legislation wouldn't have faced a legal challenge unlike SB1. We also should revisit a 2011 study to determine what other options we could explore that would be constitutional.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I believe is important is to look at ways to make the consolidation of units of local government easier. We should review current laws to ease the path to consolidation and streamline the process. Too many local entities overlap and we should determine how we can save tax payer money by cutting the administrative overhead of many of these organizations. Consolidation can actually help provide more effective and clear-cut services to communities while also saving taxpayer money.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Gabrielle GiffordsWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My parents taught us the value of hard work. They said if you work hard you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I was a commuter student and working full-time when I went to NIU. I would have liked to experience college life on campus more.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English. It helped shape my writing, creativity, and critical thinking.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Just as my parents taught me, work hard. When you work hard you can accomplish anything.