While Illinois’ unemployment rate surges over 10% and the economy stagnates, Congressman Bill Foster and the Democrat controlled White House continue to propose temporary gimmicks where meaningful reforms are needed.  Last week President Obama proposed generous tax credits for Green technologies, once again demonstrating his belief that jobs can only be created by massive government subsidy.  Tax credits can encourage investments, but why is the government picking winners and losers? Why just green technologies? Wouldn’t an environment of lower taxes for all Americans make more sense?

During the same week Bill Foster, whose votes subsidize the USPS to the tune of $4 billion annually, delivered packages on a UPS truck but failed to learn the lesson of how free enterprise works. Unemployment has been in skyrocketing since Bill Foster took office. 3.2 Million Americans have lost their jobs since the Obama/Pelosi Stimulus Package was implemented. Bill Foster and the Democrats are out of touch with the average family and their economic policies are products of the same failed entitlement schemes of the past.

In order to turn around the economy, we must first adopt an atmosphere that rewards healthy business practices and encourages entrepreneurship.  We cannot tax and penalize American industry with new energy taxes, overregulation, and trade barriers and expect job growth.

America needs to embrace policies of economic vibrancy not stagnation or decline. As Republicans, we know the solutions are not higher taxes, more regulation, or bigger government. The Democrat Health Tax, Cap and Trade, and Card Check are a lethal combination to small businesses. Vote for Ethan Hastert (IL-14) in the Republican primary. Early voting is January 11th through January 28th at selected locations.

www.hastertforcongress.com

Former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger was victorious today as the Appellate Court ruled against the Democrats and Senator Mike Noland who tried to have Rauschenberger thrown off the ballot claiming the 15-year Republican State Senator and President of the United Republican Fund was not…a Republican.

As strange as that sounds, the Democrats were using the taxpayer-funded courts to try and remove any challenge to Noland through litigation. They failed. Rauschenberger will be on the ballot. And the two Mikes (Noland and Madigan) will have their hands full trying to hang onto the 22nd Senate District come November.

It’s Going to Get Worse until our Tax/Spend/Borrow Policies Get Better.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) released October’s job figures today reporting that Illinois’ unemployment rate climbed another 0.5% to 11%.

Illinois’ political class suggests this is largely the result of the nation’s lagging economy. The problem with that argument is Illinois’ economic death spiral started decades before the most recent economic downturn. Our poor national economy has just quickened the pace of Illinois’ decline.

In reality, Illinois has been and continues to be the bad example.

The Pew Center on the States released a report last week (www.pewcenteronthestates.org/beyondcalifornia) reporting on the 10 states in the most dire fiscal shape. Of course, Illinois was on that list.

Some takeaways from the Pew Report:

• The severity of the recession has resulted in states across the country facing substantial gaps between what they collect in revenue and what they spend. But many of our 10 states, including California, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, have a history of persistent shortfalls

• Several states on the list were unable to muster the political resolve to enact long-term fixes to their fiscal problems. Virtually every state had to make tough decisions this year about where to cut and how to raise additional revenues, including through taxes or fees. But in some states, including California, Illinois and New Jersey, lawmakers punted the responsibility–either by asking their voters or governors to make the call, or by borrowing or using accounting methods to put off the hard choices until later

• The state’s current budget still relies heavily on borrowing and paying bills late. The budget shortfall lawmakers confronted for fiscal year 2010 topped $13.2 billion, among the worst budget gaps in the country.

Profligate public sector spending has crowded out private sector investment. Our shrinking tax base leads Springfield politicians to try and extract more and more from fewer and fewer to finance the status quo.

Unlike the others in this race, our campaign refuses to quibble about how we finance the status quo. I have advanced specific ideas rooted in market principles to reorder the big-ticket systems in state government—K-12, Medicaid, transportation infrastructure and state pensions/benefits.

Unlike the others in this race, our campaign refuses to impanel more “blue ribbon commissions”, offer obtuse commitments to “review the process”, or regurgitate tired bromides about going through the state budget “line-by-line”.

I have proposed a systemic solution to the persistent problem of profligate state spending by calling for a freeze in state spending and the imposition of statutory spending caps that limit spending growth to no more than population growth plus inflation year-over-year.

Unlike the others in this race, our campaign refuses to content ourselves with opposing tax increases or playing the politicians’ game of promising tax cuts after they balance the budget that they never balance.

I have proposed specific tax cuts to reward work and investment and spur entrepreneurial activity. Specifically, cutting the state income and corporate income tax in half and eliminating the state estate tax.

Unlike the others in this race, our campaign is not asking you to rely on a politician’s promise to end the practice of borrowing against tomorrow to pay for yesterday.

I have proposed eliminating the state’s independent bonding agencies including the Illinois Housing Development Authority, Illinois Finance Authority, and Illinois Sports Facilities Authority that effectively operate beyond Illinois General Assembly oversight.

It did not take the Pew Center report to let us know that the economic viability of our state is in peril and it does not take a Nobel Laureate in Economics to point the way forward.

We have to improve the cost structure presented to businesses in Illinois to encourage capital formation, business location and job creation. We have to restrain the public sector from cannibalizing the private sector. And we have to reward productive, risk-taking behavior.

It is going to get worse for Illinois until we make better policy choices. That starts with putting the right person forward for the top policy-making position in Illinois.

Crossposted from The Kane County Chronicle:

More than 60,000 votes in a day? Ummm, that doesn’t sound right

As of 6:11 p.m. Tuesday night, more than 31,000 people had voted in our daily Web poll – “Who do you want to win the 14th Congressional District Republican primary?” If this sounds like an extraordinarily high number to you, well, it is. One might even say it’s an extraordinarily unlikely high number.

We average about 100 votes with our Web polls. Interesting questions sometimes pull in as many as 200 votes. In a one minute span from 6:07 to 6:08 p.m., Tuesday’s Web poll reported 94 votes. From 6:09 to 6:10 p.m., it reported 80 votes. And as much as I would love to believe that many people are visiting and voting in our Web poll, it’s simply not true.

So, I can conclude that either candidates Ethan Hastert and Mark Vargas – the biggest beneficiaries of the votes so far – were getting finger cramps from pressing the vote button multiple times (unlikely – and I certainly hope not) or that some supporter or bored college kid figured out a way to manipulate our Web poll.

Who knows what happened. All I know is it’s now 6:20 and there are more than 31,500 votes. Five hundred votes in eight minutes. I’ve heard of Chicago politics and dead people voting, but non-existent, invisible Web people? I just hope they don’t let them into the polls in February. As do candidates Jeff Danklefsen, Randall M. Hultgren and Jim Purcell, who seem to have a ways to go in courting the non-existent, invisible Web people bloc.

UPDATE – It’s now 7:58 p.m. We just reached 37,250 votes. I’m hoping by the end of the night we have more votes than 14th District voters. It could happen. Maybe this is how hurt sports athletes make All-Star teams.

FINAL UPDATE – It’s 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday. I took a screen shot of the final vote before I took it down and put up a new Web poll. Final tally: 62,037 votes. We didn’t even have that many page views on Tuesday. And our page views on Tuesday showed that it was a fairly average day for us. Craziest thing I’ve ever seen with one of our Web polls.

Sunday afternoon, the Kane County Republican Advisory Council and the Kane County Republican Central Committee hosted a candidates’ forum for the 14th Congressional District.  Sorry about the photo to the right, it was the best that came out of my camera.  Amongst the crowd was a hack from the Foster campaign who tried to videotape the private event (like we wouldn’t think a guy in a cardigan sweater with a video camera stood out).  I’m sure it was a welcome site for the Foster campaign worker to see at least 300 people attend a meeting and hear a fine slate of candidates, one of which will send his boss back to being a private citizen.

It truly was a great site to see that many people show so much interest in one congressional race.  After a contentious primary last year, it was heartening to hear the candidates express unity for whoever the primary winner will be.  As Ethan Hastert said, “Any one of these candidates would do a far better job than Bill Foster”.  It is a safe bet that everyone in the room (well, except for the Foster staffer) agreed with that statement.  Think of it - 300 people came out on a Sunday afternoon to hear about the issues in a Congressional race.  I was really blown away by the crowd.  A second adjacent room had to be opened up, and even after that several dozen people had to stand throughout the discussion.  It was a testament to the fine job that the Kane County Republican Advisory Council did.  Hats off to Brad Urhausen, Andy Faville, Mike Kenyon, Ellen Nottke, Lisa Wagner, Carol Berger, and all of the others that helped put on this event.

Four of the five candidates (listed by their appearance on the stage); Ethan Hastert, Jeff Danklefsen, Mark Vargas and Randall Hultgren, appeared at the event.  Jim Purcell was invited, but did not attend.

Each of the candidates answered five questions on government spending, war and global terrorism, the economic crisis and the cap and trade bill, health care reform, and returning funding to Illinois.  Additionally, each candidate was allowed to close with a two-minute statement.

A few of the more memorable moments were:

- Mark Vargas talked about the challenges in Afghanistan.  He said that approximately 40% of the Afghanistan population is under 14 years old.  All that they have known their entire life is death and destruction.  In addition to listening to the commanders on the field who are asking for more troops, we need to teachthe Afghanistan people about economic growth and education so the young people have a chance for normalcy and won’t think that war is the answer.

- Randy Hultgren talked about keeping money in the pockets of taxpayers instead of sending it to Washington, DC, where we will only seen a tiny fraction of it coming back to us.  He also pointed out that it was an embarrassment that the only sector that is growing as a result of the stimulus bill is government, while all other sectors are declining and then the government uses the government job growth to tout the success of the stimulus bill.

- Ethan Hastert mentioned the hospital administrators, doctors and health care workers that he has talked to since joining the race, and their concern about the health care bill.  He offered a four point plan of more choice and competition, allowing people to pool together in associations in the same way that business do, the need for tort reform, and increasing portability.

- Jeff Danklefsen probably had the “money line” when he said that global warming was a farce and an excuse for politicians to dig into our wallets.  Speaking about health care, he also asked the crowd, “Does anyone think that this bill will pay for itself?  I don’t”.

If you have an opportunity in the next couple of months to hear these gentlemen speak, it would be well worth your time.  As said above, any of them would be far better Congressmen than Mr. Foster.  My sincerest hope, and the hope that was mentioned in theinvocation, is that all of them will have unity after the primary.  If we let personal opinions, cults of personality, and bitterness rule the day after the primary, then we will let Bill Foster become a two-term incumbent like Melissa Bean - a lot more formidable candidate to knock off, as our friends up north have discovered.

“This was the first opportunity for ‘everyday activists’ to give their opinion since the debate last week,” said Andrzejewski, “I am glad that they see through all of the spin and all the posturing of others who claim to be reformers.  People across Illinois are craving for someone to stand up for them and their values, and I am that person.  I am honored to win this straw poll, and thank Chairman Cook and the FIYRs for the hard work they do for the Republican Party.”

Rep. Bill Foster campaigned as an independent and friend of the taxpayer. Healthcare legislation will increase our tax burden, limit the freedom to choose our own coverage, and result in greater job loss. Foster has voted with Nancy Pelosi’s failed agenda over 90% of the time.
Just because healthcare is a problem doesn’t mean Government is the answer. The recent Edmunds.com study estimating each car sold under the Cash for clunkers program costs taxpayers $24,000 and the recent rationing of flu vaccines epitomizes the Federal Government’s inability to manage programs with success or on budget.
Healthcare can be made more affordable by creating a consumer driven market including mandate free insurance which allows the consumer to purchase the plan they choose, promoting Health Savings Accounts which give the consumer greater control over their own healthcare decisions, litigation reform to reduce the amount of frivolous lawsuits, and portable insurance allowing consumers to move their policies from job to job.
The 14th District is deserving of a Congressman with the fortitude to support our values, not one that votes based on whether or not Nancy Pelosi needs his vote.

Jeff Danklefsen

www.Jeff14.com

“Throughout Aurora, Carpentersville, Dixon, Oswego, West Dundee, and the rest of the 14th District, voters are united against Government run health care,” stated Mark Vargas, Republican Candidate for the 14th Congressional District. Congressman Bill Foster ran as a fiscal and pragmatic moderate. However, his votes have betrayed his constituents. Yesterday, Foster proved his alliance with the hard left and Nancy Pelosi.

Despite coming from a fiscally responsible district, Bill Foster has voted for the mishandled $787 Billion Porkulus, the unpopular TARP bill, sent $4 Billion tax dollars to ACORN, and now helped pass the most expensive tax and spend bill in history. Mark Vargas vows “I will make fighting this bill a top priority. My staff and I will be meeting with officials in Washington, Representative Foster’s staff, and staff members in the U.S. Senate. As your elected representative, I will lead the charge to repeal this bill!”

Massive, inefficient programs like a Government takeover of the healthcare industry are not the answers Illinois voters are looking for. You can help make Washington fiscally responsible again by voting for Mark Vargas (IL-14) in the Republican primary on February 2nd, 2010.

Mark Vargas for Congress
P.O. Box 1218
Saint Charles, IL, 60174
vargas4congress@gmail.com
630-650-0918
www.Vargas4Congress