Politics & Government

Election 2012: Sam Yingling

Current Avon Township Supervisor Sam Yingling is running against Republican incumbent Sandy Cole in the race for the 62nd State Representative District.

Campaign Contact Info
o Email: info@samyingling.com
o Phone: (847) 231-­‐2062
o Facebook: facebook.com/SamYinglingforStateRep o Twitter: @Sam4Rep
o Mailing Address: Friends of Sam Yingling

1919 Illinois Route 83
Round Lake Beach, Illinois 60073

Personal Contact Info
o Whatever you’d like to put here...

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Age and Birthdate
o Age: 32 years old
o Birthdate: July 4th, 1980

Family

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My family has lived and owned businesses in the 62nd District for three generations. I learned from an early age the value of giving back to the community and serving those around me. My background has also provided me the knowledge of the needs of the small business community and how actions taken in Springfield have a direct impact on job creation and economic growth. These core values have translated into my role as a public servant.

Education
I hold two Bachelor’s Degrees from DePaul University in Chicago where I studied, Public Policy and Administration, Political Science, and Urban Planning. I also hold an Illinois Real Estate Broker’s license.

Occupation
o Avon Township Supervisor

Political Party o Democrat

Campaign Committee
o Friends of Sam Yingling

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices

o Avon Township Supervisor

Any additional experience that qualifies you?

As Avon Township Supervisor, I have successfully cut the Township’s tax levy by approximately 22%, generated record surpluses, and returned the my salary increase put in place by the previous administration. I have done this while expanding Township services and maintaining jobs. I have also implemented a program at the township to provide property tax relief to our seniors and veterans. It is this experience that I plan to take to Springfield in order to make government work for those it serves-the taxpayers.

How does this set you apart from other candidates?

o My opponent is a career politician who has been in office for nearly 16 years. She has voted against the interests of the district including property tax relief for our veterans and foreclosure protection for our families. However, as the area residents struggle, she voted against making changes to the lucrative pension that she and other legislators receive. I have a solid track record of fighting hard for the interests of the taxpayers, including returning a portion of my own salary.

What are your top priorities?

Campaign Issue Number One:
In a district that is plagued by unemployment and foreclosure, my number one campaign issue is jobs and economic growth. Illinois needs to develop a more comprehensive approach to attract businesses and retain them in the State. With Wisconsin just north of the 62nd District we, like any border district, run the risk of businesses jumping the State line for a more welcoming business climate.

Campaign Issue Number Two:
We must address comprehensive property tax reform. In a declining real estate market our property taxes continue to rise. As Avon Township Supervisor, I have cut the Township’s taxes by 22% without reducing services. This has been done through innovation and collaboration with area organizations and other governmental entities. Illinois has the highest number of taxing entities in the country, and Lake County has the 16th highest property taxes in the nation. We need to find ways to streamline and consolidate units of government to improve efficiencies and reduce property taxes.

Campaign Issue Number Three:
All levels of government need to cut spending and live within their means. As Avon Township Supervisor I have reduced operating costs at the Township through efficiency increase and disciplined fiscal management. In a time when governments are asking for more money, Avon Township posted record surpluses as a result of

this disciplined financial approach. Since Avon Township is entirely debt-­‐free, surplus funds were returned to the taxpayers in the form of tax cuts.

Illinois’ unfunded pension liability is $83 billion. The state’s inability to address the issue recently led Moody’s to downgrade Illinois’ credit rating. What should be done to address the state’s rising pension obligations?

o Tough decisions must be made. We elect people who are supposed to set the bar high. We elect individuals to set examples and show leadership in situations like this. For far too long, Springfield has kicked the can down the road, thus creating an inherently inequitable position for not only the taxpayers that are funding the pension system but also an unneeded level of uncertainty for those who are eligible for such pensions. Pension reform needs to begin with elected officials leading by example. Unfortunately, the Illinois General Assembly had an opportunity on August 17th to reform their own pensions but my opponent voted NO, effectively shutting down dialogue and turning her back on tax payers to take care of herself. It is behavior and entitlement like this that blocks reform from happening. That said, moving forward I would consider any of the current proposals including those brought forth by the Governor and leaders of both parties. Every legislator bears responsibility to contribute to the dialogue and all parties effected must have a seat at the table.

What are the most important issues facing your district and what would you do as a legislator to address them?

o We need to create jobs and administer tax reform. These issues are so important that the primary focus of the Legislature needs to be on them. Lake County is one of the highest taxed counties in the nation and parts of the new 62nd District have experienced more than double the unemployment rate of the State. This directly impacts a multitude of other issues such as crime and education. All of these issues are interconnected and cannot be separated from each other.

o Illinois must learn to incubate industries. There are three areas that can be cultivated for economic development where Illinois can become the world leader; transportation, agribusiness, and renewable energy. Programs need to be developed that foster free enterprise by bringing together the State’s vast educational resources, business models that promote “sunrise” industries, and the financial institutions that can finance their growth.

Illinois’ state government has a terrible reputation in terms of corruption. What would you do to change the culture of state government that has seen recent governors from both political parties convicted of felonies?
I strongly believe in a complete overhaul of campaign finance. Unlike my opponent, who failed to show up to vote on the State’s latest campaign finance reform bill, I would support even stricter regulations than those already in place. I believe no individual, party, interest group, or corporation should be exempt from being limited on the amount of money they can spend in a specific election.

Although the State recently implemented notable campaign finance legislation, the reforms did not go far enough. Stricter limits should be placed on the amount of money that political parties and leadership can contribute to any candidate and the law needs to focus more heavily on transparency in campaign finance. In addition, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United has opened a Pandora’s box that threatens to distort our system and allow special interests to hijack public policy.

If private individuals are capped at specific amounts, why should others not follow the same regulation? As it stands right now, only some contributions are public while others are able to stay private. I would be a strong advocate to place every dollar a campaign receives, online and visible to the public. The public should have the opportunity to see who is funding their elected officials’ campaigns. In such an ethically challenged state, it seems like an obvious starting point.

Education in Illinois is funded primarily through local property taxes. What changes, if any, would you make to that funding system?

o Illinois must explore a hybrid funding system for education. Education funding is vital and must be a top priority. With that said, I would be an advocate for diversifying secure revenue streams for our schools outside of property taxes. As Lake County is the highest taxed county in the Midwest, residents can no longer afford our unsustainable property tax system.

Illinois recently passed a significant increase in its income tax, yet the state continues to run a deficit. What specifically should be done to reduce the deficit?

The current budgetary crisis is a symptom of a greater problem and there are numerous issues that must be addressed statewide. Acclaimed legislation called Budgeting for Results was recently passed. This legislation has the potential to save billions of dollars within the State’s budget and we can continue to build upon these gains. By focusing State funding on performance based criteria we can more effectively determine where additional cuts can be made. This approach will provide the Legislature with an educated analysis on where these additional spending cuts will have the most impact. The Budgeting for Results Commission harnesses the experience of those in the private, public, and non-­‐profit sectors.

Beyond addressing the needed additional State budgetary reductions, the State needs to address that it has the highest number of taxing entities in the country. We need to consolidate and eliminate redundant layers of government to alleviate overall taxation pressure on the residents.

Our budgetary problems must also be addressed by expanding the State’s tax base by fostering economic growth through incubating new industry and technology.

Until we do a combination of the above, Illinois’ budgetary problems will continue to plague the State.

Why would you do a better job representing the district than your opponent? If you are running unopposed, please just share why you are qualified for this position.

o My opponent is a career politician that has gotten caught-­‐up in the Springfield culture. As Avon Township Supervisor, I have fought on the ground level for our families as they struggle through these difficult economic times. I have fought to provide property tax relief to the taxpayers by reducing Avon Township’s levies by 22% as well as returned my salary increase put in place by the previous administration. My opponent has fallen out-­‐of-­‐touch with the needs of the residents. We need to have strong leadership and a vocal advocate for the new 62nd District.


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