Issue Position: Jobs

Issue Position

Illinois must re-invest and expand its manufacturing sector. We cannot survive with only service based jobs. Illinois made the mistake of giving up on manufacturing with the thought being that we were unable to compete with low wage economies that produce low quality goods. In the new global economy, there is great demand for high-quality goods. That is why the strongest economies in the world are those that manufacture high-quality goods. Manufacturing, especially the manufacturing of high-quality and high-tech goods, provides good paying, stable jobs that allow employees to buy homes and support families. If we increase the number of manufacturing jobs in our state, the workers who have these jobs will spend money buying other goods and have an exponential effect on our economy as a whole. This will increase our tax revenues and help reduce our budget problems.

In order to grow manufacturing based jobs, I support a complete re-write of our corporate tax code. More than 66% of Illinois corporations pay no income taxes. We must eliminate loopholes that allow profitable companies to pay no taxes. Every corporation should pay some minimum amount, and those that are profitable must pay something more. When we do give incentives to corporations, they must be tied to the creation of new jobs. The most significant incentives should be tied to the creation of new manufacturing based jobs, especially those that produce high-quality or high-tech goods.

Jobs form the foundation of healthy families and strong communities. Here in Illinois we have some of the most talented working people in the nation. They need a government which honors their ability and does its part to help. As your representative in Springfield, I will work diligently to foster an environment where business can prosper and bring solid jobs to our community, while protecting workers' rights.

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