Gas Prices

“Gas prices in Illinois are among the highest in the nation because we are double taxed” - Dan Duffy

Illinois is one of the few states that charge a gas tax AND a sales tax on gas sold. I support removing the sales tax on gas. This will help get our gas prices in line with the rest of the country. Furthermore, Illinois needs to spend the tax money that is collected on gasoline to build and repair roads to reduce congestion. Motorists lose gallons of gas each month sitting in traffic jams.

If you would like to send a message to the Legislature in Springfield, please sign the petition below.

Petition to Remove Sales Tax on Gasoline

We, the undersigned citizens of Illinois, respectfully ask the State Legislature and the Governor remove the sales tax levied on gasoline*

*Illinois is one of four states that applies sales tax on gasoline on top of gasoline taxes. (We are paying tax on our tax.) We therefore have the most expensive gas in the nation

Ethics

Public service should be a duty and an honor – not used as an opportunity to get rich.” - Dan Duffy

Corruption is so common place in Illinois that some voters have accepted it as inevitable. That is truly tragic. There are some simple changes we can implement which will make an immediate impact.

Companies doing business with the State of Illinois should meet the same disclosure requirements as candidates running for office. All company owners and top tier executives should be required to disclose any relationships they have with elected officials. This information should be accessible on the internet in the same way current candidate information is readily available.

We need simple and clear transparency in Illinois government. We should be able to see how every penny of our tax dollars is spent. Therefore, we should require each governmental body in the state to list all checks issued and post them on a website. This would allow interested citizens access to the information and it would cost very little. Banks currently provide this data and service to customers on a daily basis at no charge. This reform could happen tomorrow if the legislature had the desire to pass it.

Pension Reform

“We have an obligation to public employees and taxpayers to reform our pensions.” - Dan Duffy

For many years Illinois has not adequately funded its pension liability. At the same time the state has regularly increased pension benefits well beyond the state’s ability to pay for these obligations. We must solve this problem before Illinois faces bankruptcy and/or exorbitant tax increases.

In order to avoid this crisis, we need to do two things: 1) Fund pensions each year rather than postpone funding indefinitely, and 2) Reform the pension law. Public employees should receive benefits which are more in line with the benefits being received by private sector employees.

Economic Growth

You can not be for job growth and against employers.” – Dan Duffy

Taxes:

I vehemently oppose tax increases and will do everything I can to reduce the tremendous burden on Illinois taxpayers. High taxes inhibit economic growth while lower taxes spur growth and increase revenue to the State. Over-taxing employers often forces them out of business (or out of our state) hurting employees, families and our community.

Level Playing Field :

I support creating a positive climate for job growth in Illinois for all the companies doing business here. Entrepreneurs and small businesses create 80% of new jobs in Illinois. We must encourage that growth. We need rules and regulations that apply equally to all businesses – large and small. Regulations need to be rational and easy to understand and they should not contradict Federal regulations.

Fiscal Discipline:

Illinois ranks near the top in debt/capita and we have a looming pension liability. The financial state of Illinois government is appalling and unacceptable. Our budget process is out-dated and shrouded in secrecy and loopholes. We must demand fiscal responsibility and accountability. We need to overhaul Illinois’ current budget process and shine a spotlight on the out-of-control and downright irresponsible spending.

The budget is controlled by the legislative leadership in Springfield and packed with special interest pork projects. Individual legislators are left to vote “yes” or “no” to the omnibus budget rather than scrutinizing individual appropriations.

I propose breaking the budget into numerous bills by topic. Then, each of the budget bills would go through a separate appropriations committee allowing legislators to view all of the budget items before voting on them. This process would make all our legislators accountable for the state’s spending.

Spending:

We do not have a budget problem in Springfield, we have a spending problem. Our largest financial crisis is the enormous unfunded liability for future pensions of public employees. The governor has “borrowed” money from the pension fund to pay for current operations putting Illinois on a path to bankruptcy. Meanwhile our top Democrat legislative office holders are wasting countless hours bickering and literally suing each other rather than making the tough decisions to cut wasteful programs.

Family Friendly Flex Time:

To compete in the 21st century and provide more flexibility for families, we should reform Illinois’ antiquated labor laws enacted more than 100 years ago. Those laws prevent employers from negotiating individual work plans with employees. Individual work plans would allow employees to work extra hours one week, and then take time off the following week — without incurring overtime. Current labor laws also limit the ability for employers to allow people to work from home. It’s time to revise labor laws to reflect the way we live and work in this era of advanced technology.

Tort Reform:

Illinois needs serious tort reform. Every small business in Illinois – no matter how successful – is only one lawsuit away from bankruptcy. Over the past few years, the high cost of medical malpractice insurance has actively driven doctors out of Illinois. I would support caps for pain, suffering and punitive damages. I would also support requirements that would distribute the damages based on percentage responsibility and limit the ability to shop for more lucrative venues.

Education

A solid educational foundation for every child is one of my highest priorities.” - Dan Duffy

To continue to provide our children with the quality of education they deserve, we need local control of our schools. Downstate legislators should not be dictating how our local schools are run. Springfield should not take our hard earned tax dollars - designated for our local schools - and divert our money to other schools outside our district. We need to cut costs and save money for education by minimizing the state mandates on local schools.

School Referenda:

This is a local issue and is best resolved in our local community. The state of Illinois should not get involved. Downstate and Chicago legislators should not decide the fate of our schools. The proponents and opponents of any referendum should make their case with the voters and rely on the wisdom of the people.

Bi-lingual Education:

I support programs that work. I believe these decisions are best made by the educators and parents in their local schools who understand the specific needs of the children in the community. I applaud the efforts of local school districts that implement creative solutions to meet educational challenges. 

Home Schooling:

A parent is a child’s first and best teacher. Home schooling should be as free from government intrusion as possible.

Tuition Tax Credits:

I support tuition tax credits for parents who send their kids to private schools. Private and parochial schools help relieve the financial burden on our public school system. Private school parents pay real estate taxes yet do not use the public school system. Therefore I believe those parents should at least receive a tuition tax credit as a small incentive.

Environment

“Our children should inherit an unspoiled, clean planet.” – Dan Duffy

I will work hard to keep our prized asset, Lake Michigan, pure and free from any dumping. I will work with our congressional members to secure a multi-state approach and keep our lakes clean and healthy. I will also work to develop incentives for businesses to clean up their plants and lower emissions.

We should also do everything we can to encourage clean, renewable energy such as solar and wind power.

Health Care

“It’s time to put politics aside and implement health care solutions that cover more people at a lower cost.” – Dan Duffy

Our health care financing system is complicated and out of date. Continued competition in the market place will lead to lower costs and better care. We need to take every step necessary to encourage competition. The health care industry should publish their rates and prices just like every other industry. Pricing for medication or physician exams should not be altered based on an individual’s insurance provider. Eight out of 10 people in Illinois work for a small business. We need to develop a Small Business Health Plan for Illinois that will group all small businesses together by industry. This would cut premiums for 80% of Illinois employees. This plan has been proposed on a federal level many times but has never passed. It is time for solutions that work and I will fight hard for those solutions.

Immigration

“We are a nation of immigrants and we are a nation of laws. I support legal immigration and I support enforcing our current laws.” - Dan Duffy

The best solution is a federal national immigration reform bill. Until that occurs, I support several legislative proposals currently pursued in other states increasing penalties for falsifying citizenship documentation and identity theft. I oppose granting driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants and would penalize employers who hire illegal immigrants

Transportation & Roads

“I am grateful to Dan Duffy for his solid opposition to the Canadian National Railway’s proposed acquisition of the EJ&E railroad which would have a devastating impact on Barrington and other communities in the 26th district.”

- Karen Darch, Barrington Village President

“With leadership and cooperation, we can improve transportation.” – Dan Duffy

We desperately need to reduce the congestion on our roads and highways. We need to maintain and build new roads. We cannot do that if the current administration continues to divert designated road funds to other political pet projects. Over the past six years the Governor and his top officials have diverted 4 Billion dollars out of designated “road funds” and moved that money into other areas. Because of these actions, the Governor has also jeopardized Illinois chance of receiving another 9.3 Billion dollars in federal matching road funds. Our roads are being ignored and are literally falling to pieces around us. I will work extremely hard to keep every dollar designated for roads - to be spent on the roads. We must stop the Governor’s diversion or “funds sweeping” process.

CTA Bailout:

The recent bailout of the CTA did not resolve the long term problems of public transportation because it did not reform the bloated, inefficient bureaucracy. It was only a band-aid solution. Without real reform, the CTA will continue to run out of money and will require larger and larger subsidies from the taxpayer. The Governor’s “giveaway” of free rides for everyone over 65 - regardless of income or ability to pay – was a desperate scheme to curry favor at the expense of young families struggling to pay their mortgages and raise their children. We need our tax dollars to solve congestion and rebuild local roads, yet we are now subsidizing public transportation in the city of Chicago.

CN Railroad:

Congestion is already a major problem in the 26th Senate District. If rail traffic increases it will exacerbate an already difficult problem. If the railroad wants to increase traffic, they should be required to build bridges or tunnels to avoid creating more gridlock. Rail and auto gridlock in the area is not only a safety hazard; it is also bad for the economy and the environment.

Letter to the National Transportation Safety Board:September 10, 2008 Mark V. Rosenker

Acting Chairman
National Transportation Safety Board
490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW
Washington, DC 20594

Dear Chairman Rosenker,

Many in our community are very concerned about the Canadian National takeover of the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern railroad. We are concerned with the potential negative impact on surrounding suburban communities. As a resident of Lake Barrington, and a candidate for state Senate and as the sitting Senator in the 26th District, we wish to respectfully lodge our united protest to the CN merger.

As the thousands of residents who attended a recent federal Surface Transportation Board impact hearing on the CN railroad merger in Barrington can attest, this is not merely an economic issue but a quality of life issue. We share the reservations of the residents attending the hearing. An increase in freight traffic will mean longer delays at rail crossings, higher train-related accident rates, higher incidence of hazmat transport through our communities and noise pollution. We are most worried about the fact that fire and ambulance emergency response teams will face delays greater in frequency and length at rail crossings.

Some representatives in the Illinois Congressional delegation have questioned the STB’s environmental impact report on the CN merger. Community reaction at public meetings has been overwhelmingly skeptical. Additionally, in a report issued by the Surface Transportation Board, emergency response teams would be adversely affected by CN in Mundelein, Lake Zurich, and Barrington.

If increased freight traffic becomes a reality, it is imperative that funds be made available by CN for building bridges or underpasses around congested rail crossings in order to secure the welfare and safety of citizens living in the affected communities. We believe funds should to be provided by the railroad before CN is allowed to complete the purchase.

Sincerely,
State Senator William E. Peterson
R-26th District, Buffalo Grove

Dan Duffy
Republican Candidate for State Senate

Route 53 Extension:

To relieve tremendous traffic congestion caused by the rapid population growth in Lake, McHenry and Cook County, I support the Route 53 extension. However, minimizing any negative impact on local communities and homeowners must be paramount to the project. At this time a bi-partisan committee has been set up to study the extension. I look forward to having the opportunity to work with this committee so we can come to an agreement and allocate funding for this much needed extension.