Introducing the candidates for governor
There are five candidates for governor in Illinois per ballotpedia.org. Two candidates, have no information on ballotpedia.org Collin Corbett and Griselda Romero. So we will say nothing.
Three other candidates are listed, Gary Pierce (Independence Party), Darren Bailey (Republican Party), and incumbent J.B. Pritzker (Democratic Party). The backgrounds are not similar.
Gary Pierce is a graduate of East Aurora High school then pursued an associates degree from Waubonsee Community College, Bachelor’s from MacMurray College, and University of Illinois Springfield. He served the U.S. Navew from 1979 through 1981. He lists counselor as his profession. His major issues include restoring trust by returning elections to paper ballots, open audits to create Accountability and Transparency, to protect the integrity of the Process. From his web site https://www.standwithgary.com, he believes in a Pathway to individual Self-Sufficiency, Recognizing the Dignity of Every Person regardless of their circumstances stating poverty is not a character flaw, it is a systemic problem that requires a compassionate and effective response. Community investment for supporting local business, creating job training programs, and providing access to essential services.
Darren Bailey is from Louisville Illinois. He has an associates degree from Lakeland. He and his sons operate Bailey Family Farm near Louisville. From his web site https://baileyforillinois.com He served on the North Clay Board of Education for 17 years with 12 being board president. He was elected to.the Illinois House in 2018 then later the State Senate. He refused a taxpayer funded pension and pushed for tax relief and agriculture. His wife Cindy of 39 years and he founded a Christian school offering families a Christ centered education. Four major issues include Ensuring Quality Education for every child in Illinois regardless of their zip code, protecting communities by restoring law and order supporting law enforcement, cracking down on repeat offender, and stopping policies to puts politics over public safety. Further he wants to make Illinois affordable again working to reign in high taxes, rising utility bills and wasteful spending. Property taxes need to never exceed a person’s mortgage which taxes families out of their homes.
J. B. Pritzker is from Atherton, California, with a degree from Duke University and law degree from Northwestern University. Through birth he is an heir to the Hyatt Hotel chain making him a billionaire and the richest politician in the country. While having a law degree we do not have any record of him being a lawyer. He had started "1871" a non profit business incubator based in Chicago. As incumbent, Pritzker brags about balancing budgets and raising the credit rating. He has done this by raising taxes, tolls, regulatory fees, the minimum wage, and not properly funding pension plans. From his web site https://jbpritzker.com he claims making life affordable in Illinois, and his future vision is Quantum technology, data centers, clean energy, electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing, government funded tech incubators. There are other items on his web site which begs the question, did government do it, did government get out of the way and let it happen, or was government fought including high fees and taxation and items still had occurred?
In upcoming articles we will pick items and try to compare each of the candidates. Illinois is currently a state where Chicago pulls the shots, state money goes to Chicago for failing ventures and mismanaged opportunities. State government has raised and created more taxes, fees, and regulatory items since Pritzker’s election. Gas taxes forcing record disparity between neighboring states, corporations leaving the state for more business friendly states, an environment that causes high unemployment among teenagers, repeat criminals due to cashless bail.
This will be interesting.
Next up Property Taxes