ISSUES
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
I believe the elected officials of the City of Waukegan should vigorously advocate for the interests of Waukeganites, not just wealthy donors, third parties, or special interests. That’s why I’m proud to support implementing a recall procedure for all elected representatives of the city, and community oversight and involvement at all levels of government.
ENVIRONMENT
Our children deserve clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and a beautiful lakefront to enjoy. For too long, Waukeganites have been asked to live with the mess left behind by decades of dirty industrial practices. Practices that continue today on the west side of the city. I believe Waukegan must use its home rule regulatory powers to force industrial polluters to pay for the remediation of the damage they’ve caused, and prevent them from continuing to pollute our city.
EDUCATION
Waukegan Public Schools are consistently ranked second worst in Lake County, and well within the bottom 50% statewide. This is a public embarrassment for our city. Our children deserve better. Our neighboring communities have demonstrated that high quality public education correlates to better economic opportunities later in life, lower overall crime rates, and improved upward social mobility.
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY
I moved to Waukegan as a struggling entrepreneur, and I feel a duty to create and preserve economic opportunities for Waukeganites. The median wage in Waukegan is $12 per hour and nearly one in six Waukeganites lives in poverty. This is unacceptable in the 10th largest city in Illinois. I believe the city government has a duty and obligation to promote economic opportunity for every Waukeganite, not simply casino owners and multinational corporations.
TAXES
No Waukeganite should be worried about making ends meet because of the city’s property taxes. That’s why I support a progressive property tax system with income-based tax relief, and a balanced & fiscally responsible city budget.
PUBLIC SAFETY
The key to creating a safe community, is creating a healthy community. Our best opportunity to prevent crime is to treat the conditions that cause it and invest in diversionary programs that give our youth hope and opportunity for the future. This means bringing a fresh approach to policing, focusing on providing key safety and support services such as helping to provide behavioral health services to individuals experiencing crises related to mental health, poverty, homelessness and substance abuse.