Health care, taxes key in 37th House race
Fadeley, Ozinga weigh in on Illinois economy, taxes, voter concerns
In the 37thHouse District, with no incumbent on the ballot after the retirement of stateRep. Margo McDermed, one candidate says passage of the graduated-rate income tax amendment could give a boost to school funding while her opponent insists it will drive business out of Illinois.
The Democratic candidate, Michelle Fadeley, 37, lives in Joliet and works as global marketing manager for Landmark Worldwide LLC, a personal and professional training and development firm.
Her Republican opponent, Tim Ozinga, 34, is a Mokena resident and executive vice president and a co-owner of Ozinga Bros., his family’s ready-mix concrete and building materials business, headquartered inMokena.
Both were unopposed in the March primaries.
Fadeley is a former president of the Illinois chapter of the National Organization for Women, and her mother, Melissa, was also a longtime active member.
Fadeley, who has campaigned on a platform of preserving and protecting the middle class, said the so-called “fair tax,” which would do away with the state’s flat-rate tax on incomes, would provide a guaranteed tax break for most residents.
She said there is a lot of misinformation about the amendment, including concerns that passage could open the door to retirement incomes being taxed. As it stands now, state law excludes income fromsources such as pensions and IRA and 401(k) plans, and there is no language in the proposed amendment that would alter that.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker has estimated that 97% of tax filers would, under the graduated-rate system, pay the same or less in income taxes as they do now.
“Taxes on the middle class can just as easily be raised now” without the referendum getting voter approval, Fadeley said.
Some of the revenue expected to be generated by the new tax structure could be used to boost school funding, she said.
“This is a way we can reinvest in our state,” she said.
Ozinga describes the amendment, should it pass, as giving a “blank check” to the General Assembly “to continue the tax-and-spend status quo.”
Ozinga said that in recent months he has been doing more door-to-door campaigning, and that the tax amendment is a frequent topic of discussion.
“I understand the state has deficit issues that need to be figured out,” he said. “Being a business owner, this in the long term is not good for jobsand the economy. Itwould accelerate people leaving the state.”
Ozinga said he’s knocked on about 5,000 doors in the district, and COVID-19 related concerns constantly come up, particularly in households where someone has lost a job due to the pandemic or the household’s income has otherwise been impacted.
“Nobody is expecting things to be fixed overnight,” he said.
Fadeley said a major issue she hears raised relates to health care costs.
“We know that all of the income gains the middle class have experienced have gone to rising health care costs and not in our pockets,” she said. “Something just has to change.”
Fadeley said she is also a strong supporter of ethics reform, noting indictments and investigations into cor
ruption that have ensnared several politicians, including House Speaker Michael Madigan.
“We need to close the revolving door between politicians becoming lobbyists and have at least a two-year cooling off period before a politician leaving office can work as a lobbyist,” she said.
Fadeley said she also advocates for a statewide legislative ban on red-light cameras.
“Therehavebeennobenefits as far as traffic safety, and there is too much corruption associated with them,” she said.
Corruption investigations associated with redlight cameras resulted in a bribery indictment this summer against Crestwood Mayor Lou Presta, accused of taking money from camera operator SafeSpeed. He
has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.
Ozinga said that property taxes have been an oft-cited complaint from voters, and because that represents the bulk of revenue school districts received, the issue of school funding is directly related.
“Ihave talked with teachers and administrators and there is a need to address theway education is funded and the unfunded state mandates that have come down,” he said.
Rising property taxes have been blamed, in part, for an exodus of Illinoisans to neighboring states, along with Illinois’ ongoing budget woes.
Ozinga said he hoped his experience in running a business would help him address issues such as property taxes and the state’s financial problems to stem the tide of peoplemoving.
He and his wife have four young daughters, and “my hope is my daughters can grow up and want to raise their families here,” he said.
In the July-September quarter, Ozinga had a significant lead over his opponent in fundraising.
He took in a bit more than $200,000 during the third quarter and at the end of September had $214,000 on hand, according to a recent campaign finance disclosure filing.
During the same period, Fadeley had contributions of just under $69,000 and at the end of last month had nearly $25,000 on hand, according to her campaign filing.
The district takes in all or parts of southwest suburbs including Frankfort, Frankfort Square, Homer Glen, Mokena, New Lenox, Orland Hills, Orland Park and Tinley Park.
McDermed, a Mokena Republican, announced last July she would not seek a fourth term, citing a desire to spend more time with her family. In a release announcing her retirement, McDermednoted that if she ran and won, she would be 70 shortly after being sworn in.
She had spent 30 years as a corporate lawyer before retiring from that and being elected to public office, starting with Frankfort Township clerk.