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Dave Syverson has the knowledge it takes to create jobs and revive our economy. For more
than 20 years he has worked in the private sector creating jobs in the Northern Illinois region. Dave believes Illinois must take decisive action to roll back the misguided policies that have led to the loss of so many high-quality jobs in our state and made it impossible for our businesses to compete in the global marketplace.
Known as the “Jobs Senator” Dave has been honored by organizations including the IMA, NFIB, Illinois Chamber, Illinois Tooling & Machining Association for his work in bringing jobs to Northern Illinois and fighting for a better jobs climate.
We owe our Nation’s Veterans a debt of gratitude for protecting the freedoms we enjoy every day. Their numbers are growing as more and more of our young men and women return from honorable service in the War on Terror. Our responsibility to uphold our agreement with them is now even more important. We must make certain that they have the highest quality medical care. We must also welcome them back to our shores with open arms and gratitude for their tremendous service to our country.
As a Senator, Dave has been a staunch supporter of funding for veterans homes, veterans
education and other priorities. He has also pushed for legislation which ensures service
members, who are on tour overseas, get to keep their jobs when they return to the States.
Illinois does not have a revenue problem; it has a spending problem. For years, liberal Democratic State leaders refused to live within their means, which exploded our debt to pay for tens of billions of dollars in new spending.
Today, Democrats believe taxpayers should pick up the price-tag for their irresponsible state spending. In January they passed a 67% income tax hike that has devastated our economy, cost the average family $500 in new taxes every year and added thousands of dollars in new costs for the average small business . As a recent Chicago Tribune editorial correctly stated: “Taxes do drive employers’ decisions on jobs.” Unfortunately for Illinois, the Democrats’ decision to raise taxes drove businesses away, along with the jobs they provide.
Dave wants to reverse the reckless record of the Democrats. He supports cutting taxes and abolishing the Democrats’ 67% income tax hike. By doing so, we can expand our economy by creating thousands of new jobs; which, in turn, will generate millions of dollars in revenues that will help grow us out of the budget crisis.
Illinois must have a world-class education system if we expect our children and our companies to be competitive in this global economy. Dave believes the key to competitiveness is maintaining a safe school environment for our students, this holds everyone – including teachers and administrators – to the highest of standards. Schools should be focused on giving our students the best academic tools possible to be successful in the 21st Century workforce.
We must cut state government to free up resources for productive investment. Illinois government now spends $117 billion every year and employs more than 150,000 people. We must work to reduce state government spending and payrolls, and direct that savings toward
better investments.
Dave also believes cutting our state government spending should start at the top – with state officials and lawmakers. That’s why Dave has always opposed pay raises for state lawmakers and supported and sponsored legislation that cut legislators’ salaries. When it comes to reining in government, lawmakers shouldn’t just talk the talk – they should walk the walk.
Dave Syverson has a long record of supporting conservative Illinois values. Over the years, he has sponsored and supported legislation protecting the sanctity of families and life.
As a citizen-legislator, Dave has lead by example by never accepting a pay raise or cost of living increase. In addition, he has donated a portion of his salary each year to help fund local school projects and to build playgrounds in under-served areas of his district.
Dave believes, unless we make Illinois a more attractive place to do business, we will never expand our economy. Today, more than ever, businesses can choose where to expand, invest and hire. Unfortunately, the punitive tax and fee hikes of the Blagojevich and Quinn
administrations have driven away businesses, along with their good-paying jobs.
In the past, Illinois has had one of the most dynamic economies in the world. We can and must get that back. To do so, we must:
- Repeal the recent 67% tax hike passed by Democrats to make our business environment competitive again.
- Craft real Workers Compensation reform, unemployment reform and regulatory reform.
- Implement Medical Malpractice reform to help lower increasing health care costs.
- Train and prepare American workers for the jobs of today and tomorrow.
- Support open markets abroad – based on fair trade not free trade.
- Lead the nation in ensuring energy independence while understanding energy is not only an economic issue, but an issue of national security as well.
For Illinois to succeed as a state, the people must have an efficient, transparent and ethical government working for them. We must increase efforts to enhance public oversight of the inner workings of state government and enhance rules to keep everyone – the politicians, the
bureaucrats and the lobbyists – accountable.
Protecting the Second Amendment
Dave is a gun owner and a lifetime member of the NRA. He believes in the Second Amendment’s protection of citizens’ right to keep and bear arms. Dave knows that gun control laws do not deter crime; they only limit the ability for law-abiding citizens to feel secure in their own homes and protect their own families.
Energy reform is perhaps one of the most critical issues facing our State and Country. Americans pay high prices at the pump day after day and our dependence on foreign oil continues to threaten our national security. Until alternative solutions can become cost
effective, we need to increase domestic production of oil.
By increasing domestic production we would gain on multiple fronts:
- Lesson dependence on foreign countries.
- Lower prices of oil.
- Create tens of thousands of new jobs in direct oil production.
- Create 100’s of thousands of jobs in indirect job creation, including manufacturing.
To make this happen, Illinois and the Federal Government must cut burdensome regulations and expedite the permit process. We can also explore areas that are currently off limits to domestic production like the Alaskan Energy Slope, the oil shale areas of Colorado, Utah and
Wyoming and the outer-continental shelf.
While domestic production of oil is an immediate economic boost, we do need to continue to be the leader in researching and developing other alternative forms of energy including wind, solar, clean coal and nuclear.
Illinois, like Washington, has been addicted to deficit spending for decades. As a Senator, Dave Syverson has opposed the irresponsible policies of the Blagojevich/Quinn administrations that have more than tripled our state debt, skimmed from the pension system and put Illinois on the verge of bankruptcy.
Dave’s goal is to put Illinois on a course toward a balanced budget and fiscal responsibility. That is done by growing our economy and making cuts in an out of control budget. Illinois must deliver government services in a more efficient way. The largest portion of our state’s budget, Medicaid, must be reformed especially by getting serious about the fraud and abuse in the program. Under the Democrats, the next generations are being handed the bill for the spending of today. That reckless and irresponsible attitude jeopardizes the fiscal and economic future of our children and grandchildren. It cannot continue.
As a Country, we must repeal and replace Obamacare by improving our existing market-based healthcare system that is the envy of the world. Yes, all Americans should have access to quality, affordable health care. There are ways to accomplish this goal without scrapping a system that is providing excellent care for so many.
Three areas that should be addressed that would provide real cost savings without affecting care are litigation reforms, waste and fraud.
States and private markets, not the federal government, hold the key to improving our health care system.
