Forfeiting a state House seat by less than 1 percent in 2014, Teamsters trucker and Streator resident Jerry Lee Long is looking to make a comeback with that position, which was vacated by Frank Mautino when he left to become the state's auditor general.
Long missed a place in the House by only 337 votes. The conservative 30-year career logistics transporter once again will vie to represent the 76th District come November.
The veteran union member wants to revitalize Illinois, starting with spending, demonstrating political independence in the legislature and giving local jurisdictions back a measure of independence.
“I am a union truck driver by trade, but am a student of free market economics and firmly believe that the policies of the Democratic Party led by Speaker (Mike) Madigan and Senate President (John) Cullerton, as well as ... Frank Mautino have destroyed our economy because they could not control their spending on pet and pork projects,” Long said. “We have enough revenue, we just don't prioritize how we spend it.”
Long believes in unions, but stated that certain public employee unions have strayed from responsibility and placed burdens on taxpayers. If elected, he said, he would support cutting back on waste and fraud in the Medicaid and welfare sectors, overseeing workers’ compensation reform and creating a balanced budget amendment.
“Make our government completely transparent from Springfield all the way to the last township,” he said. “This would stop waste (locally and pay) obligations first, then Moody's and Fitch's would increase our bond rating, saving us hundreds of millions.”
Long wants to streamline the pension system, minimize regulatory oversight in education and see the Independent Map Amendment on 2016’s ballot. He advocates making Illinois more business friendly. To resolve pension issues, Long envisions modifying the current system with a constitutional amendment to change or eliminate the state’s pension clause, basing public sector pay on the inflation rate.
Equity plays a large role in Long’s take on term limits, school funding and a balanced budget. In answer to the public’s perception of Chicago’s public schools taking a toll on the rest of the state’s coffers, he suggests allocating funds equally across the board.
“We should stick to paying the average amount allotted to educate each child -- a little better than $6,000 per child -- and stop pro-rating, allowing some school districts to pull more of the funding away from other schools," he said.
Long also supports charter schools and tuition vouchers. He believes that local jurisdictions should be able to exert more control over their own school systems. Chicago should receive “the same amount as the rest of the schools. If they need more, then let Chicago tighten their belt and help their own... ."
“Take the curriculum out of the hands of the federal and state governments, and allow the school district to decide on their own,” he said.
Long recently gained the endorsement of the Chicago Tribune. Compared to his current opponent, recent college graduate and candidate Jacob Bramel, “Long is still the better choice here,” the Tribune said.
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