Releases to the Media,  Voting Information,  Meet the Candidates,

Letters of Endorsement,  Calendar of Events,  District Maps

Releases to the Media

[FEB. 16, 2002]  SPRINGFIELD — State Rep. Gwenn Klingler, R-100^th District, said that the recommendations by the House Republican Long Term Care Funding Task Force offer reasonable solutions to the long-term care crisis that threatens the well-being of our loved ones. The report was released at a press conference in Springfield. The findings are the result of 15 hearings held by the task force statewide in the fall.

"We owe our moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts and uncles, a safe and caring place to live when they can no longer live on their own or with us," said Rep. Klingler. "Long-term care is expensive, and the state’s failure to adequately reimburse the facilities that care for our loved ones contributes to that cost. As a result, many residents deplete a lifetime’s worth of savings in just a few years and are forced to rely on Medicaid."

According to Klingler, nearly two-thirds of nursing home residents rely on public assistance.

The goal of the task force was to find a solution to the disparity in reimbursement rates among regions of the state. The report released by the task force recognizes the state’s current fiscal condition and offers a solution to the inequity in the reimbursement rate — at no additional cost to the taxpayers,

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"A bill has already been filed that addresses the inequity problem by changing the way the state reimburses nursing homes. Under House Bill 4319 nursing homes would be reimbursed based upon the medical needs of each patient in their care, rather than the location of the facility," said Klingler. "It makes sense that patients with more ailments are more expensive to treat and ought to be reimbursed for their actual cost."

The task force made several other recommendations, encouraging the state to establish uniform standards for inspections, pursue increased federal funding, create a working group to address the nursing shortage in the long-term care profession and formulate reasonable procedures for converting nursing home space into assisted living apartments.

"'This issue is too important to our families to ignore. I am hopeful that the General Assembly will act on the recommendations of this task force," said Klingler.

[News release for Gwenn Klingler]

[FEB. 16, 2002]  BLOOMINGTON — Bill Brady, former state representative and now a Republican candidate for the 44^th District state Senate seat, has released his "Teaching for Tomorrow" education plan that addresses several key issues, including funding, school construction grants, standardized testing, teacher retention, local control and ways to streamline education at the state level.

"Education has been and will continue to be the single issue that matters most to citizens," Brady commented. "My plan recognizes the fact we need to find a means to provide adequate funding while not raising income taxes. It also will provide a higher degree of accountability for results at the state level, while giving local school districts the flexibility they need to carry out the job of educating our children."

While serving in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1993-2001, Brady was regarded as a strong advocate of primary and secondary education, supporting measures to provide a foundation level of funding and authoring legislation that guaranteed health insurance benefits to all retired teachers across the state.

Primary and secondary education funding

•  Brady supports policy that 51 percent of all new revenue growth be earmarked for education.

•  Brady strongly supports continuing the practice of providing a foundation level for funding that will ensure that all school districts, regardless of local tax base, will have the necessary resources to provide for a quality education.

School construction grants

•  As a state representative, Brady worked to obtain funding for school construction grants that enabled hundreds of projects statewide to occur while minimizing local property tax exposure.

•  Brady advocates the use of retiring Build Illinois bonds to be utilized for financing capital projects throughout the state. In order for schools to qualify, they must submit written applications and substantiate the need so that the available resources are distributed based upon actual need, not political ties.

Measuring our schools’ success

•  ISAT and Prairie State Achievement Tests address the need for a standardized means of benchmarking achievement and learning in core curricula areas of reading, mathematics, writing and sciences.

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•  "Longitudinal data" will provide conclusive results for us to measure the development of individual students from second grade through high school as well as provide a fair and consistent way to evaluate our schools.

•  Assessment must be consistent and utilized to identify deficiencies, but not be used to punish those schools that are under-performing.

Rewarding and retaining our teachers

•  Brady will introduce legislation that will provide for teacher scholarships to attract and retain the best public school teachers.

•  Brady successfully negotiated and passed legislation that guaranteed health insurance benefits for retired teachers across the state.

Local control

•  Decisions that relate to curricula, staffing and prioritization of resources are best left to local school boards, administrators and teachers, Brady believes. He has a consistent history of fighting unfunded federal mandates and legislation that restrict local school districts’ ability to operate their schools as they deem necessary.

•  School districts that demonstrate a high degree of proficiency in managing their finances at a local level should not be penalized with less funding.

Streamlining processes at the state level

•  Brady supports the elimination of the State Board of Education in favor of a cabinet-level director of education appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.

•  Brady believes that under the structure now in place, there are too many entities establishing policy — the governor, the General Assembly and the State Board of Education — with little accountability for results. We need a clear and coherent direction for primary and secondary education that is established and followed through on, he says.

[News release for Bill Brady]

[FEB. 13, 2002]  BLOOMINGTON — Four former McLean County Republican Party chairmen are among the most recent GOP leaders to support Bill Brady’s candidacy for the 44th District Senate seat.

In endorsing Brady for the Senate, past chairmen Roger Joslin (1966-76), Tom Jacob (1976-80), Joe Warner (1990-99) and Bill Shepherd (1999-2000) cited Brady’s experience, constituent service and leadership during his four terms in the Illinois House of Representatives.

"I’m honored by their support," Brady said. "I think it speaks to what we were able to accomplish while serving central Illinois as a state representative and demonstrates their confidence that we’ll be productive in representing the people of the 44th district."

These recommendations follow January endorsements by GOP County Chairmen J.C. Pearce (Christian), Irv Smith (Sangamon) and Jerry Stocks (Macon).

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Additional endorsements of Brady’s campaign by 44th District leaders and citizens can be found at www.citizensforbillbrady.com.

Brady served as the state representative from 1993-2001. As a legislator, Brady worked to successfully reform workers compensation and tort law. He championed insurance and financial reform legislation that later was used as a national model, and created and passed efforts to guarantee health insurance and reform the judicial review process.

[News release for Bill Brady]

[FEB. 13, 2002]  Mike Stokke, Republican state central committeeman for the 15th Congressional District, has endorsed Rus Kinzinger, Republican candidate for Illinois Senate in the 44"' District. The endorsement was made Sunday afternoon, Jan. 27, at a press conference outside the Home Sweet Home Mission in Bloomington, where Kinzinger has served as chief executive for the past 12 years.

"Rus Kinzinger is a man of compassion, intellect and integrity," Stokke said. "He has lived a life of service. As chief executive of the Mission, Rus has dealt with the many facets of the state and federal and local governments and understands their interrelationships: from health care to education to employment to business interests. Having grown up on a farm in Iroquois County in which he continues to hold an interest, Rus is well prepared to represent both the agricultural and urban issues facing the citizens of the 44th District."

In accepting the endorsement, Rus Kinzinger said: "I appreciate the confidence that Mike Stokke has shown in me and my campaign. This is the second endorsement in less than a week — Rep. Jonathan Wright (R-Hartsburg) publicly endorsed my candidacy on Thursday, Jan. 24. I am also encouraged by the progress that my campaign has made in reaching citizens throughout the 40th District to let them know that my candidacy is about them. I will be responsive to all interests in the District, not just the privileged few."

[News release for Rus Kinzinger]

[FEB. 13, 2002]  Jon Mummert, candidate for state representative in the 94^th Illinois Legislative District, earned the endorsement of the Illinois AFL-CIO.

"I am honored by this endorsement," Mummert said. "The issues of the AFL-CIO reflect the concerns of the working women and men in our district. Their concerns reflect the core values of my campaign."

The Illinois AFL-CIO represents 1,500 local unions and more than a million working women and men in Illinois. They typically endorse candidates who pledge to work hard for the rights of working people.

Among other issues, Mummert said that he is concerned with workplace safety rules, worker compensation programs, opposing privatization of prisons and the extension of unemployment benefits. "Based on my opponent’s anti-labor record, my opponent and I significantly disagree on these issues."

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Mummert, a lifelong resident of Western Illinois, lives on his farm near Astoria and has worked as a carpenter for over 20 years.

The Illinois 94^th District includes all of Henderson, Mason, McDonough and Warren counties, most of Hancock County, west and south Fulton County, and three townships in Mercer County.

[News release for Jon Mummert]

[FEB. 13, 2002]  Jon Mummert announced at a luncheon on Friday, Jan. 4, in Havana that he will run for the Democratic Party nomination for Illinois state representative of the 94^th District.

"From my days as a child on my parents’ farm to my days on my own farm — as a teacher, a carpenter and a family man — I have learned what it means to be a working person," Mummert said. "You can rest assured that when you help send me to Springfield, these experiences and values will continue to guide my actions."

At the luncheon, Mummert, a lifelong resident of western Illinois, expressed some of his hopes and goals. He mentioned area issues including equity in school funding, highway construction, prescription drug benefits for all seniors and expanding the farm market.

Jon and his wife, Cindy, have three children and five grandchildren.

At age 20 Mummert bought a farm, near his hometown of Astoria, which he has expanded to 600 acres over the past 35 years.

Mummert worked his way through Spoon River College and Western Illinois University as a coal miner and earned a business degree from WIU. He taught at Porta High School for two years and was chair of the business department during his second year.

While maintaining his farm, Mummert has worked for 26 years as a carpenter. As a trustee of his carpenters union pension fund, he helped build a small pension fund into a large one, significantly increasing benefits for retired carpenters.

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Mummert said, "I believe in helping those who came before me and protecting the futures of all western Illinoisans."

Mummert is an active leader in his community. He currently serves as president of the Astoria Library Board and was a director for the Farmers State Bank of Astoria from 1980-2000.

Mummert recently resigned his presidency of the Astoria Fire Protection District. "I resigned to commit more time to run for state representative, but I vow that I will work hard to make sure that all firefighters have the right equipment to protect us and themselves," he said.

Besides his volunteer work in his community, Mummert is also an active member of the Astoria Christian Church, serving on the board of elders and deacons for the last four years, the final three as the board’s co-chair.

Mason County officeholders and area supporters were in attendance when Mummert announced his candidacy.

"I am grateful for this opportunity to announce to my candidacy," he said. "I believe my work and life experience will help me run a successful campaign and become an effective legislator."

[News release for Jon Mummert]

[FEB. 13, 2002]  Rus Kinzinger, a Bloomington Republican running for Illinois’ 44^th Senate District, announced his support for the extension of the enterprise zone from Lincoln to Elkhart to assist Corn Belt Energy Corporation in its plan to build a $140 million coal-fired plant just east of Elkhart.

Kinzinger said, "It is clear that the construction of this plant will benefit consumers in our growing district, of which Bloomington-Normal is the largest city. Corn Belt Electric, based in Bloomington, employs 84 people. This plant, the first generating plant for Corn Belt, will clearly benefit the 44^th District in providing energy for our future needs. When fully operational, it will be capable of producing 82 megawatts of electricity per hour."

Corn Belt will be a 51 percent owner of the plant, which was planned in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy.

The proposed coal plant would also benefit our state in several ways, Kinzinger said:

1.  Use of Illinois coal and payment of approximately $2,500 in monthly coal taxes.

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2.  Creation of an average of 100 construction jobs over the 2.3-year construction period and an estimated $16.3 million in construction-related revenue.

3.  Payment of approximately $325,000 in property taxes.

4.  Once operational, the plant should employ 25 full-time workers. Turris Coal near Elkhart will need to expand its work force by about 20 in order to produce the estimated 380,000 tons of coal needed annually.

"I support Corn Belt Energy Corporation as it grows its business and works to meet future energy needs of our community and region," Kinzinger said. "I commend the city of Lincoln for voting to extend the enterprise zone to assist Corn Belt in constructing the coal plant in Elkhart."

[Kinzinger for Senate press release]

Voting Information

[JAN. 15, 2002]  Citizens who are not registered to vote and cannot leave their home, hospital, nursing home or other institution because of a permanent physical disability can arrange for voter registration by contacting a deputy registrar or the county clerk’s office.

Voter registration will close on Feb. 19 for the March 19 general primary election.

If you are physically able, you may register to vote by going to the county clerk’s office, Room 20 in the Logan County Courthouse, 601 Broadway in Lincoln. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. You will need to show two forms of identification, one with your current address on it.

For people with physical disabilities and the elderly, election judges will be available at the polling place on election day to assist voters when a friend or relative is unable to help. Handicapped-voter booths will be available for your convenience. Physically impaired or elderly persons may be eligible to vote absentee. Please contact the Logan County clerk’s office for information.

For any information concerning voter registration or voting for the elderly or disabled, please call the Logan County clerk’s office at (217) 732-4148.

[Sally J. Litterly, Logan County clerk]

[JAN. 3, 2002]  Are you registered to vote?

The March 19 primary is rapidly approaching. The close of registration is Feb. 19. If you have moved, or if you have married and changed your name, it is necessary that you change your voter registration with our office in order to cast your vote in the election.

If you have questions about your voting eligibility, please contact our office at (217) 732-4148.

[Sally J. Litterly, Logan County clerk]

Meet the Candidates

The material in this section is posted unedited, in its entirety, as received. To submit material, please send an e-mail message, complete with your name, address and telephone number to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.

Local teacher announces her candidacy for regional superintendent of schools

By Jean Anderson, candidate

[OCT. 31, 2001]  My name is Jean Anderson and I am announcing my intent to be a Republican candidate for the office of Regional Superintendent of Schools for Logan, Mason, and Menard counties.

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Letters of Endorsement

The Lincoln Daily News publishes letters to the editor as they are received.
 The letters are not edited in content and do not necessarily reflect 
the views of Lincoln Daily News.

Lincoln Daily News requests that writers responding to controversial issues address the issue and refrain from personal attacks. Thank you!

Calendar of Events

February 2002

through Friday, Feb. 15
WHO: Eligible citizens
WHAT: Voter registration
WHERE: County clerk's office, Room 20, Logan County Courthouse, 601 Broadway
WHEN: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday through Friday

March 2002

Tuesday, March 19
SPONSOR: Sponsor
WHO: Registered voters
WHAT: General primary election
WHERE: Designated polling places

District Maps

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