Patch sat down recently with the two candidates running for Illinois' 17th District state representative seat, Democrat Laura Fine and Republican Kyle Frank, to get information on their views. The seat is being vacated by Rep. Daniel Biss, who is running for the Illinois Senate.

Our questions, and Kyle Frank's answers, follow. Click here to read our Q&A with Fine.

Patch: How would you approach pension reform if elected?

Pension Reform, very complicated! With regards to the University Fund, I have no problems letting each state university handle the pension obligatonseffective immediately. TRS: Property taxes are already to high. We can't switch the obligations toproperty tax payers now, but we can allow individual school districts to privatize both administrative and support staff. This will further reduce pension obligations. In additon, teachers will choose between health insurance and annual 3% COLAs. The other three funds are small. Participants would choose between 3% COLAs and health insurance. Later we may have to call a Constitutional Convention to determine to change pensions for current employees. 

Patch: What distinguishes you from your opponent?

The job of state representative is more akin to competing companies in the same industry, think United and American or Macy's and Target. We are competing against California and Texas for residents and taxpayers. California has great weather, year-round beaches and snow-capped mountains. They may be able to get away with higher taxes. Texas has no income tax. Laura Fine says she wants to give back to the community. This is not the job of the state representative. State representatives work to help our state sucessfully compete against other states! Sucessful states win residents and revenue from this game. Illinois is losing badly in this competition. 

Patch: What would you do to bring jobs to the 17th District?

Lower taxes would bring jobs to all of Illinois! 

Patch: What issues are specific to the 17th district voters that you plan to address?

In district, I want a interchange on Milwaukee Ave and the Tri State to make it easy for potential customers to shop at ABT. We need to study potential traffic problems at the Old Orchard interchange with the Edens, business is going gangbusters there.  

Patch: On your website, you state that you would like to phase out the state income tax. How do you propose to accomplish that?

We need to end the surtax. An off the radar issue is Medicaid reform. Indiana has found that less than 4% of Medicaid recipients, consume more than 50% of the Medicaid budget. Our Medicaid budget is around 14 billion dollars. State income tax revenues match almost perfectly, also around 14 billion dollars. This very small percentage of recipients could consume over 7.5 billion of our tax dollars! We need to find out quickly if this is the case in Illinois. If it is the case we can correct the situation and end the surtax, now!

Editor's Note: This interview has been edited lightly to correct spelling and grammar mistakes.