Candidate profile: Paul Jacobs
Name: Paul Jacobs
Age: 71
Hometown: Pomona
Occupation: Optometric Physician
Position seeking: 115th State Representative
Party: Republican
Incumbent: No
Website or social media page: www.jacobsforIL.com
Why are you running and why should people vote for you? Our legislatures are increasing taxes rather than reforming spending habits. People are out migrating faster than in any time in the past with 58,000 last year alone. Personally happened to our family with one child, spouse and three grandchildren moving to Missouri. Another child and spouse and two grandchildren moving to Florida. This is splitting the basic family unit. $137 billion in pension dept, $6 billion in unpaid bills with no change in the tax and spend mentality in sight. I have time and don’t want to leave my state. I want no pension, just to reform and revitalize all of our state. There are ways to deal with all of the problems. I have 40 years running 4 practices, creating jobs and caring for patients. 25 years running my winery and 10 years running my brewery. All of these years creating jobs for Southern Illinois. I want this expertise to help my district and state. Call me at 618-534-3250 for more info or see my website.
What would your goals be, if elected? Reform spending, repair K thru 12, Revitalize the University system to make it affordable for the 51% of Illinois high school graduates that leave the state for college, never to return. Make taxes lower to make it better here in Illinois, than leaving for lower property taxes and taxes in general elsewhere. What ever is needed to revitalize our pension systems. Including 401K type investments, constitutional amendment. We must preserve what has been promised to our retirees while not over promising to replacement employees. If pensions are not addressed we are billing our children with a bill they can’t and won’t pay. We will continue the out migration until no amount of taxing those who can’t get out will help.
What issues are most pressing for your constituency? The most important problem is the loss of our high school students to other states for college. They never return. Their numbers are not included in the net loss in the out migration numbers (to my Knowledge). The out migration and permanent population loss, are critical to address. All of this creates problems for businesses that remain, fewer customers equals lower profits etc. We have found fewer candidates to fill critical jobs in business throughout Southern Illinois. It all boils down to the incessant increasing of taxes rather than reform of spending habits.
This story was originally published February 6, 2020 at 1:15 PM.