Beverly Miles, Democratic candidate for governor of Illinois
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More on the Democratic candidates running for Illinois governor
Illinois governor. Candidates are listed alphabetically.
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Name: Beverly Miles
Political party (if applicable): Democrat
Age as of June 28, 2022: 54
Campaign website or social media page: miles4governor.com
Office seeking: Governor
Are you an incumbent?: No
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought): Chicago alderman
Occupation: Registered nurse
Education: Master’s degree in nursing
Please list highlights of your civic involvement
Serve on the City of Chicago Veteran Advisory committee
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Me, myself and I
Why are you running?
99% of the state of Illinois is comprised of the working class and 1% billionaire. I believe the governor’s position should be run by the working class and not the billionaires. The millionaires and billionaires have been in running our state and I believe it is time to allow the working class to show the 1 percenters how to make the state greater for everyone.
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it?
Boosting the economy and combating violence
Why should people vote for you?
The billionaire repeatedly failed us, so why not give me a chance to fix what they have no intentions of doing?
If you’re an incumbent, describe your most significant achievement in office and a single policy you would like to work on in your next term, if you were reelected. If you’re not an incumbent, describe your greatest professional or civic achievement and a single policy you’d work on if you’re elected.
I have never been an elected official, however, I am a registered nurse with over 26 years of experience. I served 15 years in the United States Army. Both professions taught me logistics, strategic, tactical and battlefield operations and once elected, with great consultants, advisors and legislation, I will learn the formality of the governorship.
What policies would you pursue to help Illinoisans recover economically from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and deal with inflation?
I will put monies into boosting the economy by allocating monies into small business and into areas who need it most.
How would you deal with a resurgence of COVID-19? What policies would you put in place to keep people safe while also supporting business and the economy?
I would simply follow science, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines, consult the health care professional legislation before any executive orders are executed. No blanket decision should be made as each scenario should be identified and assessed based on location and severity.
Because of its large veteran population, St. Clair County is disproportionately affected by a disabled veterans property tax exemption that shifts the burden onto other taxpayers. What solution would you propose to alleviate the burden while also maintaining support for veterans?
Taxes: Taxes in the state of Illinois are the second highest tax rate in the nation and the third most corrupt in the nation. High property taxes have a direct negative impact on our income, our sales and on property tax collection. This is one of the key reasons why our residents are moving out of the state of Illinois
Issues: 1. People need to understand the reasons legislation is not doing anything about property taxes is because they (Legislation) shifted the tax burden on to the local governments.
2. The state of Illinois has more units of local government than any other state in the nation. Seven thousand (7,000.) Solution: To create reasonable pathways to consolidate local governments in-order to avoid duplication of services. By consolidating local governments, we can absorb duplication or spending and reallocate those monies into cutting down property taxes and assisting with fixing the pension fund crises.
Background: The state of Illinois has eight hundred and fifty-six school districts that cost the taxpayers eighteen billion annually for upkeep. I believe if we can unify our school districts by half, we can save nine billion dollars. Again, this is to avoid duplicate and wasteful spending. I strongly believe over time this will fix both our high taxes and balance out our pension plan.
How would you address crime in the metro-east while ensuring your policies don’t unfairly impact people who have disproportionately targeted by the criminal justice system?
I believe the state of Illinois should reflect a tale of one state oppose to a double standard state and all our laws on the books should reflect that.
This story was originally published May 28, 2022 at 10:13 AM.