Glenview Financial Advisor and Dad Frustrated With Government: Decides to Run for Illinois State Senate

                “Illinois ranks near the bottom of all states in virtually every important economic category.  It didn’t have to be this way.”

Those are the words of Glenn Farkas, a Financial Advisor who got frustrated enough with the Illinois state government that he decided to get involved in the political process. Initially, Farkas’ goal was to help other Republican candidates during this election cycle and help build a strong Republican presence on the North Shore.  “But in April, a candidate dropped off the ballot and that presented an immediate opportunity for me.”

                “Years of mounting frustration in government; their lack of financial discipline, running huge deficits and ever- increasing property taxes led me to get involved,” says 44 year-old Farkas, who has lived in Glenview with his wife and two children for the past 10 years.

Farkas says his campaign will focus on the three biggest issues facing the state:  Politicians, Pensions and Medicaid.  He says our current leaders’ financial mismanagement has put public retirement plans in jeopardy, and that there is no end in sight to the future Medicaid deficits.

                “The Democrats have had complete control over Springfield the last 10 years, and things have spiraled out of control,” says Farkas, who has a BS degree in Finance and Marketing from the University of Cincinnati, and a Masters degree in Finance from Depaul University, “New management is needed. Too many people who are involved in decision making for the state lack business experience.”

                Farkas, who’s worked in the financial services sector for 14 years, has been running his own financial services company, Avista Wealth Mangement for three years.

                He says another huge problem for Illinois, and especially the North Shore residents, are the property taxes.

                “According to a study by the Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois has lost over 800,000 tax payers in the last 15 years, or one every 10 minutes.   How could the state ever expect to recover if the tax base continues to erode at this rate? I’ve talked many people who are considering leaving Illinois instead of waiting around for things to get better.” 

Farkas says Springfield has done nearly everything wrong, especially raising taxes during a recession.

                “They’ve raised personal income taxes from 3% to 5% (+67%) while hiking corporate taxes from 4.8% to 7% (+48%), and my opponent, Danel Biss is still not satisfied.  He’s on record for favoring a graduated income tax, much like California and NY.   We can see how effective that strategy has been for those two high-tax states.”

                When asked if he was excited about his candidacy, Farkas answered, “Excited is probably not the word.  I’m focused on helping the Republican party take back control of the state so we can bring fiscal sanity to Springfield.”

“This isn’t about me,” he says, “It’s about saving the state from the incompetent leadership that’s been controlling it. They’ve put us on a dangerous path.”

                To learn more about Glenn Farkas, his background, views and solutions, please visit his website at  www.farkas4illinois.com.