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Politics & Government

Dold, Biss Explain Legislation to Glenview Chamber

Chamber of Commerce hears how things work, or don't, in Springfield and Washington.

 and  demonstrated to more than 50 members of the Glenview Chamber of Commerce the similarity to legislating at the state and federal level Monday in Northbrook.

Though the issues are very different, both are dealing with controlling mushrooming debt. They also realize partisan politics will keep enlarging the fiscal hole unless both sides start to do things differently.

Earlier: 

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Biss proposes concentration on long term solutions while Dold wants to focus on areas of agreement between Democrats and Republicans to make progress. He recognizes in an election year this is harder to do.

“,” Dold said. “What are our areas of agreement? The most pressing issue to small business is jobs and the economy. When I ask my across the aisle what is the most important issue they say jobs and the economy.”

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In Dold’s view, the country’s 29 million small businesses play a significant role in reducing unemployment. If those companies know the rules the government will impose, he thinks they will create all the jobs the country needs.

“If half of them create one job we will have a different problem,” Dold said. “We would face over employment. Washington does not create jobs, the private sector creates jobs.”

Biss blames partisan considerations from keeping his colleagues in the Illinois General Assembly from taking a long term approach to solving financial problems that have been building up over many years.

“Under all of this there are enormous clouds,” Biss said of the state’s mounting bills. “This mountain of costs is the legacy of not just one year. It’s decisions by many of my colleagues that the pain will not be felt until after the next election.”

With an eye to returning Illinois to financial solvency on a long term basis, Biss realizes hard choices must be made. “We will feel pain now,” he said. “We have to make these difficult decisions now because we have no choice.”

Making a judgment of his own which could displease his Republican colleagues, Dold told the gathering why he broke with the House majority to oppose the current transportation bill. He hopes a resolution is reached.

“Mass transit is not part of the motor fuel tax (this time),” Dold said. “Do any of you use mass transit, ride Metra? You bet we do. The Chicago area depends on mass transit. We are a donor state which means we pay out more than we get back (in transportation money).”

Frustration of the citizens over the difficulties of the legislature to fix the state’s problems has led to undue influence from lobbyists, according to Biss. “When only a few people care, the special interests get all the influence,” he said.

“You need to care,” he added exhorting two tables of students from Glenbrook North and Glenbrook South High Schools to become part of the political process.

Dold admits special interests play a role in Washington as well but he encourages any person with a problem to bring it to him. “If people have an issue they should come to our office and tell it to us,” he said. “It does work.”

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