I would like to share with you the results of a recent 10th Congressional District issue survey distributed by Congressman Mark Kirk. Constituents had the opportunity to share opnions on key issues of the day. Over 1,000 responses from every part of the district were received. These results include legislation that the Congressman is supporting.
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Out-of-State Pedophiles
Our first question concerned proposals to link interstate pedophile and criminal data bases to help schools deny employment to criminals coming from outside of Illinois. 91% of respondents supported this legislation and only four percent opposed it as potentially violating rights of school job applicants. Five percent were undecided.
Currently, most states do not have access to criminal information on individuals outside of their home state. Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4894, the School Acquiring Faculty Excellence Act -- legislation that I co-sponsored -- providing schools access to national criminal data bases to obtain criminal information when hiring teachers.
Gasoline Conservation
Congress is considering raising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for all cars and trucks in America. 83% of respondents supported this as a needed conservation measure, while only 14% opposed this as an unneeded burden on auto makers and unions. Three percent were undecided.
I voted to increase CAFE standards and I currently support legislation that raises these standards from 20.7 miles per gallon to 33 miles per gallon by 2014. Increasing fuel economy would save the average family $2,000 per year. Without this action, the U.S. will depend on foreign oil to cover 75 percent of its energy costs.
401 (Kids) Savings Accounts
Congress will soon debate legislation to create 401 (Kids) tax-deferred savings accounts for a child's college education or the first-time purchase of a home. 65% of respondents supported the creation of these accounts as a needed way to boost savings, while 20% opposed them for budget deficit reasons. 15% were undecided.
By 2020, college tuition is estimated to cost a quarter of a million dollars for a four-year degree. There are currently no full federal programs to help parents or children save for college tuition, or to purchase a first home. I co-authored H.R. 5314, the 401 (Kids) Family Savings Accounts Act, to provide parents and children the incentive to save for college and to purchase a first home.
Illegal Immigration
Over 11 million people are in the U.S. illegally. With regard to illegal aliens living in the United States, 19% supported granting amnesty, allowing them to become American citizens, 32% supported arresting them for deportation and 49% did not like either option.
Comprehensive immigration reform legislation will not work unless we first regain control of our borders and reduce the flow of illegal immigrants coming into the United States. Strengthening our borders should be the basis of a comprehensive immigration reform bill. The immigration debate can only begin when we gain control of our borders.
Classroom Safety
Under federal law, a teacher must show a specific suspicion before searching a student for a weapon or drugs. Congress is considering reforms to give latitude to teachers to keep their classrooms drug-free and gun-free.
With regard to this proposal, 70% supported giving teachers wider powers to search students without their permission, 23% oppose this proposal because it could violate the privacy rights of students and eight percent were undecided.
I co-sponsored H.R. 5295, the Student and Teacher Safety Act of 2006, that will give teachers more latitude and powers to keep their classrooms drug-free and gun-free.
Iraq
With regard to Iraq, 46% supported staying until the elected Iraqi government asks us to leave, 30% supported announcing a scheduled departure, regardless of what happens to the recently elected Iraqi government, and 18% supported an immediate departure of all U.S. troops. Six percent were undecided.
The death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi provided a boost to our soldiers and to the newly elected Iraqi government. I was encouraged to hear Iraq's National Security Advisor, Mouwafak al-Rubaie, say last week he believed the security situation in Iraq should improve enough to allow a large number of U.S.-led forces to leave Iraq by the end of this year.
Mercury Pollution
Studies show that Lake Michigan suffers from mercury pollution. Most of this pollution comes from coal-fired plants that produce electricity. Congress is considering mandating new pollution control equipment that could raise the cost of electricity. With regard to this proposal, 73% supported additional pollution controls, even if electricity rates rise, 20% opposed such controls because electricity already costs too much and seven percent were undecided.
Although coal-fired electric power plants are the main source of mercury pollution, they are exempt from regulations in the Clean Air Act requiring power plants to reduce mercury emissions. With approximately 14,000 babies in Illinois born every year at risk of neurological damage due to mercury, I am authoring federal pollution control legislation that will cap national mercury emissions and create even stricter standards near the Great lakes.
Medicare Prescription Drugs
The federal government recently offered seniors the option to add coverage for their prescription drugs to their Medicare Part A and B plans. Over 55,000 seniors in the 10th Congressional District signed up for this coverage.
With regard to the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, 38% supported implementing Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, working out problems as they arise, 14% favored scraping the plan all together as either too expensive or complicated and 26% favored ending all options for coverage and offering only one government plan. 21% were undecided.
Over 38 million seniors signed up for Medicare's Part D prescription drug coverage. Many seniors are now saving thousands of dollars on their prescription drugs because of Medicare Part D. This is why I supported legislation updating Medicare's prescription drug coverage and am proud millions of seniors have help from Medicare with the high cost of prescription drugs.
Suburban Gangs
Gangs connected to international drug cartels are moving out of Chicago and into the suburbs. There are over 3,000 documented gang members operating north of Lake-Cook Road. With regard to this problem, Congress is considering extending federal criminal jurisdiction against gang members in schools. 83% feel this reform is needed to support suburban police departments who are now fighting urban drug gangs, 12% opposed this as an unwanted extension of federal law enforcement into local police jurisdictions and five percent were undecided.
In April, I hosted a briefing in Waukegan with federal officials and local law enforcement on new federal funding available to help suburban police departments combat gangs. I was proud to present the Waukegan Police Department with a $100,000 federal grant I secured for their work against north suburban gangs. They will offer their experience to help other police departments combat a growing suburban gang problem. I also helped write H.R. 5291, the Gang Elimination Act of 2006, a federal plan to help eliminate America's most notorious gangs.
National Security Agency
After 9/11, the President authorized the National Security Agency (NSA) to expand its international wiretaps to also monitor people who had been contacted by terrorists groups inside the United States. With regard to this program, 74% felt the program should be continued to monitor potential terrorists in the U.S., while 21% said it should be stopped and the NSA should be banned from working in the U.S. Five percent did not know.
I believe the NSA should be in charge of collecting foreign intelligence only. In my judgment, the FBI -- working under the supervision of a federal judge -- is the federal agency best suited to conduct lawful surveillance involving Americans or any American telephone. The FBI has a long history of running successful counterintelligence operations within the United States and works well within the framework of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). I am currently working in Congress to transfer the jurisdiction for these operations exclusively to the FBI and under the protections of FISA and our Fourth Amendment.
Thanksgiving meal served by soldiers to fellow soldiers in Iraq. Let us remember all of our troops who are far from home and serving around the globe.
We have high hopes of putting an end to taxes, corruption and government waste here in Illinois. That is why we will be voting for candidates Timothy O. Schneider for Cook County Commisioner (pictured left) and Tony Peraica for Cook County Board President (pictured right) Both men will strive to bring honest government to Illinois and we believe we're overdue for that kind of change. Find out more about these candidates and how you can help them at www.votetony06.com and www.schneider2006.com 
The county clerk's office brough a demonstrator model of the new touch screen voting machine to the Feburary ROWT meeting. The new machine will be in all polling places in March. It is very user friendly.
Dan, our newly installed Wheeling Townsip Assessor spoke at our January women's club meeting. As taxpayer advocate, he shared information about permits, assessment appeals and various other services. The link above will take you directly to Dan's own web page at the township where you will find a complete listing of taxpayer services and tips. You will also find helpful links to the Cook County Assessor's office, Cook County Board of Review and Cook County Treasurer's office .
