Secretary of State: Josh Hanson
Political affiliation: Libertarian
City: Naperville
Marital status: Married
Occupation/Firm name: Client Support Specialist/Madden Communications
Campaign HQ address: P.O. Box 4851 Wheaton, IL 60189-4851
Campaign website: http://www.JoshHanson2010.com/
What is your campaign budget- No response
What are your top priorities for the office- For challengers, would you move in a direction different than the course set by Jesse White-
My top priority is hold all employees of the Office of the Secretary of State to the same standards as private employees, to provide the best possible service to the people of Illinois. The Secretary of State should constantly be thinking of ways to change the status quo, even if it means eliminating or transferring traditional responsibilities of the office.
Given the state's budget crisis, what would you cut or scale back in the secretary of state's office- For the incumbent, what have you already cut-
I believe that individuals and communities are the best judges of how to spend their hard-earned money. There is no reason to believe that the most efficient way to allocate resources is for politicians to suck resources away from the people, take their cut, and then return a portion of it to the people, expecting everyone to be grateful for the generosity. The Secretary of State should not be in the business of handing out grants and scholarships, but should leave that money in the communities where it belongs. Additionally, there is no excuse for a public servant to make a six-figure income.
What are your plans to make operations in the secretary of state's office more efficient, more automated and more consumer friendly-
Technological upgrades are a good start, but they only go so far. As I speak with voters, I hear the same thing over and over. People aren't upset with technological limitations; they're upset with failures in customer service. I come from a customer service background, and I realize that people respond to incentives. State employees need to be held to the same standards as those of us who realize that if we don't do our jobs well, our jobs may be at jeopardy. As long as state employees don't have to fear the consequences of bad service, we won't see improvement.
The secretary of state often champions certain causes related to the duties of the office. Would you do the same- If so, what issues would you focus on-
As I see it, a politician who is doing his job well will be nearly invisible to the law-abiding public. I don't want my name in every citizen's wallet and I don't want to promote myself by talking about warm and fuzzy issues. I want to provide a simple, efficient service to the people of Illinois without calling any attention to myself. The one exception to this rule is that the Secretary of State should publicly call attention to the misconduct of other public officials and stand up for the rights of individuals when threatened by professional politicians.
Are the penalties for DUI violations sufficient- Would you support increasing them-
No response
For teens, should the age or the process for getting a driver's license change in any way-
I've spoken to many older voters who remember learning to drive without anyone's permission but their parents'. I support discouraging reckless driving by imposing stronger penalties on those who do cause harm to others by driving irresponsibly, but I do not believe that individuals need to ask permission from their politicians in order to operate a vehicle.
How would you improve the services currently provided to Illinois businesses by the secretary of state's office-
No response
How would you improve public access to data generated by the secretary of state's office-
No response
Should the Legislature make any changes to the campaign finance law passed in 2009- Would you support capping donations from party leaders during general elections-
The solution to the corrupting influence of money in politics is not to restrict the right of individuals (or collections of individuals) to give money to whomever they wish. The solution is to restrict the power of politicians to influence businesses through political spending and corporate welfare. Without the expectation that state officials will grant rewards and benefits, there would be no reason for private entities to give obscene sums of money to political campaigns.
This office regulates lobbyists. Do you think there should be tougher sanctions for unethical lobbyists- Should lobbyists be required to divulge how much they are paid by each client-
If we want lobbyists to lose interest in government, we must make government smaller, less influential, and less powerful. As long as politicians control everything under the sun, there will be those fighting tooth-and-nail to control government.
List your educational background
BA in Political Science from Wheaton College (IL)
Please list civic, professional, fraternal or other organizations to which you belong
Campaign for Liberty, DuPage Libertarians
Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government-
I have the honor of reporting that I have never held any political office. I'm a regular citizen with all the responsibilities and struggles that go along with that status. The closest I've come to a government job was my time working as a Page in the United States Senate for five months in 2001.
Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government
No response
Name your five biggest campaign contributors and the amount they contributed
No response
Please paste a brief biography here
I was born in Kentucky in 1983 and was raised in a small town in Indiana. In 2002, I moved to Illinois to attend Wheaton College, where I spent three-and-a-half years in U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) before leaving the Army as a conscientious objector. Since graduating, I have become a passionate student of economics and try to play soccer every chance I get. #Comments_Container, #Comments_Container1,#commentsonly,.StoryInteract{display:none;}
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