Ty Cratic, Illinois House 9th District Democratic candidate profile

Candidate profile

Ty Cratic

Running for:State Representative - 9th District

Political/civic background: Democrat - Former Chair of the Cook County Young Democrats

Occupation:Consultant

Education: Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Campaign website: TyCratic.com

Facebook: TyCratic

Twitter: @CraticForRep

Instagram: @TyCratic

The Chicago Sun-Times Editorial Board sent candidates for the Illinois House of Representatives a list of questions to find out their views on a range of important issues facing Illinois and their districts. Ty Cratic submitted the following responses:

Please tell us about your civic work in the last two years, whether it’s legislation you have sponsored or work you have done in other ways to improve your community.

This is my first time running for public office. Most recently, I served as Chair of the Cook County Young Democrats about brought reform which brought new voices and faces to democratic politics. I worked to elect JB Pritzker as Governor, I supported HB 40 and spoke with House members, as a citizen of Illinois, to express my opinion about on the cannabis bill in Illinois.

Please list three concerns that are specific to your district, such as a project that should be undertaken or a state policy related to an important local issue that should be revised.

1. Redevelopment of the Commercial Coordinator of Roosevelt Road, between Western and Cicero. 2. Small business support and incubation for local businesses occupying store fronts. 3. Illinois medicaid public option for all.

What are your other top legislative priorities?

Economic inclusion and development, and easing the tax burden on working families.

There are communities in the 9th district which have not seen development in our 50 years, since the King race riots, and that has to change. We see this in the vast pockets of vacant lots and lifeless buildings on the West Side. In other parts of the district, small businesses and industry have started but are faced with stagnate growth. We see this in empty storefronts and strip malls.

I will focus on expand industry, create jobs and pushing entrepreneurialism in parts of the community which need development. If our state, county and city continue not to work together to create that change, then our tax burden will continue grow in payroll, property and sales taxes.

What is your position on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax? Please explain.

I support the Illinois Fair Tax Amendment, Illinois’ budgets have been balanced on the household incomes or working families along fee and fine that are seen as regressive. The Fair Tax allows for Illinois to join other neighboring states in updating our tax code and provide adequate and fair funding in Illinois.

Illinois continues to struggle financially, with a backlog of unpaid bills that tops $6 billion. In addition to a progressive state income tax — or in lieu of such a tax — what should the state do to pay its bills, meet its pension obligations and fund core services such as higher education?

I strongly believe the State must work with the City and County, along with private industry to create jobs, expand and introduce industry, create affordable housing and create policies which makes opening and operating a small business easier. This creates more in sales, payroll and property taxes. Creating more opportunities for people to general tax dollars is the first step in creating more tax dollars to operate our State. It is no secret that Illinois is partially in the state it’s in because too many decisions were kicked down the road, because no one wanted to deal with “now”. Well, it is time to think about creating opportunities that will yield growth down the road, not regret.

Should Illinois consider taxing the retirement incomes of its very wealthiest residents, as most states do? And your argument is?

This is a truly complicated issue, there are many retirees or those approaching retirement who are concerned about these types of taxes. Illinois does not currently tax any retirement income, and while I do not support taxing any type of retirement income, this includes pensions, IRAs, 401Ks or social security, I do have concerns. I am concerned about large funds being transferred in deferred tax vehicles to avoid paying taxes. There are a number of smaller types of retirement income plans that are used for deferred tax plans, but I will not support taxing retirement income until the Fair Tax is implemented and the state works on pushing economic expansion and inclusion. I would not support taxing any retirement income based on taxable income either.

What can Illinois do to improve its elementary and high schools?

First, the State must properly improve education funding. Second, I support an Elected School Board for CPS, with implementing the creation of it with the Chicago Teachers Unions, charter school associations, parents, administrators and their associations and students. This issue is solely about students and their education.

Mass shootings and gun violence plague America. What can or should the Legislature do, if anything, to address this problem in Illinois?

Gun ownership is a right in our nation, we cannot abridge that right. Mass shootings have created havoc and harms to community in Illinois, especially in Chicago. The right for people to live peacefully ought not to be abridge, either. I support HB 1966, the Fix the FOID Act because expanding background checks to all gun sales and keeping communities safe from violence means keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. I also supported the passage of the Combating Illegal Gun Trafficking Act, which hold gun dealers accountable to us by knowing whom they sell their guns. I support a ban on semi-automatic guns.

Do you favor or oppose term limits for any elected official in Illinois? Please explain.

I support a 4-term or 8 year, limit on any member of the Illinois House, and a 2-term, or 8 year limit for the Illinois Senate. I believe these limits will aid in decreasing corruption, and increase the civic activities of the communities the districts serve.

Everybody says gerrymandering is bad, but the party in power in every state — Democrats in Illinois — resist doing anything about it. Or do we have that wrong? What should be done?

Illinois is a majority democratic state, but people have the ability of changing their minds and voting for a democrat or republican, not matter what area they reside. I don’t believe gerrymandering is a bigger problem than no implementing term limits. Illinois Republicans have held constitutional offices and lead legislative chambers.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago is investigating possible official corruption by state and local officials. This prompted the Legislature to pass an ethics reform measure to amend the Lobbyist Registration Act (SB 1639). It was signed into law in December. What’s your take on this and what more should be done?

I supported the passage of the amendment to the LRA. I believe these reforms will open the door to the public seeing the levels of influence members, lobbyists and industries have in Illinois. I look forward to reviewing recommendations from the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform, and hope it includes a full two year ban of all state elected officials, and directors of statewide agencies from registering as a lobbyist.

When people use the internet and wireless devices, companies collect data about us. Oftentimes, the information is sold to other companies, which can use it to track our movements or invade our privacy in other ways. When companies share this data, we also face a greater risk of identity theft. What should the Legislature do, if anything?

The member I hope to succeed in the Illinois House, was the chief sponsor of the Data Transparency and Privacy Act, bill which sought to limit the type of sharing or sale of data collected from users. We have a right to privacy, even as consumers using a product. I support a ban on telecomm and apps selling data locations or data without expressed consent or customer opt outs, by way of separately sought permissions and not with updates or contracts.

The number of Illinois public high school graduates who enroll in out-of-state universities continues to climb. What can Illinois do to make its state universities more attractive to Illinois high school students?

I believe Illinois has some of the best colleges and universities in the nation. I attended and graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL. I support an increase in the MAP grant for students who can’t afford college and need assistance. In order for Illinois to retain students, we must make it much more attractive for students. This means, Illinois must be more inclusive to non-traditional education styles, like regional trades and specialties, competitive tuition packages, and aid in the creation of new and improving industries. This includes support for trades schools and community college systems, and dropping standardized testing requirements for admission. I support creating programs for state universities to attract more students from in- and out-of-state.

What is your top legislative priority with respect to the environment?

I support the Clean Energy Job Acts and I have a growing concern about Chicago’s beach erosion. I am a strong supporter of the expansion of public transportation, including micromobility, such as scooters. I would support the creation of a light rail system in Chicago to supplement the Chicago EL system, and to increase public transportation availability for the West Side of Chicago.

What historical figure from Illinois, other than Abraham Lincoln (because everybody’s big on Abe), do you most admire or draw inspiration from? Please explain.

Chicago Mayor Harold Washington. I grew up in Chicago and learned about Chicago’s history, but not until I became an adult and learned of his work in the Illinois House, and Congress, and his rise to become Mayor. I admire the coalition be built to become Mayor and when I became interested in Illinois and Chicago politics, the truly inspiring stories came from people who worked on his campaign and served with him in government.

What’s your favorite TV, streaming or web-based show of all time. Why?

Cartoon Network’s Rick and Morty. I enjoy it because it is funny.