crespo mailer

8/14/2019 Crespo Mailer

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/crespo-mailer 1/5

Dear Neighbor,

Now that the legislative session in Springfield is over, Iwanted to take a

moment to give you an update on some of the highlights.

This was a challenging year to produce a balanced budget as we faced a

serious deficit due to the severe national recession. In response, lawmakers

voted to approve a state budget that reduces spending by several billiondollars and does not raise income taxes.

Despite a difficult budget year, we were able to make progress on several

important issues facing Illinois. We passed sweeping ethics reforms aimed

at cleaning up corruption in Springfield. I helped advance several measures

to strengthen public safety, including cracking down on gangs, stalkers and

sex offenders.

There is still a lot more work to do to get our state back on the right track,

but I am as committed as ever to fighting for your interests and making sure

our communities get their fair share of state funding.

Iwould like to hear from you. If you have questions or concerns regarding

state government, or if you need any assistance accessing services, please

call me at (630) 372-3340.

Your friend,

- = ; § ~Fred Crespo

State Representative 0 44th District



A Balanced B U d g e tw i t h N O Tax: Increase

Like all states, Illinois is in the grips of a serious recession. Decreased

state revenues resulting fro m the eco no mic slowdown forced

lawmakers to make difficult decisions about how to balance thebudget.

Some suggested we should increase taxes as a way to produce a

balanced budget, but Representative Crespo strongly opposed any

effort to increase your income taxes. In these difficult times, with so

many p eo ple o ut o f work and families struggling to make ends meet, it

would be irresponsible to raise income taxes.

Crespo also believes that elected officials should do with less as well.

The budget this year includes a rejection of a proposed pay increase

for legislators, and cuts lawmakers' pay by mandating 12 unpaid

furlough days.

To help returning veterans, Representative Crespo helped pass

legislation that would encourage employers to hire veterans wh o

served in Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, or Iraqi

Freedom, by providing a 10% tax credit (up to $1,200) on th e wages

paid to veterans. For more information on programs to assist veterans,call 1-800-437-9824. (Senate Bill 2046, signed into law)

Rep. Crespo visits

with William Wurster,

a constituent, World

War II U.S. Army Air

Force pilot, and highly

decorated combat

veteran. fVlr. Wurster

was recognized

by the House with

a congratulatory

resolution thanking

him for his service on

the occasion of his

90th birthday.



e a l f t j ~ l f t j gS ~ a t e G @ v e ~ l f t j m e l f t j tIn the wake of scandals in the administrations of former Governors

George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, the General Assernbly passed a

sweeping set of government reform bills - the most comprehensive

and far reaching ethics overhaul in state history. Representative Crespo

backed measures that:

Give voters the option to recall a sitting governor (House Joint

Resolution Constitutional Amendment 31, awaits action in Senate)

Make it harder for legislators to approve their own pay increases

(Senate Bill 2090, returned by Governor for additional consideration

during fall Veto Session)

Strengthen the state's Freedom of Information Act to make it easier

for citizens and journalists to gain access to government documents

and discover wrongdoing (Senate Bill 189, signed into law)

Reform state contract procurement process to end opportunities

for pay-to-play politics. (Senate Bill S1, returned by Governor for

additional consideration during fall Veto Session)

Broaden the state Ethics Act to protect whistleblowers, impose

tougher revolving-door prohibitions, prevent conflicts of interest,

provide greater investigative powers to inspectors general, and

create tougher regulat ion and disclosure requirements for lobbyists

(Senate Bill 54, signed into law)



Representative Crespo made increasing community safety a priority

during this legislative session:



Helping OlderAdultsto Stay IndependentRepresentative Crespo continues his efforts to help older adults lower

their property taxes and remain independent and in their own homes.

Crespo worked to lower property taxes for senior homeowners by

increasing the Senior Homestead Exemption from $3,500 to $4,000,

and seniors with an annuai income of $55,000 or lower can now qualify

for a Senior Citizens Assessment Freeze, which helps hold the line on

property tax increases.

Representative Crespo believes that senior citizens should not be

forced into a nursing home when they can stay in their own home withassistance. He is a strong supporter of the Illinois Department on Aging's

Community Care Program, which gives seniors aiternatives to nursing

homes such as in-home services and transportation options. Seniors who

want more information on staying in their own homes should call the

Senior Help Line at 1-800-252-8966.

crespo mailer

Documents