PEORIA -- There's nothing like a candidate forum/debate to clarify the distinctions between the candidates.
That's what occurred for Peoria County Board and Illinois House 92nd District candidates at the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria's candidate forum on Sept. 20.
Five County Board candidates attended, all in contested races. Republican Brad Harding is challenging incumbent Democrat Eldon Polhemus in District 16; Republican Jeff Lickiss is challenging Democratic incumbent Allan Mayer in District 6, and Republican Lyn Smith is challenging Democratic incumbent Pat Hidden in District 18. Hidden was ill and did not attend.
In general, the Republican challengers follow their party's ideology of support for private business. They would consider turning the aging and obsolete Bel-Wood nursing home over to private operators, and they support expansion of the Peoria Disposal Co. hazardous waste landfill at Pottstown.
The Democrats opposed privatizing the facility, and said the county has the money to rebuild Bel-Wood, an estimated $35 million project. Mayer commented it "should be a new facility with green architecture. We should be able to afford it," based on a referendum passed a few years ago, he said.
(UPDATE: Lickiss later stated in an email: "I am against privatizing the nursing home and made that clear by stating “I have to disagree with my colleague, Brad” when I started my statement. Also I stated that the money was available from the referendum.")
Polhemus and Mayer oppose any landfill expansion. Mayer led the fight against it a few years ago.
In the 92nd District race for an open seat, Republican Joan Krupa and Democrat Jehan Gordon present a remarkable contrast.
The youthful Gordon in her 20s, stressed her energy and ability to work with everyone, especially the Democrats in the General Assembly. "We have to bring people together," she said.
She's a liberal Democrat with no hesitation in saying she is pro-choice and supports full civil rights for gays and lesbians.
Krupa, in her 60s and a liberal-leaning Republican, told of her long experience as a teacher, health care administrator and former County Board member. "I will use my experience to work in a bipartisan fashion for all citizens," she said.
Krupa voiced her opposition to gambling expansion. "It's a shell game," she said, adding "I will not take the no-tax increase pledge."
The two have clashed recently on Gordon's attendance record as a member of the Pleasant Hill School Board. She was appointed to the board last year.
Krupa checked her record and reported Gordon had a 40 percent absence rate from the meetings in 2007 through August. But that's dropped to about 27 percent since then, according to Gordon.
Gordon said she had to work late when she missed the meetings.
Gordon then asserted that Krupa had missed 25 percent of County Board meetings when she served on that board but offered no details. Krupa later said she planned to check the official records, as she didn't believe she had missed many meetings.
(UPDATE: The Journal Star has reported that Krupa had a 98 percent attendance record during her decade on the Peoria County Board.)
Krupa said she is pro-choice, but waffled a bit, saying abortion should be rare. She also waffled on civil rights for gays and lesbians. "I do not support civil unions at this point. I do believe everyone should have protection under the law," she said.
Gordon supports Sen. Barack Obama's health care plan offered in his presidential bid.
Krupa offered support for parts of Sen. John McCain's plan that would set up electronic medical records and insurance pools to reduce consumer costs.
Someone afterwards suggested the the contrast between the two candidates mirrors the differences between Obama and McCain. But that's not a valid comparison.
Gordon, a personable African American, is much younger and less experienced than Obama though she mirrors his positions on most of the issues, while Krupa with years of experience is much more liberal than McCain.
With six week to go before the Nov. 4 election, voters still have time to decide which woman can best represent this district.
-- Elaine Hopkins
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