Dr. Victor O. Jonathan, Candidate for Congress (2nd District)

Candidate Full Name: Dr. Victor O. Jonathan

Office: Representative in Congress

Party: Democratic

Email Address: VictorJonathanCommittee@gmail.com

Web Site: www.VictorJonathanForCongress.com

Campaign Name: Victor Jonathan Committee

Campaign Office Mailing Address: PO Box 1544, Homewood, IL 60430

Phone: 708-799-4079

1. How would your representation of your constituents be different from what they've experienced the past 17 years?

Answer:
My representation of my constituents will be different from what they have experienced in the past 17 years in that I will bring honesty and integrity to my position as the congressman from the second district. I am a pastor, a businessman and a community activist who is grounded on honesty, integrity and godliness. I will be personally involved with the people of the district through regular town hall meetings and open access to them at my office. I personally visited each of the 2000 voters that signed my petition because I wanted them to know me personally
and know that I care about the issues that affect them daily.
I will conduct the congressional business of the second district with openness and accountability to the people. I am best suited to represent the interest of the district because of my experience and educational preparation with a BS degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, MBA degree from Governors State University at University Park, Illinois and Doctor of Practical Theology degree from Masters Graduate School of Divinity in Evansville, Indiana. I published a book "Unequal Opportunity" available on Amazon.com and Xlibris.com which describes some of the issues faced by my constituents. My business experience for the past 30 years as a businessman creating hundreds of jobs has allowed me the opportunity to see the business and employment needs of the people in the district. As a pastor I can empathize with the people in the district and see the suffering of the impoverished in the poor communities in the district and know what is needed to lift them out of poverty which is primarily the creation of jobs and community reinvestment.

2. Can the budget deficit be controlled only by spending cuts or does the federal government need to raise more revenue? If you favor more revenue, should there be a general tax hike?

Answer:
The deficit can not be controlled only by spending cuts. We need to cut spending and also increase the tax revenue collected. I believe that we do not need a general tax hike but rather support president Obama proposal to eliminate the tax loopholes and level the tax playing field by ending the Bush era tax cut for wealthy Americans making over $250,000 a year. We can increase the federal government revenue by making sure that every Americans pay their fare share of federal taxes.

3. How would you help create jobs in your district?

Answer:
I will support President Obama's job creation initiatives to spur economic development in second district. I will support the president's infrastructure reinvestment programs to spur immediate job creation through the extension of the American Recovery Act.

I will support legislation that will fund minority business development programs and the hub zone programs in the second district and make sure that we close loopholes to make sure the money gets to the minority businesses that needs them in Second District. I will support tax incentives to private businesses to create jobs in the communities in the second congressional district.

I will support actions that will convince corporations to bring back the jobs outsourced to foreign countries overseas to the second district. As the president of the Organization for Business Equality, I led a rally in front of the state of Illinois building in downtown Chicago asking the multi-national corporations to bring the jobs back. I will support actions that will convince private companies to create jobs in communities with high unemployment with tax incentives. I will support efforts for companies to create jobs in the communities where they are already making money from selling their products by locating service centers and plants in those communities.

4. Do you support stricter guns laws? If so, what would you propose?

Answer:

I support stricter gun laws and support President Obama's proposals to curb gun violence.
In addition I favor the ban on assault weapons because they do not belong on our street.
I will propose background check for people buying guns at gun shows. This will eliminate the proliferation of unregistered guns that makes it to the gangs and criminals in the community.

I will propose the extension of background check to the household where a gun owner will store the gun to prevent the gun getting into the hands of someone with a serious criminal background or with serious mental illness that would not have been able to own a gun on their own.

5. Do you support changes to transportation infrastructure, such as extending the CTA Red Line to 130th Street or building a third airport in Peotone?

Answer:
I support the extension of the CTA Red line to 130th Street and the building of the third airport in Peotone. I believe that the extension of the CTA Red line to 130th street will spur the access to job in downtown Chicago and the north suburbs of Chicago by providing an efficient means of transportation to those areas to the residents of the second district south suburban communities along the Red Line.

The creation of the third airport in Peotone will bring much needed investments and jobs to the second district south suburban communities. There will be thousands of jobs created directly at the airport and thousands more for the supporting hospitality industry in hotels, car rentals, restaurants etc. I believe that the state and the federal government should move forward in the construction of the third airport in Peotone. I will break the gridlock by bringing Will County, the State of Illinois and the Federal Aviation Administration to the table for a win-win negotiation and compromise to move forward.

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