Businessman

Government employees deserve to be treated fairly, but they do not deserve a significantly better deal than average Illinoisans get in their own jobs.

We have a moral duty to have an efficient government.

I don't have a Rolls. I don't have a jet. That's not me.

I've completely lost faith in the Democratic Party to truly serve the disadvantaged.

I am one of the baddest enemies anybody can have.

The people of Illinois sent me to Springfield to end the era of unbalanced budgets and runaway debt.

We have to reduce the tax burden, whether it's income tax for corporations or private individuals, and we should put a freeze on property taxes.

Crisis creates leverage to change.

Great teaching requires incredible talent and dedication, strong intellectual ability and interpersonal skill, real discipline and empathy.

Your average person in Illinois doesn't really even know what workers' comp is. The average person doesn't know really what's going on in the pension system. They know their taxes are too high; they know we've got a deficit. But getting that message out and helping the people of Illinois really understand what's going on, that's hard.

Crisis creates opportunity.

The critical thing is that we have to reduce the tax burden.

I like to do things that get results. Results are all that matters.

The tax money belongs to the taxpayers. It doesn't belong to the bureaucracy. And government is not a welfare system.

Our government works should be treated fairly and appropriately; they should have a decent retirement, but not a gold-plated system where they can retire multimillionaires in their 50s.

I like to spend money on investments.

We've talked through the fact that our family will be attacked. Our family will be dragged through the mud. My businesses that I've helped build and create will be attacked and dragged through the mud. That's politics. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about it or thinking about it.

I don't like to pay lip service. I don't frankly like to talk about stuff.

I'm a big outdoorsman... I'm a big hunter. Avid fisherman. Hiker. Climber. Scuba diver. Skier. Love the outdoors.

Our government workers should be treated fairly and appropriately. They should have a decent retirement, but not a gold-plated system where they can retire multimillionaires in their 50s.