Representative Sandra Pihos

Education

Providing quality education to residents of all ages is crucial to the vitality of the 48th District’s citizens and businesses. I am committed to creating the best educational environment possible for students, teachers and parents to maximize the efficacy of this fundamental public service.

Maintain local control of schools

In my experience, local leaders know their clientele best—they are in the best position to gauge the needs of their schools and find the resources to address them.

Balance student’s needs and available revenues

I want to meet student needs by funding programs and encouraging curriculums that meet and exceed state educational performance and employability standards.

Making the best use of technology

I want to help schools invest in technology that works to make their educational process more productive and allows them to meet their educational goals.

Safety and Security

Nothing is more important to me than keeping our communities, schools and public spaces safe for our families. This can only be accomplished by implementing effective policies and laws and by building upon the positive steps taken by our law enforcement authorities to prepare for any possible emergency.

Strengthen our Emergency Management Systems

I want to build on the two-way cooperation between local, state and federal authorities by strengthening communication procedures and emergency response systems.

Keeping citizens informed

I think that citizens must understand potential threats to their security, how to detect and respond to threats to the community’s safety and how to prepare their families and children for all types of emergencies.

Fight to keep our families safe

I believe that proven methods must guide our fight against the rising abuse of so-called “designer” or “club” drugs. I will utilize all available tools, including: recently toughened sentencing laws; re-evaluation of current drug and alcohol awareness campaigns; and a focus on community and school involvement among teens as a mechanism for preventing rising alienation.

Senior Citizens

The men and women who are now senior citizens built our communities; I believe that it should be affordable for them to continue living where they have worked and raised families. I will maintain a senior citizens liaison to address their concerns.

Affordable healthcare and prescriptions drugs

I will investigate different means to lower seniors’ drug costs; for example, supporting the Circuit Breaker pharmaceutical program, advocating for Medicare drug benefits and buying common drugs at bulk-rate prices.

A reasonable cost of living for seniors

I will help seniors to cut costs by working to double the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption.

Keep seniors involved in the community

Promoting volunteer programs which facilitate intergenerational contact within schools and local community organizations will help to keep seniors active and provide valuable services to the community.

Fiscal Responsibility

I believe that maximizing the effectiveness of government spending and implementing measures to ensure that Illinois “lives within its means” are the keys to promoting fiscal responsibility.

Prevent tax increases

I will guard against tax increases by preserving property tax caps and supporting cost containment measures that maximize the effectiveness of state funds.

Scrutinize government spending

I will demand accountability and responsiveness from Illinois government by implementing performance-based budgeting measures to ensure that state programs effectively meet their targets before renewing funding agreements.

Obtain federal dollars

I will fight for more federal money and work to ensure that federal mandates for local governments, school districts and state agencies are given adequate federal dollars.

Transportation

I support the exploration of practical and creative solutions to the growing traffic problems faced by the Chicago Metropolitan area. I believe that well-designed transportation policies and initiatives will serve to benefit the residents and businesses of District 48.

Protect homes and keep people safe

I believe that infrastructure expansion must be safe for families and their homes. For example, I opposed the expansion of Route 53 to five lanes.

Preserve suburban mobility

I will examine different ways of reducing traffic. I will encourage policies that support flex-time and tele-commuting, smart growth and alternatives methods of transport, like employer sponsored vanpools and improved bike and pedestrian pathways.

Build public transportation that makes sense

I will support the efforts of the DuPage County Board Transportation Committee to design public transportation options that are convenient and accessible for DuPage residents.

Sustain Northeastern Illinois as a national travel hub

I believe that a safe and economically viable O’Hare, upgraded high speed rail corridors throughout the Midwest, and a safe third airport that makes economic sense will provide jobs and keep our regional economy strong.