Election 2000.........

What are the three most pressing issues likely to face your government body during your term, and what specifically would you support to address them? Malvik: Oak Glen Nursing Home financial crisis - Whether or not the County can keep Oak Glen Home open in light of the inadequate funding for the home from its tax levy and state reimbursements is an immediate problem. If the proposed tax referendum passes and state reimbursement for Medicaid patients increases, then other cost-cutting measures that the board can take will allow the home to stay open. Economic development in Rock Island County - Keeping the West Rock River Bridge project on track is the key to economic development south of the Rock River, which is a major barrier to expansion on the Illinois side of the Mississippi. Preventing waste by needless or duplicative services - All elected officials and department heads should be audited to ensure that unnecessary increases in the budget are avoided. Differentiate yourself from your opponent(s) on three issues you think are important that you also expect your governmental body to consider during your term. Malvik: I am in charge of monitoring all litigation that Rock Island County is involved in, and in serving as the liaison between our attorneys and the board. As an experienced trial lawyer, I am in a unique position to serve in that capacity. My opponent would bring no special expertise to the board in any area. Continued efforts to work with township officials to make tax assessments uniform throughout the county. Since my opponent is an elected township official (South Rock Island Township Clerk), he would appear to have a conflict of interest in this regard, although it is legal for him to hold both elected offices. Consideration of a major renovation or replacement of the existing courthouse, after first assessing the needs of the court system after completion of the current jail-expansion project. I doubt that my opponent even has a position on this issue, since I`m fairly sure he doesn`t know the issue exists. List three specific programs or projects for which you would support increasing funding, even if it required reducing funding to other programs or projects. Malvik: Community based juvenile detention and education center. Drug court. Lobbying for real-estate tax relief through state funding for schools. List three specific programs or projects for which you would support decreasing funding, regardless of whether the budget required it. Malvik: State`s attorney`s budget, which appears to have too many assistant state`s attorneys for the caseload in the office. 708 Mental Health Board, which is supposed to be a clearinghouse for delivery of mental health services, but doesn`t obtain its goal. Children`s advocacy center. A new layer of government that is a gross replication of services already provided by DCFS, 708 Mental Health Board, and private agencies. If it were clear that a large majority of people in your district opposed a proposal that you strongly favored, what decision would you make and how would you justify it to your constituents? Malvik: Unless it was a matter of conscience, i.e., against what I believed strongly was the correct decision, I would accede to the wishes of the constituents that I represent. If, however, it was a decision that I felt was clearly mandated by the facts, I would use a press conference or town meeting to express the basis of my decision and rely on the intellect of my constituents to grasp the issue at hand. What specific proposals would you support to bring genuine economic growth - new jobs that pay well, companies committed to the community - to the Quad Cities? Malvik: Since the economic climate of the area is in large measure governed by state law, I would work within the law to try to attract business with the judicious use of enterprise zones and TIFs. Also, support for the various private groups that seek to attract business, e.g., Quad-City Development Group, is important. List specific proposals that would improve cooperation and reduce competition among government bodies in the Quad City area. Malvik: Bi-State Regional Commission, Assessment Defense Fund, joint animal-shelter project, support for multi-jurisdictional government consortiums. List any specific proposals you would support to improve the integrity of your legislative body, including in the areas of campaign-finance reform, lobbying reform, sunshine laws, and ethics legislation. Malvik: I can`t think of any at the local level, since these issues are governed by state statute in large measure.