Illinois 13th Congressional District Democratic Candidates' Forum
3/22/22
Bend the Arc, the Ubuntu Project, and Indivisible Illinois hosted a forum for Democratic candidates in the Illinois 13th congressional district on March 22, 2022. All three candidates on the ballot attended — Nikki Budzinski, David Palmer, and Ellis Taylor
The last two election cycles, I live-tweeted events like this. I might go back to that for in-person events. But given that everyone could watch live in this case, I’m just rolling them all up in a single document. We’ll see how it goes.
If you’re new to Last Gasp, be sure to subscribe to the weekly newsletter.
Opening statements…
Budzinski: Lowering cost of prescription drugs, good paying union jobs, and rights for low-paid workers. “I’ve been on a kill floor, I’ve seen the importance of” union protections. Safety for firefighters while working with IAFF. Worked on $15 minimum wage while part of Pritzker campaign. Dings Rodney Davis for voting against the American Rescue Plan.
Palmer: University of Iowa basketball — “I hope no one holds that against me.” Worked for Boys & Girls Club in Champaign — “getting to find out what makes them tick and how we can help.” Took job with Country Financial upon having kids. Had “itch to get back into the community.” Started helping people getting elected to local offices. Proud of the campaign we have here and excited to share what we have in store for the community.
Taylor: Full time college student in Decatur. Worked at a gas station during pandemic and has worked to support and advocate for essential workers since. “One of my first public-facing” event.
“I’m a gay trans man, a poor person. I’ve lived in poverty my whole life. Watching politicians who couldn’t tell you the price of bread, but claimed to speak for us. The marginalized voices need to be at the forefront of these conversations if we want to see real, significant change.”
Democracy and history curriculum in schools…
Palmer: “Republicans have changed the education conversation.” But politics is local. Teachers are talking about razor thin budgets and long hours and difficulties. Pay attention to what matters and put our teachers in better situations. COVID taught us “without funded and functioning educational system, when it’s not it’s a rough transition.” Focus on the real issues.
Taylor: CRT concerns, “they’re not real. That’s not being taught in our schools.” Blown out of proportion by “right-wing grifters. I’m not catering my campaign to Fox News viewers, because they’re not voting for a gay, trans man anyway.” “It’s just a means of moving the Overton Window, and we can’t let them do that.”
Budzinski: Granddaughter of teachers. Story about favorite teacher and reading Steinbeck and “He didn’t need politicians telling him what they can and cannot teach. I’ll defer to those experts, not a political party or even me as I run for Congress.”
BILL EDITORIALIZING: Budzinski seems to be working from notes off camera or a teleprompter with prepared answers? Not a big deal, but kinda makes me chafe.
Share this post from Last Gasp.
Question about the rural nature of the 13th.
Taylor: Pandemic making it hard for small farmers, as evidenced by them getting bought out of Stop subsidizing big businesses and subsidize based on who needs. Break up these “Seize the land from some of these agribusinesses and consider” giving it to Black and Indigenous people “as reparations.”
BILL EDITORIALIZING: Swinging for the fences, Ellis Taylor.
Budzinski: Farm bureau name checks. Meet with them. This district is often on Ag Committee. Immediate property tax relief, suspending gas tax. Dings Trump tax cuts — 83% to the super-wealthy. The middle class needs relief. China as “biggest threat.” Worked on domestic industry and making things in America. “Stop China from stealing our jobs.”
Palmer: Worked for a bank owned by the farm bureau. Most common comment there: “I want to make sure I protect social security and that health care costs don’t go crazy.” We know which political party is doing that. Addressing food deserts and lack of teachers in rural communities. “Fresh Hubs” program — connecting smaller farmers with urban communities. Advocating things like that brings urban and rural communities together.
BILL EDITORIALIZING: The farm bureau owns a bank??
White supremacy and White nationalism question…
Budzinski: No place for White supremacists in our police departments, fire departments and schools. First amendment rights, yes, but not once it veers into violence and hate speech. “No longer a Jewish issue or an LGBTQ issue, but an American issue.”
Palmer: Historic roadblock to protecting historically marginalized groups: We aren’t at the table to make legislation and be at the table ourselves. Super-gerrymander districts mean the politicians don’t know what the real issues are. “You have to really be inside a community to” serve it and understand it. Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act.
Taylor: I’m a little bit scared for my safety sometimes. There aren’t systems in place to protect me. They’re full of bigots and White supremacists. “The people we are giving a license to violence are members of White supremacist hate groups. And we’re not doing anything to stop cops with Nazi tattoos. I’m sorry but if you’re an Oathkeeper or a Proud Boy, it’s innately violent. There’s not anything other than a path that is you trying to kill me and people like me.”
White supremacists in law enforcement question and trainings with White supremacist propaganda…
Palmer: Sniff them out and find that. We may have a unique opportunity. We have to look at the way we recruit our police officers. There’s a real disconnect there. You’re growing up in a majority-white environment, and then your first experience with a minority is your first day on the job as a law enforcement officer in a city like Champaign. Different preference points in hiring. “The whole system needs to be re-engineered here.” Small incremental changes won’t work.
Taylor: Listen to the marginalized groups. Go to the people who are primarily being impacted. Ask “What is going to make you feel safer?” Liking a post about running over BLM protestors should be an immediate “End police unions. They don’t exist to protect workers. They exist to protect the people who protect property.”
Budzinski: The vast majority of police officers are working every day to do the right thing. Deaths and injuries on January 6. “Invest in people and communities again and that includes good policing.” Support good policing. De-escalation without violence.
BILL EDITORIALIZING: Three candidates representing a *really* big tent here.
Immigration question…
Taylor: “Borders are violence. People from other countries are just people. It’s ridiculous we should have even being having a conversation about how many people should be allowed to come here. It boggles the mind.”
BILL EDITORIALIZING: As I was saying.
Budzinski: 11 million people in the shadows. DREAMers, humane at the border, pathway to citizenship. But I also believe in border security. Framework for comprehensive reform.
Palmer: Difficult to navigate, expensive, cumbersome. Especially if you’re from certain countries. “We have to live up to who we say we have been.” We can’t keep saying we’re a nation of immigrants if we don’t make more visas available. We have to let people come to this country and prosper.
Question about cities in the district ranked among worst cities for black people…
Budzinski: Leave no community behind in our recovery from pandemic. Access to jobs, childcare, healthcare. More on $15 minimum wage and American Rescue Plan — name checking her work in Pritzker and Biden admins.
Palmer: Economic disparities are a systemic issue. For decades at all levels, the programs are antiquated and don’t work. “Legislate for solutions to close this Black economic gap.” Paramount to making equitable change for this community. Non-traditional, out-of-the-box programs. SLIP job training program at Parkland that provides stipend for living costs. Give people a level ground to stand on. Mortgage guarantees, mortgage assistance. Generational wealth.
Taylor: Immediately establish a committee on reparations. “America was built on the bodies slaves” and we’ve done nothing to address or acknowledge that. Change education so it doesn’t rely on property tax. It is disgusting that it’s even a debate that we should do these things. It is the correct thing to do. Platform the voices of the marginalized.
HR 40 question, establishing reparations committee…
Palmer: Obviously this is something I would vote yes on. It’s just a commission and a study session. Reparations doesn’t just have to be money — opportunities that were taken away by legislative agendas. If you want to start to see healing — even if it’s uncomfortable for some — we have to talk about how to acknowledge our ancestors and the work they put in.
Taylor: Absolutely. Long over due and the bare minimum. And would vote for reparations themselves.
BILL EDITORIALIZING: Both these candidates said we’ve done reparations and they work. What precisely are they referring to?
Budzinski: “Slavery is a stain on our country that we can never blot out, but HR 40 is the wrong approach.” Programs to help these communities get ahead.
BILL EDITORIALIZING: She plays things super safe but presents it quite well and much more specifically and much more coherently than BDL ever did. May well be smart, but, geez, not even willing to support HR 40? The combine has chosen its candidate, and she’s already running in the general.
Climate change and environmental justice question…
Budzinski: Labor movement work to transition to green economy without leaving behind coal communities, etc. Protecting the nuclear industry.
Palmer: People have to acknowledge that it’s real and is having a real impact now. Name checks Ammons and Bennett on the Mahomet Aquifer. Protect your community, protect its resources. Job opportunities that come with green industry. That’s a point where left and right can come together.
Gun violence question…
Palmer: This big increase that we’ve seen is mostly driven by the trauma of the pandemic. Holistic approach that blankets the community. Everyone has to be invested. Look at St. Louis. Mayor Jones has done a lot of great work — numbers down there by 25%. Involving more of a social-services approach with people who are part of the community. Everytown approaches, and brought hope to her city. A top priority on my agenda.
Taylor: Mass shootings are almost entirely people associated with hate groups. So is a lot of police violence. Crack down on that. Address less the guns but the poverty. The disease is poverty. It is rampant and only getting worse. Until we address it, we’re not going to see gun violence get better, regardless of any gun control we put in place.
Budzinski: Applaud city of Champaign and how using APRA money on GVP. Common sense gun safety measures. Bump stocks, loopholes, etc. Also root issues, which I agree is poverty. Good paying jobs, workforce development, public transportation, community policing.
BILL EDITORIALIZING: Ellis Taylor’s campaign URL is: thiscampaignkillsfascists.com. Rad.