Paul Hamann: Lake Forest Mayor Candidate Profile

LAKE FOREST, IL — Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch provided questionnaires to all three candidates running for Lake Forest mayor ahead of the April 4 municipal elections.

Paul Hamann, Prue Biedler and Sanford "Randy" Tack are on the ballot seeking a two-year term as mayor to succeed George Pandaleon at the completion of his maximum two terms.

Back in 2002, Lake Forest voters approved a referendum extending mayoral term limits from three one-year terms to a pair of two-year terms with nearly 90 percent of the vote.

Tack is running with the endorsement of the Lake Forest Caucus's 43-member committee, despite being rejected by about two-thirds of participating Caucus members at the group's annual meeting in November, while Biedler and Hamann are running as independent candidates.

The League of Women Voters of Lake Forest-Lake Bluff is hosting a mayoral candidate forum at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest.

Representatives of the League confirmed on Saturday that all candidates have agreed to the forum's ground rules and are expected to participate.

Patch is publishing all candidate responses verbatim in the order in which they are received.

Paul Hamann

Age (as of Election Day)
64

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No

Education
Purdue University
Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

Occupation
Commodity Trader for more than 40 years.

Campaign Website
Campaign questions are answered at Paul.Hamann.PE@gmail.com

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office
Student Senator at Purdue University, representing 2,000 students, in my dormitory, to the administration.

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them.
As of April 30, 2022, the City’s UNDERFUNDED pension liability was at 52.6 million dollars.

I am hoping to save a million dollars, per month, so that at the end of 4 years, the City of Lake Forest will truly have a balanced budget.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
The other 2 candidates were both on the city council for about six years and they only provided lip service to the UNDERFUNDED pension liability problem.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform
I am disappointed, by the number of trees cut down in Lake Forest.

30 full grown evergreen trees, in South Park, east of the tennis courts were removed.

104 full grown evergreen trees, on Franklin Place, were removed, so the City of Lake Forest could sell the land to a developer, to build apartments.

Hundreds of trees in the McCormick Ravine, were removed. Open Lands, must believe that if you cut down all the trees, then you will have "OPEN LANDS".

Hundreds of trees at Forest Park, were removed. Now the bluff has severe erosion. There were four huge tree stumps, where the recent mudslide occurred, on the north entrance ramp. I have pictures of them, before the rework, of the entrance ramp.

18 flowering trees, were removed on the train platform, at the train station in town.

Five years later, 18 more flowering trees on the other side of the tracks, on the platform, were removed, at the train station, in town.

The trees in Market Square, were removed. Notice the diameter of the trees. The old trees were removed because when the utility work was done, city staff thought that they MIGHT disturb a root, and just removed all the trees.

The six trees in front of the Northern Trust Bank Building.

The tree in front of the Jewel Osco parking lot that was hit by a plow, and to this date has not been replaced.

If you walk the business district in town, you will notice other locations where trees have been removed, and replaced with concrete.

18 trees, located between the city parking lot, next to Gorton Community Center, and McKinley Road have been removed.

I live in Lake Forest, for the "FOREST" environment, not to look at concrete !!!

I believe that the Lake Forest City Council should mandate that any trees REMOVED, in the BUSINESS DISTRICT, should be replaced, with another tree, within one growing season, or at least within a year.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
During the past 10 years, I have made 779 trades in my PTI Securities account
and 100 % of the trades were profitable.

I have paid taxes on all those trades.

Every trade started as a loss because of commissions.

Goldman Sachs has a trading desk, and they could have made any of those trades.

If I can beat Goldman Sachs to those trades, every day for 10 years, then I should be able to help the City of Lake Forest.

My broker is Tom Haugh, and you ALL have my permission to contact him, to verify my trading record, with PTI Securities.

Why should voters trust you?
Trust can be earned, by working 18 hour days.

When the last city manager retired a few years ago. I volunteered to work for free, for the next 10 years as city manager and save the City of Lake Forest 3 million dollars. I sent an email to all the City Council members on Saturday August 11, 2018 @ 11:30 AM and Candidate Beidler was on the City Council at that time.

Candidates Tack and Beidler are members of the Lake Forest Caucus, and they could have volunteered, for that work. I believe that Candidates Tack and Beidler are just running for the TITLE. I believe they have no intention of working 18-hour days to close the 52-million-dollar pension gap. In my book, the City Manager and the Mayor are both decision makers, for the city, with any tie, on choices, normally going to the Mayor.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?
Eliminating the City of Lake Forest’s UNDERFUNDED pension liability of $52.6 million dollars.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?
If you like wasteful spending then please do NOT vote for me.

The other candidates were city council caucus members and they only provided lip service on paying bills like the UNDERFUNDED pensions.

What is your view of the city's/village's approach to commercial and residential development?
Lake Forest uses the Building Review Board that makes the decisions on development.

When it comes to development, what are some key areas for improvement or additions you feel are most wanted by residents? What will need to be done to make this happen?
Most residents I have talked with during the past year, indicated that they want NATURAL GRASS sports fields like the professionals.

When in doubt, follow the professionals. A billion dollar corporation called the Chicago Bears play on natural grass. A billion dollar corporation called the Chicago Cubs play on natural grass. Those corporations have a business model that is all about having their professionals perform, at peak performance.

Do you support the statewide Illinois assault weapons ban, and would you support a local assault weapons ban in this community?

People are responsible for the majority of their own security.

I support the VICTIMS of crimes, more than the criminals that commit them.

Perfection is the Goal, Practicality is the Reality.

What are your thoughts on the crime rate in your community, and what more can be done to combat crime in town?
We should all interface more the police department and use their expertise and knowledge to better inform us, on the latest precautions, for more security measures, to combat crime. Simple things like reminding residents to lock their cars/home. People should not open their doors, for strangers. We live in a relatively safe community, and we want to make it difficult for criminals to target our community. Criminals use our trusting nature against us. If you see something, then say something.

Do you support the SAFE-T Act? Why or why not?
People are responsible for the majority of their own security.

I support the VICTIMS of crimes, more than the criminals that commit them.

Perfection is the Goal, Practicality is the Reality.

Do you think the city government has done enough to support racial equality? If not, what changes should be made?
My mother always taught me about the commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion,
with perfection being the goal, but when there are more than 200 city employees,
practicality is a component to that reality.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?
Nothing comes to my mind.

The best advice ever shared with me was:
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" is a biblical concept, spoken by Jesus, in Luke 6:31.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I want to BUY annuities, to remove the possibilities, of future UNDERFUNDED pension liabilities, from reappearing on the City of Lake Forest financial balance sheets.