Kane County Reporter

Dan Ugaste, the Republican candidate for the 65th District of Illinois, believes the state government faces a deficit of common sense.

Because Illinois is also in the red financially, Ugaste believes there are current projects, like the Barack Obama Presidential Center, that should be funded by the private sector.

“I can’t for the life of me understand why at a time when the state has no money and is in deep, deep debt, Illinois would be spending this much money on a project that should be funded with private funds,” Ugaste told the Kane County Reporter. “To me, it’s just complete lunacy.”

President Obama

The Obama Center is slated to open on Chicago’s Southside in 2020. Projections for the center estimate the cost to be approximately $224 million. Lawmakers in May approved $174 million for roadwork in and around the site of the center, but Illinois taxpayers are expected to shoulder approximately $199 million of the center’s funding.

“It seems like Democrats that served with [Obama] want to build something like this for him, no matter what,” Ugaste said. “There’s no other logical explanation.”

Ugaste is running against Democrat Richard Johnson to replace retiring Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) in the 65th District. Ugaste believes the center will bring some revenue for the state, but it will also impact infrastructure in the area.

“It may bring some jobs and tourism, but it will make for major differences for people of that community," he said. “Resident housing, traffic patterns, all of those things stand to be greatly altered as well.”

Some organizations have opposed the Obama Center. Protect Our Parks Inc., a Chicago-based nonprofit, filed a lawsuit in May opposing the project. 

Ugaste believes initiatives like the Obama Center, and the current renovation of Wrigley Field, should not be paid for with tax dollars.

“I just don’t think taxpayers’ money should be used for projects like this,” Ugaste said. “I know the Ricketts family is now rebuilding Wrigley Field with no tax money as far as I know. For projects like that, in my mind, that’s as it should be.”