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| Affiliation | Republican |
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| <- |
2007-01-01 |
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| Name | Jim Rowe |
| Address | 3527 Britta
Franklin Park, Illinois 60131, United States |
| Email | CitizensForJimRowe@yahoo.com |
| Website | [Link] |
| Born |
Unknown
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| Contributor | Imperator |
| Last Modifed | ev
May 18, 2007 06:53pm |
| Tags |
Caucasian -
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| Info | Jim Rowe is not your ordinary Republican; in fact, he wants to be part of the cure to what ails the Illinois GOP - the lack of new blood to carry the party’s mantle, particularly at the legislative level. Jim isn’t part of the ‘combine’ or the ‘machine’; he’s just concerned about issues facing our children and families – issues he has experienced and seen first hand during his life.
Raised by two loving parents, Jim learned the value of hard work from an early age. His father, James, worked as a union technician at Illinois Bell for nearly 30 years until retirement. His mother, Karen, has built a business from the ground up that has created jobs for local residents. James and Karen understood the values of hard work, honesty, and loyalty…and they instilled these values in Jim. Of course, times weren’t always easy. Jim will tell you his family struggled – but growing up his parents always made sure there was food on the table and that his homework was done; they never once missed a parent-teacher conference or a little league game. These struggles, and others, have made Jim who he is today. And they taught Jim to fight for what he believes in.
Jim graduated from Hester Jr. High School and East Leyden High School, both in Franklin Park, IL.
Scholarships and a loving family helped Jim go on to be the first in his family to graduate college from DePaul University in Chicago. While attending college, Jim founded the Saving A Childhood Foundation, a non-profit organization that operates after-school and tutoring programs for at-risk youth. Juggling his studies and trying to build a Foundation, while working a full-time job, was no easy task…but Jim managed. During his last year of college, and weeks before law school was to start, Jim was granted custody of a 13-year old boy, Javier, who had been turned out by his mother, herself unable to raise the child. Jim enrolled Javier in the Franklin Park public schools, where Javier became the first in his family to graduate the eighth grade and go on to high-school. A few years later, Javier’s older brother, Miguel – also looking to turn his life around – came to live with Jim as well. Now six years later, Javier and Miguel, ages 19 and 20 respectively, live on their own and have reunited with their family. Although those years proved to be the most difficult of Jim’s life, many of them are also his proudest and most memorable.
Three years after graduating college, Jim graduated from DePaul College of Law and went to work as a Prosecutor in the Cook County States’ Attorney’s Office. Here, Jim prosecuted deadbeat parents and criminals who commit crimes against children – everything from child abuse and molestation to rape and worse. At this job, Jim learned some of the loopholes that exist to allow sex offenders and criminals to prey again. For instance, in Illinois there is no law on the books to prevent a rapist from gaining custody of a child born from the rape – that’s outrageous! And even worse, the taxpayers have to pay to send the rapist to parenting classes and for visits with the child! Jim saw firsthand the effect this has on the victimized mother of the child and on the child. Closing this loophole, and others like it, is among Jim’s highest priorities.
At the young age of 24, while watching Javier struggle through school and realizing the lack of resources available to students in the public school system, Jim decided to run for the District 84 School Board. Knocking on doors every single night for nearly six months, Jim met every voter in the district at least once – and those one-on-one conversations carried his campaign to victory, and have allowed Jim to serve the local schools ever since. As a member of the local School Board, Jim has worked with fellow members to hire new Principals and teachers who bring a ‘Kids First’ approach to our schools; helped balance a budget without having to raise taxes, despite the funding cuts supported by his opponent; and has fought tirelessly to improve programs for special education and students with developmental disabilities.
Now in private practice, Jim fights for those without a voice. Often taking cases on a pro-bono basis, Jim has represented clients who were abused and molested while in foster care against the Department of Children & Family Services, has represented Plaintiff’s in consumer fraud cases against dishonest corporations, and has helped moms and dads hold deadbeat parents accountable.
This is the life experience Jim wants to take to Springfield to lobby on behalf of our children and families. Let Jim be YOUR advocate in the Illinois State Senate. Stand with Jim on the floor of the Legislature, united alongside him, as he brings our voices, yet unheard and silenced, into the debate.
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