August (O'Neil) Deuser is convinced education offers Illinois a pathway to returned viability.
“I want to change the culture of politics in the state because we're last in educational spending,” Deuser told the South Cook News. “I believe if we use the money to educate our children, we’ll keep them out of jail and able to find a job.”
Deuser is planning to hammer home that point as he prepares to run for state Senate in the 19th District in 2020.
August Deuser
A third-generation police officer who went back to school to earn his degree at the University of Illinois, becoming a teacher for students with emotional conditions for more than two decades, Deuser said he plans to run on a platform of greater education, standard term limits and the dissolution of gerrymandering practices.
“If kids drop out, they’re limited,” he added. “Everybody can’t become a lawyer or a doctor, but you want to be competitive in the job market. When children get to high school, they’re passing them through and they’re really not prepared. I want to help the children of Illinois to make sure they get a quality education. That’s a priority as a retired teacher.”
Deuser added he would like to see more K-8 schools built in the 19th District to promote education, all with an eye toward making Illinois a national leader in the way the state seeks to educate its students.
Deuser’s idea for term limits extends beyond just the time politicians are in office. He said he would also impose term limits on pensions, limiting them to eight years in hopes that the state can finally get its long-bloated budget in order.
“We really need term limits and to stop the gerrymandering that’s been going in the state for 40 years with (House Speaker Mike) Madigan,” he said.
Deuser said he also has a plan for helping veterans, which would include them having a vet card that would allow them to get medical treatment anywhere across the state.
“These people really need help,” he said.
The 19th Senate District includes New Lenox, Mokena, Tinly Park and Country Club Hills.