Cooperation is the key for improving life at Eastern and the surrounding area, said state representative candidate Chapin Rose.

Rose, currently the senior state’s attorney in Champaign County, is the Republican candidate for the 110th District. He will face Democratic candidate John Hayden in the Nov. 5 general election.

Rose, a resident of Mahomet who grew up in Charleston, said as a state legislator, he would work with individuals and groups from all sides to improve life at Eastern and in the 110th District.

At Eastern, Rose said he would work with Student Senate and Student Action Team to help students and increase state funding.

Rose said as a state representative, he would “unite” his lobbying efforts with those of Student Action Team.

“That’s how you get more funding,” Rose said. “That’s how you do more for students.”

Together, Rose said he would help “make sure Eastern gets the funding it needs to operate efficiently.

“When the state doesn’t come through for the students, the cost is passed on to the students” in the form of tuition and fee increases, he said.

Rose said he has also talked to several members of Student Senate about ideas for improving Eastern and would continue this dialogue as a legislator.

Rose said he has been working for students since serving two terms as a student trustee at the University of Illinois in the mid-1990s.

“I have a proven record of commitment to students and student issues,” he said.

In the 110th District, Rose said his two main priorities-improving the local economy and reforming the tax system-also require cooperation.

The Coles County economy has suffered during the past decade, he said – particularly the local manufacturing industry.

“I’m not sure how many more job losses we can take here,” Rose said.

However, Rose said economically, “Coles County is primed to be one of the bright spots in Illinois over the next decade.”

Coles County features a great educational system along with good health care-two things Rose said employers look for.

“CEOs are looking for quality-of-life issues,” Rose said. “They don’t want to move to a community they can’t bring their families to.”

Attracting new businesses, then, is simply a matter of making sure there are proper economic incentives, he said.

Unfortunately, the cost of doing business in Illinois is higher than in surrounding states, Rose said – a problem he said needs to be addressed through adjusting tax levels and “making sure that the state of Illinois does not move in the direction of over-regulation.”

Bringing new businesses to the area will require cooperation among all levels of government, Rose said.

Boeing’s recent decision to move its headquarters to Chicago, for example, only happened because local and state officials worked as a team, he said.

“It’s got to be cooperative,” Rose said.

Improving both university life and the local economy requires students and residents from all backgrounds work as a team, Rose said.

“Everybody has to buy into the vision,” he said. “We have to work together.”

Rose, though, has learned people sometimes are not interested in working together.

“Don’t knock on doors during the National League Championship Series,” he advised.