Fellow citizens,
This is a distressing time in Illinois government. We have seen more than our share of leadership fail on serious accounts and the recent news surrounding Rod Blagojevich is an amplification of a disturbing trend.
Good government does not simply come as a direct result of the fact that we hold elections. Good government is the result of an informed electorate fully participating in the election process.
The issue of our time is: Can we, the people of the State of Illinois, demonstrate to ourselves and to the rest of the country that we do have competent leaders who are not part of the “pay to play” system? We look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate that we can and will do better in electing these leaders.
However, in order to elect leaders, we need new leaders willing to get involved in the political process. It’s a process that includes extra headaches, time away from home, and potential for additional expenses. On the other hand, it is what I like to call the “American way” – not the “Chicago way”. Rolling up our sleeves and getting involved in order to do what is right for our neighbors, regardless of the inconvenience, is how this country became great in the first place.
In Illinois government, it is time for our leaders to put our pride in America before the trappings of personal enrichment while in office.
I invite you to get involved. Find out how to run for a local office. Learn how to support a candidate you trust. Get your family, friends and neighbors involved in the discussions.
We won’t all agree on every aspect of how to govern. But, we all agree about how we should be governed – of the people, by the people, for the people.
That’s a quote from the all-time favorite son of Illinois, Abraham Lincoln.
You see, we’ve elected great leaders before. We can do it again. And, we will.
