DEBUTE SPEECH- 1st Annual ForTheGoodOfIllinois Event
Title: Regular People. Common Sense.
November 8, 2007
Downers Grove, IL
The bible has a phrase, if I may paraphrase: “As Iron sharpens Iron, so does a friend sharpen a friend.”
And as I look out over the room, I see my friends and my family for my lifetime. And I thank you. I thank you for pushing me and honing me. They say the typical man has but 5 friends. I’m seeing nearly 100- and I feel privileged and humbled. And tonight, as I make the transition from the business world into the political world, I thank you for standing by me, and for being here- and for supporting me.
Tonight is a unique night. Certainly, tonight is a political event- but, scanning the room, I do not see any seasoned political veterans. You are here on invitation- because I respect your judgment. And that- it strikes me- stands in stark contrast to our current political leadership in the state of Illinois.
Our leaders in state government are not respecting the citizens.
How else do you explain our governor billing the taxpayers $5800 a day commuting on the state jet from Chicago to Springfield. How else do you explain: the President of the Senate- Emile Jones- from Chicago, letting his son net $ millions in state contracts. How else do you explain: the Leader of the House- Michael Madigan, from Chicago, nearly shutting Illinois government down in a fight with Blagojevich because he wants his daughter- Lisa Madigan- to be governor in 3 years.
Our leaders have forgotten that the purpose of public service is to serve the people- and not themselves!
Now, I do not pretend to be the know-it-all answer man of Illinois politics… But, I do intend to be a guy who improves his state.
And our state certainly is in need of improvement. Illinois is upside down.
We are first or toward the top in juvenile violence, gambling revenues, corruption convictions, state debt and highly compensated lawmaker pay. But, we are lagging in the education of our children, job growth, and we are not keeping pace with the population growth of America as a whole.
SO, I’M GOING TO ASK YOU: TO JOIN ME: TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
Although, we are not political veterans- we are- regular people with common sense. And because of that, I believe that we are the solution. Why?
Because we live the problems that I’ve identified. When there is juvenile violence- our neighborhoods and schools are not safe for our children. When we are not growing jobs, our opportunities for employment and advancement are capped by a smaller economic pie. When the state debt is $106 billion, we feel stretched to our fiscal limits. When corruption runs rampant, we feel powerless and scared to “fight city hall”.
But, since we are the people closest to the problems- we have to remember that we also have the best answers to help solve those issues. So I need your help.
I AM GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SORRY STATE OF ILLINOIS.
I love this country. I love our Illinois.
I’ve spent my lifetime here. In Illinois, I have lived the American dream. Last year, when Success magazine profiled our company they called my brother and I “the new American Dreamers”. Through hard work and application, I have improved myself, my circumstances and in the process I have also bettered the lives of everyone that I have come in contact with. You see, this is a philosophy that we’ve run our business by: improve yourself, improve your circumstances and better everyone that you come in contact with. And, this is a philosophy that I want to bring to Springfield and Illinois government.
So now as I make the transition from the world of business to the world of politic policy, I do not have any political experience- and this gives me some great advantages: I am my own man. I did not have to work my way up through corruption or the political machine here in Illinois, I owe no-body a favor. I am beholden to no body, no special interest, no corporation, and no lobbyist.
NOW: For nearly a year, I have researched and explored Illinois government- and what I found was disheartening. If I was writing a piece of fiction, I could not have scripted a story like the current condition of our state.
And, that is Inconvenient.
It was Inconvenient for me to discover- because I love our state and I’ve been blessed with good fortune here. It’s Inconvenient for you to hear- because you are busy. With your work life and your home life: raising your kids, volunteering in your schools, at your church and in your community. You are responsible with your life - and you assume that the people that you elect to represent you in state government- are being as responsible and as diligent as you are being. And it’s terribly inconvenient for you to hear that in Illinois: that’s just not the case.
The democrats control everything in the state- and they are at war with one another. The republicans control hardly anything and aren’t even in position to mount an effective opposition. The republican party here in the state is leaderless, issueless and depressed.
So you are busy but you are responsible and you do care about your state. You care as much as I care. And that brings us together at this moment.
I see only opportunity. I see A wide open political playing field.
We can affect change in Illinois.
We can rekindle the spirit of public service in Illinois government.
We can do all of this through ForTheGoodOfIllinois.org
Tom Jefferson said, “If all the people know all the facts, never a mistake will be made.”
So, First… we are informing the citizens: pushing to the forefront the problems of the state. Second, we will gather the solutions and put forward common sense answers.
Third, we will identify leaders with good hearts, people who want to truly serve their fellow citizen.
Fourth: At a moment of my choosing, my actions will have to match my words- I will step up and lead.
But, best of all, we are making an impact now.
So where do we go from here?
I need your help.
Need to meet your friends and family.
Build a powerful, grassroots political organization on a hyper-local basis.
Illinois needs our help.
I am going to do something about it. I hope you are too.
Together, Let’s Do Something About It!
ForTheGoodOfIllinois!!