My heart raced when I saw an email from Lisa Madigan in my inbox with the subject line, "What it takes."
This is it! This is the message to Madigan supporters that announces she's running for governor! I mean, who is going to send out an email with that subject line if they don't have "what it takes?"
And the first paragraph made it clear where this was going. "Turning around the state of our state will take smart, tough, and effective leadership."
And it only built from there. Madigan noted her ability to work with the General Assembly in consensus-building, her office's frugality, her willingness to roll up her sleeves and get the work of government done.
And then, the crescendo... or so I thought. "With that in mind, I've been evaluating how best I can serve the people of Illinois," Madigan wrote before a solicitation for a donation.
The gist: I don't know what I'm going to run for, but I'll need money no matter what.
So many dominoes can fall so many ways depending on what Madigan chooses to do. But they'll all stay standing for now, Madigan's tantalizing email notwithstanding.
Our state is facing challenging times. Turning around the state of our state will take smart, tough, and effective leadership.
As your attorney general, I have been able to successfully advance and impact change on a host of issues including the national foreclosure crisis, utility rates in Illinois, and protecting our children from sexual predators, internet dangers and unsafe products.
Under my management, the Office of Attorney General has been an engine for revenue. Last year alone, my office generated more than $1.1 billion in revenue using less than $31 million in general revenue funds. That's a return on taxpayer investment of more than 36 to 1. Since taking office in 2003, I've been able to recover more than $9 billion in badly needed funds for our state through litigation and collection efforts, with billions more brought back directly to consumers, including $1.8 billion in relief for Illinois homeowners from the national robo-signing settlement.
I've built strong relationships and reached consensus with members of the Illinois legislature - key leadership skills for a state that has a lot of work to do. Resolving issues in this state requires a willingness to sit down, negotiate and compromise with the General Assembly. Over the past ten years, my office has worked with legislators to pass nearly 100 bills on issues such as debtors' rights, greater protections for elderly residents and victims of crime, and securing healthcare for the uninsured.
Government work is challenging, but it's not rocket science either. It just takes someone willing to roll up her sleeves to get the job done; someone who can identify our problems, prioritize them, put together a plan to fix them, and then execute that plan. I've spent the last 10 years as attorney general doing just that.
With that in mind, I've been evaluating how best I can serve the people of Illinois. The impetus for my running for elected office has always been public service. I strongly believe that government has the power to do good when the right people come together for the right reasons. I am confident that I can continue to produce results on behalf of the people of Illinois, but I need your help to ensure I have the financial resources to do so.
Please consider making a contribution of $250, $100, $50 or even $25 by our finance deadline, this Friday, June 28th, to ensure that I have the necessary resources to continue to serve our state effectively.
You make the difference: I need your help to continue to fight the good fight. Please consider making a contribution today. With your support, I can keep pushing for progress.
In the weeks and months to come I look forward to pressing on - with your support - and keeping you posted on the results of my work and decision regarding my next steps.
Thank you for your consideration.
Lisa Madigan
- See more at: http://rebootillinois.com/?eopinion=4286#sthash.gaSWdrvP.dpuf
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