Dear Members:

It all comes down to your vote tomorrow, March 20, Primary Election Day! Scores of candidates have walked hundreds of miles, placed thousands of signs, dialed your house phone repeatedly, and filled your mailbox. They are competing for your attention and your vote and I hope Chamber Members turn out in mass tomorrow.

In the office of a Chamber staffer hangs a quote by economist Thomas Sowell. It reads, “The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.”

I’ll cut through all of the campaign literature and give you a primer on where the candidates stand on the issues. They are all in favor of:

• Job creation and reducing unemployment;
• A proponent of economic development;
• Getting government out of the way;
• Supporting small businesses, the engine of our economy;
• Lowering your taxes;
• And a few, will even offer to wash your car too.

But, not everything can be done at once. The practice of governing is substantially different than campaigning and involves the practice of principled compromise. I urge you to vote for the candidates that can solve the seen and unforeseen challenges of the office they seek. The qualities I seek in a candidate are the following:

Do they exhibit good judgment? Will they approach each issue objectively, or come with preconceived notions of what’s correct? In essence, will they be open minded and fair?

The Chamber’s Political Action Committee endorsed nine candidates this cycle. They offered their endorsement after interviewing 23 of the candidates for state and regional office. Agree or disagree with the Chamber PAC’s endorsements, the key is to go out there and vote. You can review the PAC endorsements at www.napervillechamberendorsements.com.

Also since this is a remap year, you probably have no idea who all you will vote for. Naperville was carved up under the new map, so I encourage you to look up your legislative district before you head to the polls tomorrow. You can enter your address and look up your new districts at http://naper.cc/newnaperdistricts.

Illinois, DuPage and Will County are all facing difficult decisions in the months and years ahead. Your vote tomorrow advances candidates to the general election. We hope you participate and vote for the candidates that best reflect your values and positions.

In any event, we thank all of the candidates who took time away from their families and professions to run for office these past several months. Campaigning for office is an undertaking that requires an unbelievable amount of time and dedication.

Regardless of the vote totals tomorrow, we are all winners because we had a choice on our ballot this season.


Sincerely,


John Schmitt
President & CEO
Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce
630-544-33670
jschmitt@naperville.net