I didn't write this, but I certainly agree with it.
From chicagotribune.com: With the new year that begins Friday, you and every other Illinois voter can begin to sweep your state and county governments clean, or leave matters much as they are.
If you enjoy the political culture as is -- with the next corruption scandal never far off and with your public officials borrowing future generations into penury in order to prop up today's treacherously uncontrolled spending -- then you should support candidates who'll protect the status quo. If, however, the failure of too many politicians to make urgently needed reforms infuriates you, then reach for a broom.
We hope you're among the millions who are infuriated. And we hope you'll reach for that broom. If you're just coming up to speed on Illinois politics, fine. We'll help because, next year, you have to be a change agent:
Calendar 2010 needs to repudiate the Illinois culture of political sleaze that gave us not only the crimes committed on Rod Blagojevich's watch, but also the preserve-our-power selfishness of his survivors in Springfield. And 2010 also needs to repudiate entrenched state and local lawmakers who have spent and borrowed Illinois into gooey morasses of debt just waiting to swallow our children and grandchildren.
Together, the Feb. 2 primary and Nov. 2 general elections can -- must, if Illinois is to liberate itself from this predicament -- constitute The Revolution of 2010. To make that happen, though, each of us needs to shoulder a sword.
We need not only to educate ourselves and then vote for the best candidates on those two Election Days. We also need to create the informed buzz, and make the one-on-one personal outreaches, that will bring our family members and friends to the polls.
That is, each of us needs to engage a few apathetic or otherwise underinvolved citizens to vote in 2010. It's a sure thing that the political oligarchs who run Illinois will have all of their family members and friends at the polls. That's how they grip power until the day their anointed successors -- usually chosen by the other oligarchs, not by mere voters -- pry it from their hands....