A Special Appeal From Cindi Canary
Dear Friend,
As you may know, May 27, 2011 will mark my final day as Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. When I announced that I would be stepping aside after fourteen years with ICPR, the news was met with an outpouring of support from friends and colleagues which has moved me to reflect on what my time at ICPR has meant, how far we’ve come and the work that is left to be done.
I believe our founding Chairman, the late Senator Paul Simon would be very proud of ICPR's success and remind us that now is the time to redouble our efforts.
When I think about the future of this great organization, I know that ICPR will continue to vigorously and successfully encourage public participation and accountable government in Illinois. I want to assure ICPR’s supporters that the transition to new leadership will be smooth. ICPR’s board and staff have my complete confidence and continued counsel as I depart and the organization moves forward with a new Director.
We have so much to be proud of. From making state government information available online to testifying at the impeachment of Rod Blagojevich and the introduction of campaign limits, ICPR has been in the forefront.
ICPR led the charge to reform the way campaigns are funded in Illinois, enacting the first set of contribution limits in the state's history—and we didn’t stop there. We fought for real enforcement and to require near real-time disclosure, so voters know the source of big contributions right up to Election Day. Now we’re working to close a loophole in the law giving party committees undue influence over campaigns in the general election.
Illinoisans have been forced to relive some of the state’s darkest days as we followed ex governor Rod Blagojevich’s second corruption trial. The proceedings have served as yet another reminder that ICPR must continue to work to ensure that our state elects public servants committed to serving the public.
While ICPR has played an important role in my life professionally, the work this organization does touches every part of our government, impacting the daily lives of all Illinoisans.
ICPR has battled to protect the Freedom of Information Act, because without government transparency we will never have government accountability. We speak out on redistricting because when citizens can’t participate in an open redistricting process, legislators are more likely to select their voters than the other way around, and as long as outside groups are attempting to involve themselves in our elections without disclosing their donors, we won’t have a transparent campaign process. On all of these fronts—and more—ICPR has been your advocate.
I am going to continue to support ICPR’s pursuit to advance the reform agenda with both my volunteer time and my dollars and I hope you will too.
I plan to dig deep in my pockets to continue to support ICPR and the fight for good government. I have signed up to make a monthly donation at www.ilcampaign.org/donate. I encourage you to also stretch to make Illinois government more open and responsive. Whether you give $50, $100, $250, or $500; once a year, once a quarter or once a month, every penny moves us closer to our goals.
The challenges Illinois faces will be difficult to conquer—but giving to ICPR is easy. To make your tax-deductible contribution, you can fill out the enclosed form and return it with a check or your credit card information. One-time contributions and recurring monthly donations can also be made online at www.ilcampaign.org/donate. To further advance our success, we encourage you to check with your employer to see if they will make a gift to match your contribution.
This organization’s work is more important now than ever. Help us spread the word about political reform by directing your friends and family to www.ilcampaign.org where visitors can learn about issues facing Illinois government and sign up for our newsletter, Spotcheck, to be kept abreast of reform efforts.
Thank you for all of your good will and support over the years. Together, we can continue to make Illinois a better place.
Sincerely,
Cindi Canary
