12 February 2007

Dear Ms. Kuczka,

Thank you for covering my candidacy announcement at Zion-Benton Township High School.

The Highland Park Mosquito Abatement District experience was valuable in several respects.

1. I was introduced to politics because it was an appointment by the Lake County Board of Commissioners.
2. It was a non-paying job.
3. It introduced me to the Illinois Revised Statutes (now the Illinois Consolidated Statutes); and, what the Illinois Legislature produces through its actions to encourage local governance.
4. I learned how to: prepare an agenda and conduct a meeting; build consensus; develop and manage a budget; be accountable for public funds through the budget, levy and appropriation process.
5. My successes were these: I stopped questionable practices persistent by the former President relative to the vendor; I had public meetings in public places that were advertised in advance; we kept minutes and made those available to the public; and, developed some specifications for bidding to provide service.

It is this through these lessons of local governance and integrity of purpose that I want to demonstrate during my campaign and then use to change the conduct of business in Washington.

To remove any ambiguity, I am in the race to be the successful candidate in November 2008.

I am confident that Saturday’s headline will end with ! .

Encouraging students: to get registered to vote, to become involved in the process and understand the issues, are important aspects of my campaign. If these items are accomplished, then part of my campaign effort will have been rewardingly successful.

Finally, several friends have dubbed my Tribune photo as my George Washington pose. They were wondering? ”What happened to your teeth?” I guess I just need to show them.

Respectfully

James Creighton Mitchell, Jr.

“No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.” Edmund Burke 1729-1797