Michelle Smith: Why I’m Running for State Senate

The following is a letter to the editor from 49th District State Senate candidate Michelle Smith:

Illinois is at a critical moment. Families and businesses are fleeing the state, we don’t have a budget, we haven’t had a balanced budget in decades, and politicians in Springfield are too focused on winning re-election instead of solving problems.

It shouldn’t be this way. Illinois has amazing resources and hardworking people. We have a fantastic location at the heart of the country. We should be thriving.

I’m running for state senate because I am fed up with career politicians in Springfield refusing to do their job.

Here’s a little bit about me: I have always believed in giving back to my community, and that’s why I ran for Plainfield 202 School Board President. I saw problems that needed to be fixed, and no one was stepping up.

Here’s what we’ve accomplished since I joined the school board:

• We completely balanced the budget over five years by making financially responsible choices to insulate taxpayers from higher and higher property taxes.

• Our bond rating has dramatically improved to top tier investment grade.

• Our cost per student is just 78 percent of the state average, operating at under $10,000 per student while the state average is over $12,000 per student.

• Our test scores exceed the state and national average.

I want to take the skills I’ve learned as school board president – how to balance a budget, how to lower costs while maintaining services – to Springfield.

I believe that Illinois’ problems, while challenging, can be solved if both sides work together to reform our state. We need term limits and fair legislative maps to stop the culture of corruption in Springfield. We need pro-growth reforms to bring jobs back here where they belong. And we need to finally pass a property tax freeze.

My opponent, on the other hand, has unfortunately been part of the problem. Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant has voted for budgets that were billions out of balance. During her time in Springfield, she never fully funded our schools, forcing property tax hikes across the state. She even supported unfairly shifting our tax dollars to bail out Chicago Public Schools. Springfield desperately needs new ideas from a fresh perspective. I believe we must put term limits on Mike Madigan and the career politicians that have ruined our state, freeze your property taxes so that every family keeps more of what they earn, and fully fund schools so that every child has the chance to succeed.

I humbly ask for your support for state senate.

Michelle Smith
Candidate for State Senate in District 49