Michelle Mussman is the real deal

I am, by nature, not a political person, but I feel personally compelled to ask you to cast your ballot for Michelle Mussman, as the state representative for our district.

My personal experience has shown me that Michelle Mussman is a person of integrity who stands behind her words, who is not a self-interested “politician.”

I met Michelle when she knocked on my door about two years ago and though I was ready to dismiss her, I realized that she represented not only my home, but the school where I was principal. I invited her in and spent almost an hour talking with her. I invited her to my school so that she could see what was going on in the trenches, and she promised to come. When she left, I turned to my wife and said: “Wow, I think this woman really gets it!”

She won the election and visited my school immediately after taking office. In February, I began to see her name on bill after bill, not only on education issues but also on a variety of different issues that affect our community. My students sent her art to decorate the walls of her office, which she displayed and honored. She visited again. She co-authored more bills. She worked. Her work reflected her promise to represent us as our neighbor, not as another politician.

When Michelle arrived in Springfield, she introduced legislation saying all politicians had to take a pay cut of 10 percent. She clearly wasn’t afraid to upset career politicians. When her bill didn’t pass, Michelle took the smaller pay cut that did pass, and took another 10 percent of her salary and donated it back to community organizations. This is the true measure of integrity — Michelle stands up for what she believes in, and lives up to it.

Michelle Mussman deserves the chance to continue working for us. She must be allowed to keep up her fight to make the longtime politicians understand that what they have done and continue to do hurts us as common taxpayers.

Please join me in voting for Michelle.

Tod Tecktiel

Hoffman Estates