Government transparency goal for Elmhurst man

(http://www.pioneerlocal.com/elmhurst/news/1071008,em-andrzejewski-072408-s1.article)

July 24, 2008

By JEFF DANNA

A year and a half ago, Elmhurst resident Adam Andrzejewski's career revolved around phone books. Now it revolves around public policy.

After selling off his share of American Publishing and Marketing LLC, the localized phone book company he formed with his brother in 1997, Andrzejewski used his newly-acquired free time and money to work on a new project: studying the performance of Illinois government.

What he found -- excessive debt, corrupt politicians, under-performing schools -- led him to form For the Good of Illinois, a watchdog organization aimed at promoting government transparency and changing the political culture in Illinois.

"That's when I realized I didn't have a choice anymore what to do next," Andrzejewski, 38, said.

For the Good of Illinois is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, Andrzejewski said. He is trying to run it in the same fashion people should expect politicians to run their campaigns: free of donations from politically connected sources.

At this point, the organization is small. He officially launched it last November, and employs one staff member and an intern. However, he has recruited volunteers through aggressive networking and travel across the state.

His first task has been to try to convince school districts to post their check registers on their Web sites, which gives the public easy access to the information. It also could generate healthy competition among businesses for district contracts, he said.

"If they know people are looking, they'll be good and self-censor," Andrzejewski said.

So far, 11 school districts have posted their check registers, including his hometown district in Kankakee County. College of DuPage and Elmhurst Unit District 205 are also on the list.

Andrzejewski had two reasons for focusing on school districts: his family's background is in public school teaching, and they are local. When people become involved with public schools, they have an opportunity to take a stand in their own back yard, he said.

"Every day we live the problems of Illinois," Andrzejewski said. "We're sick and tired of reading the headlines in the newspaper."

He is funding the operation himself, but his Web site will feature a link for people who want to donate. That feature is under construction.

So far, he has heard little opposition to his message of transparency. outside of a handful of school board members who voted against posting the check register.

But open government doesn't require a political agenda, he said.

"That's the nice thing about transparency," he said.