HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM LARRY

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! It is my pleasure to bring you the second issue of our campaign newsletter. As I reflect on the past year, as well as recent Rockford events, the key issue that continues to call out for action in our community is leadership. Whether we are talking about improving our schools, reducing our crime rate, or recruiting new business to the community, the City of Rockford will not succeed until we have better leadership.

Successful leaders attack problems by providing their teams clarity of direction and unity of purpose. At the very basic level, people must know what path they are being asked to follow and be motivated to get there. Around Rockford, however, these have been scarce attributes. People rightfully wonder where this community is going. The citizens of Rockford feel, at a gut level, that we are not headed in the right direction. Just as significantly, the community is as divided as it has ever been. Unfortunately, the division in this community created by a lack of leadership is filled with fear, resentment, and anger. You can listen to talk radio or read an editorial in the paper and sense these feelings boiling up throughout our community.

People are looking to the mayor’s office for direction, but it has not been forthcoming. We will change that in April, but we need your support. You can look forward to more information in the months ahead on my views of the direction this community must take to be successful. Running as an independent, I will work to unify our community behind a Rockford Agenda. We will set priorities and we will provide direction both within City Hall and to the community at large.

Our campaign’s efforts to unify this community were recognized in a recent article by the Rockford Register Star political editor, Chuck Sweeny, who stated, “...Morrissey, however, attracts voters from across the political spectrum who are eager for a change from the Democratic establishment that has run the city for more than three decades.” Mr. Sweeny continued in his column by outlining the basic question of this race, “…As it stands today, the mayoral race comes down to this: Keep Doug? Or try out Larry?” (Click here for the full article)

I continue to be energized by the tremendous support our campaign is receiving from the community. People recognize the need for change and see within our campaign, the opportunity for unity and action. I look forward for us to meet and share ideas in the upcoming months. Please save this date for a major campaign event; Around the World in Rockford on Wednesday, February 2, 2005. More details on this event will be shared in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, have a safe and healthy New Year. If you are downtown during First Night, feel free to drop by the Campaign Headquarters at the Trust Building, 202 W. State Street, for a conversation with members of the campaign team.

Larry

CAMPAIGN NEWS

CUDIA MAY NOT BE A FACTOR IN UPCOMING RACE

December 23, 2004 - Rockford Register Star

(Click here for the full article)

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Home for the Holidays
  January 7th from 8:00 pm - 2:00 am
  Larry is scheduled to do a Pub Tour at the following establishments:
  
  • Irish Rose
  • Bacchus Wine Bar
  • Carlyle Brewing Company
  • Kryptonite* (last bar - should arrive at approximately 10:00 pm)
    * $5.00 cover charge
    Kryptonite scheduled bands:
    - Brett Vogel
    - Second Hand Poets
    - Salva Me
• Around the World in Rockford
  February 2, 2005 - more details to follow!