CHICAGO – Democratic nominee for Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias released two new television ads today in advance of the November 8th General Election.
The 30-second ads entitled “Skip the Line” and “Promise,” which will run simultaneously on broadcast and cable starting off in the Chicago area, represent the first general election ads in the Secretary of State’s race to appear on television.
The ads will appear familiar to voters as each takes place on the basketball court with the candidate teaching the fundamentals of the game to a group of kids who are more interested in getting ice cream.
Skip the Line highlights Giannoulias’ proposal that would enable Illinois residents to schedule appointments at driver’s license facilities online and move to the front of the line when they arrive for their appointment.
Modernization of the Secretary of State’s office has been a priority for Giannoulias, who has vowed to repeal the “Time Tax” or the amount of time Illinoisians waste in line, on the phone or filling out forms waiting for basic government services.
“Waiting for government services doesn’t just test our patience. It costs us money. It’s a time tax,” Giannoulias states in the ad. “I’m Alexi Giannoulias. I’m running for Secretary of State with a plan to “Skip the Line”…so you can make appointments like driver services on-lineinstead of having to wait in line. It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican. The government needs to step up and make life easier for everyone. With modernized services, saving time and money can be a slam dunk” he states as the kids give a collective cheer.
Promise features Giannoulias’ ethics plan for the Secretary of State’s office and how the former State Treasurer enacted an executive order on the first day that included eliminating pay to play by prohibiting contractors doing business with the office and banning employees from contributing to his campaign fund.
Giannoulias is the only Secretary of State candidate to offer a detailed ethics plan, which has been hailed by good government advocates, designed to curb corruption and restore confidence in government. It calls for: prohibiting elected officials from serving as lobbyists in any branch of government; closing the revolving door by instituting a two-year ban on elected officials from serving as lobbyists after they leave office; expanding the authority of the Inspector General; and preventing the spouses and immediate family members of elected officials from lobbying the entities they serve.
“Kids are so awesome, full of hope and promise,” Giannoulias says in the ad. “Now we have to make them a promise. That we will clean up government for everyone, whether you’re a Democrat or Republican. I’m Alexi Giannoulias and as State Treasurer, we ran one of the most ethical, anti-corruption offices in the nation. And as Secretary of State, I’ll keep politics out of the office so that when these kids are old enough and have to pay taxes, they’ll get better services and less corruption.”
The ad ends with Giannoulias declaring – “And yes, some more ice cream too” along with the kids responding with a collective “Yay!”
The Secretary of State maintains lobbyist registrations and Statements of Economic Interest that public officials and lobbyists are required to file with the State.
