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| John Fritchey is a man with a fire in his belly who is driven by his desire to change things for the better. Don't try to tell him that there's no point in caring about politics, or that your vote doesn't matter. And don't call him a politician either. He may be the Illinois State Representative for the 11th District, but he prefers for people to call him a public servant or an elected official. Fritchey thinks that being called a politician these days is a little like being called a used car salesman. (All apologies to used car salesmen.) |
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| If an office is a reflection of the people who work there, you can tell instantly that John Fritchey takes an open approach to public service. When he's not in Springfield, Fritchey's home base is located at a busy six-corner intersection in a storefront office between a Fannie May and a Subway. "I chose this location because I wanted to have visibility. I wanted people to be able to find us," says Fritchey. "A lot of people who are just walking by stop in to ask us questions. If we can't help them, then we're happy to send them to the people who can." Inside, the office is welcoming, tidy and decidedly un-stuffy. Bags of candy sit around in waiting for the children who will receive them a few days later for Halloween. It's clear that he not only runs a tight ship, but that the doors are always open to his constituents. |
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| Although he's been interested in politics from a young age, John Fritchey ran for state representative on somewhat of a whim. When Rod Blagojevich decided to run for Congress in the 5th District, his position as Illinois State Representative opened up. At the time, Fritchey didn't know much about what state reps did and he began to educate himself. When he threw his hat in the ring for the position, Fritchey launched a grass roots campaign, managing most, if not all, of the campaign duties himself with the help of his friends. "I remember being at a rally at the Wrightwood Park Field House," recalls Fritchey. "I called every friend I could think of and assembled a ragtag group of supporters." During the campaign, he rolled up his sleeves to do everything down to silkscreening his own signs and t-shirts with a friend who owned a silkscreening business. His hard work paid off, as he was elected by two-thirds of the vote in 1996. Even after being in office for seven years, Fritchey still describes the story with a certain awe that he was elected. |
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| So a 32 year old Fritchey left his job as a zoning attorney in 1996 and was sworn in early to fill the vacancy left by Blagojevich down in Springfield. It was a trial by fire. The 11th District covered an extremely diverse range of neighborhoods and constituents. "My district was so diverse that every decision always made someone happy and someone unhappy," describes Fritchey. (In the recent redistricting, the boundaries of his district have changed slightly. They now cover the area roughly between Webster Avenue and Winnemac, Clark Street to Western Avenue.) Being sworn in early gave Fritchey the advantage of a term of seniority, which enabled him to be named to a chairmanship sooner. He leveraged this opportunity to achieve more for his constituents. Shortly after he arrived, Fritchey began to develop a reputation as an animated voice within the Illinois General Assembly. "I decided that I would not sit there and be quiet for two years," says Fritchey. "Some people respected my enthusiasm, while others resented my brashness. But no matter what, I was going to speak my opinion." |
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| Fritchey brings an outsider's vision to government, partly because of where he came from. He's an unlikely politician with a history that doesn't fit any neat category. "I have probably one of the most unique and least likely backgrounds for a political figure," laughs Fritchey. He was born to a father in the US Air Force and a mother from Oujda, Morocco, located on the border of Algeria, about 30 miles south of the Mediterranean Sea. His family lived on a number of air force bases throughout the south, then eventually returned to southern Illinois where his father grew up. Eventually his parents divorced, and he and his mom moved to Chicago where Fritchey spent his formative years. "I was raised by my mom, who at the time didn't know English well," says Fritchey. "As a single mother in the 60's, the sacrifices she made were incredible. I did not like what she had to go through to support me." |
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| Despite the challenges she faced as an immigrant and single mother, Fritchey's mother emphasized the importance of a good education and encouraged him to work hard to get the best education possible. She sent him to The Latin School, which he was able to attend through a financial hardship scholarship. He graduated and went on to get an economics degree at the University of Michigan, then returned home to Chicago to get his law degree at Northwestern University Law School. "I deeply appreciate what these opportunities have done for me," says Fritchey. He now helps other young people facing similar circumstances through the John Fritchey Youth Foundation, which creates educational and recreational opportunities by sponsoring academic and athletic programs. "I decided years ago that I needed to give something back through public service—both for my mother and for the community," he says. |
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 In keeping with his desire to make a positive change, Fritchey has been at the forefront of ethics issues in Illinois government since he took office in 1996. In 2002, he passed the first significant campaign reform law in Illinois in years, outlawing the practice of campaign fundraising by state inspectors. He's worked for everyday issues such as fighting excessive bank ATM fees and protection from identity theft. He's also won some and lost some battles against the tobacco industry. When Illinois received $9.1 billion in the national tobacco settlement, Fritchey fought to use these funds in ways that would help improve the health of Illinois citizens. "I tried to get the money from the settlement spent in the right way," says Fritchey. "Even though the state budget had a surplus then, I said to everyone that the time would come when we're really going to need this money."
Fritchey believes that the two most important issues we face right now are property tax and government ethics. And the number one issue is property tax. "I have people calling me in tears, telling me that they're going to lose their homes because they can't afford to pay their property tax," says Fritchey. "This issue affects everyone: seniors who have already paid off their mortgages, new homeowners, even renters who face huge rent increases passed on by their landlords. How can you plan a budget when your tax goes up 90% in one year?" Fritchey and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill that will put a cap on property tax increases at 7%. It will be county-wide and retroactive. "This is an extremely important bill," says Fritchey. "It will make the difference of whether someone will lose their home." |
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| Government ethics issues impact the citizens of Illinois on a broader level. As someone who is also frustrated and outraged by the abuses in government, Fritchey is very proud of the reform work he has done. "I want to restore people's confidence in their government," he says. Much of what happens in politics serves to polarize communities, splitting them on particular issues so they'll vote for a particular candidate. Fritchey sees public servants as responsible for helping people achieve basic, bottom line needs shared among all groups of people—safe streets, good schools and affordable housing. He feels that there's much yet to be done and that people need to start by having much higher expectations for their elected officials. If people are frustrated, they need to get out and vote to make a change, even if it seems like it won't make a difference. "We have a lot of elected officials in office who don't deserve to be there, but people keep putting them there," says Fritchey. "If an election draws only 37% of registered voters, that's only one out of five people calling the shots that will affect everyone. There's too much to lose—you've got to get out and vote. I don't care if you vote for me, just vote." |
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| Although his energy seems unstoppable, Fritchey makes an effort to slow down and ground himself by spending time with his wife, Karen and daughter, Alexa. "No matter how bad a day I've had," says Fritchey, "I appreciate more than anything that I can come home to my wife and daughter and they'll greet me with unconditional love." At the same time, he's motivated to make a change so that the world will be better for his daughter's generation. |
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| So what can you do to make a difference? Fritchey stresses that voters need to educate themselves and learn what's going on around them. Though it may seem unimportant, local government matters and can affect your daily life in far more direct ways than national government. "I expect the same level of dedication from my colleagues that I give myself," explains Fritchey. "I don't care if we agree on the same issues—they'll get my respect if they work hard. At the end of the day, that's what voters should be able to demand of their elected officials." Fritchey suggests getting involved in community groups such as CAPS, PTA, various school groups, social service organizations or local chambers of commerce. He tells a story about a single mother who volunteered to help in his office. When asked how she found the time to do this extra work, she said, "If it's worth changing, it's worth doing it. I wanted to make a difference." |
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| Fritchey may have strong opinions, but he's also humble and doesn't care about fame or power. In the next few months, he'll be campaigning for an additional unpaid position as Democratic Committeeman for the 32nd Ward. "I won't be doing this job forever. Either I'll get tired or the voters will elect someone new," says Fritchey. "When I'm gone, I'd just like for people to say, whether they agreed with me or not, 'he was a damn good state rep.'" |
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| If you have an issue you'd like to discuss, John Fritchey is always willing to listen. If he can't do something to help, he will refer you to someone who can. Visit his office, send him an email or give him a call. |
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State Representative John Fritchey
Illinois House District #11
1547 West Belmont Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
phone 773.871.4000
fax 773.871.4012
mystaterep@aol.com
www.fritchey.com
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