“It seemed like a perfect opportunity," he said.
Geiger, who owns Geiger Construction, Inc., was in an accident three months ago and is in a wheelchair. He said he wants to continue his business but will only be able to work about 10 to 20 hours per week.
He is looking for “something to fill up my life" and has thought hard about running.
Pitts, who was approached a year ago to run, said the county clerk's office is in need of changes.
She said people in the community have told her there is a lack of quality customer service in the office in addition to a lack of up-to-date technology for such things as computerized land records and online election results. Pitts said she is also interested in bringing proper budget management to the office.
She said the office needs someone with a diverse background to efficiently and effectively run the office. She has 10 years of experience in customer relations, management, finance, marketing and real estate.
Chief Deputy County Clerk Alice Mullinax will be running for the office on the Democratic ballot.
Also during Saturday's event, State Sen. John O. Jones and State Rep. David Reis argued against Gov. Rod Blagojevich's plan to offer health insurance to all Illinois children, an appointee to the Illinois Appellate Court Fifth District talked about being a judge and several representatives for candidates for governor gave reasons why their man should hold the highest state office.
Jones said that while he was in Olney earlier this month, Blagojevich was in Mt. Vernon touting his plan to insure every child in Illinois. While it has been said the program will cost $45 million for the first year, Jones said it would more than likely cost $150-$200 million the first year.
On the same day Blagojevich praised the plan, Jones said he met with Richland Memorial Hospital and Weber Medical Clinic officials. The state owes RMH $1.8 million and $1.1 million to the clinic and he said both facilities have not been paid in nine months.
The state also owes one chain of pharmacies more than $2 million, he said. When he said the owner recently received a check for $6.27, the audience erupted in laughter.
The state has had to borrow $1 billion to catch up on Medicaid payments, but Jones said $1.8 billion is owed.
Democrats will say the state is caught up on the payments, Jones said, adding that is not the case.
A vote will be taken Tuesday for the plan to insure all children in the state, Jones said.
“Anything this important and this big should not be discussed in six days," he said, referring to how quickly there is a movement for the plan to be passed by legislators.
Jones warned that if he and Reis vote no, there will be flyers distributed that will say they are against children. Jones believes the plan has little to do with the welfare of children.
Blagojevich has had many illegal contract deals, Jones said, adding that a tougher ethics bill is needed.
Reis said the plan to insure all children allows anyone who makes $80,000 per year or less to sign up for the program.
He said no one has seen the language for the bill and he warned there is nothing else like it in the nation. “No other state has this program, ladies and gentlemen," he said.
It is a move toward universal health care, he said, and feels discussion for the program should take time. “There should be some type of personal responsibility built into this," he said.
Blagojevich wants the program to be implemented by July 2006.
Justice Stephen P. McGlynn, was appointed to the Illinois Appellate Court Fifth District, will be running for the position next year.
He said he is a fourth-generation lawyer who is active in the anti-abortion movement and has been a Reagan and Bush Republican.
“The courts are still dominated by a liberal mindset that's very dangerous," he said.
In the early 1960s, New Orleans was hit by a hurricane and severely damaged. A new system was proposed to keep the city from flooding again.
When a lawsuit was filed by environmentalists, the program eventually ceased because it was determined that it would cost too much money.
McGlynn said the Army Corps of Engineers decided to fix the existing system. He said the new system would have helped withstand the fury of Hurricane Katrina.
The judicial system was hijacked, he said, and greed, arrogance and duplicity took over.
“I think we need to restore a sense of honesty, integrity and faith," he said.
Nick Bellini, a representative for gubernatorial candidate Ron Gidwitz, said Gidwitz knows how to create jobs and balance a budget.
Gidwitz was a former CEO of Fortune 500 consumer-products company HPC Helene Curtis and founded the Illinois Coalition for Jobs, Growth & Prosperity.
Jim Patrick, a representative for Jim Oberweis, said the candidate has pledged to not raise taxes and wants to stop the cycle of political corruption. Oberweis has said he will not take any campaign contributions from anyone doing business with the state.
When Patrick said he suggested a straw poll be taken, Oberweis told him it would be disingenuous. When another poll of 450 likely Republican voters was recently released, Oberweis was found to be ahead of other candidates, Patrick said.
Katie Stobbs, a representative for Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, said people like his record. He is anti-abortion, pro-family and Second Amendment and is considered an expert on budgeting, she said.
“We need to elect a person who can beat Blagojevich in November," she said, referring to a recent Zogby poll that put Rauschenberger ahead of the governor.
Richland County State's Attorney David Hyde, who is not running for office, said he has been a proud Republican all of his life.
“Our party was founded upon principles," he said. “It's when we're principled, we win elections."
He said the Republican Party stands for life, fighting terrorists where they are and honorable work. He tires of hearing that Democrats are the party of compassion.
“I want my party to be a party of compassion of people who go to work every day," Hyde said.
Richland County Board member Melinda Hunt, who was elected last year, said she used to say she was getting her feet wet. “Now I'm up to my ankles," she joked.
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