Political Quotes

“I would like to take a moment to say farewell to a good man who taught me a great deal about what it means to be a public servant. Art Berman was a respected attorney, a community leader and the longest serving Democratic State legislator in my State. He represented the North Side of Chicago in the Illinois General Assembly for 31 years, until his retirement in 2000. He was known as ``the education senator'' for his decades-long commitment to see that every child in Illinois could attend a good school and make the most of his or her God-given abilities. He died earlier this month, June 6, at his home in Chicago. He was 85. I first came to know Art Berman in Springfield, our State capitol, when he was serving in the Illinois House of Representatives and I was a young committee staffer, just starting out. He was thoughtful, fair, and kind. I never heard him say a bad word about anyone. He regarded public service as a high honor and a joy. He seemed to radiate happiness. He was a patient man, but you would be wrong to mistake his patience for passivity. He was tenacious in the pursuit of justice and the common good. He entered politics as a Chicago precinct captain when he was just 20 years old. He was elected to the Illinois House in 1969, and in 1977, he moved to the State Senate, where he served until he stepped down in 2000. All told, he won 22 elections for public office and never lost once.…”