American Defender

AdamAndrzejewski1

Adam Andrzejewski’s Transparency Revolution

By Hinsdale Magazine

We recently talked with Adam Andrzejewski (pronounced Angieeff-ski) and his interest in greater transparency in government spending, by establishing his website “Open The Books”. Adam, 51, explains “I’ve always believed in family, faith and small towns. As the oldest of seven children, I grew up in Herscher, a rural farming community a few miles southwest of Kankakee. Working on family farms, I developed a strong work ethic by walking beans, detasseling corn, and baling hay.” According to Adam, in 1976 and 1978, his father ran for state
representative against George Ryan and in those days, the Kankakee County Republican machine rivaled the Daley machine in Chicago. John Andrzejewski lost those races, but his campaigns instilled in Adam the courage to take on public corruption. However, first, Andrzejewski established himself as an entrepreneur. It didn’t come easy. As he explains, “There were many nights when I rolled up my coat as a pillow and slept on the office floor while working around the clock.” With his brother, within 10 years, they founded and sold their $20 million publishing company. Since then, Andrzejewski has dedicated his life to public service. In 2010, when his three daughters were toddlers, he ran for governor of Illinois on a transparency platform, “Every Dime. Online. In Real Time.” After a primary election loss, he didn’t stop, but took Mother Theresa’s advice, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” While it’s not always easy being the only man in the house with three teenage girls, Ellie, Molly, and Emma Kate, he says his girls consider him to be the most positive and supportive dad.

Adam Andrzejewski running the 2019 Chicago marathon

Adam has really enjoyed being married to his wife Kerry since 2000 and is proud of the fact that he is very present at home. He says, “Our family dinners are a high priority and an opportunity to communicate a lot of life lessons. We also share a lot of laughs.” However, Kerry and Adam try not to put pressure on the girls. Being an Andrzejewski is pressure enough. As he sees it, the American dream is to have it all – a healthy, happy family, successful business, and a bright future. “But”, as he explains, “I also want to change the world. In 2011, I founded OpenTheBooks.com dedicated to posting all government spending online. Launching in Illinois I posted online every public employee salary and pension record – an historic first. Immediately, the exposure led to grand juries, indictments, and convictions.” “We do this, because it’s your money, and you deserve to see where every dime is spent by your government.” Last year, OpenTheBooks filed 40,000 Freedom of Information Act requests, the most in American history. The effort successfully captured $6 trillion in federal, state, and local government expenditures. It’s the world’s largest database of public-sector spending. “We believe that transparency revolutionizes U.S. public policy and politics.” Andrzejewski explains, “Our group is a non-profit, public charity. Not only do we ‘open the books,’ we
audit them, and our investigations make national news:

• In 2020, The President’s Budget To Congress cited two of Andrzejewski’s oversight reports.

• In 2019, the OpenTheBooks interactive map of human waste in the public way in San Francisco made international news, trended on national Twitter, and helped reframe the debate on the homeless.

• In 2017, at The Wall Street Journal, his group exposed the eight Ivy League colleges who reaped $42 billion in taxpayer subsidies, payments, and tax breaks during a six-year period. This led to a new federal tax on their excessive endowments.

• In 2016, Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight highlighted the group’s investigation that exposed the $20 million high-end luxury art portfolio at Veterans Affairs. Soon after, then-VA Secretary Robert McDonald apologized and stopped the pricey art purchases.”

He is proud of saying, “I am spearheading the revolution – that is, the transparency revolution.”

*Photos provided by Adam Andrzejewski

Author

Executive Chef Stephen Langlois

Feeding His Passion: Newly appointed Chef Stephen takes the helm at The Westin Chicago Lombard

The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, NM

Celebrating A Century of Open Road: Now in its 100th year, this slice of Americana still beckons travelers

Tely Nagle, Drake Hotel Proprietor, in the Romanesque gardens
Photo by Victor Hilitski

Welcome In! The Drake Oak Brook’s elegance and charm are back to stay

ATJMAH_CM_2223

Striking the Right Note: The Chicago Youth Orchestra shapes the lives of aspiring young musicians

The camaraderie of the volunteers often keeps them involved after their student graduates

Always Boosting: Hinsdale Central’s Booster Club helps fill gaps in student activity and athletic budgets

Anne Schultz, MD, FACP Cindy Lagone, MD, FACP

Authentic Internal Medicine: Building relationships with patients and the community

Hair loss problem after covid search Instagram Post Minimalist -

Is hair loss on your mind? Reclaim Your Crowning Glory

Kristina and Matthew Bailey began reading books to their son, Owen when he was six months old— they haven’t stopped.
Owen turned 4 in June and recently received an award from the Clarendon Hills Public Library for having had 1,000 books read to him before starting kindergarten.

The library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge is one of a few reading challenge programs offered in Clarendon Hills, where the Bailey family has lived for the past 2 1/2 years.
Kristin Bailey said she saw an ad about the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge and decided it was a good fit for Owen.

“He’s always been really into books,” Bailey said. “He had a natural interest in books at nine months old. That’s when COVID started, and he didn’t get out much, so reading books to him worked out very well. He’s a naturally curious kid, and imagination-building is important. The reading allows him to learn and explore new things, and he really wants to learn to read now.”

Krista Devlin, the Clarendon Hills library’s youth services librarian, said there’s a specific reason The Friends of the Library-sponsored 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge was started in 2022.

“Reading aloud to a child is one of the best ways to help develop important early literacy skills, which will prepare them for kindergarten,” Devlin said. “It is also a great way to bond with your child and to encourage a love of reading.”

Devlin said Owen was the second child to reach the challenge of having 1,000 books read to him before starting kindergarten. He was awarded a certificate, a crown, and his picture was taken to recognize his accomplishment.

Bailey, who said she is “a big reader,” said her family usually goes to the library once a week. Reading three books each night to Owen, along with a book before nap time, is the household normal.

“Consistency in our routine has been good and is important,” she said, adding that Owen’s two sisters, ages 2 1/2 and 1

An open book: Clarendon Hills four-year-old earns library recognition

Charlie Tomfohrde and his array of house plants for sale at the Hinsdale Farmers Market

A Budding Entrepreneur: Charlie Tomfohrde’s plant business continues to grow

Terri Doney (left) and co-founder Barb Thayer are “sisters” in the group, My Breast Cancer Sisters

Breast Cancer survivors: Hinsdale area group looking for others to help

Maxx Klein and Jack Klein

Airoom’s New Design Space Maxx and Jack Klein take the helm of their family’s business

IMG_4543

Oak Brook Bath & Tennis Club A Tennis Player’s Dream