New Trier, Northfield and Wheeling Republican organization endorsement sessions: Quotes and Totals

New Trier Republican Organization endorsment session

“It’s fantastic to get the endorsement of the New Trier Republican Organization (“NTRO,”) said Kenilworth’s 10th CD candidate Bob Dold yesterday. It’s a thoughtful organization- true honor to get their endorsement. There are twelve organizations like this in the 10th CD, but there are only four are five that will actually endorse… We got the Elk Grove endorsement so we are two for two. [Subsequently, it was determined that both Northfield and Wheeling did not endorse anyone in the 10th CD, see below].

Gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna, Jr. said yesterday, “Well, I am pleased to be endorsed by NTRO [dual endorsement with Dan Proft], it is a great organization.” When this reporter asked if he was now the front-runner, Andy McKenna said, “You know, we are really having fun with this race…we are pleased with the momentum we are having. There are 80 days to go and we love competition and there’s a lot ahead of us.” When asked what he saw as the key issue in the campaign, McKenna said, “It’s the one I spoke about today, this outrageous spending and outrageous debt. People in Illinois are deeply troubled by a government that’s about to collapse and it all happened because of bad leadership. And people want common sense, simple, courageous leadership that will make decisions to rein it in. We’re not headed for a fiscal, rainy day, we’re headed for a fiscal Katrina and I’m just going to fix it. If that means tough decisions and a one-term governor, I’ll do it. I want to fix the problem.”

This reporter asked McKenna if he could control it all by spending cuts or does he have to consider a revenue or tax increase? McKenna said, “Illinois taxpayers gave Illinois more and more revenue. It is just that the leaders down there spent faster than the tax dollars came in and we have to live within our means.”

Jim Dodge was elated about winning the NTRO endorsement, noting that he had also won his home township, Orland Township, and that he picked up a straw poll victory in Milton township in DuPage, won unanimously in Schaumburg Township and he was expecting “some support out in Will County, as well.” Dodge said he thought, “people were responding to the idea of making a clean break with the politics of the past so that we can move forward.” Dodge said, “the people remember, whether it is fair or unfair to Judy, how she was tied to George Ryan by Blagojevich… and frankly the whole Alan Keyes thing happened on her watch as State Party Chairman.” When this reporter asked Dodge if he thought taxes should be increased, he said, “Absolutely not, emphatically not. Worse possible move.” I asked, “You don’t think there should be an increase in the income tax or sales tax for the next four years? Dodge said there should not be such an increase. He said the State spends too much money. When this reporter asked if Dodge could find ten billion dollars to cut since he said there was a ten billion dollar deficit, Dodge said, “Yes, [but] it’s not necessarily the Comptroller’s job, the comptroller’s role would be to get the facts right, so that the legislature, who ultimately controls the dollars, and the Governor, have a clear set of facts.”

Tolbert Chisum, NTRO Committeeman, speaking yesterday from the Winnetka Community House, the site of the endorsement session, said that in the Republican gubernatorial primary, Dan Proft won the first vote, 25 to 20 over McKenna, Jr. with the remaining votes being splintered among the other candidates and that the run-off between Proft and McKenna resulted in a tie at 32 votes each, meaning that NTRO would make a dual endorsement. Chisum said he had been neutral in the race for Governor and now that his organization has endorsed Proft and McKenna, he would be supporting them both.

Chisum acknowledged that McKenna, who had lived, with his family, in Glenview for many years, was kind of the hometown guy and “much better known there than Proft,” in his organization’s endorsement vote. This reporter asked Committeeman Chisum if Proft would get some notoriety out of this since he had tied a guy who was from the area and has been running big time TV ads. Chisum responded that this tie told him “Proft was representing his views very well and that people are hearing what he has to say.” When I asked Tolbert if he thought this meant “Proft had a shot at getting the Republican Party nomination,” Tolbert Chisum just laughed and said, “Thank you, Jeff, I’m not going to go there, I am only dealing with New Trier.”

NTRO Committeeman Chisum said the 10th CD vote was a surprise in that Bob Dold won it on the first ballot with about 52 %. [Chisum said it was 36 votes for Dold, 20 for Dick Green and 11 for State Rep. Beth Coulson, with Bill Cadigan getting 3 or 4 votes]. Chisum said the big surprise was Coulson’s third place performance because a lot of people thought she was the favorite because “She is the current State Rep. for the 17th Dist. and well known in this area…we’ve supported her thru New Trier strongly the last three elections and she has more name recognition than anyone but again Robert Dold had a strong showing- this is his home territory so his message is clear-- and Dick Green also made a strong showing…”

Committeeman Chisum said that Cong. Mark Kirk, who grew up in New Trier Township and is its Congressman, picked up the U. S. Senate endorsement, getting 94% of the vote, with several of his conservative opponents getting one or two votes each.

Jim Dodge picked up the NTRO endorsement over Topinka for Comptroller.

Northfield Township Republican Organization endorsement session

In Northfield Township, Cook County Comm. Goslin received the endorsement but the organization did not endorse anyone for Governor [McKenna, the top vote getter], Lt. Gov. [Plummer, the top vote getter], 10th CD [Coulson, the top vote getter], or Comptroller [Topinka, the top vote getter], as no one received the requisite two thirds for endorsement in those races.

Wheeling Township Republican Organization endorsement session

There was no endorsement for Governor, although Dillard received the largest vote total in the third round (46) to Brady’s 33, but Dillard did not have the requisite 60% for an endorsement.

For Lt. Gov., the local native son Sen. Matt Murphy received 41 votes to downstate Jason Plummer’s 40 votes in the third ballot, but again that was insufficient for the endorsement.

For 10th CD, Bill Cadigan was the top vote getter in the third round, with 43 to Dold’s 40 votes, but again that was insufficient for an endorsement.

In the U. S. Senate race, Pat Hughes edged out Cong. Mark. 43 to 38 in the third round vote totals, but again, that was insufficient for an endorsement.

Jim Dodge picked up the endorsement for Comptroller over Topinka, winning 53 votes to 25 in the second round.
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To improve Cook Cty democracy, Gov.Quinn holds a Strange, Saturday, Sabbath Stroger Presser—but it was not about Stroger, or Stroger's tax- or was it?

A strange Saturday Sabbath with Gov. Quinn

It was a strange Saturday afternoon at the Thompson Center in the Chicago Loop this past weekend. The few media who showed up in the Blue Room on the 15th Floor for the Press Conference called by Governor Quinn to watch him sign some new legislation were treated to a University of Chicago reform seminar. Yup, it was Poly Sci 101, goo goo style, with Professor Quinn presiding, flanked by his teaching assistants, State Rep. Walker (D-Arlington Heights) and Senator Kotowski.(D-Park Ridge). Senator Noland (D-Elgin) and Rep. Zalewski (D- Summit) were kind of auditing the course-- in attendance, but not really participating. All the show was missing was the reform movement's defrocked Larry Bloom.

Many of the less tutored thought that various Democratic legislators were concerned about the negative image President Stroger is giving the Democratic Party. To such legislators, President Stroger stands for higher Cook County sales taxes, perhaps the highest in the nation, which upsets consumers, employers and employees (voters all) in Cook County who think business and low priced products are being driven out of Cook County, taking with them jobs. Indeed, earlier this year, when appearing on Public Affairs, it seemed that Rep. Walker had that point of view. See here. [Rep. Walker: When I asked people, “what is the number one thing you want me to do in Springfield,” you know what they said? “Get rid of Todd Stroger.”]

Stroger enablers no more: the Democratic Party is now about reform?


The legislation, recently passed, which lowers the requisite percentage of Cook County Board members to override President Stroger’s veto from 80% to 60%, was thought by most to be intended, specifically, to allow the County Board to repeal the much maligned increase in the County sales tax.

When the media showed up on Saturday, they were surprised to learn that Gov. Quinn never really focuses on an individual, such as Todd Stroger or Dan Hynes. For Pat Quinn, Illinois’ only Governor in the 21st Century not to have been indicted, changing the override legislation for Cook County was akin to cleaning up an historical, legislative anomaly. Indeed, it was as if Gov. Quinn had said Saturday was about insuring a more perfect union of the one hundred two counties, only one of which, Cook, had been out of sync with its 80% veto override requirement.

Walker and Kotowski: no politics, please

Same with Rep. Walker and Senator Kotowski. For them, the Saturday afternoon signing ceremony was really just another effort at reform, viewed almost as a glorious, but abstract, concept. Yes, Rep. Walker conceded that the increase in the Cook County sales tax was quite bad for the economy in the District he represents, but he couldn’t really say how much the sales tax increase should be rolled back. That was for others to decide. State Rep. Walker had not gotten “that deep into the numbers to say which is the right solution.” Walker had signed up for the poly sci seminar, not the math seminar.

And, of course, neither Sen. Kotowski nor Rep. Walker was much concerned about the politics of the situation. Like Captain Renault in Casablanca, they would be shocked to discover that politics was going on- by politicians holding a presser on a Saturday afternoon- in the blue room. And, to the media’s surprise, no Democrats in the Blue Room had heard anything about Speaker Madigan bottling up, for months, the veto override legislation. Yup, in the University of Chicago seminar view of the making of public policy, it is all about goo-goo goodness, sweetness and reform. Politics at the Thompson Building? Who would have thunk such a thing?

Cook County Comm. Tony Peraica (R-Land of Topinka) showed up and even took to the lectern, after the Dems finished, to provide a counter-lecture, suggesting that yes, the Democrats were indeed worried about encountering the wrath of the people upset about Stroger’s tax and other antics-- and the corruption of the now impeached, arrested and indicted former Governor, Rod Blagojevich. Blago, of course, is affectionately known by one of the seven Republican candidates for Governor, Andy McKenna, Jr. as “Hair.” And, that is the most substantive statement to come out of McKenna’s nascent campaign, to date,

Peraica contended, essentially, that the Democrats were trying to enable a repeal of the County sales tax, to save their political hyde.

Senator Kotowski responded to Comm. Peraica that his feelings were hurt that Tony would even suggest such.

And, the media present were shamed for daring to suggest same.

Finally, it was rumored that all the pols present were being considered for the faculty of the school of journalism at the University of Chicago, should such a school be started.

And, if you would like to read about Saturday’s Seminar, an actual, partial transcript of the press conference at the Thompson Center is included, below.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Governor, Senator Kotowski said this wasn’t a matter of party, Democratic or Republican. I think a number of Republicans would argue what is going on [at this bill signing, reducing the vote required to override a Cook County Board President veto from 80% to 60%] is at least, in part, an effort by the Democrats to inoculate their State legislators …on the Northwest side of Chicago in particular and in the Northwest suburbs from the wrath of the voters with regard to Blagojevich, Todd Stroger, public corruption and indeed, they would argue, the Democratic Party in general. What do you say to them?

Gov. Quinn [D-IL]: Well, that sounds like a lot of words about something very specific. I think you should have a three fifths rule [for] the override of an Executive action at the County level in Cook County the way you have at the State level regarding the Governor and the Legislature. I think it is just simple, direct democracy and so…

Jeff Berkowitz: Could we get the response of, in particular, Senator Kutowski and Rep. Walker as to whether they think—

Gov. Quinn: Their political philosophy?

Jeff Berkowitz: No, as to whether they think this is a Todd Stroger concern because I think I have heard them talk about that, indeed, Mark Walker, when he was walking the precincts to get elected [in 2008] told me, the voters asked him “What are you going to do—when you go down to Springfield—about Todd Stroger?” So, I’d kind of like to hear [from Rep. Walker about that].

Gov. Quinn: I’d just like to say about myself. I don’t do anything in this office…that’s directed at any one person. I don’t believe in that. I don’t. People call me names. It’s water off a duck’s back, as far as I’m concerned…I’m not signing this bill to be directed at any one person or elected official…

State Rep. Mark Walker: That’s a very interesting question. As I go door to door, I hear all kinds of opinions expressed. …As far as my personal opinion of Todd Stroger, I’ve never met the man. I understand he is a very nice man. What I talked about with my constituents was what is going on in Cook County and what they talked about was the Stroger tax increase. So, I focused on the financial issues and I focus on what it is doing to the economy in my area. We have a lot of businesses that have moved outside of Cook County. We have a tremendous amount of shoppers that have crossed borders to buy…You can talk to anyone who lives in our area. They will tell you where they go so as not to shop in Cook County. I think that is simply bad policy and that’s why I pushed for this bill.

Monique Garcia [Chicago Tribune]: Do you think that that tax should be repealed…

Rep. Walker: I will leave that up to the [Cook County] commissioners. I understand that they have tried to cut the increase [in the added Cook County one cent sales tax] in half. I understand they have tried to take one per cent away. I am not that deep into the numbers to say which is the right solution.

Jeff Berkowitz: When you say that is bad policy, I thought you meant the tax increase that Todd Stroger pushed for and got. And, now you say, you don’t know if they should repeal it. So, what do you mean by bad policy?

Rep. Walker: Again, what I did say, not what you just said. What I did say was that I support reducing the tax. It’s up to them as to the question whether it should be the full amount or part of it—I leave that up to the commissioners.

Monique Garcia: But, you think that some portion should be—

Rep. Walker: That’s my perspective. But, again, it’s not my job to make that decision.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, is it that the differential [between the Cook County tax and the tax in surrounding areas] is bad policy and you are not sure how much that differential should be? You said something was bad policy—what is it?

Rep. Walker: I think the tax increase that was passed has been destructive to the economy of my area.

Another reporter: It is undeniable, though, is it not that the driving force behind this move has been the sales tax reform, isn’t this why you’re here? Isn’t this why you’re signing this into law?

Rep. Walker: I would say to that. The driving force behind is, at least from my perspective, is a belief by my constituents that I talk to is that there is a lot wrong in Cook County, that they want to be better represented in Cook County, that there are issues- at least perceived issues of corruption, of mismanagement, of waste, of tax policy and they want to be better represented and I think one way to get them better represented is to give the commissioners more power of a systemic point of view.
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Senator Kotowski: …this is the type of initiative that needs to get passed to insure that, as Rep. Walker talked about, when you talk to somebody at their door, they don’t feel as powerless as they have felt in the past. This is a very important empowering piece of legislation; it’s an empowering law and we’re here to try to support it.

Jeff Berkowitz: …it was argued in the media that Speaker Madigan, also Chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party, was bottling up this effort [to reduce the percentage of Cook County board members required to override a veto by the President] for a long time. For some reason, he relented. So, if it is not about Party [as you suggest], it’s about reform- and it was said that Speaker Madigan was doing that because he did not want to upset Todd Stroger and perhaps the African-American community. Do you have any response to that? Do you think Speaker Madigan was bottling this up and why was he doing that?

Senator Kotowski: I don’t have a window into the workings of all people’s minds…I have a window into my own mind. Any, my own mind is that I worked with my colleague and my teammate Mark Walker on an initiative that we thought was good government. And, we worked very, very hard and we introduced one initiative and this is what happens in Springfield- sometimes something has an opportunity to get passed and you just keep pushing and pushing and pushing until it becomes law. That’s just simply what happened here. We refused to give up and good government is going to happen.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 114 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page .
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Better than Charlie Rose w/ Nicole Kidman; Berkowitz w/State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov on state tax increases; Cable and Soon Streaming

This week's Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features 2010 Democratic Primary State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov, father of three who lives in Wilmette with his wife. His kids are now grown up. Clint is an accomplished lawyer in private practice who has been involved in many consumer protection and investor protection matters, and he views himself as a consumer and taxpayer watchdog, fighting over the years for transparency in business and government.

The Chicago Metro Suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs is included, below. The show was recorded on Sunday, November 8, 2009.
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You can soon watch the show with Clint Krislov on your computer here.
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Clint Krislov is running in the Democratic Primary against attorney Raja Krishnamoorphi and State Rep. David Miller. Raja is scheduled to appear on "Public Affairs," in December. Rep. Miller has not returned our calls to schedule an appearance.
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Clint Krislov debates and discusses the Comptroller race issues with show host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz, including the role of the Comptroller's office as a bully pulpit to discuss state budget deficits, taxes, tax increases, spending, double dippers, state pensions, taxing of pension benefits, spending cuts, education reform, the comptroller as a rubber stamp, various comptroller issues arising in the current Democratic gubernatorial primary, ratings of 10th CD candidates for transparency and much, much more.
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest, 2010 Democratic Primary State Comptroller candidate Clint Krislov, airs on:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka. This week's airing schedule in these ten suburbs includes a special airing on Thursday at 5:30 pm on Cable Ch. 19.

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.
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The Public Affairs show featuring Clint Krislov, a candidate for State Comptroller in the Democratic Primary, also airs on Monday night (Nov. 23) throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 114 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page .
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Way Better than Stephanopoulos w/Cokie and Sam: Berkowitz w/Dem Gov. candidate Ed Scanlan on Taxes and Deficits, Cable and Streaming

The "Public Affairs," show featuring Ed Scanlan, Candidate in the 2010 Democratic Primary for Governor, is airing tonight, Nov.9 on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The program also airs at 3:30 pm tomorrow and Wednesday in Aurora and surrounding areas (New regular slots for "Public Affairs"). The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.

The "Public Affairs," show featuring Ed Scanlan, Candidate in the 2010 Gubernatorial Democratic Primary, will also air throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) this Thursday night, November 12 at 8:00 pm on Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Ch. 17 include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.

All of the above are regular airing slots for "Public Affairs."
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You can also watch the show with Ed Scanlan on your computer.
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For a partial transcript of the show with Ed Scanlan please go here.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 114 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page. *********************************************************************

Senator Brady gains slightly in last night’s forum while Dillard, Ryan and McKenna tread water.

As to who won last night’s Republican gubernatorial candidate forum, we ask the question as to which candidate did the best job of helping to move the needle toward the win column.
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Retired, wealthy small businessman Adam Andrzejewski. With less than one hundred days left until the February 2, 2010 primary, Adam needs to shake things up now if he is going to have a shot then. Although telling this reporter he has a net worth of ten million dollars or more, it seems as if he will spend one million dollars, or less. That’s not enough for Adam to win this race without some help from his performance at forums, etc. Did he score points last night? Not enough to make a difference. If he isn’t going to spend two million dollars, he is going to have to take more risks at forums and score more points by taking on the front-runners.
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Downstate family businessman and State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington): Going into last night’s debate, Senator Brady was a frontrunner with Dillard, but Jim Ryan and Andy McKenna, the latest candidates to join the race, represent real threats to Brady and Dillard.

Senator Brady has a number of significant factors going his way. With fifteen years in the General Assembly, the only candidate in the race from south of I-80 and a guy who picked up 20% in the Republican Gubernatorial Primary in 2006 (third out of four candidates), Brady has a nice political base and organization, a decent chunk of money, a good physical appearance and a reputation for not making many unforced errors. With all of the above going his way, Brady did not have to take chances and yet he took a few and came out with the needle pointing a little closer to the win column. Another good night for Bill.
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Senator Dillard also has a number of significant factors going his way. With fifteen years in the State Senate, a long history with Party establishment figures Thompson and Edgar, Dillard has a good political base and fundraising network. He has had an uneven start, got a boost from the Edgar endorsement and seems to be hitting his stride. However, Senator Dillard has too much to say and too little time to say it. Needs to both shorten and put more punch into his message. Needs more definition as to what he will do as Governor and less discussion of his press clippings. Neither hurt nor helped himself last night.
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Andy McKenna, Jr. came into the race last week with the release of a film and a commercial that “had them talking.” Known for his plodding and uncharismatic style, the ad shook things up. His strategy is to continue building brand and name recognition thru TV ads until Thanksgiving, pull back in December and then blitz with another air war in January. He will only selectively engage the earned media in an attempt to control, tightly, his message of “a Springfield outsider, who brings competence, honesty and integrity to the state’s fiscal problems.”

McKenna, Jr. raised two million dollars and put in more than two million dollars of his own money into his 2004 U. S. Senate Primary, but got only 14% of the vote and came in 4th of four serious candidates. He thinks he knows what he did wrong then and is back with what he views as a “new and improved product.”

McKenna is ready to spend more money in a shorter time period. In some respects, McKenna gives the appearance of a guy who is not yet in the lead, but is employing a “prevent defense.” When the other candidates stayed around after last night’s debate for short interviews in the green room, McKenna, Jr. literally ran for the exits as if a pit bull was chasing him. Perhaps he had select interviews set up elsewhere. Or, perhaps uncontrolled interviews are just not a part of his game plan. In any case, he sort of tread water most of last night. He didn’t excite as did his ads, but didn’t hurt himself much. His is a strategy that looks to January TV ads for success.
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Dan Proft, former political pundit, campaign consultant, campaign idea man and PR entrepreneur. Proft, running for Governor, is a bit like William F. Buckley, running for Mayor of New York. It was fun to do and fun to watch, in both cases, but winning is quite another matter. Proft and his creative ideas for how to run the State of Illinois are attracting a following. Last night, he ripped McKenna for saying we need to do the best we can, or something like that, for fixing education. As Proft said, Mckenna should have a specific plan (as Proft does), not a bromide, for fixing education, However, to be competitive to in this race, Proft needs to raise about 1.5 million dollars and drop some more of his own wealth into the campaign.
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Jim Ryan, former Attorney General and DuPage County State’s Attorney, ran and lost to Blagojevich in 2002. Jim just entered the governor’s race this week. Has demonstrated his personal character and integrity. Appears to have laundry lists of ways to improve education and fiscal responsibility. Needs to hone “his own approach,” as opposed to borrowing the best of his competitor’s stuff. Told this reporter after the debate that he favored a “tax swap,” and 5 billion dollar net increase in taxes two years ago but not now “because we are in a recession now.” Will also have to deal with Stu Levine again and again. Says he didn’t know what Stu Levine was doing in terms of improper government influence and Levine’s own personal life weirdness when Levine was giving money to Jim Ryan’s 2002 campaign. Ryan will have to appear much sharper at forums than he did last night-- if he is going to win this.
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Bob Schillerstrom, DuPage County Board Chairman. Bob thinks if he tells us what he did as DuPage County Board chairman, people will vote for him for Governor. I don’t think so. He needs a sharp, concrete plan for the State as Governor. And, he needs it now. Lost points last night and needs to start winning debates and points.
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Tonight’s Illinois Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Forum and the likely Main Stream Media liberal coverage bias

As all seven Republicans in their gubernatorial primary head toward tonight’s show down forum sponsored by the State GOP at the Hilton in the Loop, it is useful to review the liberal journalism bias in this town. Tuesday night’s discussion on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight [Public TV] gives Republicans an idea of what they are up against in terms of Main Stream Media ("MSM") liberal bias in their coverage of the gubernatorial primaries and then general election. A partial transcript of Tuesday night’s program is included, below.

The MSM want a tax increase

Clearly, two of the three panelists [WGN’s Lisnek and the Chicago Reporter’s Lowry] think a major tax increase by the State of Illinois is in order. Pallasch doesn’t quite take a position but he certainly doesn’t challenge his co-panelists when they pop for increasing taxes. And, moderator Brackett never challenges her guests with the argument that maybe we shouldn’t increase taxes.

The MSM is deaf to proposed spending cuts

Further, nobody challenges Lisnek’s statement that the Republican candidates are “murky on spending cuts.” Has Lisnek not heard any of the Republican candidates talk about using managed care to cut Medicaid costs? Has Lisnek heard any of the candidates discuss reforming pensions for new state employees to be based on defined contributions, not defined benefits. Has he heard any of the candidates discuss increasing the state employee share of healthcare costs? Hell, even Quinn suggested that [until he met union resistance]. Perhaps make state employee salaries comparable to their private sector counterparts? Perhaps cut the number of state employees? Is all of this foreign to Lisnek? To his co- panelists? To Brackett?

Which party wants to increase taxes?

For the Republicans, six of their candidates for Governor say they oppose an income or sales tax increase [Jim Ryan did take a different position two years ago], and one, Dan Proft, wants to cut state income tax rates by 50%. On the other hand, the two major Democratic candidates for Governor, Quinn and Hynes, want to institute major increases in state income tax rates. Do you think the Democrats will get better treatment from WTTW than the Republicans during the gubernatorial campaign? Is the Pope Catholic?

Structural Deficits or excessive growth in state government spending?

And, you can apply that pretty much across the board with the MSM, at large. It is the conventional wisdom in and outside of Illinois that most States are suffering “structural deficits,” and the problem in those states is that their tax rates are too low. The fact that in most of those states, as in Illinois, spending increases in the last decade have far outstripped population growth and inflation will not deter the MSM from thinking that tax rates should be increased.

Far Left and Far Right

Further, others in the MSM in Illinois will join Lisnek in finding Brady and other Republicans to be “on the far right,” but you’ll never hear the MSM discuss any Democrats as being “on the far left.” I am sure it must be because this State has no “far left,” Democrats. There certainly could be no other explanation.

WTTW: Fair and Balanced?

Take a listen to what was said on WTTW on Tuesday night. You’ll be hearing much more of that left of center bias from the MSM in Illinois during the next year. You can make book on it. It might be nice if WTTW added a journalist who is in the center, or maybe even slightly right of center. But, who that person could be-- I just don’t know.
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Paul Lisnek, WGN News: But [Senator Bill] Brady is the most conservative of them all… in a Primary that may play well…[and] he may have some challenge to that—but this state I don’t think will be comfortable with that far right of a Governor. That said, Brady is quick to say-- forget the social issues, I am running on business and jobs.
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Abdon Pallasch, Chicago Sun-Times: …Dan Hynes first [ad] said that Pat Quinn wanted to raise taxes on everybody, which is partially true because his plan would have only taxed the rich, but then at one point he had to drop part of it so that it would have taxed everybody [Ed. Note: Actually, Quinn proposed expanding the level of exempt income per dependent, which meant that his plan would have resulted in income taxes increasing only for a family of four with incomes greater than 60K—which doesn’t seem to support Pallasch’s statement that Quinn initially “would have only taxed the rich.”]
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Elizabeth Brackett, WTTW panel moderator: Alden, do you think either one of them [Pat Quinn or Dan Hynes] is giving voters the sense that they can handle this fiscal crisis?

Alden Lowry, Chicago Reporter: At this point, no, but I’m not sure, though, anybody could- could really kind of come up with a magic pill that kind of gets us out of this; it certainly seems like it’s going to involve bringing new revenue in of some sorts, so whoever can present a tax package of some kind that seems fair and reasonable and something that people can swallow may be the person who can get a little bit of an edge; right now, though, we are seeing a lot of attack politics and that I think is the easier way to handle this kind of thing; whoever can throw up the biggest stone can move themselves ahead in the race.

Elizabeth Brackett: But both of these two candidates [Gov. Quinn and Comptroller Hynes] do say that there is going to be some sort of a tax increase, which is—none of the Republicans are saying that.

Abdon Pallasch: They both advance it, but neither has the political skills to pass it, so far.

Paul Lisnek: And, isn’t it interesting that you have campaign ads basically saying, “here’s how I am going to tax you.” Since when do we allow that, right? So, these guys basically say get ready for it. We all know it’s coming. It is coming. It just won’t come until after the primaries are done and probably after even the general election. Republicans keep saying, “No taxes,” we”ll keep cutting. When you ask them what they’re cutting, it gets a little murky at that point… Except that Dan Proft says-50%, cut everybody. [Ed. Note: Proft does favor cutting the individual and corporate income tax by 50%, but that is not what Lisnek said. Lisnek seemed to be having an out of body theatrical experience of some sort.].
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Elizabeth Brackett: There is one anti-tax Democratic candidate and that’s Ed Scanlan, the attorney. Do you think this will bring him any momentum?

Abdon Pallasch: …in the Republicans, there is a big enough field where surprises could happen down on the ticket [but] I think they would have a much harder chance for the further back candidates [Ed Scanlan and Doc Walls] in the Democratic Party to emerge.
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Panel Discussion, Chicago Tonight, WTTW, November 3, 2009
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 114 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page .
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Better than Tom Roeser w/Bill Ayers:Berkowitz w/Dem.Gubernatorial candidate Ed Scanlan on not raising the income tax and much more;Cable and Streaming

Ed Scanlan [Democratic Primary candidate for Governor]: ... we ought to be trying to lure businesses into Illinois by giving them a tax Holiday…and then also trying to make our climate in Illinois one that businesses will want to come to. What they are doing is precisely the opposite. watch show with Ed Scanlan

Jeff Berkowitz: Who are they?

Ed Scanlan [D-Oak Park]: Governor Quinn and Comptroller Hynes. [They] are doing just the opposite.
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You can now watch the show with Ed Scanlan on your computer , as well as on Cable (See below).
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Jeff Berkowitz: …Ed Scanlan, you say, "Don’t raise [income] taxes at all, right?

Ed Scanlan [Democratic Primary candidate for Governor]: That’s correct.
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Ed Scanlan [D-Oak Park]: …Both of these gentlemen (Hynes and Quinn) are arguing about how best to tax the people of Illinois. Right now we are in the middle of a recession. There is an enormous deficit. Gov. Quinn’s proposal raises [individual and corporate income taxes by] 3.1 billion dollars…and the current estimates are anywhere from 110 to 120 billion dollars that we’re in the red. This doesn’t address the problem. This only makes it worse.

Jeff Berkowitz: What’s this? Raising taxes?

Ed Scanlan [D-Oak Park]: Raising taxes. What we need to do is to get businesses to locate in Illinois…Another thing you can do is normalize the State payroll. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says we are paying 12% more for comparable labor compared to the private sector…we’ve got to take a look at that. Current and former state employees are going to have to have a sacrifice. This is going to be a shared sacrifice to get this together…we ought to be trying to lure businesses into Illinois by giving them a tax Holiday…and then also trying to make our climate in Illinois one that businesses will want to come to. What they are doing is precisely the opposite.

Jeff Berkowitz: Who are they?

Ed Scanlan [D-Oak Park]: Gov. Quinn and Comptroller Hynes are doing just the opposite.
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Ed Scanlan: Jeff, there’s a distinction between standing up for labor, the men and women who work in labor and are members of the union and standing up for the union leadership. Both Gov. Quinn and Comptroller Hynes stand up for the union leadership—

Jeff Berkowitz: Is that why they get endorsements from the unions. It’s the union leadership that essentially is endorsing them?

Ed Scanlan [Democratic Primary candidate for Governor]: The way the Democratic Party, including both the State Comptroller and the Governor, have handled the issue is—they say to the unions when they are dealing with them: What do you need? I’ll give it to you. I’ll give you this deal but would you have your union support me, and then they send the bill to the taxpayers. That’s the way this State Democratic Party has been negotiating with unions. You need somebody to step up to the unions and deal with them in an arms length transaction, like the Sun-Times did…
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From Public Affairs w/Jeff Berkowitz, taped on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009, and airing in the Chicago Metro Suburbs on "Public Affairs," this week. For the suburban airing schedule and more about this week's show with Democratic Primary Gubernatorial candidate Ed Scanlan, please go here.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 114 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page .
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Better than Craig Dellimore w/ Mayor Daley: Berkowitz w/ Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Ed Scanlan; Cable and Streaming

This week's Chicago Metro Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features 2010 Democratic Primary gubernatorial candidate Ed Scanlan, who lives in Oak Park with his wife. His kids are now grown up. Ed is an accomplished lawyer in private practice who has tried more than one hundred jury trials to verdict. The Chicago Metro Suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs is included, below. The show was recorded on Sunday, November 1, 2009.
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You can also now watch the show with Ed Scanlan on your computer.
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The show with Ed Scanlan, a candidate for Governor in the Democratic Primary, includes a far ranging discussion with show host and Executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz of the State Budget deficit, taxes, spending, improving the quality of education, how to deal with the pension issue, how to work with unions, same sex marriage and/or civil unions, abortion, parental notice, partial birth abortion, gun control, concealed carry and much, much more.
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The Chicago Metro suburban episode of "Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz," featuring this week's guest Ed Scanlan, a candidate for Governor in the Democratic Primary, airs on:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka. This week's airing schedule in these ten suburbs includes a special airing on Thursday at 5:30 pm on Cable Ch. 19.

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

and tonight, Tuesday night, at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.
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The Public Affairs show featuring Ed Scanlan, a candidate for Governor in the Democratic Primary, also airs on Monday night (Nov. 16) throughout the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 114 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page .
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Cong. Kirk and Cong. Roskam on Feds divesting their private sector interests; healthcare; Giannoulias v. Hoffman; Gitmo; Palin

Congressman Mark Kirk (R-Highland Park, 10th CD) and Congressman Peter Roskam (R-Wheaton, 6th CD) held a joint press conference yesterday afternoon in Chicago in which Kirk and Roskam discussed, along with a number of other topics, their proposed legislation to require the federal government to divest itself, over the course of 2010 of its common stock and preferred stock interests that the Feds “bought,” last year from GM, Chrysler, AIG, Citigroup, Bank of America, GMAC and the Hartford.

U. S. Government losses on its private sector investments

The stock purchases [or more accurately, bailouts for which the government received an equity interest] cost at least 217 billion dollars when they occurred last fall and the government has, so far, lost more than “70 billion dollars on their investments.

Questioned by this reporter as to whether their proposed legislation was motivated by their view of the proper role of government in the private sector or by their desire to limit or cut the losses of taxpayers, Roskam said “it is both and.”

Healthcare reform legislation

Cong. Kirk explained his opposition to the current Democratic healthcare reform bill by noting that the current bill has ten major tax increases in it, pushes the top marginal rate of taxation in Illinois to 49.9%, makes a tremendous number of cuts to Medicare, cuts skilled nursing and makes a series of 100 billion dollar cuts for health care for seniors and “I am just getting going.”

Cong. Roskam said, “The unfortunate part is that there is quite a bit of common ground…” Roskam said his “hope is that the new Speaker Pelosi bill doesn’t become the law and what ultimately moves forward is …”things like purchasing insurance across state lines, really tackling the idea of pre-existing conditions and rescission…” Roskam said, “the notion that somehow raising taxes on small business, which happens in Speaker Pelosi’s bill…arguing that is a good thing is counter-intuitive.”

Cong. Kirk’s proposed healthcare reform

Cong. Kirk’s idea of a healthcare reform bill “in 60 seconds,” would be “Cong. shall make no law interfering with decisions that you made with your doctor; secondly…lawsuit reform which is reported to cost 300 billion dollars in extra benefit costs; … you should be given the right… to buy from any state in the union if you find a plan that is less expensive or more flexible…”

Medicare reform?

Cong. Kirk asserted that the Democratic Leadership in Congress is hoping to get a set of Medicare cuts adopted and that they will immediately reverse themselves on the cuts-- and that rapidly rising Medicare costs will ultimately be financed by additional borrowing from abroad which will weaken the value of the U. S. Dollar.

Kirk’s Medicare Reform

In response to this reporter’s question as to what alternative would Cong. Kirk propose to deal with the rapidly rising Medicare and other healthcare costs, the 9th year Congressman from the North Shore and likely Republican nominee for the U. S. Senate listed a set of reforms:

1. Lawsuit [Medical Malpractice] reform
2. Fully electronic medical records owned by the patient
3. Utterly accountable, publicly revealed outcome data
4. Instead of paying for inputs, move to an outcome based reimbursement system
5. Interstate [insurance] competition which is currently not allowed.
6. Remove the McCarran [-Ferguson Act] antitrust exemption

Cong. Roskam added “point of purchase verification,” for Medicare, which he said would save 50 billion dollars in Medicare fraud.
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Giannoulias or Hoffman

Cong. Kirk was asked by this reporter if Democrat David Hoffman would be a tougher U. S. Senate general election opponent for him because of his reform credentials of being a former Ass’t U. S. Attorney and Chicago Inspector General-- and without any apparent connection to Blagojevich.

Mark Steven Kirk responded “We need reform in this state, but I am going to confine my campaign to earning the Republican nomination on February 2nd and then there is plenty of time for a general election.” But then the moderate Republican added: “I expect it will be Giannoulias but …my job is to win the support of my fellow Republicans [and I am] very happy that Cong. Roskam has endorsed me…”
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Votes in the Senate for a Public Option?

This reporter indicated that some say Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid simply wanted to give those who favor a Public Option “a day in Court,” and he wanted to give it a decent burial and then I asked Cong. Kirk if he agreed that Senator Reid doesn’t have the votes in the Senate for a Public Option.

Cong. Kirk said, “It does appear that the Public Option is Dead on Arrival in the Senate.”

Votes in the House for a Public Option?

Cong. Kirk noted that he believes Speaker Pelosi needs about a half dozen additional votes to pass her healthcare bill and that she would work with Rep. Charlie Rangel, Chairman of House Ways and Means, to use earmarks and other inducements in the form of a “Manager’s Bill,” to try to attract the additional votes needed to pass the healthcare bill later this week.
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Gitmo and Swine Flu vaccinations

Cong. Kirk indicated it is wrong to let U. S. Veterans who are in the vulnerable community go unvaccinated for Swine Flu and instead make sure that “Al Qaeda terrorists at Gitmo get vaccinated first.”
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Sarah Palin and Cong. Kirk?

When questioned by Rick Pearson of the Tribune several times as to whether “he wants Sarah Palin to do a fundraiser for him,” Cong. Kirk would only say he has a lot of folks coming in and “We’ll see.”
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General David Petraeus

When asked by this reporter if there were any 2012 possible Republican Presidential candidates that they would most identify with at this time, Cong. Roskam declined to name anyone but Cong. Kirk noted: “I would just say that I am still watching the career of David Petraeus. Those of us on the Joint Staff are watching, so we’ll see.”
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 114 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page. *********************************************************************

Better than Stephanopoulous w/Valerie Jarrett: Berkowitz w/ Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski-Cable and Streaming

The "Public Affairs," show featuring Adam Andrzejewski, Candidate in the 2010 Republican Primary for Governor, is airing tonight, Nov.2 on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The program also airs at 3:30 pm tomorrow and Wednesday in Aurora and surrounding areas (New regular slots for "Public Affairs"). The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.

The "Public Affairs," show featuring Adam Andrzejewski, Candidate in the 2010 Gubernatorial Republican Primary, will also air throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) this Thursday night, November 5 at 8:00 pm on Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Ch. 17 include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.

All of the above are regular airing slots for "Public Affairs."
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You can also watch the show with Adam Andrzejewski on your computer.
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For a partial transcript of the show with Adam Andrzejewski please go here.
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For additional Q/A with some of the Republican Gubernatorial Primary candidates, please go here.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than 114 of our shows from the last two years are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page. *********************************************************************

Better than David Gregory with Tim Geithner: Berkowitz w/former Reagan adviser Art Laffer and FNC's Steve Moore; Cable and Streaming

Art Laffer [former Reagan economics adviser]: We all want to see the poor do well. But, you don’t make the poor rich by making the rich poor. The dream in America has never been to make Beverly Hills look like Watts. The dream is...[Watch the show w/ Laffer and Moore here]
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Jeff Berkowitz: Art, is it just an empirical difference [of opinion in terms of reading the data] between you and say, Austan Goolsbee, one of the [economic advisers] to Barack Obama from the University of Chicago. They would say that you over-estimate these empirical effects: yes, as you tax...
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Jeff Berkowitz: If you had to assign blame, to be fair, would you put a lot of the blame on George Bush, Bernanke at the Fed, Paulson at the Treasury because those were the three who came up with the $700 billion bailout before Barack Obama was President.

Steve Moore [Fox News Channel and Wall St. Journal editorial page writer]: This was a crisis that started under George Bush. There is no question that Barack Obama inherited this crisis. The problem is that he’s, in my opinion, just doubled down on the Bush policies. …
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Art Laffer [Watch Laffer and Moore discuss President Obama's economic policies]: When I look at this world… and you see a little five year old girl in Appalachia or in inner city south side of Chicago who lives with drug addicted parents who are separated and are always on something, whatever it is, and she has no clothes, no money and her living conditions are awful… and then you look at someone else in Lake Forest, IL who has the same age little girl and it’s just a wonderful life and you ask yourself, “how is that fair, I mean what makes any sense about this? It doesn’t. It is totally unjust. It is totally unfair”… and if I were father of the world and in complete control...
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Jeff Berkowitz: If you could sit down with Barack Obama…you know…what he ran on, you understand the politics of the nation and of the Democratic and Republican parties, realistically, what would you say to him in two or three minutes to try to change his mind and change the course [of economic policy]?

Steve Moore [WSJ Editorial board writer and Fox News Channel contributing correspondent]: I think that Barack Obama should...
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The "Public Affairs," show featuring economist Art Laffer and Steve Moore, FNC contributiong correspondent and WSJ editorial board member, airs throughout the City of Chicago tonight i.e., November 2 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21(CANTV, aka Chicago Access Network TV). Laffer and Moore debate and discuss their book, "The End of Prosperity, how higher taxes will doom the economy, if we let it happen," with interested readers of their book and with Jeff Berkowitz, show host and Executive Legal Recruiter, at Steve Moore's sister's home in Wilmette, IL. For more about tonight's show, including partial transcripts and a list of topics, please go here and here.
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You can also watch the show with economist Art Laffer and Steve Moore, FNC contributiong correspondent and WSJ editorial board member, on your computer.
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The show w/Art Laffer and Steve Moore was taped on June 15, 2009.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
"Public Affairs," is a weekly political interview show airing in Chicago on CANTV, in the Chicago metro area, Aurora and Rockford on Comcast and also often on the Illinois Channel. You can watch the shows, including archived shows going back to 2005, here.
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More than one hundred of our shows from the last two years of "Public Affairs," are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page .
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Sen. Meeks, Columnist Eric Zorn and TV show host Berkowitz discuss education, parental responsibility and school vouchers, charters and school choice

State Sen. James Meeks, a popular South Side minister, writes an op-ed today -- Their blood is on our hands -- about the ongoing, chronic problem of youths being murdered in Chicago. [Read here]. Berkowitz's journalism mentor and good friend, Chicago Tribune columnist and father of Chicago blogging, Eric Zorn, sought to respond to Meeks, paragraph by paragraph. Berkowitz conversed a bit with Zorn by email, as they do from time to time, and Zorn suggested Berkowitz formalize the dialogue, which he has endeavored to do, below. You may want to visit Zorn’s blog, so that you can read the comments on this matter, which are interesting in and of themselves, as well as his other posts.
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Meeks: We like to point to irresponsible kids and uncaring parents. But what about a society that won't lift a finger to do anything about the crumbling, disastrous school system that all of these kids, victims and violators, come from?

Zorn: Chicagoans who examine their property tax bills in the mail this week will choke on this idea that they're not "lifting a finger" to do anything about the schools. They're paying a lot -- lifting their fingers at work literally for weeks every year in most cases solely to support the schools.

Berkowitz: Meeks doesn't think low-income parents are getting enough of an educational subsidy. Zorn's right, in part. The problem is not the lack of subsidy, which is what Zorn is saying, in part. The problem is that the parents of low income kids do not have the power to remove their kids and the money that is being spent on them from the failing public schools and transfer that money to the school of their choice. [Zorn unfortunately is not saying this, but Meeks seems to be coming around to this point of view.] When schools need to compete to keep or attract students and their money, they will think of ways to deal with what are admittedly very difficult problems in the inner city schools. It may also be that the expenditures in the Chicago Public Schools (“CPS”) and other inner city areas are not distributed equally. It would not surprise me to learn that, say, the schools serving kids from the top 15% of income earners in Chicago consume, say, 30% of the tax dollars. If so, that would leave the bottom 85% of income earners with 70%of the resources. Even if so, the greater problem for educational outcomes is the lack of parental empowerment issue, not the disproportionate distribution of educational resources. Of course, Meeks might reasonably argue that suburbs, whose school districts remain largely outside the control of Chicago, spend more on their kids than Chicago does on its kids. Meeks is probably right, but that still should not be his focus. The CPS spends $15,000 per kid per year. That should be enough to educate, on average, virtually anybody.

Meeks: Poor and minority schools are staffed by the least qualified teachers.

Zorn: To the extent that this is true, it may reflect simple, obvious market forces at work rather than a conspiracy at the highest levels to shift good teachers to wealthier schools. Teaching at "troubled" schools is really hard work, from everything I've ever heard or read. It's frustrating. It can be dangerous. Who could blame a teacher for preferring -- even at the cost of lower wages -- to work with well-behaved, engaged, prepared students whose parents are involved and supportive?

Berkowitz: Zorn is partially right. The market forces he cites are at work. However, under a voucher system, private schools would be free to offer better teachers more money than inferior teachers. Better could mean smarter teachers in terms of grades or SAT scores. But, it could also mean teachers who figured out how to compensate for lack of parental involvement, fewer books in the home, more drugs in the home, etc. In the CPS, as in the suburbs and the rest of the country, teachers are paid based on the number of years they have been teaching and the number of years of graduate school attended or kinds of graduate school of education degrees obtained (M.A. or Ph.D). Years of education or Education School degrees obtained may have little to do with who is the best teacher. This general issue is known as merit pay. But, often, “merit pay,” is not merit pay. Arne Duncan introduced a system in which everyone who worked at a school got paid more if the students improved. That obviously was not merit pay. Nevertheless, that “innovation,” of Duncan was one reason given for his elevation to Secretary of Education by President Obama.

Meeks: When a child reaches high school at a fifth-grade reading level, society offers no hope, no future and illiteracy as a way of life because we have failed that child for eight years.

Zorn: When a child reaches high school at a fifth-grade reading level, he or she either has learning disabilities (which strike across the socio-economic spectrum and do need to be addressed by specialists) or he or she has not been spending enough time reading for the past eight years. Why is this our failure?

Berkowitz: It is our failure because as responsible citizens we should expect our CPS, that spends $15,000 per kid per year to be able to teach kids, at an early age, how to read and to make sure they do enough reading to master that skill. And, if the CPS can’t do that, we, as responsible citizens and journalists, should put pressure on Mayor Daley and state legislators to let the CPS parents take their $15,000 that we are spending on their kids now and let them transfer it to schools that couldn’t do any worse. Indeed, empirical studies of school vouchers in Cleveland, Milwaukee and DC mostly show that voucher kids do as well or better than non school-voucher kids. So, Eric, what exactly do we have to lose by allowing some empowerment for low=income parents?

Meeks: Without question, the lack of preparedness of students leads to despair, disruption and ultimately violence.

Zorn: My own pet theory, since we're clearly trafficking in pet theories here, is that joblessness and the poverty that attends it is what leads to despair, disruption and ultimately violence. If the parents of these students had good jobs and provided stable homes, the families would have concrete, realistic aspirations for the students -- hope, if I may use a word that's now cliche -- and the students would do better in school.

Zorn: Don't believe me? Do you think it's simply the quality of teaching that generates such vastly higher academic performances in wealthier and more stable communities (of all races and ethnicities)? Or do you think it's because kids whose parents have decent jobs and decent incomes have greater incentives and more motivation?

Berkowitz: Zorn is now asking how can we make sure that all low-income earners become high income earners, and preferably overnight. That’s really, really hard to do, Eric. But, something we can do is to change the system so that low-income parents are empowered to spend their $15,000 per kid in a way that motivates competition by private schools to try really hard to teach their kids how to read, write and do arithmetic, as we used to say. The schools that do that really well will expand and those that don’t will go out of business. The main beneficiaries of this change will be low-income parents whose kids will learn how to read by the time they start high school. Competition, the patron saint of the consumer.

Meeks: Nobody wants to be held accountable, but the blood of every child is on our hands.

Zorn: My sense is that overheated, accusatory rhetoric like this annoys rather than galvanizes the average person. Or maybe I just speak for myself.

Berkowitz: Eric, sometimes a little drama is appropriate. Fifteen years ago, the Illinois State Legislature almost adopted a pilot program for school vouchers. But, the teachers unions pressured the legislators to back off. Mayor Daley did start a reform program that accomplished some things under Paul Vallas. But, Vallas left in 2001 and the CPS stagnated under Duncan, with standardized tests being changed to show false improvements [Which Arne Duncan admitted on Face the Nation a month ago]. The CPS is now going backwards.

Berkowitz: Given the above track record, I certainly don’t mind a little overheated, accusatory rhetoric from Senator Meeks. The man is justified, Eric.

Meeks: For the first time in my personal and political career, I am exploring the idea of vouchers and charter schools to help facilitate choice and enhance academic performance. Why should we continue to make investments in a system that is bankrupt and weighed down with bureaucracy?

Zorn: My problem with voucher-based education is that it relies on a level of parental involvement that's manifestly missing and on a free-market system that is failing the inner-city already. Not that there is any easy answer, but these communities need jobs and affordable housing, far lower single-parent birth rates and, yes, calm, safe focused classrooms in which students can learn and teachers can teach.

Berkowitz: On this, Eric Zorn couldn’t be more wrong. All the parent of a school voucher child has to do is once a year be provided some information about alternative schools and make a choice: either stay put in one of the 60% or so public schools in Chicago that is failing or opt out for a private school that might do better and almost assuredly can’t do any worse. I imagine the likes of Rev. Meeks, Rev. Jackson, Eric Zorn, Anne Duncan, Jeff Berkowitz, local ministers, local educators, local business people, Carol Marin, goo goo reformers, etc. could hold meetings, go door to door and make recommendations as to which private schools were best and ultimately the individual parents would make a decision.

Berkowitz: What we have found, over the centuries, is that individuals, no matter how poorly educated or motivated, make much better decisions for themselves than others, and certainly than a state appointed czar. We have enough czars these days, we don’t need anymore. What we need is a little bit of freedom for the individual to choose. You could say I am pro-Choice. School Choice, that is.

Berkowitz: Further, Carolyn Hoxby, a professor of Economics at the Hoover Institution (who used to teach at Harvard) has recently published a study that demonstrated that the importance of parental motivation can be somewhat overstated in educational performance. Dr. Hoxby studied charter school performance where admission was based on lottery. Thus, students who attended the charter schools and those that did not came from similar socio-economic backgrounds with similar levels of parental involvement. Yet, the charter school students outperformed those attending traditional public schools. Similar studies exist for school voucher student performance v. traditional school student performance.

Berkowitz: As to Zorn’s statements that “a free-market system is failing the inner-city already,” I don’t know what he could possibly mean. As of now, low income parents have little or no purchasing power to spend on education. So, there is virtually no free market system at work. Most of the private schools in the inner city are parochial schools that provide small numbers of scholarships. Or, private individuals and businesses provide “opportunity scholarships,” aka school vouchers.

Berkowitz: With school vouchers, low-income individuals would have substantial purchasing power. In Cleveland, Milwaukee and DC, the school vouchers are not fully funded and yet work quite well. Fully fund them at $15,000 per kid, per year, and I assure you, the free market would work quite well to provide successful alternatives to the CPS.

Meeks: Since the will to change the system is nonexistent, we should allow students the flexibility to attend schools outside their district.

Zorn: An interesting idea, the logistics of which boggle the mind. Even if we could pull it off, though, and allow certain, motivated students to flee, the basic problem they are fleeing -- joblessness and its attendant poverty -- will remain.

Berkowitz: Firstly, this is a second best to school vouchers. Under school vouchers, parents can choose to send their kids outside their local area, but they would not have to because quality private schools would be built near by. Secondly, the political difficulties of designing a “public school,” choice system are enormous and therefore such a system is unlikely to be offered. School vouchers, on the other hand, are primarily blocked by teachers’ unions who put pressure on state legislators to block them. Those unions present obstacles, but they can be overcome if people like Rev./Senator Meeks and Chicago Tribune columnist and [Father of Chicago blogging] Eric Zorn are willing to stand up to them.

Berkowitz: Thirdly, Zorn sniffs “certain, motivated students could flee.” implying other students would be left behind, and therefore it is not a good solution. A similar argument is sometimes made against school vouchers, i.e., it is said maybe half the students would leave but the other half- those with less motivated parents—would be left behind. However, I do think in most cases all the students at failing public schools could and would leave, certainly if a fully funded, $15,000 school voucher were offered.

Berkowitz: But, if only half the students could attend voucher schools, wouldn’t you let those students go. If half the students go and half the money goes, how are the remaining students worse off? If your house were on fire, and you could save only two of your four kids, would you say—“Oh, let them all burn.” I don’t think so. I mean, let all my people go. But, if Moses could only save half, I am sure he would say—so, be it. Let half go.

QED.
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Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
More than one hundred of our shows from the last two years of "Public Affairs," are posted on the Public Affairs YouTube page .
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