Tuesday, August 31, 2004

Updated August 31, 2004 at 8:30 pm;

Alan Keyes on what he calls a “hostile job environment created by Democrats, liberals and socialists.”
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Jeff Berkowitz: …In 1992, Bill Clinton, running for President, said “it’s the Economy, stupid.” We are 12 years later. Is it still, "it’s the Economy stupid," in terms of the major national or U. S. Senate issue?

Alan Keyes: Well, actually no. That wouldn’t be true. I think even some of the polls I have seen indicate that yes, the economy is a very important issue, but it is often coming No. 2 behind National Security. I think most Americans remember that we are still in a War, that thousands of Americans died fresh in our memory and that we’d better protect ourselves. But, I think behind that concern and in part, too, as part of it-- is the concern with the economy and especially in Illinois because for reasons we might want to get into, Illinois has lagged behind even the other states in the region, in terms of, especially, jobs, from the recovery the rest of the country has been experiencing.

Berkowitz: Is that a tax issue? [Governor] Rod Blagojevich has gone out of his way not to raise the income tax, not to raise the general sales tax [in Illinois], but he has raised business taxes, taxes specifically [imposed] on business. Are you saying that that has made for a less friendly business environment and therefore retarded job growth in Illinois?

Keyes: It is not the only thing, but I think it is an element because one of the fallacies, I am afraid, of Democrats, liberals, socialists in general is that they always talk about jobs, but they are then people who will adopt policies that kill the businesses that offer the jobs; it is totally self-contradictory. And, I think Blagojevich is in that category of somebody who talks a good game, says he cares about people and wants people to have jobs, but then creates an environment that is hostile to jobs not only because of taxes but there are a lot of other problems, educational problems, medical access problems and finally, I think in Illinois the problem of the corruption tax that is deeply discouraging to businesses coming to locate [in Illinois] and that I think is also discouraging to their remaining in Illinois.
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Alan Keyes, Republican U. S. Senate Candidate, interviewed on August 21, 2004, and as is being cablecast this week [Week of Aug. 30] in the suburban edition of "Public Affairs," and as will be cablecast through-out the City of Chicago on Public Affairs this coming Monday night, Labor Day, Sep. 6 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. See blog entry, immediately below, for detailed suburban airing schedule.
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Jeff Berkowitz,Host and Producer of "Public Affairs," can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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