Updated January 17 at 5:20 pm;
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State Senator and likely Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate Steve Rauschenberger [R- Elgin] on TV tonight, 8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21, throughout the City of Chicago.
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Jeff Berkowitz: He’s come to Springfield. He doesn’t live in the mansion, but he’s come to Springfield.
State Senator Steve Rauschenberger: I have been to Springfield, too. There have been tourists who have been to Springfield more than Rod Blagojevich has. And, I think people are a little frustrated with that.
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Jeff Berkowitz: What about the Total Budget [for the State of Illinois]. The total budget went up about 12 to 14 billion dollars [during the George Ryan years], didn’t it?
State Senator Steve Rauschenberger: But, that’s re-appropriations. It doesn’t matter. It’s not part of the—
Berkowitz: It doesn’t matter?
Rauschenberger: No, [it] doesn’t matter.
************************************
State Senator Steve Rauschenberger is featured on “Public Affairs,” throughout the City of Chicago tonight [Jan. 17 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21]. A partial transcript of the show with Senator Rauschenberger is included directly below.
**********************************************
An additional partial transcript and more information about tonight’s “Public Affairs,” TV show in the City is included in the blog entry dated Jan. 17 at 1:40 pm and located immediately below this blog entry.
********************************************
Next Monday night’s “Public Affairs,” show in the City of Chicago features Cook County Board Member Forrest Claypool (D- Chicago), aka one of the four horsemen in President Stroger’s Apocalypse Now. The other three horsemen, of course, are Commissioners Quigley (D-Chicago), Suffredin (D- Evanston) and last, but certainly not least, Peraica (R- Riverside).
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State Senator Steve Rauschenberger: …My point is that the Republican Party is ready for change. I mean I think we are sick and tired of a Mayor’s administration in Chicago whose answer to every problem is to raise taxes.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, one thing you said that we can’t let go [unchallenged] is—you said that the Governor of the State of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, doesn’t care- what did you say? He doesn’t care about the people? He doesn’t care about the state?
Rauschenberger: He doesn’t care about his job. He doesn’t come to Springfield. He doesn’t occupy the mansion.
Berkowitz: He’s come to Springfield. He doesn’t live in the mansion, but he’s come to Springfield.
Rauschenberger: I have been to Springfield, too. There have been tourists who have been to Springfield more than Rod Blagojevich has. And, I think people are a little frustrated with that.
Berkowitz: Has spending gone up dramatically in the two years that he has been Governor?
Rauschenberger: Yes.
Berkowitz: How much has it gone up?
Rauschenberger: A 1. 7 Billion dollar increase in spending in the most difficult financial period that the state has had—
Berkowitz: And how much did it go up in the preceding four year period from 1998 to 2002 when a Republican Governor, George Ryan, occupied the Mansion?
Rauschenberger: in the entire four years of the George Ryan administration, it rose a little bit less than it has risen in the first two years of Rod Blagojevich’s administration.
Berkowitz: The budget did?
Rauschenberger: Yes.
Berkowitz: The budget did?
Rauschenberger: Absolutely, sir.
Berkowitz: Wait a second; it went from about 36 billion to 50 billion dollars [under George Ryan].
Rauschenberger: No, General Revenue budget.
Berkowitz: What about the Total Budget. The total budget went up about 12 to 14 billion dollars, didn’t it?
Rauschenberger: But, that’s re-appropriations. It doesn’t matter. It’s not part of the—
Berkowitz: It doesn’t matter?
Rauschenberger: No, [it] doesn’t matter.
Berkowitz: Illinois First itself was, what, 12 billion dollars, wasn’t it?
Rauschenberger: No. It was never gonna be that. They advertised it as 12 billion dollars.
Berkowitz: What was it?
Rauschenberger: Actual spending, it was about 2.6 billion [dollars].
Berkowitz: You mean there is 10 billion dollars yet to be spent, that hasn’t been spent yet under Illinois First?
Rauschenberger: No, it was never authorized. It was never real.
Berkowitz: Is that right?
Rauschenberger: Yes.
Berkowitz: So, Illinois First was a two and a half billion dollar program, that is what you are telling me?
Rauschenberger: Two and a half billion dollars of state money.
Berkowitz: And, how much of other money? Federal money?
Rauschenberger: It depends on what you count.
Berkowitz: Well, this is news. You are making news tonight because most people I know think of Illinois First as a twelve billion dollar program.
Rauschenberger: It never was. For example—
Berkowitz: That’s news. Don’t be modest.
Rauschenberger: I am excited—
Berkowitz: But you better be right about it because, you know, there are a lot of people out there taking a look at this. It’s not just you and me, Steve.
Rauschenberger: I am excited—
Berkowitz: There are one and one-half to two million people out there in the City of Chicago [and the North, West and Northwest suburbs who could be watching this].
Rauschenberger: Let me tell you how they get to 12 [billion dollars]. What they do is they say, “Oh, we are going to put 2 billion dollars into the state supported program to help local school districts build schools.” But that program requires that the local government, the local school district, match—so that when they went with their $12 billion, they called the two billion-- four billion because they counted the local match. When they did their highway money, they counted all of the federal appropriations for the next five years as if it had to do with Illinois First. That federal money was coming [to Illinois] no matter what we did. I mean, so it just depends on—you can call anything any number you want, if you are willing to—
Berkowitz: What is the total budget of the amount of money [to be] spent by the State of Illinois in 2005? Is that a tough question to answer?
Rauschenberger: Yes, Yes. Because there are two places where spending comes from. One is the general revenue fund. That’s the actual tax collection and the annual expenditure. The other side of the equation is the construction and capital expenditure. If you are going to build a new medical school at the University of Illinois, in the first year, before you even plan it or draw it, you authorize 100 million dollars of expenditure. Okay? Because that is what the total project is going to cost. The next year you appropriate it again. It is called a re-appropriation. So, any time you are increasing the amount that you are spending on the infrastructure of the state, your budget rises dramatically because you re-appropriate the same funds that you [previously] authorized.
**************************************
State Senator Rauschenberger interviewed on "Public Affairs," as it is being cablecast throughout the City of Chicago tonight, Jan. 17 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. This show was recorded on January 4, 2005.
*******************************************
State Senator Rauschenberger debates and discusses with Show Host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz the “Illinois First,” spending program, spending and taxes in Illinois in recent and current years and under former Governor George Ryan, capital projects, school vouchers/school choice, Governor Blagojevich’s performance, Gun Control, the Assault Weapon Ban, state subsidies to the CTA and publicly financed embryonic stem cell research.
********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Host and Producer of Public Affairs and an Executive Recruiter doing Legal Search, can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
*******************************
***********************************
State Senator and likely Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate Steve Rauschenberger [R- Elgin] on TV tonight, 8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21, throughout the City of Chicago.
************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: He’s come to Springfield. He doesn’t live in the mansion, but he’s come to Springfield.
State Senator Steve Rauschenberger: I have been to Springfield, too. There have been tourists who have been to Springfield more than Rod Blagojevich has. And, I think people are a little frustrated with that.
***********************************
Jeff Berkowitz: What about the Total Budget [for the State of Illinois]. The total budget went up about 12 to 14 billion dollars [during the George Ryan years], didn’t it?
State Senator Steve Rauschenberger: But, that’s re-appropriations. It doesn’t matter. It’s not part of the—
Berkowitz: It doesn’t matter?
Rauschenberger: No, [it] doesn’t matter.
************************************
State Senator Steve Rauschenberger is featured on “Public Affairs,” throughout the City of Chicago tonight [Jan. 17 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21]. A partial transcript of the show with Senator Rauschenberger is included directly below.
**********************************************
An additional partial transcript and more information about tonight’s “Public Affairs,” TV show in the City is included in the blog entry dated Jan. 17 at 1:40 pm and located immediately below this blog entry.
********************************************
Next Monday night’s “Public Affairs,” show in the City of Chicago features Cook County Board Member Forrest Claypool (D- Chicago), aka one of the four horsemen in President Stroger’s Apocalypse Now. The other three horsemen, of course, are Commissioners Quigley (D-Chicago), Suffredin (D- Evanston) and last, but certainly not least, Peraica (R- Riverside).
*******************************************
State Senator Steve Rauschenberger: …My point is that the Republican Party is ready for change. I mean I think we are sick and tired of a Mayor’s administration in Chicago whose answer to every problem is to raise taxes.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, one thing you said that we can’t let go [unchallenged] is—you said that the Governor of the State of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, doesn’t care- what did you say? He doesn’t care about the people? He doesn’t care about the state?
Rauschenberger: He doesn’t care about his job. He doesn’t come to Springfield. He doesn’t occupy the mansion.
Berkowitz: He’s come to Springfield. He doesn’t live in the mansion, but he’s come to Springfield.
Rauschenberger: I have been to Springfield, too. There have been tourists who have been to Springfield more than Rod Blagojevich has. And, I think people are a little frustrated with that.
Berkowitz: Has spending gone up dramatically in the two years that he has been Governor?
Rauschenberger: Yes.
Berkowitz: How much has it gone up?
Rauschenberger: A 1. 7 Billion dollar increase in spending in the most difficult financial period that the state has had—
Berkowitz: And how much did it go up in the preceding four year period from 1998 to 2002 when a Republican Governor, George Ryan, occupied the Mansion?
Rauschenberger: in the entire four years of the George Ryan administration, it rose a little bit less than it has risen in the first two years of Rod Blagojevich’s administration.
Berkowitz: The budget did?
Rauschenberger: Yes.
Berkowitz: The budget did?
Rauschenberger: Absolutely, sir.
Berkowitz: Wait a second; it went from about 36 billion to 50 billion dollars [under George Ryan].
Rauschenberger: No, General Revenue budget.
Berkowitz: What about the Total Budget. The total budget went up about 12 to 14 billion dollars, didn’t it?
Rauschenberger: But, that’s re-appropriations. It doesn’t matter. It’s not part of the—
Berkowitz: It doesn’t matter?
Rauschenberger: No, [it] doesn’t matter.
Berkowitz: Illinois First itself was, what, 12 billion dollars, wasn’t it?
Rauschenberger: No. It was never gonna be that. They advertised it as 12 billion dollars.
Berkowitz: What was it?
Rauschenberger: Actual spending, it was about 2.6 billion [dollars].
Berkowitz: You mean there is 10 billion dollars yet to be spent, that hasn’t been spent yet under Illinois First?
Rauschenberger: No, it was never authorized. It was never real.
Berkowitz: Is that right?
Rauschenberger: Yes.
Berkowitz: So, Illinois First was a two and a half billion dollar program, that is what you are telling me?
Rauschenberger: Two and a half billion dollars of state money.
Berkowitz: And, how much of other money? Federal money?
Rauschenberger: It depends on what you count.
Berkowitz: Well, this is news. You are making news tonight because most people I know think of Illinois First as a twelve billion dollar program.
Rauschenberger: It never was. For example—
Berkowitz: That’s news. Don’t be modest.
Rauschenberger: I am excited—
Berkowitz: But you better be right about it because, you know, there are a lot of people out there taking a look at this. It’s not just you and me, Steve.
Rauschenberger: I am excited—
Berkowitz: There are one and one-half to two million people out there in the City of Chicago [and the North, West and Northwest suburbs who could be watching this].
Rauschenberger: Let me tell you how they get to 12 [billion dollars]. What they do is they say, “Oh, we are going to put 2 billion dollars into the state supported program to help local school districts build schools.” But that program requires that the local government, the local school district, match—so that when they went with their $12 billion, they called the two billion-- four billion because they counted the local match. When they did their highway money, they counted all of the federal appropriations for the next five years as if it had to do with Illinois First. That federal money was coming [to Illinois] no matter what we did. I mean, so it just depends on—you can call anything any number you want, if you are willing to—
Berkowitz: What is the total budget of the amount of money [to be] spent by the State of Illinois in 2005? Is that a tough question to answer?
Rauschenberger: Yes, Yes. Because there are two places where spending comes from. One is the general revenue fund. That’s the actual tax collection and the annual expenditure. The other side of the equation is the construction and capital expenditure. If you are going to build a new medical school at the University of Illinois, in the first year, before you even plan it or draw it, you authorize 100 million dollars of expenditure. Okay? Because that is what the total project is going to cost. The next year you appropriate it again. It is called a re-appropriation. So, any time you are increasing the amount that you are spending on the infrastructure of the state, your budget rises dramatically because you re-appropriate the same funds that you [previously] authorized.
**************************************
State Senator Rauschenberger interviewed on "Public Affairs," as it is being cablecast throughout the City of Chicago tonight, Jan. 17 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. This show was recorded on January 4, 2005.
*******************************************
State Senator Rauschenberger debates and discusses with Show Host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz the “Illinois First,” spending program, spending and taxes in Illinois in recent and current years and under former Governor George Ryan, capital projects, school vouchers/school choice, Governor Blagojevich’s performance, Gun Control, the Assault Weapon Ban, state subsidies to the CTA and publicly financed embryonic stem cell research.
********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Host and Producer of Public Affairs and an Executive Recruiter doing Legal Search, can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
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