Updated January 18, 2005 at 5:45 pm
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Jeff Berkowitz: So, you think somebody will step up to challenge [Congressman] Dan Lipinski [D- 3rd Cong. Dist]? In the Democratic Primary?
Forrest Claypool: I have no idea, but I think people oughta be guaranteed an election every two years, not just an appointment.
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Berkowitz: But, you might get Commissioner Joan Murphy? You might win this [opposition to a tax increase] by more than one vote.
Claypool: It is quite possible. It is possible.
Berkowitz: So, why does Stroger [keep doing this]. He can count noses. Why does he keep doing this?
Claypool: I don’t understand. I mean, you would think he would count noses.
***************************************
Cook County Board Member Forrest Claypool [D- Ravenswood] is featured on “Public Affairs,” in the suburbs tonight and this week [Comcast Cable, Week of Jan. 17]. A partial transcript of the show with County Commissioner Claypool is included, below. See the conclusion of this blog entry for a detailed suburban airing schedule [including a special airing on Jan. 18 in the suburbs]. The show also airs throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night [Jan. 24 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21].
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Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D- Ravenswood] debates and discusses with Show Host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz school vouchers and tax credits, Cook County Board budget, spending and tax issues, including proposed increases in taxes by President Stroger, Cook County structural deficits, step wage increases for county employees, Cook County collective bargaining, across the board spending cuts, hotel and restaurant taxes, possible candidates for President of the Cook County Board and Cong. Dan Lipinski’s replacement on the ballot of Cong. Bill Lipinski.
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Jeff Berkowitz:… You want to give them [parents] a $10,000 tax credit [for attending private schools]? Is that what you want to do?
Forrest Claypool: I would make the tax credit so that if you are a poor child in the inner city in a failing school system, the tuition tax credit, by being refundable would give that parent an option to look around and see if there is a better private school for their kid, and would have the means to do it by virtue of that credit, but the difference [from the school choice/school voucher backpack program you propose] is that the money would come from the state. We would not be cannibalizing local resources from the local school through a voucher—we would be getting the money from the state, through a refundable tuition tax credit, just like an earned income tax credit.
Berkowitz: Does it take an increase in taxes then [under your school choice refundable tax credit program], because if you are not going to cut it, if you are going to allow kids to stay there [in public schools] with the complete portion from the local level, the kids who stay will have more to spend on [their education] than the kids who leave [to go to a private school] unless you raise taxes. Do you want to do that? You want to raise taxes?
Claypool: Of course not.
Berkowitz: Of course not. In fact, that is a good segue to what you are doing now. So, the proposal now from President John Stroger to the Cook County Board is to raise county taxes, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: What are the taxes he wants to raise?
Claypool: He wants to raise taxes on food, including fast food. He wants to add a tax on amusements. And, also raise property taxes for the forest preserves- by 13.5 %.
Berkowitz: And, what is the percentage increase on the restaurant tax?
Claypool: 2% on top of the existing 15.5%
Berkowitz: On the hotels?
Claypool: On the hotels.
Berkowitz: So, that raises it [tax on hotel customers] to 17.5%. That would be the highest in the country, right?
Claypool: Right. Exactly.
Berkowitz: And on restaurants, he is going to raise it 2% to 10%, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: Also, pretty high. You oppose it, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: And, you have some support. [Commissioner] Mike Quigley, is opposed to it right. [Commissioner] Larry Suffredin, right? Two other Democrats. Tony Peraica, a Republican, opposes the tax increases, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: You can probably expect [Republican Commissioners] Liz Gorman, Greg Goslin, Pete Silvestri and Carl Hansen [to join you]. Five Republicans on the Board [will likely oppose the tax increase]; Three Democrats we just mentioned [will likely oppose the tax increase] and last time [all of] you opposed Stroger on a tax increase and you beat him back. He didn’t get his tax increase. He wanted an increase in the sales tax; he wanted an increase in the lease tax.
Claypool: By one vote [we won].
Berkowitz: By one vote, you got Commissioner Earlean Collins to join you, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: This time, already, you expect Commissioner Maldonado [to join you]. Commissioner Maldonado says that he opposes this [tax increase], right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: Okay, so you have that vote.
Claypool: He has indicated that he may be open to some other approach. I think his objection was to the fast food portion of the tax. We will wait and see.
Berkowitz: But, you might get Commissioner Joan Murphy? You might win this by more than one vote.
Claypool: It is quite possible. It is possible.
Berkowitz: So, why does [President] Stroger [keep doing this]. He can count noses. Why does he keep doing this?
Claypool: I don’t understand. I mean, you would think he would count noses.
Berkowitz: He basically says there is a structural deficit here. He says they need the revenue; the people want the services. And, there is no place to cut-- he says, “we have cut as much as we can.”
Claypool: Well, there is a structural deficit only because he is not willing to make the hard choices necessary to streamline the government.
Berkowitz: Hard choices? One would be a 2 % across the board cut in each department, right?
Claypool: That is what we proposed last year.
Berkowitz: State’s Attorney office, the County Treasurer’s office, the County Assessor’s office, the whole thing, right? Is that what you mean?
Claypool: That is what we proposed last year.
Berkowitz: How much would you save if you did that this time?
Claypool: More than the tax increase. But, this is not--
Berkowitz: The tax increase is-- would generate 73 million dollars?
Claypool: This year and 140 [million dollars] next year.
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Claypool: The bottom line is that President Stroger is simply not willing to reduce expenditures by removing a bloated payroll and also by removing these huge…step increases or pay raises on top of cost of living increases [for Cook County employees]. You and I might get a cost of living increase but these employees will get not only a cost of living increase, but another 5, 6, 7, or 8 % increase on top of that.
**********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: What about the 3rd Cong. District? You know there were some shenanigans that went on there. Would you agree with that?
Forrest Claypool: What shenanigans?
Berkowitz: Well, [22 year] Cong. Bill Lipinski ran in the primary- his name got on the [general election] ballot and [Cong. Bill] said he was going to run and sometime after, he decided he wouldn’t. He met with the Committeemen in that District: Speaker Mike Madigan [13th Ward], John Daley [11th Ward]- you know John Daley, [Tom] Hynes [19th Ward] and they chose [Cong.] Bill Lipinski’s [23rd Ward] son- Dan Lipinski [to replace Bill Lipinski on the general election ballot]. Does that sound like the way in which you want to do things?
Claypool: No. I think there oughta be a law that there is always an election, regardless. There oughta be an election, period. There shouldn’t be an appointment after the fact.
Berkowitz: So, you think somebody will step up to challenge Dan Lipinski? In the Democratic Primary.
Claypool: I have no idea, but I think people oughta be guaranteed an election every two years, not just an appointment.
***************************************
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool (D- Chicago, 12th Dist.), interviewed on “Public Affairs,” recorded on January 9, 2005 and as will be cablecast in the suburbs during the week of January 17 and in the City of Chicago on January 24, 2004.
***********************************
The suburban edition of "Public Affairs," is regularly broadcast every 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.
The suburban edition also is broadcast every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette and every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. 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.
*****************************************
The show also airs in a special suburban airing in 10 suburbs tonight [Jan. 18, 2004] at 7:30 pm on Ch. 19 on Comcast Cable. The lucky suburbanites are those residing, or perhaps visiting their favorite bars, lounges or fitness clubs with Comcast Cable access in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka. For example, I hear the Bannockburn Fitness Club regularly tunes to “Public Affairs.” If you are in such a facility, please just let them know we have a special airing tonight at 7:30 pm on Ch. 19 and we think they will tune us in for you.
********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Host and Producer of Public Affairs and an Executive Recruiter doing Legal Search, can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
*******************************
************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you think somebody will step up to challenge [Congressman] Dan Lipinski [D- 3rd Cong. Dist]? In the Democratic Primary?
Forrest Claypool: I have no idea, but I think people oughta be guaranteed an election every two years, not just an appointment.
*******************************************
Berkowitz: But, you might get Commissioner Joan Murphy? You might win this [opposition to a tax increase] by more than one vote.
Claypool: It is quite possible. It is possible.
Berkowitz: So, why does Stroger [keep doing this]. He can count noses. Why does he keep doing this?
Claypool: I don’t understand. I mean, you would think he would count noses.
***************************************
Cook County Board Member Forrest Claypool [D- Ravenswood] is featured on “Public Affairs,” in the suburbs tonight and this week [Comcast Cable, Week of Jan. 17]. A partial transcript of the show with County Commissioner Claypool is included, below. See the conclusion of this blog entry for a detailed suburban airing schedule [including a special airing on Jan. 18 in the suburbs]. The show also airs throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night [Jan. 24 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21].
***************************************
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool [D- Ravenswood] debates and discusses with Show Host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz school vouchers and tax credits, Cook County Board budget, spending and tax issues, including proposed increases in taxes by President Stroger, Cook County structural deficits, step wage increases for county employees, Cook County collective bargaining, across the board spending cuts, hotel and restaurant taxes, possible candidates for President of the Cook County Board and Cong. Dan Lipinski’s replacement on the ballot of Cong. Bill Lipinski.
********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz:… You want to give them [parents] a $10,000 tax credit [for attending private schools]? Is that what you want to do?
Forrest Claypool: I would make the tax credit so that if you are a poor child in the inner city in a failing school system, the tuition tax credit, by being refundable would give that parent an option to look around and see if there is a better private school for their kid, and would have the means to do it by virtue of that credit, but the difference [from the school choice/school voucher backpack program you propose] is that the money would come from the state. We would not be cannibalizing local resources from the local school through a voucher—we would be getting the money from the state, through a refundable tuition tax credit, just like an earned income tax credit.
Berkowitz: Does it take an increase in taxes then [under your school choice refundable tax credit program], because if you are not going to cut it, if you are going to allow kids to stay there [in public schools] with the complete portion from the local level, the kids who stay will have more to spend on [their education] than the kids who leave [to go to a private school] unless you raise taxes. Do you want to do that? You want to raise taxes?
Claypool: Of course not.
Berkowitz: Of course not. In fact, that is a good segue to what you are doing now. So, the proposal now from President John Stroger to the Cook County Board is to raise county taxes, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: What are the taxes he wants to raise?
Claypool: He wants to raise taxes on food, including fast food. He wants to add a tax on amusements. And, also raise property taxes for the forest preserves- by 13.5 %.
Berkowitz: And, what is the percentage increase on the restaurant tax?
Claypool: 2% on top of the existing 15.5%
Berkowitz: On the hotels?
Claypool: On the hotels.
Berkowitz: So, that raises it [tax on hotel customers] to 17.5%. That would be the highest in the country, right?
Claypool: Right. Exactly.
Berkowitz: And on restaurants, he is going to raise it 2% to 10%, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: Also, pretty high. You oppose it, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: And, you have some support. [Commissioner] Mike Quigley, is opposed to it right. [Commissioner] Larry Suffredin, right? Two other Democrats. Tony Peraica, a Republican, opposes the tax increases, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: You can probably expect [Republican Commissioners] Liz Gorman, Greg Goslin, Pete Silvestri and Carl Hansen [to join you]. Five Republicans on the Board [will likely oppose the tax increase]; Three Democrats we just mentioned [will likely oppose the tax increase] and last time [all of] you opposed Stroger on a tax increase and you beat him back. He didn’t get his tax increase. He wanted an increase in the sales tax; he wanted an increase in the lease tax.
Claypool: By one vote [we won].
Berkowitz: By one vote, you got Commissioner Earlean Collins to join you, right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: This time, already, you expect Commissioner Maldonado [to join you]. Commissioner Maldonado says that he opposes this [tax increase], right?
Claypool: Correct.
Berkowitz: Okay, so you have that vote.
Claypool: He has indicated that he may be open to some other approach. I think his objection was to the fast food portion of the tax. We will wait and see.
Berkowitz: But, you might get Commissioner Joan Murphy? You might win this by more than one vote.
Claypool: It is quite possible. It is possible.
Berkowitz: So, why does [President] Stroger [keep doing this]. He can count noses. Why does he keep doing this?
Claypool: I don’t understand. I mean, you would think he would count noses.
Berkowitz: He basically says there is a structural deficit here. He says they need the revenue; the people want the services. And, there is no place to cut-- he says, “we have cut as much as we can.”
Claypool: Well, there is a structural deficit only because he is not willing to make the hard choices necessary to streamline the government.
Berkowitz: Hard choices? One would be a 2 % across the board cut in each department, right?
Claypool: That is what we proposed last year.
Berkowitz: State’s Attorney office, the County Treasurer’s office, the County Assessor’s office, the whole thing, right? Is that what you mean?
Claypool: That is what we proposed last year.
Berkowitz: How much would you save if you did that this time?
Claypool: More than the tax increase. But, this is not--
Berkowitz: The tax increase is-- would generate 73 million dollars?
Claypool: This year and 140 [million dollars] next year.
*********************************************
Claypool: The bottom line is that President Stroger is simply not willing to reduce expenditures by removing a bloated payroll and also by removing these huge…step increases or pay raises on top of cost of living increases [for Cook County employees]. You and I might get a cost of living increase but these employees will get not only a cost of living increase, but another 5, 6, 7, or 8 % increase on top of that.
**********************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: What about the 3rd Cong. District? You know there were some shenanigans that went on there. Would you agree with that?
Forrest Claypool: What shenanigans?
Berkowitz: Well, [22 year] Cong. Bill Lipinski ran in the primary- his name got on the [general election] ballot and [Cong. Bill] said he was going to run and sometime after, he decided he wouldn’t. He met with the Committeemen in that District: Speaker Mike Madigan [13th Ward], John Daley [11th Ward]- you know John Daley, [Tom] Hynes [19th Ward] and they chose [Cong.] Bill Lipinski’s [23rd Ward] son- Dan Lipinski [to replace Bill Lipinski on the general election ballot]. Does that sound like the way in which you want to do things?
Claypool: No. I think there oughta be a law that there is always an election, regardless. There oughta be an election, period. There shouldn’t be an appointment after the fact.
Berkowitz: So, you think somebody will step up to challenge Dan Lipinski? In the Democratic Primary.
Claypool: I have no idea, but I think people oughta be guaranteed an election every two years, not just an appointment.
***************************************
Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool (D- Chicago, 12th Dist.), interviewed on “Public Affairs,” recorded on January 9, 2005 and as will be cablecast in the suburbs during the week of January 17 and in the City of Chicago on January 24, 2004.
***********************************
The suburban edition of "Public Affairs," is regularly broadcast every 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.
The suburban edition also is broadcast every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette and every Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. 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.
*****************************************
The show also airs in a special suburban airing in 10 suburbs tonight [Jan. 18, 2004] at 7:30 pm on Ch. 19 on Comcast Cable. The lucky suburbanites are those residing, or perhaps visiting their favorite bars, lounges or fitness clubs with Comcast Cable access in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka. For example, I hear the Bannockburn Fitness Club regularly tunes to “Public Affairs.” If you are in such a facility, please just let them know we have a special airing tonight at 7:30 pm on Ch. 19 and we think they will tune us in for you.
********************************************************
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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