Tuesday, February 08, 2005

Threats or Predictions by County Board President Stroger?

Watch the show this week and you decide.
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Is Cook County Board President Stroger making a prediction or threatening Commissioner Maldonado with the loss of a health clinic if he opposes the Stroger Tax increase? We interview, you decide.
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Jeff Berkowitz: …Who is going to prevail here [on the Stroger Restaurant/Hotel Tax increase], will the Gang of 8 that is looking for a 9th vote, 10th Vote—will they get Earlean Collins, will they get Bobbie Steele, will they get Joan Murphy, will they get Roberto Maldonado? Commissioner Maldonado has all but said he is opposed to this tax, right?

Cook County Board President John Stroger: Well, he [Maldonado] has been quoted as saying he was opposed [to the tax increase], but remember-- he comes from a community where they rely heavily on some of the services we render and if he doesn’t help us get these type of budgets passed, then the County Government is unable to provide the services for the people in his community and I understand that there is a health clinic over in his community—in his district, and it is sponsored by the County and I know I have heard him say he needs another one, because it is always too crowded.
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Cook County Board President John Stroger, interviewed on "Public Affairs," as it is being cablecast this week [Comcast Cable, Week of February 7] in the suburbs.

See the text, at the end of this blog entry, for a detailed "Public Affairs," suburban airing schedule. The same show will air throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night, Feb. 14 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV]. This show was recorded on January 27, 2004, in the office of Cook County Board President John Stroger.
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Next Week’s Suburban edition of “Public Affairs,” features as its guest, Dave McSweeney [R- Barrington Hills], a likely candidate in the March, 2006 Republican Primary in the 8th Cong. Dist. The current holder of that seat, Melissa Bean [D- Barrington; 8th CD] won the seat by beating then 35 year incumbent, Phil Crane, last November, 52% to 48%.
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This week in the suburbs on “Public Affairs,” it is County Board President John Stroger debating and discussing with Show Host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz Cook County Board President Stroger's proposed increase in the restaurant, hotel and motel taxes; alternative ways to balance the budget by cutting spending across the board, by increasing employee health insurance premiums, by cutting out budgeted contingent fees and by budgeting a higher vacancy rate for county employment positions; the Gang of 4 [Cook County Commissioners Quigley, Claypool, Suffredin and Peraica], the Gang of 8 [Gang of 4 plus Cook County Commissioners Goslin, Gorman, Hansen and Silvestri], the fire at 69 West Washington, demolition of the old County Hospital, global searches by the County for consulting firms and President Stroger’s plans as to whether he will seek re-election as County Board President.
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An additional partial transcript of our show with President Stroger is included at the January 31, 2005, 12:30 am blog entry, below.
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The suburban edition of "Public Affairs," is regularly cablecast 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 cablecast 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.
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The City of Chicago edition of “Public Affairs,” is cablecast throughout the City of Chicago every Monday night at 8:30 p.m. on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV].
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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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