Sunday, April 24, 2005

Backpacking with Ald. Flores

Jeff Berkowitz: Is Alderman Burke clouted?

Alderman Flores: I couldn’t speak to what Alderman has in terms of clout but I will tell you this: I have worked with Ald. Burke on a couple of legislative initiatives and have been very impressed with his leadership and his institutional knowledge…
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Alderman Flores: Jeff, families want to send their kids to the best schools and it doesn’t matter if it is a private school, it doesn’t matter if it is a public school, it doesn’t matter if it is a charter school
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Berkowitz: Would you like to use that tool-- School choice, School vouchers?

Flores: If it is going to work, I think that it should be made available
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Flores: …I am advocating here for the parents, for the families of our communities and for our children, for our young adults and saying that you should be given every [educational] option and that you should be informed of every option, so that you can be—

Berkowitz: Good enough- Give them the backpack. Give them the backpack [with the $10,000 per kid per year that is inside it and that is currently being spent in the Chicago Public Schools so that they can direct the money to the school of their choice], you signed up.

Flores: You give them two backpacks, you give them

Berkowitz: Two kids, two backpacks; three kids, three backpacks.

Flores: Whatever it takes to get them on track.

Berkowitz: All right, let’s stop [on education], we have to cover some [other] ground here. Hired Truck, Hired Tow, Hired Thief-- you understand those things? Corruption, right?

Flores: Corruption.

Berkowitz: Swirling all around the Mayor, right?

Flores: I think it [Corruption] is swirling all around the City [of Chicago].
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Ald. Manuel Flores [D- 1st Ward, Chicago] possible candidate for Mayor of Chicago in 2007 or 2011, recorded on April 24, 2005 and as will be airing on the Suburban edition of "Public Affairs," next week [week of May 2] and on the City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs," on Monday night, May 9, 2005 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. See end of the blog entry about State Fritchey and live birth abortion legislation for a detailed suburban airing schedule of “Public Affairs.” *******************************
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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