Senator Bill Brady on TV/Web
Bill Brady, State Senator [R- Bloomington] and gubernatorial primary candidate, debates and discusses national public policy and political issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz on This Week’s suburban edition of “Public Affairs.” [See the end of this blog post for a detailed suburban airing schedule].
The show with Senator Brady also is available on this site [See here] as a webcast and audio podcast, and the show will air, as well, this coming Monday night through-out the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21[CANTV].
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Next Week’s Suburban edition of “Public Affairs,” features Jim Ascot, Democrat Primary Candidate in the 7th Cong. Dist. You can also watch Ascot on this site, starting tomorrow night [See here] as a web and audio podcast, and the Ascot show will also air Monday night, Nov. 21st, through-out the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21[CANTV].
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Our show with Senator Brady focuses on statewide public policy and political issues, e.g., education funding, tax swaps, tax credits, school vouchers and constitutional amendments; Governor Blagojevich’s All Kids legislation; Pension Board, campaign contribution corruption issues; Tax Pledges; the Bob Kjellander issue; the Redfern Constitutional Amendment; non-economic damage caps and a Constitutional amendment; Gays, Guns, God and Abortion. We also discussed what Republicans call the culture of corruption in Illinois’ Democratic Party.
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A partial transcript of our show with Senator Brady is included, below:
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Berkowitz: So, you’re saying, by [applying managed care to] Medicaid, you could save a billion dollars. [Gubernatorial Primary Candidate and State Senator Steve] Rauschenberger says he would save a hundred million. Am I getting that difference right between the two of you?
Sen. Bill Brady: I haven’t heard what Steve said.
Berkowitz: We’ll have to get [the two of] you on to clarify that and we’ll have a debate.
Sen. Bill Brady: Sure.
Berkowitz: You don’t want to raise taxes. You’ve taken the tax pledge for Americans for Tax Reform? ATR.
Sen. Bill Brady: Illinois ranks seventeenth in the nation in overall tax burden. We need to reduce the burden on Illinois families, on Illinois’ retirees, on Illinois businesses. I’m not running for governor, nor have I ever run for office to raise taxes on people. I believe we need to leave more money in peoples’ pockets; allowing them to do with it what they think is best.
Berkowitz: So, on that you agree with the governor? He didn’t raise the income tax; he didn’t raise the sales tax. You would take a pledge not to-
Sen. Bill Brady: He raised over three hundred taxes and fees. There’s the disagreement.
Berkowitz: I just want to crystallize it.
Sen. Bill Brady: I’m not sure where the governor is at.
Berkowitz: You two-
Sen. Bill Brady: He talks a lot of different lines.
Berkowitz: No, but he has not raised the income tax. He says he won’t. He has not raised the sales tax. And, you’re agreeing with him; He shouldn’t have raised [those taxes]. And, you’re saying you won’t raise either of those things if you get elected. Right?
Sen. Bill Brady: That’s right.
Berkowitz: But, the difference is, he raised fees?
Sen. Bill Brady: Which have driven jobs out of this state.
Berkowitz: You’re saying you would repeal that.
Sen. Bill Brady: Absolutely.
Berkowitz: So, now, you’ve got more to make up. Because now you’ve got to find another revenue source.
Sen. Bill Brady: Repealing, repealing the three hundred tax and fee increases, which, by the way, are unconstitutional, in my opinion, and in one judge’s opinion, will send a message to the business community that Illinois is a place that wants you. That will bring the two to three hundred thousand jobs back to the state and allow us to grow. Those two to three hundred thousand jobs will bring in over one billion dollars in revenue. It is a pretty good trade off. One billion in real, nature revenue-
Berkowitz: Do you need more than that?
Sen. Bill Brady: Versus three hundred million unconstitutional, illegal fees.
Berkowitz: But, to do all you want to do with the budget-- Do you want to expand education spending?
Sen. Bill Brady: I want to expand state resources so property taxes are less relied upon.
Berkowitz: Doesn’t that take away local control [of education]? People say property taxes result in local control--
Sen. Bill Brady: No. No, No. We’re not taking away. No. No. I believe no one has a stronger record on local control than in the twelve years I’ve served in the Illinois General Assembly.
Berkowitz: But isn’t that- Let me just get--
Sen. Bill Brady: In fact, I want to give more local control.
Berkowitz: But you say you know the suburbs. We’re taping this in Skokie. North of here is Wilmette. North of there is Kenilworth. And then Winnetka. Each of those little towns, little villages, finances their education primarily by property taxes.
Sen. Bill Brady. Right.
Berkowitz: You know, so the State can say this [or] that; they really can’t control that [local public education]. If they [the local villages] want to spend more, they raise their property taxes; if they want to spend less, they [lower their property taxes].
Sen. Bill Brady: I’m not taking that away. But, if we give them more state resources-
Berkowitz: But you’re going to raise the income tax; aren’t you?
Sen. Bill Brady: No. I’m not.
Berkowitz: Not the tax rate, but you, well, okay-- you’re going to lower real estate property taxes and- don’t you--
Sen. Bill Brady: No. What I’m going to do is provide state resources to those school districts so that their school boards can act appropriately and reduce the property taxes because they’re receiving more from the State. I’m going to find that money through managing our Medicaid system and through job growth.
Berkowitz: So, you like a tax swap—or less education funding comes from real estate taxes; more comes from the State
Sen. Bill Brady: Right
Berkowitz: Including income taxes, but you’re not going to raise the income tax rate.
Sen. Bill Brady: No.
Berkowitz: You’re just going to say, by running things more efficiently, the State will be able to contribute a larger share [of the total education funding]
Sen. Bill Brady: Not just efficiently, but also effectively.
Berkowitz: Effectively.
Sen. Bill Brady: Both. Both efficiently and effectively.
Berkowitz: You want to abolish the state Board of Education?
Sen. Bill Brady: I do.
Berkowitz: So did the governor, but he couldn’t get it through. But you said you are so good at this—you could, even though he has a Democratic House, Democratic Senate, you could tell [Speaker] Mike Madigan go stuff it?
Sen. Bill Brady: No, I couldn’t. What I would do is-
Berkowitz: Mike was the guy who prevented--
Sen. Bill Brady: And, you know why? You know why?
Berkowitz: You know that. Speaker Mike said no.
Sen. Bill Brady: We have a governor who doesn’t understand how to unite. Who thrives on dividing. I don’t care if it’s the Democratic Party, if it’s the entire general assembly, if it’s the people of Illinois-- or his own family. He thrives on dividing. The governor attacked in his State of the State address, two years ago, when he tried to abolish the State Board of Education; he attacked the state superintendent of schools, who was respected, so that the Governor could grandstand.
Berkowitz: It was his guy. He put him there. He can attack him if he wants.
Sen. Bill Brady: He didn’t put him there.
Berkowitz: He got rid of him, right?
Sen. Bill Brady: He did get rid of him. That’s not the way Bill Brady builds businesses or operates them. I’ll bring people together to effectively make change.
Berkowitz: How do you persuade Mike Madigan to do something he doesn’t want to do?
Sen. Bill Brady: Why didn’t he want to do it.
Berkowitz: He doesn’t think it is good for education--this is Speaker Mike Madigan—to have the Governor have enormous, total control over there.
Sen. Bill Brady: Did he tell you that? I don’t think he does [think that].
Berkowitz: Well, he didn’t tell me that but I think that’s what it was.
Sen. Bill Brady: I think it was checking Rod Blagojevich’s power play.
*****************************************************
Bill Brady, State Senator [R- Bloomington] and gubernatorial primary candidate, recorded on October 30, 2005, and as the program will air on the suburban edition of “Public Affairs,” this week; on the City of Chicago edition of “Public Affairs,” this coming Monday night, November 14, 2005 at 8:30 pm on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21; and can be watched or listened to as a webcast or audio podcast [See here].
*******************************
The suburban edition of Public Affairs regularly airs in ten North Shore suburbs three times each week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Winnetka, Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire and Riverwoods.
In twenty-four North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the Sen. Brady show will air once this week in its regular time slot: Tonight, Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. on either Comcast Cable Channel 19 or Channel 35, depending on the suburb. The show airs Tuesday night [Nov. 8] at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette. Also, the show airs Tuesday night [Nov. 8] at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.
*************************************************
The "Public Affairs," program with Senator Brady also will air through-out the City of Chicago Monday night, Nov. 14 at 8:30 pm on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21.
*******************************************************
Transcript draft prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Host and Producer of Public Affairs and an Executive Recruiter doing Legal Search, can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
********************************************************
The show with Senator Brady also is available on this site [See here] as a webcast and audio podcast, and the show will air, as well, this coming Monday night through-out the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21[CANTV].
**********************************************
Next Week’s Suburban edition of “Public Affairs,” features Jim Ascot, Democrat Primary Candidate in the 7th Cong. Dist. You can also watch Ascot on this site, starting tomorrow night [See here] as a web and audio podcast, and the Ascot show will also air Monday night, Nov. 21st, through-out the City of Chicago at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21[CANTV].
***************************************************
Our show with Senator Brady focuses on statewide public policy and political issues, e.g., education funding, tax swaps, tax credits, school vouchers and constitutional amendments; Governor Blagojevich’s All Kids legislation; Pension Board, campaign contribution corruption issues; Tax Pledges; the Bob Kjellander issue; the Redfern Constitutional Amendment; non-economic damage caps and a Constitutional amendment; Gays, Guns, God and Abortion. We also discussed what Republicans call the culture of corruption in Illinois’ Democratic Party.
*****************************************
A partial transcript of our show with Senator Brady is included, below:
****************************************
Berkowitz: So, you’re saying, by [applying managed care to] Medicaid, you could save a billion dollars. [Gubernatorial Primary Candidate and State Senator Steve] Rauschenberger says he would save a hundred million. Am I getting that difference right between the two of you?
Sen. Bill Brady: I haven’t heard what Steve said.
Berkowitz: We’ll have to get [the two of] you on to clarify that and we’ll have a debate.
Sen. Bill Brady: Sure.
Berkowitz: You don’t want to raise taxes. You’ve taken the tax pledge for Americans for Tax Reform? ATR.
Sen. Bill Brady: Illinois ranks seventeenth in the nation in overall tax burden. We need to reduce the burden on Illinois families, on Illinois’ retirees, on Illinois businesses. I’m not running for governor, nor have I ever run for office to raise taxes on people. I believe we need to leave more money in peoples’ pockets; allowing them to do with it what they think is best.
Berkowitz: So, on that you agree with the governor? He didn’t raise the income tax; he didn’t raise the sales tax. You would take a pledge not to-
Sen. Bill Brady: He raised over three hundred taxes and fees. There’s the disagreement.
Berkowitz: I just want to crystallize it.
Sen. Bill Brady: I’m not sure where the governor is at.
Berkowitz: You two-
Sen. Bill Brady: He talks a lot of different lines.
Berkowitz: No, but he has not raised the income tax. He says he won’t. He has not raised the sales tax. And, you’re agreeing with him; He shouldn’t have raised [those taxes]. And, you’re saying you won’t raise either of those things if you get elected. Right?
Sen. Bill Brady: That’s right.
Berkowitz: But, the difference is, he raised fees?
Sen. Bill Brady: Which have driven jobs out of this state.
Berkowitz: You’re saying you would repeal that.
Sen. Bill Brady: Absolutely.
Berkowitz: So, now, you’ve got more to make up. Because now you’ve got to find another revenue source.
Sen. Bill Brady: Repealing, repealing the three hundred tax and fee increases, which, by the way, are unconstitutional, in my opinion, and in one judge’s opinion, will send a message to the business community that Illinois is a place that wants you. That will bring the two to three hundred thousand jobs back to the state and allow us to grow. Those two to three hundred thousand jobs will bring in over one billion dollars in revenue. It is a pretty good trade off. One billion in real, nature revenue-
Berkowitz: Do you need more than that?
Sen. Bill Brady: Versus three hundred million unconstitutional, illegal fees.
Berkowitz: But, to do all you want to do with the budget-- Do you want to expand education spending?
Sen. Bill Brady: I want to expand state resources so property taxes are less relied upon.
Berkowitz: Doesn’t that take away local control [of education]? People say property taxes result in local control--
Sen. Bill Brady: No. No, No. We’re not taking away. No. No. I believe no one has a stronger record on local control than in the twelve years I’ve served in the Illinois General Assembly.
Berkowitz: But isn’t that- Let me just get--
Sen. Bill Brady: In fact, I want to give more local control.
Berkowitz: But you say you know the suburbs. We’re taping this in Skokie. North of here is Wilmette. North of there is Kenilworth. And then Winnetka. Each of those little towns, little villages, finances their education primarily by property taxes.
Sen. Bill Brady. Right.
Berkowitz: You know, so the State can say this [or] that; they really can’t control that [local public education]. If they [the local villages] want to spend more, they raise their property taxes; if they want to spend less, they [lower their property taxes].
Sen. Bill Brady: I’m not taking that away. But, if we give them more state resources-
Berkowitz: But you’re going to raise the income tax; aren’t you?
Sen. Bill Brady: No. I’m not.
Berkowitz: Not the tax rate, but you, well, okay-- you’re going to lower real estate property taxes and- don’t you--
Sen. Bill Brady: No. What I’m going to do is provide state resources to those school districts so that their school boards can act appropriately and reduce the property taxes because they’re receiving more from the State. I’m going to find that money through managing our Medicaid system and through job growth.
Berkowitz: So, you like a tax swap—or less education funding comes from real estate taxes; more comes from the State
Sen. Bill Brady: Right
Berkowitz: Including income taxes, but you’re not going to raise the income tax rate.
Sen. Bill Brady: No.
Berkowitz: You’re just going to say, by running things more efficiently, the State will be able to contribute a larger share [of the total education funding]
Sen. Bill Brady: Not just efficiently, but also effectively.
Berkowitz: Effectively.
Sen. Bill Brady: Both. Both efficiently and effectively.
Berkowitz: You want to abolish the state Board of Education?
Sen. Bill Brady: I do.
Berkowitz: So did the governor, but he couldn’t get it through. But you said you are so good at this—you could, even though he has a Democratic House, Democratic Senate, you could tell [Speaker] Mike Madigan go stuff it?
Sen. Bill Brady: No, I couldn’t. What I would do is-
Berkowitz: Mike was the guy who prevented--
Sen. Bill Brady: And, you know why? You know why?
Berkowitz: You know that. Speaker Mike said no.
Sen. Bill Brady: We have a governor who doesn’t understand how to unite. Who thrives on dividing. I don’t care if it’s the Democratic Party, if it’s the entire general assembly, if it’s the people of Illinois-- or his own family. He thrives on dividing. The governor attacked in his State of the State address, two years ago, when he tried to abolish the State Board of Education; he attacked the state superintendent of schools, who was respected, so that the Governor could grandstand.
Berkowitz: It was his guy. He put him there. He can attack him if he wants.
Sen. Bill Brady: He didn’t put him there.
Berkowitz: He got rid of him, right?
Sen. Bill Brady: He did get rid of him. That’s not the way Bill Brady builds businesses or operates them. I’ll bring people together to effectively make change.
Berkowitz: How do you persuade Mike Madigan to do something he doesn’t want to do?
Sen. Bill Brady: Why didn’t he want to do it.
Berkowitz: He doesn’t think it is good for education--this is Speaker Mike Madigan—to have the Governor have enormous, total control over there.
Sen. Bill Brady: Did he tell you that? I don’t think he does [think that].
Berkowitz: Well, he didn’t tell me that but I think that’s what it was.
Sen. Bill Brady: I think it was checking Rod Blagojevich’s power play.
*****************************************************
Bill Brady, State Senator [R- Bloomington] and gubernatorial primary candidate, recorded on October 30, 2005, and as the program will air on the suburban edition of “Public Affairs,” this week; on the City of Chicago edition of “Public Affairs,” this coming Monday night, November 14, 2005 at 8:30 pm on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21; and can be watched or listened to as a webcast or audio podcast [See here].
*******************************
The suburban edition of Public Affairs regularly airs in ten North Shore suburbs three times each week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 p.m. on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Winnetka, Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire and Riverwoods.
In twenty-four North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the Sen. Brady show will air once this week in its regular time slot: Tonight, Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. on either Comcast Cable Channel 19 or Channel 35, depending on the suburb. The show airs Tuesday night [Nov. 8] at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette. Also, the show airs Tuesday night [Nov. 8] at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.
*************************************************
The "Public Affairs," program with Senator Brady also will air through-out the City of Chicago Monday night, Nov. 14 at 8:30 pm on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21.
*******************************************************
Transcript draft prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
******************************************
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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