Todd Stroger on TV: Abortion, Taxes & Cook County
Ald. Todd Stroger: Well, I’m not looking for a tax increase.
Jeff Berkowitz: If you had to do it. You said you might, and if you had to, where would you look?
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Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think abortion will be an issue when you’re running, in the next ninety days or so, against Tony Peraica for President of the Cook County Board?
Ald. Todd Stroger: I think it’ll be a very small issue.
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"Public Affairs," is featuring Chicago Ald. Todd Stroger, Democratic Nominee for Cook County Board President, tonight ; through-out the City of Chicago on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm; And, anytime on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [Go here to Watch Stroger, Obama, McCain, Schakowsky, Giuliani, Peraica, Claypool, Radogno and 16 additional shows ].
****************************************************************
Yet another partial transcript of tonight's show with Ald. Stroger is included below and for additional partial transcripts of the interview with Ald. Stroger and additional information about the show, Go here and here.
******************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Now, the budget won’t be resolved before the election in November, right? It’s unlikely to be resolved. They don’t have to. They usually resolve it in January.
Ald. Todd Stroger: Right. They don’t have to.
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Jeff Berkowitz: … if that happens, if it’s not resolved—let’s assume you got elected in November, on November 7th—what’s your guess? Would you have to raise taxes to resolve the budget deficit this year, and what kinds of tax increases would you look to?
Ald. Todd Stroger: You know, I couldn’t say that we would raise taxes—actually, I wouldn’t say that. Our first thought would be to eliminate positions through attrition and then consolidation and after that-
Jeff Berkowitz: But if you had to raise taxes, would it be a property tax increase? Would it be a sales tax increase? A lease tax? All of those things, and others, have been raised in the last few years. What kind of tax increase would you--
Ald. Todd Stroger: Well, actually, there hasn’t been a property tax increase in seven years, but-
Jeff Berkowitz: What about the [Cook County] Forest Preserve District? Those property taxes have gone up?
Ald. Todd Stroger: Well, the Forest Preserve District has. But, if you’ve seen the Forest Preserve District—it’s in a-- it’s infrastructure is to a point where it needs some work.
Jeff Berkowitz: What kind of tax would you look to? Where would you look for a revenue source? What kind of tax increase?
Ald. Todd Stroger: Well, I’m not looking for a tax increase.
Jeff Berkowitz: If you had to do it. You said you might, and if you had to, where would you look?
Ald. Todd Stroger: Well, if that road comes, then we’ll get on it. But my thought is that is not what we’re looking for. The commissioners seem to think that they have some great ideas on how to make sure that the government can run with the revenues that we have, so I’d look to the members first, and if that doesn’t work, then we’d have to raise taxes, but it would be through the commissioners, also. There’s no way that taxes can be raised by the President. It has to be the Board.
Jeff Berkowitz: Let me ask you about some social issues. People may think it odd, because, although it comes up, social issues—abortion, guns, gays, God, and so forth, whatever Howard Dean said—those issues come up obviously in Congress. They come up in the State Legislatures. They may even come up somewhat on the City Council, but less so. People are raising that as a potential issue-- Abortion. For Cook County Board President. One, what’s your view? Pro-life, Pro-choice?
Ald. Todd Stroger: I’m pro-choice.
Jeff Berkowitz: You’re pro-choice. A thousand percent pro-choice?
Ald. Todd Stroger: A thousand percent.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you basically—Roe v. Wade, you think that’s a good decision, and you think that a woman should have a right to choose, with completely no restraints by the government, as to when and how she has an abortion? Would that be fair?
Ald. Todd Stroger: I would say that a woman has a right to choose, but I think what gets lost in debate—is that to make anything a good choice, you have to be educated. And, I think that’s what’s missing. People fight over if there should be choice or not, but they don’t talk about all the things that could fall in place for a person to make a good choice, and know that there’s other ways to do this than to have an abortion.
Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think abortion will be an issue when you’re running, in the next ninety days or so, against Tony Peraica for President of the Cook County Board?
Ald. Todd Stroger: I think it’ll be a very small issue.
*********************************
From Tonight's City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The program, taped on July 30, 2006, airs though-out the City of Chicago tonight, August 14 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and can be viewed anytime on your computer [Watch Now].
*****************************
Transcript draft prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************
Jeff Berkowitz: If you had to do it. You said you might, and if you had to, where would you look?
***************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think abortion will be an issue when you’re running, in the next ninety days or so, against Tony Peraica for President of the Cook County Board?
Ald. Todd Stroger: I think it’ll be a very small issue.
****************************************************************
"Public Affairs," is featuring Chicago Ald. Todd Stroger, Democratic Nominee for Cook County Board President, tonight ; through-out the City of Chicago on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21 at 8:30 pm; And, anytime on the "Public Affairs," podcast page on your computer [Go here to Watch Stroger, Obama, McCain, Schakowsky, Giuliani, Peraica, Claypool, Radogno and 16 additional shows ].
****************************************************************
Yet another partial transcript of tonight's show with Ald. Stroger is included below and for additional partial transcripts of the interview with Ald. Stroger and additional information about the show, Go here and here.
******************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Now, the budget won’t be resolved before the election in November, right? It’s unlikely to be resolved. They don’t have to. They usually resolve it in January.
Ald. Todd Stroger: Right. They don’t have to.
*****************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: … if that happens, if it’s not resolved—let’s assume you got elected in November, on November 7th—what’s your guess? Would you have to raise taxes to resolve the budget deficit this year, and what kinds of tax increases would you look to?
Ald. Todd Stroger: You know, I couldn’t say that we would raise taxes—actually, I wouldn’t say that. Our first thought would be to eliminate positions through attrition and then consolidation and after that-
Jeff Berkowitz: But if you had to raise taxes, would it be a property tax increase? Would it be a sales tax increase? A lease tax? All of those things, and others, have been raised in the last few years. What kind of tax increase would you--
Ald. Todd Stroger: Well, actually, there hasn’t been a property tax increase in seven years, but-
Jeff Berkowitz: What about the [Cook County] Forest Preserve District? Those property taxes have gone up?
Ald. Todd Stroger: Well, the Forest Preserve District has. But, if you’ve seen the Forest Preserve District—it’s in a-- it’s infrastructure is to a point where it needs some work.
Jeff Berkowitz: What kind of tax would you look to? Where would you look for a revenue source? What kind of tax increase?
Ald. Todd Stroger: Well, I’m not looking for a tax increase.
Jeff Berkowitz: If you had to do it. You said you might, and if you had to, where would you look?
Ald. Todd Stroger: Well, if that road comes, then we’ll get on it. But my thought is that is not what we’re looking for. The commissioners seem to think that they have some great ideas on how to make sure that the government can run with the revenues that we have, so I’d look to the members first, and if that doesn’t work, then we’d have to raise taxes, but it would be through the commissioners, also. There’s no way that taxes can be raised by the President. It has to be the Board.
Jeff Berkowitz: Let me ask you about some social issues. People may think it odd, because, although it comes up, social issues—abortion, guns, gays, God, and so forth, whatever Howard Dean said—those issues come up obviously in Congress. They come up in the State Legislatures. They may even come up somewhat on the City Council, but less so. People are raising that as a potential issue-- Abortion. For Cook County Board President. One, what’s your view? Pro-life, Pro-choice?
Ald. Todd Stroger: I’m pro-choice.
Jeff Berkowitz: You’re pro-choice. A thousand percent pro-choice?
Ald. Todd Stroger: A thousand percent.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you basically—Roe v. Wade, you think that’s a good decision, and you think that a woman should have a right to choose, with completely no restraints by the government, as to when and how she has an abortion? Would that be fair?
Ald. Todd Stroger: I would say that a woman has a right to choose, but I think what gets lost in debate—is that to make anything a good choice, you have to be educated. And, I think that’s what’s missing. People fight over if there should be choice or not, but they don’t talk about all the things that could fall in place for a person to make a good choice, and know that there’s other ways to do this than to have an abortion.
Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think abortion will be an issue when you’re running, in the next ninety days or so, against Tony Peraica for President of the Cook County Board?
Ald. Todd Stroger: I think it’ll be a very small issue.
*********************************
From Tonight's City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The program, taped on July 30, 2006, airs though-out the City of Chicago tonight, August 14 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and can be viewed anytime on your computer [Watch Now].
*****************************
Transcript draft prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************
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