Sen. Syverson: Increase the income tax; Airing on Cable/ Streaming
Jeff Berkowitz: Is that a problem with the Republican image? Should Republicans take the pledge? Would you take the pledge not to raise the income or the sales tax?
Sen. Dave Syverson: No.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t believe in that?
Sen. Dave Syverson: No, because as a conservative, it doesn’t mean that you’re—it means doing the right thing. Every generation in this country, the leaders have sacrificed so that the next generation could have a better life. This is the first generation we have elected officials who are saying: we don’t care about the next generation. We’re going to spend today. We’re going to...
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This Week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," airing in the Chicago metro suburbs, features State Senator Dave Syverson [R-Rockford] debating and discussing tax increases, spending cuts, education reform, Republican Party reform, capital budgets, fiscal responsibility, job growth and much more with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz. See, below, for the Public Affairs suburban airing schedule. You may also [Watch the show with Senator Syverson on your computer].
*******************************************************
Senator Dave Syverson [R-Rockford], who along with Peter Fitzerald, Pat O'Malley, Steve Rauschenberger and Chris Lauzen comprised the "Fab 5," when they were first elected to the Senate Senate in 1992, debates and discusses with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz education funding,raising taxes, issuing more debt, a capital budget for the state; school vouchers-school choice; deferred maintenance at the University of Illinois; billions of dollars owed doctors; Medicaid and state pension issues, Pledges not to raise taxes; can the State GOP move ahead with Bob Kjellander as Illinois' Republican national committeeman; how much the State GOP spent during the last campaign cycle, should it have spent more on Tony Peraica- Republican Candidate for Cook County Board President, how much cash does the State GOP have on hand and much, much more.
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Senator Dave Syverson will be the featured guest on the Monday, Jan. 29, 2007 [8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21] City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs."
*************************************************
The "Public Affairs," cinema page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," including this week's suburban show with Sen. Syverson and recent shows with Metropolitan Planning Council President MarySue Barrett, State Rep. Paul Froehlich, Eric Zorn-Dan Proft, John McCarron, Gery Chico, former State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, Chicago Mayoral Candidate Dorothy Brown [D] and State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston], as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giulianiand many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Watch here].
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Jeff Berkowitz: You know, he’s [Governor Blagojevich] taken the pledge, at least unofficially, he’s taken it. I don’t know if he’s signed anything, but he said in 2002 he wouldn’t raise the income tax, he wouldn’t raise the sales tax; he didn’t raise those taxes. He ran again in 2006—he took the pledge [not to raise the income or sales tax]. Judy Baar Topinka, she’s a Republican- she didn’t take the pledge, did she?
Sen. Dave Syverson: No, and I think in this case—
Jeff Berkowitz: Is that a problem with the Republican image? Should Republicans take the pledge? Would you take the pledge not to raise the income or the sales tax?
Sen. Dave Syverson: No.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t believe in that?
Sen. Dave Syverson: No, because as a conservative, it doesn’t mean that you’re—it means doing the right thing. Every generation in this country, the leaders have sacrificed so that the next generation could have a better life. This is the first generation we have elected officials who are saying: we don’t care about the next generation. We’re going to spend today. We’re going to spend today. We’re going to charge things. We’re going to bond, we’re going to borrow. We’re going to make them figure out how to pay for it.” And, that is more irresponsible than raising taxes to pay for what you need to do. The last four years, as a state, we’ve gone deeper into debt than any state in—
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you want to go less into debt? Is that part of your philosophy?
Sen. Dave Syverson: Oh, yes.
Jeff Berkowitz: You want to restrain spending?
Sen. Dave Syverson: Absolutely, we need to do a combination—
Jeff Berkowitz: What else is in the combination? Restrain spending, lower debt, what else?
Sen. Dave Syverson: Well, we’ve got to cut spending and we’re going to have to raise more revenue. Now, we can raise revenue two ways. In the short term, we’re going to have to raise some kind of a revenue stream to pay for a much-needed capital plan. But, second we have to create an environment where we can grow out of our economic problem. And, we do that by trying to keep the middle class here in Illinois—we’re sending those middle class manufacturing jobs out of the state because of our anti-business philosophy.
Jeff Berkowitz: High [business] fees?
Sen. Dave Syverson: High fees. High workman’s compensation costs. High unemployment costs.
Jeff Berkowitz: Implicit taxes on business, that’s what you’re saying—Governor Blagojevich has implicitly put those taxes there—and that’s hurt economic growth and therefore you generate less tax revenue?
Sen. Dave Syverson: We’re creating jobs, but we’re creating lower paying jobs…
Jeff Berkowitz: Well, Jim Oberweis, when he ran against Judy Baar Topinka and others in the Republican Primary for Governor…he kept arguing that there was no reason to raise taxes. He said if you have the kind of economic growth that you are talking about you will generate a fairly large sum of money [additional tax revenue] each year, so it is not like government is stagnant, it is growing—so there is no reason to raise taxes to have government grow even more in Illinois. Would you disagree with Jim Oberweis on that?
Sen. Dave Syverson: I would agree with him, in part. To get out of this mess, to grow out of it is not something that can be done in twelve months. The problem is now we’ve got a couple billion dollars in unpaid medical bills to providers that if it doesn’t get paid—hurts the providers who have to cost shift onto you and I. We’ve got a billion dollar pension payment that is due…and to defer and not to re-build our roads and our universities that are crumbling is irresponsible and so I would support some short term revenue increases, maybe even a temporary until we can turn around and grow out of this.
Jeff Berkowitz: What does that temporary revenue increase sound like. Is that a temporary increase in the income tax?
Sen. Dave Syverson: Well, I think we need to be looking at an income tax [increase]. If we do a sales tax [increase], remember we are surrounded by five states that have lower taxes…
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Jeff Berkowitz: So, basically, you’re saying you don’t see a way out without raising income taxes? …So, are you saying here on January 14th…you’re telling voters throughout the Chicago Metro area and when it airs in Rockford that you want to raise the income tax?
Sen. Dave Syverson: I think we have to raise the income tax. I said that during my campaign. But, before I would support that, there has to be …shared pain. And, that means before we ask the voters for more money, we have to go back and be responsible—make the cuts that we can make, do the reforms that we can do and then say, we need, at least temporarily money to fund at least the re-building of the infrastructure which would again spark the economy by putting a lot of people to work…
Sen. Dave Syverson: There certainly would never be a need for a two percent increase [in the income tax, going from 3% to 5%, which is actually a 66% increase relative to the current level]
Jeff Berkowitz: So, only a one percent [increase, which is actually a 33% increase relative to the current level].
Sen. Dave Syverson: A one percent would get you, I think, a little over 3 billion dollars. And, again, if it was used, not to expand programs, but only for--
Jeff Berkowitz: To pay for things like accrued liabilities?
Sen. Dave Syverson: [It would] have to be for accrued liabilities and bricks and mortar. And, you did that temporarily so that you could prove to the voters that you’re really doing it properly and if not, [we] would have to come back and vote on it again-- but that can only occur if we put in place reforms…
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Senator Dave Syverson, as is airing this week on Public Affairs in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs [See below for the suburban airing schedule] and as will be airing on Monday, Jan. 29, 2007 [8:30 pm on Cable, CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The show was recorded on January 14, 2007. You may also[watch the Sen. Syverson program here].
***************************************************
In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the "Public Affairs," show airs every Tuesday night in the regular weekly Public Affairs slot, 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.
In ten North Shore suburbs, the Public Affairs show air three times each week in its regular slots at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below. ******************************************************
The suburban episode of Public Affairs with Sen. Syverson airs Tonight :
at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette
And at 8:30 pm 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.
and this week on Monday night, Wednesday night and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
***********************************************
The City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs," with Sen. Syverson airs this coming Monday night at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] throughout the City of Chicago.
****************************************************
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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Sen. Dave Syverson: No.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t believe in that?
Sen. Dave Syverson: No, because as a conservative, it doesn’t mean that you’re—it means doing the right thing. Every generation in this country, the leaders have sacrificed so that the next generation could have a better life. This is the first generation we have elected officials who are saying: we don’t care about the next generation. We’re going to spend today. We’re going to...
*******************************************
This Week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," airing in the Chicago metro suburbs, features State Senator Dave Syverson [R-Rockford] debating and discussing tax increases, spending cuts, education reform, Republican Party reform, capital budgets, fiscal responsibility, job growth and much more with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz. See, below, for the Public Affairs suburban airing schedule. You may also [Watch the show with Senator Syverson on your computer].
*******************************************************
Senator Dave Syverson [R-Rockford], who along with Peter Fitzerald, Pat O'Malley, Steve Rauschenberger and Chris Lauzen comprised the "Fab 5," when they were first elected to the Senate Senate in 1992, debates and discusses with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz education funding,raising taxes, issuing more debt, a capital budget for the state; school vouchers-school choice; deferred maintenance at the University of Illinois; billions of dollars owed doctors; Medicaid and state pension issues, Pledges not to raise taxes; can the State GOP move ahead with Bob Kjellander as Illinois' Republican national committeeman; how much the State GOP spent during the last campaign cycle, should it have spent more on Tony Peraica- Republican Candidate for Cook County Board President, how much cash does the State GOP have on hand and much, much more.
******************************************
Senator Dave Syverson will be the featured guest on the Monday, Jan. 29, 2007 [8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21] City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs."
*************************************************
The "Public Affairs," cinema page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," including this week's suburban show with Sen. Syverson and recent shows with Metropolitan Planning Council President MarySue Barrett, State Rep. Paul Froehlich, Eric Zorn-Dan Proft, John McCarron, Gery Chico, former State Sen. Steve Rauschenberger, Chicago Mayoral Candidate Dorothy Brown [D] and State Rep. Julie Hamos [D-Evanston], as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giulianiand many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Watch here].
***************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: You know, he’s [Governor Blagojevich] taken the pledge, at least unofficially, he’s taken it. I don’t know if he’s signed anything, but he said in 2002 he wouldn’t raise the income tax, he wouldn’t raise the sales tax; he didn’t raise those taxes. He ran again in 2006—he took the pledge [not to raise the income or sales tax]. Judy Baar Topinka, she’s a Republican- she didn’t take the pledge, did she?
Sen. Dave Syverson: No, and I think in this case—
Jeff Berkowitz: Is that a problem with the Republican image? Should Republicans take the pledge? Would you take the pledge not to raise the income or the sales tax?
Sen. Dave Syverson: No.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t believe in that?
Sen. Dave Syverson: No, because as a conservative, it doesn’t mean that you’re—it means doing the right thing. Every generation in this country, the leaders have sacrificed so that the next generation could have a better life. This is the first generation we have elected officials who are saying: we don’t care about the next generation. We’re going to spend today. We’re going to spend today. We’re going to charge things. We’re going to bond, we’re going to borrow. We’re going to make them figure out how to pay for it.” And, that is more irresponsible than raising taxes to pay for what you need to do. The last four years, as a state, we’ve gone deeper into debt than any state in—
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you want to go less into debt? Is that part of your philosophy?
Sen. Dave Syverson: Oh, yes.
Jeff Berkowitz: You want to restrain spending?
Sen. Dave Syverson: Absolutely, we need to do a combination—
Jeff Berkowitz: What else is in the combination? Restrain spending, lower debt, what else?
Sen. Dave Syverson: Well, we’ve got to cut spending and we’re going to have to raise more revenue. Now, we can raise revenue two ways. In the short term, we’re going to have to raise some kind of a revenue stream to pay for a much-needed capital plan. But, second we have to create an environment where we can grow out of our economic problem. And, we do that by trying to keep the middle class here in Illinois—we’re sending those middle class manufacturing jobs out of the state because of our anti-business philosophy.
Jeff Berkowitz: High [business] fees?
Sen. Dave Syverson: High fees. High workman’s compensation costs. High unemployment costs.
Jeff Berkowitz: Implicit taxes on business, that’s what you’re saying—Governor Blagojevich has implicitly put those taxes there—and that’s hurt economic growth and therefore you generate less tax revenue?
Sen. Dave Syverson: We’re creating jobs, but we’re creating lower paying jobs…
Jeff Berkowitz: Well, Jim Oberweis, when he ran against Judy Baar Topinka and others in the Republican Primary for Governor…he kept arguing that there was no reason to raise taxes. He said if you have the kind of economic growth that you are talking about you will generate a fairly large sum of money [additional tax revenue] each year, so it is not like government is stagnant, it is growing—so there is no reason to raise taxes to have government grow even more in Illinois. Would you disagree with Jim Oberweis on that?
Sen. Dave Syverson: I would agree with him, in part. To get out of this mess, to grow out of it is not something that can be done in twelve months. The problem is now we’ve got a couple billion dollars in unpaid medical bills to providers that if it doesn’t get paid—hurts the providers who have to cost shift onto you and I. We’ve got a billion dollar pension payment that is due…and to defer and not to re-build our roads and our universities that are crumbling is irresponsible and so I would support some short term revenue increases, maybe even a temporary until we can turn around and grow out of this.
Jeff Berkowitz: What does that temporary revenue increase sound like. Is that a temporary increase in the income tax?
Sen. Dave Syverson: Well, I think we need to be looking at an income tax [increase]. If we do a sales tax [increase], remember we are surrounded by five states that have lower taxes…
******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: So, basically, you’re saying you don’t see a way out without raising income taxes? …So, are you saying here on January 14th…you’re telling voters throughout the Chicago Metro area and when it airs in Rockford that you want to raise the income tax?
Sen. Dave Syverson: I think we have to raise the income tax. I said that during my campaign. But, before I would support that, there has to be …shared pain. And, that means before we ask the voters for more money, we have to go back and be responsible—make the cuts that we can make, do the reforms that we can do and then say, we need, at least temporarily money to fund at least the re-building of the infrastructure which would again spark the economy by putting a lot of people to work…
Sen. Dave Syverson: There certainly would never be a need for a two percent increase [in the income tax, going from 3% to 5%, which is actually a 66% increase relative to the current level]
Jeff Berkowitz: So, only a one percent [increase, which is actually a 33% increase relative to the current level].
Sen. Dave Syverson: A one percent would get you, I think, a little over 3 billion dollars. And, again, if it was used, not to expand programs, but only for--
Jeff Berkowitz: To pay for things like accrued liabilities?
Sen. Dave Syverson: [It would] have to be for accrued liabilities and bricks and mortar. And, you did that temporarily so that you could prove to the voters that you’re really doing it properly and if not, [we] would have to come back and vote on it again-- but that can only occur if we put in place reforms…
************************************************
Senator Dave Syverson, as is airing this week on Public Affairs in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs [See below for the suburban airing schedule] and as will be airing on Monday, Jan. 29, 2007 [8:30 pm on Cable, CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The show was recorded on January 14, 2007. You may also[watch the Sen. Syverson program here].
***************************************************
In twenty-five North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the "Public Affairs," show airs every Tuesday night in the regular weekly Public Affairs slot, 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.
In ten North Shore suburbs, the Public Affairs show air three times each week in its regular slots at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as indicated, below. ******************************************************
The suburban episode of Public Affairs with Sen. Syverson airs Tonight :
at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette
And at 8:30 pm 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.
and this week on Monday night, Wednesday night and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
***********************************************
The City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs," with Sen. Syverson airs this coming Monday night at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] throughout the City of Chicago.
****************************************************
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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