Better than the Final Four: Peraica v. Quigley, Cable and Streaming
Jeff Berkowitz: ... [County Board President] Todd Stroger [D-Chicago], is he a reformer?
Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley [D-Chicago]: No. Is he going to try to do the right thing...
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Jeff Berkowitz: Is Liz Gorman [R-Orland Park] a reformer, Tony?...
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Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica [R-Riverside]: There were eleven hundred [job] vacancies in that budget, Mike, you know that.
Mike Quigley: No, as you started-- there aren’t anymore. There aren’t even close [to that]. Now, what happens—
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Mike Quigley: Just let me finish. In the end, that would have been a fifty-one million dollar shortfall [in the Alternative Budget] and when it cut, it would have cut frontline personnel. Here is the great fraud of the Alternative Budget, it would have cut frontline personnel 2.5% and ... Frontline workers. It was the biggest scam and sham you would see in politics.
Jeff Berkowitz: Tony, respond to that. Biggest scam? Frontline workers being taken back?
Mike Quigley: Thirty-six million dollars worth.
Tony Peraica: The biggest scam here is that Todd Stroger’s relatives are doing well on the payroll, getting big promotions and big increases [in salaries] at taxpayers expense. The biggest scam is that his political donors are continuing to do quite well. The biggest scam is that...
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This Week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," airing in the Chicago metro suburbs, features Cook County Commissioners Tony Peraica [R-Riverside] and Mike Quigley [D-Chicago], discussing and debating whether there was a good resolution of the Cook County Budget issues, who the true reformers are, how much patronage was left in the County Budget at the expense of front-line workers and much, more with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz.See, below, for the Public Affairs suburban airing schedule. You may also [Go Here to watch this week's suburban show with Peraica and Quigley, and soon next week's suburban "Public Affairs," show with John Filan, Illinois' Chief Operating Officer as well as other shows with such notables as Obama, McCain, Giuliani, Barrett, Syverson and many others on your computer; you can drag the dial on the bottom of the screen to watch only portions of the thirty minute shows; trouble accessing our cinema page on your computer? Try I-Tunes: the same Public Affairs shows are also available there].
******************************************
Commissioners Quigley [D] and Peraica [R]will be the featured guests on the Monday, April 2, 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," to watch on your computer including this week's suburban show with Peraica and Quigley . The cinema page also will soon have next week's suburban show with John Filan, recent shows with Rep. Fritchey, Ralph Martire, Metropolitan Planning Council President MarySue Barrett, Phantom of the City Council--Brendan Reilly, State Rep. Paul Froehlich, as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Go Here to Watch the Shows on your computer; you can drag the dial on the bottom of the screen to watch only portions of the thirty minute shows].
***************************************************
Cook County Commissioners Mike Quigley [D-Chicago] and Tony Peraica [R-Riverside] debate and discuss with each other and with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz how Mike Quigley and three Republican Commissioners, among others, ended up voting with President Todd Stroger on the 2007 Budget, whether the budget was a victory or defeat for reform, whether President Todd Stroger [D-Chicago] and Republican commissioners Gorman, Silvestri and Goslin are reformers, whether the 2007 budget is a House of Cards, whether the alternative budget had a 50 million dollar hole in it, whether there are still 200 million dollars of patronage in the current Cook County budget, whether independent, court appointed monitors of rigged hiring at Cook County government can be expected to do the job, whether the “We Clean,” company no bid contract stinks and whether that company should not have been hired, whether ten community health care clinics should not have been closed, whether pols have permanent interests or permanent allies, whether Cook County government needs a new Inspector General, whether the Civic Federation got its Cook County budget analysis wrong and whether Hell, having frozen over a few years ago on the Cook County Board, has started to heat up again.
******************************************
Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley [D-Chicago]: …This is where Commissioner Peraica doesn’t want to talk, he can’t explain away this—
Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica [R-Riverside]: What’s that?
Mike Quigley: When we started doing turnover rates [adjusting the estimated budget cost down to take account of jobs that would not be filled], under President Phelan, it was because we had a tremendous number of vacancies—those vacancies were largely removed in the last three years.
Tony Peraica: Oh, that’s not true.
Mike Quigley: It’s absolutely true and that’s why the Civic Federation is against this [the Alternative Budget of Claypool, Peraica, Suffredin, Schneider, et al]
Tony Peraica: Aren’t there eleven hundred vacancies now?
Mike Quigley: So now, they recognize—
Jeff Berkowitz: Answer that, are there eleven hundred vacancies?
Mike Quigley: No, there are not that many.
Tony Peraica: There were eleven hundred [job] vacancies in that budget, Mike, you know that.
Mike Quigley: No, as you started-- there aren’t anymore. There aren’t even close [to that]. Now, what happens—
Jeff Berkowitz: How many job vacancies are there?
Mike Quigley: I don’t know the exact number, we still have to--
Tony Peraica: There are still at least five-hundred or six-hundred left.
Mike Quigley: Just, let me finish. In the end, that would have been a fifty-one million dollar shortfall [in the Alternative Budget] and when it cut, it would have cut frontline personnel. Here is the great fraud of the Alternative Budget, it would have cut frontline personnel 2.5% and the other part that balanced this budget was they would have adopted thirty-six million dollars of President Stroger’s original cuts. These are the same people-- in other words, with one hand we are going to give you and then on the other hand to balance our budget because we have said yes to everybody, we are going to take thirty-six million dollars back-- of what? Frontline workers. It was the biggest scam and sham you would see in politics.
Jeff Berkowitz: Tony, respond to that. Biggest scam? Frontline workers being taken back?
Mike Quigley: Thirty-six million dollars worth.
Tony Peraica: The biggest scam here is that Todd Stroger’s relatives are doing well on the payroll, getting big promotions and big increases [in salaries] at taxpayers expense. The biggest scam is that his political donors are continuing to do quite well. The biggest scam is that all of the committeemen who help him get elected are making $100,000 plus and doing quite well. That’s the scam. And, the frontline workers, as of last Friday, are unemployed, that’s the scam.
***********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: The two gentlemen [Quigley and Peraica] shaking hands [near the end of the show], what can you say about that. Public Affairs brings peace to people, right?
Mike Quigley: Issue by issue. That’s how we should go forward.
Jeff Berkowitz: You’ve got some influence with Todd Stroger, right? You supported him, right? You endorsed him for President of the Cook County Board.
Mike Quigley: I try to help him do the right thing.
Jeff Berkowitz: Did you give him a call and say, “This We Clean contract stinks,” so to speak, and change it?
Mike Quigley: This all happened late Friday [March 16], I didn’t get a chance to talk to anyone, I just voted no [on a telephone poll, the board voted 9 to 8 to approve the contract, and it apparently was later reversed as one or more yea votes were changed to no votes, See here]
Jeff Berkowitz: But, is your confidence shaken? You supported this guy. You endorsed this guy, your neck’s out there.
Mike Quigley: Look, he is going to make mistakes and when he does, I’ll vote no. When he does the right thing, I’ll be with him, just as I was with his father [John Stroger, who was President of the Cook County Board for twelve years, resigning his Presidency last summer due to a stroke].
Jeff Berkowitz: You were with his father? You were almost never with his father.
Mike Quigley: No, I voted with his father when he was right. And, people said what are you doing? I said, look, he is not always wrong. It is just the facts.
Jeff Berkowitz: All right. So, the Four Horsemen were you two gentlemen, Peraica, Quigley, Claypool and Suffredin. Larry Suffredin told me just a few days ago…the Four Horsemen now…Quigley’s out and Tim Schneider’s in. Come on—
Mike Quigley: I’ll sleep at night.
Jeff Berkowitz: I mean, what do you say to Larry Suffredin?
Mike Quigley: You know what, [I go] issue by issue. And, Larry can be wrong, too. When Larry’s right, I’ll be with him and when Larry’s wrong, I’ll vote against him.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, is it the saying that there’s no permanent allies in politics, only permanent interests?
Tony Peraica: That’s right.
Jeff Berkowitz: Was that Mayor Daley or Machiavelli? Who said that? [Lord Palmerston, sort of- See here].
Tony Peraica: I’m not sure. I like the one—if you want a friend [in politics], get a dog.
Jeff Berkowitz: All right, so that’s what we’re talking about. And your permanent interests, the two of you, are reform? That’s what you want?
Mike Quigley: Making this County better.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you two agree? The difference here is either you are a reformer or you are not a reformer?
Tony Peraica: Well, there are essentially three blocks on the Cook County Board. You have the progressive Democrats—reform minded Democrats; you have regular Democrats and you have Republicans—where there are also divisions between regulars and progressives—
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you have four [voting] blocks?
Tony Peraica: There are four blocks, yeah.
Jeff Berkowitz: Is Liz Gorman a reformer, Tony? [Liz Gorman is in her second term as Cook County Commissioner and was recently elected Chairman of the Cook County GOP to fill the remaining year on Gary Skoien’s term, who resigned his chairmanship to spend more time with his wife, who is ill].
Tony Peraica: I don’t think so, no.
Jeff Berkowitz: What about Silvestri? Is he a reformer?
Tony Peraica: From time to time, he votes progressively.
Jeff Berkowitz: Goslin, is he a reformer?
Tony Peraica: Same thing applies.
Jeff Berkowitz: Is Todd Stroger a reformer, Mike?
Mike Quigley: First of all, those Republicans [County Commissioners Gorman, Silvestri and Goslin], I think they did a great job [on the budget].
Jeff Berkowitz: Answer Mike, Todd Stroger, is he a reformer?
Mike Quigley: No. Is he going to try to do the right thing. Absolutely. Is he going to move toward reform. I am going to push him every way I can. I have been here eight, nine years. Every which way you can move the pile forward is how you should do it.
*********************************************
Cook County Peraica and Quigley, as they are 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, April 2, 2007 [8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21, CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The show was recorded on March 18, 2007. You may also[watch the show with Peraica and Quigley 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 airs 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 guests Cook County Commissioners Peraica and Quigley 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.
***********************************************
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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Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley [D-Chicago]: No. Is he going to try to do the right thing...
****************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Is Liz Gorman [R-Orland Park] a reformer, Tony?...
*********************************************************
Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica [R-Riverside]: There were eleven hundred [job] vacancies in that budget, Mike, you know that.
Mike Quigley: No, as you started-- there aren’t anymore. There aren’t even close [to that]. Now, what happens—
*****************************************************
Mike Quigley: Just let me finish. In the end, that would have been a fifty-one million dollar shortfall [in the Alternative Budget] and when it cut, it would have cut frontline personnel. Here is the great fraud of the Alternative Budget, it would have cut frontline personnel 2.5% and ... Frontline workers. It was the biggest scam and sham you would see in politics.
Jeff Berkowitz: Tony, respond to that. Biggest scam? Frontline workers being taken back?
Mike Quigley: Thirty-six million dollars worth.
Tony Peraica: The biggest scam here is that Todd Stroger’s relatives are doing well on the payroll, getting big promotions and big increases [in salaries] at taxpayers expense. The biggest scam is that his political donors are continuing to do quite well. The biggest scam is that...
*****************************************************************
This Week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," airing in the Chicago metro suburbs, features Cook County Commissioners Tony Peraica [R-Riverside] and Mike Quigley [D-Chicago], discussing and debating whether there was a good resolution of the Cook County Budget issues, who the true reformers are, how much patronage was left in the County Budget at the expense of front-line workers and much, more with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz.See, below, for the Public Affairs suburban airing schedule. You may also [Go Here to watch this week's suburban show with Peraica and Quigley, and soon next week's suburban "Public Affairs," show with John Filan, Illinois' Chief Operating Officer as well as other shows with such notables as Obama, McCain, Giuliani, Barrett, Syverson and many others on your computer; you can drag the dial on the bottom of the screen to watch only portions of the thirty minute shows; trouble accessing our cinema page on your computer? Try I-Tunes: the same Public Affairs shows are also available there].
******************************************
Commissioners Quigley [D] and Peraica [R]will be the featured guests on the Monday, April 2, 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," to watch on your computer including this week's suburban show with Peraica and Quigley . The cinema page also will soon have next week's suburban show with John Filan, recent shows with Rep. Fritchey, Ralph Martire, Metropolitan Planning Council President MarySue Barrett, Phantom of the City Council--Brendan Reilly, State Rep. Paul Froehlich, as well as interviews, discussions or remarks with or by U. S. Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and many, many more pols on our video podcast page[Go Here to Watch the Shows on your computer; you can drag the dial on the bottom of the screen to watch only portions of the thirty minute shows].
***************************************************
Cook County Commissioners Mike Quigley [D-Chicago] and Tony Peraica [R-Riverside] debate and discuss with each other and with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz how Mike Quigley and three Republican Commissioners, among others, ended up voting with President Todd Stroger on the 2007 Budget, whether the budget was a victory or defeat for reform, whether President Todd Stroger [D-Chicago] and Republican commissioners Gorman, Silvestri and Goslin are reformers, whether the 2007 budget is a House of Cards, whether the alternative budget had a 50 million dollar hole in it, whether there are still 200 million dollars of patronage in the current Cook County budget, whether independent, court appointed monitors of rigged hiring at Cook County government can be expected to do the job, whether the “We Clean,” company no bid contract stinks and whether that company should not have been hired, whether ten community health care clinics should not have been closed, whether pols have permanent interests or permanent allies, whether Cook County government needs a new Inspector General, whether the Civic Federation got its Cook County budget analysis wrong and whether Hell, having frozen over a few years ago on the Cook County Board, has started to heat up again.
******************************************
Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley [D-Chicago]: …This is where Commissioner Peraica doesn’t want to talk, he can’t explain away this—
Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica [R-Riverside]: What’s that?
Mike Quigley: When we started doing turnover rates [adjusting the estimated budget cost down to take account of jobs that would not be filled], under President Phelan, it was because we had a tremendous number of vacancies—those vacancies were largely removed in the last three years.
Tony Peraica: Oh, that’s not true.
Mike Quigley: It’s absolutely true and that’s why the Civic Federation is against this [the Alternative Budget of Claypool, Peraica, Suffredin, Schneider, et al]
Tony Peraica: Aren’t there eleven hundred vacancies now?
Mike Quigley: So now, they recognize—
Jeff Berkowitz: Answer that, are there eleven hundred vacancies?
Mike Quigley: No, there are not that many.
Tony Peraica: There were eleven hundred [job] vacancies in that budget, Mike, you know that.
Mike Quigley: No, as you started-- there aren’t anymore. There aren’t even close [to that]. Now, what happens—
Jeff Berkowitz: How many job vacancies are there?
Mike Quigley: I don’t know the exact number, we still have to--
Tony Peraica: There are still at least five-hundred or six-hundred left.
Mike Quigley: Just, let me finish. In the end, that would have been a fifty-one million dollar shortfall [in the Alternative Budget] and when it cut, it would have cut frontline personnel. Here is the great fraud of the Alternative Budget, it would have cut frontline personnel 2.5% and the other part that balanced this budget was they would have adopted thirty-six million dollars of President Stroger’s original cuts. These are the same people-- in other words, with one hand we are going to give you and then on the other hand to balance our budget because we have said yes to everybody, we are going to take thirty-six million dollars back-- of what? Frontline workers. It was the biggest scam and sham you would see in politics.
Jeff Berkowitz: Tony, respond to that. Biggest scam? Frontline workers being taken back?
Mike Quigley: Thirty-six million dollars worth.
Tony Peraica: The biggest scam here is that Todd Stroger’s relatives are doing well on the payroll, getting big promotions and big increases [in salaries] at taxpayers expense. The biggest scam is that his political donors are continuing to do quite well. The biggest scam is that all of the committeemen who help him get elected are making $100,000 plus and doing quite well. That’s the scam. And, the frontline workers, as of last Friday, are unemployed, that’s the scam.
***********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: The two gentlemen [Quigley and Peraica] shaking hands [near the end of the show], what can you say about that. Public Affairs brings peace to people, right?
Mike Quigley: Issue by issue. That’s how we should go forward.
Jeff Berkowitz: You’ve got some influence with Todd Stroger, right? You supported him, right? You endorsed him for President of the Cook County Board.
Mike Quigley: I try to help him do the right thing.
Jeff Berkowitz: Did you give him a call and say, “This We Clean contract stinks,” so to speak, and change it?
Mike Quigley: This all happened late Friday [March 16], I didn’t get a chance to talk to anyone, I just voted no [on a telephone poll, the board voted 9 to 8 to approve the contract, and it apparently was later reversed as one or more yea votes were changed to no votes, See here]
Jeff Berkowitz: But, is your confidence shaken? You supported this guy. You endorsed this guy, your neck’s out there.
Mike Quigley: Look, he is going to make mistakes and when he does, I’ll vote no. When he does the right thing, I’ll be with him, just as I was with his father [John Stroger, who was President of the Cook County Board for twelve years, resigning his Presidency last summer due to a stroke].
Jeff Berkowitz: You were with his father? You were almost never with his father.
Mike Quigley: No, I voted with his father when he was right. And, people said what are you doing? I said, look, he is not always wrong. It is just the facts.
Jeff Berkowitz: All right. So, the Four Horsemen were you two gentlemen, Peraica, Quigley, Claypool and Suffredin. Larry Suffredin told me just a few days ago…the Four Horsemen now…Quigley’s out and Tim Schneider’s in. Come on—
Mike Quigley: I’ll sleep at night.
Jeff Berkowitz: I mean, what do you say to Larry Suffredin?
Mike Quigley: You know what, [I go] issue by issue. And, Larry can be wrong, too. When Larry’s right, I’ll be with him and when Larry’s wrong, I’ll vote against him.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, is it the saying that there’s no permanent allies in politics, only permanent interests?
Tony Peraica: That’s right.
Jeff Berkowitz: Was that Mayor Daley or Machiavelli? Who said that? [Lord Palmerston, sort of- See here].
Tony Peraica: I’m not sure. I like the one—if you want a friend [in politics], get a dog.
Jeff Berkowitz: All right, so that’s what we’re talking about. And your permanent interests, the two of you, are reform? That’s what you want?
Mike Quigley: Making this County better.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you two agree? The difference here is either you are a reformer or you are not a reformer?
Tony Peraica: Well, there are essentially three blocks on the Cook County Board. You have the progressive Democrats—reform minded Democrats; you have regular Democrats and you have Republicans—where there are also divisions between regulars and progressives—
Jeff Berkowitz: So, you have four [voting] blocks?
Tony Peraica: There are four blocks, yeah.
Jeff Berkowitz: Is Liz Gorman a reformer, Tony? [Liz Gorman is in her second term as Cook County Commissioner and was recently elected Chairman of the Cook County GOP to fill the remaining year on Gary Skoien’s term, who resigned his chairmanship to spend more time with his wife, who is ill].
Tony Peraica: I don’t think so, no.
Jeff Berkowitz: What about Silvestri? Is he a reformer?
Tony Peraica: From time to time, he votes progressively.
Jeff Berkowitz: Goslin, is he a reformer?
Tony Peraica: Same thing applies.
Jeff Berkowitz: Is Todd Stroger a reformer, Mike?
Mike Quigley: First of all, those Republicans [County Commissioners Gorman, Silvestri and Goslin], I think they did a great job [on the budget].
Jeff Berkowitz: Answer Mike, Todd Stroger, is he a reformer?
Mike Quigley: No. Is he going to try to do the right thing. Absolutely. Is he going to move toward reform. I am going to push him every way I can. I have been here eight, nine years. Every which way you can move the pile forward is how you should do it.
*********************************************
Cook County Peraica and Quigley, as they are 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, April 2, 2007 [8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21, CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs. The show was recorded on March 18, 2007. You may also[watch the show with Peraica and Quigley 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 airs 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 guests Cook County Commissioners Peraica and Quigley 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.
***********************************************
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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