Monday, May 07, 2007

Commissioner and 4th CD Candidate Roberto Maldonado, Cable and Streaming

This Week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," airing in the Chicago metro suburbs, features Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado [D-Chicago]. Maldonado is one of what is likely to be a group of a half dozen, or more, credible candidates running in the February 5, 2008 4th CD Democratic Primary to replace Cong. Luis Gutierrez [D-Chicago], who has announced he will not seek re-election. Cong. Gutierrez, who worked with Harold Washington and then supported Mayor Daley in his 1989 run, has held the 4th Cong. Dist. seat for fourteen years. [See the end of this post for the suburban airing schedule of "Public Affairs."]
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Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado
will be the featured guest on the Monday, May 21 , 2007 [8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV]]City of Chicago edition of "Public Affairs."
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Cook County Commissioner Roberto Maldonado and Ald. Ricardo Munoz have already said they will be in the 4th CD Democratic Primary. Ald. Manny Flores is likely to jump into the race soon. Other credible potential candidates who are looking at joining the 2008 4th CD Democratic Primary include Ald. Danny Solis, State Rep. Susana Mendoza and State Sen. Martin Sandoval.
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The "Public Affairs," cinema page gives you a choice of more than twenty-five episodes of “Public Affairs," to watch on your computer including, soon, this week's suburban show with Comm. Maldonado . The Cinema pages now includes last week's show with Republican Presidential Candidate John Cox and a recent show with State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia [D-Aurora], who is a possible 14th CD candidate . The cinema page also has previous shows with former State GOP Chairman Gary MacDougal and Illinois Chief Operating Officer John Filan 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, which can be [watched at PublicAffairsTV.com].
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Roberto Maldonado, Cook County Commissioner [D-Chicago] and candidate in the Feb. 5, 2008 4th Cong. Dist. Democratic Primary, is in his 13th year as a Cook County Board Member. He holds an undergraduate degree and Master's degree from the University of Puerto Rico and completed all requirements, except for his dissertation, to obtain a Ph. D. in Clinical Psychology from Loyola University. Maldonado was the first Puerto Rican in the country to be elected, in 1994, to the position of a County Board member.

The 53 year old, 14 year, Puerto Rican incumbent in the 4th CD, Cong. Luis Gutierrez [D-Chicago] confirmed again on May 6, 2007 [on Fox Chicago Perspectives, WFLD, in an interview with Dane Placko and Jack Conaty] that he will not seek re-election. It is rumored that Cong. Gutierrez would like to consider a run for Mayor of Chicago in 2011, and that giving up the congressional seat may give Gutierrez more flexibility to pursue such a run.

The 2006 Almanac of American Politics by Barone and Cohen reports that 75% of the 4th CD [which spans portions of both the south side (Chicago's old river wards) and north side of Chicago-- and extending West into Cicero and Pilsen] are Latinos, but they constitute only 50% of the vote, as many of the Hispanics are illegal [undocumented] immigrants or they simply do not vote.

Comm. Maldonado discusses and debates with show host and legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz whether there should be more or less of (a) Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, (b) patronage and nepotism in Cook County Government, (c) cuts in the County Health Bureau budget and number of healthcare clinics, the relevance of the legal or illegal immigration status to the County's decision to provide healthcare services, Don't Ask, Don't Tell procedures in the Cook County Bureau of Health, are illegal immigrant issues similar to the Civil Rights issues of the 1960s in the United States and is there or should there be a Global War on Terrorism.

Also discussed are which Bush tax cuts should be preserved, Maldonado's record on taxes on the Cook County Board, Maldonado's views on (a) charter schools and school vouchers-school choice, (b) gun control, (c) same sex marriage and civil unions (d) abortion and reproductive rights and (e) the congressional decision in 2002 to authorize the President to take military action and much, much more.

A partial transcript of the show is included, below.
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Hispanics and African-Americans: Allies or Competitors?
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Jeff Berkowitz: Your colleagues on the Cook County Board disagree with you because you just had a vote…and it was 7-7, with three abstentions…what you wanted was essentially a “Don’t ask, Don tell [policy].” Somebody wants health services at Cook County, you don’t want any Cook County employees asking whether [that person is] illegal or undocumented…you want the person to get services. That was the proposed Cook County ordinance, right?

Roberto Maldonado, Cook County Commissioner [D-Chicago] and 4th CD 2008 Democratic Primary candidate: That’s not true.

Jeff Berkowitz: It wasn’t?

Comm. Roberto Maldonado: No, that is not true. Let me tell you exactly what it meant. It was a proposed resolution that would prohibit our county employees from discriminating against anybody that comes to our County Government seeking any kind of services—[discriminating] just because they perceive them to be undocumented. So, it is a big distinction. Let me tell you—the Civil Rights movement in this country took many, many decades and in those days, like some members said on the floor, you know, we cannot be fighting the attitudes of some of our employees. Yes, it is true, we cannot legislate attitudes [but] we can legislate behaviors in the hope that those attitudes are going to change down the road.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, those civil rights in the 1960s and since—that Civil Rights Movement, as I recall—as I understood—was all about civil rights for United States citizens. You’re talking about civil rights for people who are not citizens of the United States.

Comm. Roberto Maldonado: So.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, there is a difference there. I am just saying would you acknowledge that difference? You may be right in your view—

Comm. Roberto Maldonado: Of course, yes, and I acknowledge the difference and I acknowledge that this group of undocumented immigrants—they have become a threat in this country because now they are a part of a group who have become the largest minority—Latinos. So, this is all connected with those stereotypes about us Latinos.

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, is that why? Because, as you know, the African-American Cook County Board Members generally did not support your proposal.

Comm. Roberto Maldonado: That’s true.

Jeff Berkowitz: Is it because they thought this would hurt African-Americans who may be squeezed out of [Cook County] health services themselves or who may lose employment because of budget issues? They thought, representing their districts, representing districts that had substantially higher percentages of African-American [constituents] than you have, they should vote no…is that generally what happened here? Is that why you lost?

Comm. Roberto Maldonado: I cannot read the minds of my fellow members who are African-Americans.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, you don’t know.

Comm. Roberto Maldonado: However, I can tell you that we haven’t done a good job in terms of the immigration movement in engaging the African-American community, the African-American Leadership in this struggle for civil rights for this community…but this minority perception in some parts of the African-American community that we have become a threat in terms of jobs because we tend to take jobs at lower pay is not true, in fact, you know about three weeks ago, the Secretary of Commerce for the Unites States Government was…
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Commissioner Maldonado [D-Chicago], as he 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, May 21, 2007 [8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21, CANTV] on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs The show was recorded on May 6, 2007.[You may also soon go here to watch Cook County Commissioner and 4th CD Democratic Primary candidate Maldonado on PublicAffairsTV.com].
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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 guest Comm. Roberto Maldonado 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.
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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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