Tuesday, October 09, 2007

Ready for Prime Time: Cullerton on Gaming, Capital Budget, Mass Transit and a possible Income Tax Increase, Cable and Streaming

Senator John Cullerton: Well, we all would like more [for education]. But, if we are going to do that, that will be next year when we consider an income tax increase...
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Jeff Berkowitz: That’s not enough to handle this stuff. Talk to Mayor Daley. He’s not going to allow that.

Senator John Cullerton: It all depends on what your definition of enough is.
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This week’s Chicago metro suburban edition of Public Affairs features State Sen. John Cullerton(D-Chicago, 6th Senate District). See below for the Public Affairs suburban airing schedule.
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The show with Sen. Cullerton also airs through-out the City of Chicago this coming Monday night [Oct. 15] at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 [CANTV] and on Monday night [Oct. 15] at 7:30 pm on Aurora Community Television, on Comcast Cable Ch. 10 in Aurora and some surrounding areas. The Aurora station reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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Next week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," features Kirk Morris (R-Gurnee), 8th Cong. District Republican Primary candidate, discussing and debating domestic and foreign policy issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz.
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You may also soon watch the show with Senator Cullerton, along with other recently posted shows with Rep. Hamos (D-Evanston) and Senator Garrett (D-Lake Forest), 14th CD Republican Primary candidate Mayor Kevin Burns and former Senator Rauschenberger on your computer at PublicAffairsTV.com. In addition to those shows, prior shows on the "Public Affairs," podcast page feature a show with Senators Durbin and Dodd, Cong. Kucinich and others; Democratic Presidential Candidates Senator Barack Obama and Governor Richardson; possible Republican opponent to Senator Durbin next fall: Dr. Steve Sauerberg; and 14 TH Cong. Dist. Democratic Primary Candidates Jotham Stein and John Laesch and 14th Cong. Dist. Republican Primary candidate Senator Chris Lauzen (R-Aurora). Additional previously posted shows feature Presidential candidates Giuliani, McCain and Cox, and many other pols and opinion makers. You may also watch these "Public Affairs," shows, and others, at www.itunes.com
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A partial transcript of the "Public Affairs," show with guest Sen. John Cullertonis included, below:
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Cullerton Predicts:

Jeff Berkowitz: All right, so make a prediction here. By the time people see this in the City in the middle of October [in the suburbs, week of Oct. 8], will there be an agreement on gaming, mass transit and the capital budget?

State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago): I think not yet because unfortunately we act when things are in a panic mode and a panic mode is not until November 4, 2007 when the CTA runs out of money [the so-called CTA doomsday].

Jeff Berkowitz: Will that agreement occur before November 4th?

State Senator John Cullerton: I think right around that time we’ll have to have an agreement. The RTA thing is too big.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, the agreement will be gaming, casinos and it will be on the Capital Budget plan and it will be on Mass Transit. All that will get resolved before November 4th?

Senator John Cullerton: Some capital bill—I don’t know if gaming will be the funding source and an RTA bill will pass.

Alternative revenue sources to gaming for the Capital Budget?

Jeff Berkowitz: Well, what’s the alternative to gaming? A cigarette tax [increase]. That’s not enough.

Senator John Cullerton: Well, you could have an expansion of the existing riverboats.

Jeff Berkowitz: That’s not enough to handle this stuff. Talk to Mayor Daley. He’s not going to allow that.

Senator John Cullerton: It all depends on what your definition of enough is.

Jeff Berkowitz: Not my definition. Mayor Daley’s definition. He’s going to say that’s not enough.

Senator John Cullerton: Well, on capital?

Jeff Berkowitz: Yeah, you can’t—He wants money for education and you can’t get enough for Chicago and education unless you get a casino—

Senator John Cullerton: No, no, no. That’s not really true. Our budget increased education by 600 million dollars.

Jeff Berkowitz: He wants more. He wants more.

An Income Tax Increase next year?

Senator John Cullerton: Well, we all would like more. But, if we are going to do that, that will be next year when we consider an income tax increase. But, you are talking about the next few months, or few weeks, I would suggest that would probably be—maybe a cigarette tax that could be substituted for—

Jeff Berkowitz: Doesn’t Daley want a casino here to help attract the Olympics?

Senator John Cullerton: I think a casino is something the Mayor wants—

The Olympics and a Casino?

Jeff Berkowitz: It [A Chicago casino] might help get the International Olympic Committee to pick Chicago over other cities outside the U. S. [Madrid, Tokyo, Rio]

Senator John Cullerton: Yeah, but I think he also wants to make sure it is a fair bill so that he can pay off the bonds that he needs to float to pay for a casino in the first place.

Jeff Berkowitz: Yeah, so you need that gaming revenue. You need a casino to do all that.

Senator John Cullerton: Well, a Chicago casino is very possible. It’s very possible.
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State Sen. John Cullerton, 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 this coming Monday, Oct. 15, 2007, at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21, CANTV on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs and on Monday, Oct. 15, 2007 at 7:30 pm on Aurora Community Television, on Comcast Cable Ch. 10 in Aurora and some surrounding areas. The show was recorded on Sep. 23, 2007.[You may also go here to watch, soon, Senator Cullerton along with currently posted shows with Presidential Candidates Richardson, Obama, Giuliani and many other politicians on PublicAffairsTV.com].
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The airing schedule for the Chicago Metro suburban edition of "Public Affairs," is included directly, below.
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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 State Sen. John Cullerton 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 tonight 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, Wednesday and Friday night at 8:30 pm, airing 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. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Richardson, Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox and many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
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