Better than Conaty and Placko w/Jarrett: Berkowitz w/ Sen. Cullerton on the Dems' Illinois Income Tax Increase, Cable and Streaming
State Sen. John Cullerton(D-Chicago): I’m sure you’re not going to mischaracterize it. I think I’ve made it clear.
Jeff Berkowitz: Oh no, you’re making it clear, right now. You’re betting on
a tax increase next year, income tax increase,[coming] partly from getting
additional Democrats elected who will support that, and partly from the downstate Democrats, excuse me, downstate Republicans who you’ve mentioned, Eddy and Mitchell.
State Sen. John Cullerton: Absolutely, no question about it. And of course you know, I’m sure, why we need a tax increase. The actual amount of money coming into the State Government--
Jeff Berkowitz: I don’t know that, and I mean, [many of] my viewers don’t
know that. They would be saying to you, why don’t you cut spending on
some things. Why don’t you live within your means?
********************************
This week’s Chicago metro suburban edition of “Public Affairs,” features State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago). The show was taped on June 8, 2008
You can watch the show with Senator John Cullerton here.
Topics discussed this week in the suburban episode of "Public Affairs," with Senator Cullerton include Impeaching the Governor; Jack Roeser, Bill Brady and is Illinois a high tax state? Pat Brady, Andy McKenna, Jr., Kjellander and the State GOP; Budget Deficits, Income Tax Increases, Pension Bond schemes and Fund Sweeps; Topinka, Chicago Tonight and Speaker Mike; School choice, the loss of Federal matching funds and a Capital Budget; Go here for more about the Senator.
For a more detailed list of show topics, see below.
**************************************************
The suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs is included, below.
*********************************************************
The show with Senator John Cullerton will also air throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night, at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 (CANTV) and in Aurora and surrounding areas on that same Monday night at 7:30 pm on ACTV, Cable Ch. 10. Or, watch the show with Senator Cullerton here.
*************************************************************
Next week's "Public Affairs," show in the Chicago Metro Suburbs features Scott Harper, the Democratic nominee for the 13th Congressional District seat.
************************************
A partial transcipt of the show with Senator Cullerton is included, directly, below:
************************************************
The Source of a portion of the State Budget Deficit: House failure to pass the sweeps and the pension bond plan [scheme]?
Jeff Berkowitz: host of Public Affairs: The sweeps [of dedicated state funds not being spent] would give you about half a billion dollars, five hundred million.
State Sen. John Cullerton [D-Chicago]: Same thing is true for the pension obligation bonds [16 billion dollars of bonds to be sold would allow the Blago administration to “book,” a gain of about 500 million dollars].
Jeff Berkowitz: That’s an additional one billion dollars [of revenue for the operating budget] that you passed in the Senate that the House didn’t pass, so that explains why you’re a billion dollars short, but what about the other billion?
State Sen. John Cullerton [D-Chicago]: Well, as I said, it’s based on estimates of revenue for the coming year.
Jeff Berkowitz: No, but you know it’s not there. I’m trying to be fair, here
Is there an increase of the state income tax from 3% to 4% in your future?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Jeff, I’m trying to be fair, too. Next January when we come in, in the middle of the fiscal year, and we pass the one percent increase in the income tax that I just talked about--the effective date would be January 1st of 2009—that will bring in more than enough money to balance the budget for this fiscal year [a net increase for the state of about three billion dollars].
Jeff Berkowitz: So this is the plan. Because, people haven’t been talking about, you are making news here--
State Sen. John Cullerton: It’s one of the options.
Jeff Berkowitz: John Cullerton, you’re making news here today.
State Sen. John Cullerton: It’s one of the options.
Five new State House Democrats in 2009 would mean an increase in the state income tax?
Jeff Berkowitz: You’re telling the Illinois electorate, go out and elect five more Republicans to the state house—
State Sen. John Cullerton: Five more Democrats.
Jeff Berkowitz: Excuse me. You wouldn’t be telling [us] to elect five more Republicans.
State Sen. John Cullerton: Right.
Jeff Berkowitz: Elect five more Democrats, and you’re basically voting for a substantial, large—a very large tax increase.
State Sen. John Cullerton: You really jumped to a conclusion there. That’s not fair.
Jeff Berkowitz: That’s what’s going to happen if you get five more Democrats.
Will downstate Republican educrats support an increase in the state income tax?
State Sen. John Cullerton: No, not at all. We believe that we need a three-fifths vote. Even if there’s not more Democrats in the House, we’ve been talking to downstate Republicans to vote for the income tax increase.
Jeff Berkowitz: Can you name them? So [Republicans] can go ahead and run somebody independent against them. Tell me the five Republicans downstate who are going to support an income tax increase.
State Sen. John Cullerton: I said three.
Jeff Berkowitz: Three.
Do Republicans Roger Eddy and Jerry Mitchell support an increase in the state income tax?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Roger Eddy and Jerry Mitchell are two that I’m sure—
Jeff Berkowitz: They’ve signed on? Publicly?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Not signed on publicly. I said we’re talking to them.
Jeff Berkowitz: Eddy and Mitchell. Who else? Who’s the third?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Because they are school people.
Jeff Berkowitz: Who’s the third?
State Sen. John Cullerton: I can’t remember the name.
Do Eddy and Mitchell represent the Teachers’ Unions or their constituents?
Jeff Berkowitz: So, these guys are basically in the pocket of the teachers’ unions. They call themselves Republicans, but--
State Sen. John Cullerton [D-Chicago]: Just the opposite. They’re school
administrators and they know that—
Jeff Berkowitz: They make their living from the tax dollars that people pay--
State Sen. John Cullerton: They’re educators.
Jeff Berkowitz: I thought they were also supposed to be representatives.
Which is it? Are they working for the teachers’ unions or are they working
for their constituents?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Oh no, look, you can go talk to these
Republicans yourselves, but when I talk to them what they seem to be
concerned about is improving education in their area, in their state rep
districts. They also want a capital bill. They also want to pay the debts
of the state, as I indicated, which is what the income tax bill would do.
Jeff Berkowitz: All right, so there’s that news coming out of this show, that
you’re sort of betting on a tax increase.
State Sen. John Cullerton: I’m sure you’re not going to mischaracterize it. I
think I’ve made it clear.
Jeff Berkowitz: Oh no, you’re making it clear, right now. You’re betting on
a tax increase next year, income tax increase,[coming] partly from getting
additional Democrats elected who will support that, and partly from the
downstate Democrats, excuse me, downstate Republicans who you’ve
mentioned, Eddy and Mitchell.
Does the State need a tax increase or a spending decrease?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Absolutely, no question about it. And of course
you know, I’m sure, why we need a tax increase. The actual amount of
money coming into the State Government--
Jeff Berkowitz: I don’t know that, and I mean, [many of] my viewers don’t
know that. They would be saying to you, why don’t you cut spending on
some things. Why don’t you live within your means?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Right.
Jeff Berkowitz: When their revenue is insufficient for their expenses, they
don’t have the ability to go out and raise taxes. They cut spending.
State Sen. John Cullerton: Exactly.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, they’re saying to you, John Cullerton, why doesn’t
the Democratic majority do the same thing?
Is Illinois State Government growing or shrinking?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Because we have. We have the lowest ratio of
state employees to population in the nation, by far. We’ve cut thirteen
thousand state employees since the Governor’s been there—
Jeff Berkowitz: That’s what the Governor says, but the suspicion is that
he has added consultants and other people who are not full-time employees.
Spending is going up. It doesn’t matter how many employees you have.
Spending is going up.
State Sen. John Cullerton [D-Chicago]: If the spending has gone up, it’s
gone up for healthcare, which is obligated by the federal government
through Medicaid, and for schools. We pass through the money to the school
districts.
Would cutting tax rates lower the burden on state government? What do the
Republicans and Senator Bill Brady say? What do the Democrats and
Senator Cullerton say?
Jeff Berkowitz: The Republicans would say, [Senator Bill] Brady would say,
“cut taxes, bring in more jobs to Illinois,” and then you can have the private
sector pay for health insurance.
State Sen. John Cullerton: Yeah, I know. I like listening to Brady. Under
Senator Brady’s plan, I think Senator Brady believes we’d get the most
money if we had zero taxes.
Jeff Berkowitz: No.
State Sen. John Cullerton: If we had a zero [tax] rate.
Jeff Berkowitz: No, let’s be fair, [Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington)] is
not saying zero taxes, but he’s saying lower tax [rates] and you get more
jobs.
State Sen. John Cullerton: When he ran for Governor, I followed his
positions, they were so phenomenally inconsistent. Unbelievable…
******************************
Thanks to "Public Affairs," intern Amy Allen for preparing a draft of the above partial transcript of this week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs."
************************************
State Senator John Cullerton, now completing his third decade of service in the General Assembly, debates and discusses the issues with “Public Affairs,” show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz. Senator Cullerton is in the running to become the next Senate President, should current Senate President Emil Jones become Ambassador to the country of his choice, if Senator Obama becomes President Obama.
Senator Cullerton, who started his legal career as an Ass’t Public Defender, is now with the St. Louis based, 350 attorney firm of Thompson Coburn. In addition to St. Louis, Thompson Coburn has offices in Washington, DC, Chicago and Belleville.
Topics discussed on the show featuring Senator Cullerton include the 7% increase in spending in the State’s operating budget-- is it unconstitutionally unbalanced? Is there really a two billion dollar hole in the budget? If so, it that deficit typical of prior budgets, adjusting for inflation? Did Governor Thompson, the current lawyer for Campaign Blagojevich, face similar, unbalanced budgets. If so, how did he handle them?
How does the 16 Billion dollar pension bond scheme/sale figure into things? If Cullerton had been Governor, what would have done differently, starting in ’03? Would Judy Baar Topinka have raised the income tax if she had won in ’06? Does the answer to that question explain why she, and not Senator Rauschenberger, is now providing commentary on Chicago Tonight?
Does Speaker Mike Madigan, along with all the other legislative leaders, want a Capital Budget? What would Speaker Mike prefer as the revenue stream for the Capital Budget? Would there be more support in the General Assembly for an increase in the income tax if the legislators were confident they could limit the uses of the money to education, financing the capital budget and reducing the payment cycle for Medicaid?
Must a Capital Budget be passed this year to avoid Illinois losing federal matching funds?
With Pat Brady being installed as the new Republican Committeeman, is Kjellander back in the saddle? Did Kjellander work with McKenna to achieve that? Would the Dems be more afraid of Senator Rauschenberger leading the charge against them than Pat Brady?
Are the Dems anticipating a five-seat pick up in the State House in November? Will the Dems raise the Illinois income tax if they get that kind of pick up in the House? Can Cullerton name downstate Republicans who will support an increase in the income tax? How much of a net increase in state tax revenue is Cullerton talking about, come 2009?
Is School Choice like “Change,” or does it have real meaning? Are charter schools more saleable in Illinois than school vouchers? Are charter schools a good way to introduce competition into the provision of educational services, especially when you consider the political angle? Were the state caps on charter schools modified by the General Assembly this year? What about the teachers unions’ efforts to clamp down on the expansion of charter schools by limiting the number of campuses per charter school? Did the teachers unions get their way?
Is Jack Roeser right when he says the public schools in Illinois ought to be able to live on $250,000 per classroom? Where did he get that number? Does that mean that the public schools don’t “need,” more tax revenue? Does Senator Cullerton know Jack Roeser? Doesn’t everybody?
Is Senator Bill Brady right when he argues that lower tax rates will result in more private employers providing their employees more health care, and that would place a lower burden on the state to provide health care?
Is Illinois a high tax state? In general, and specifically with respect to gasoline taxes?
Should Governor Blagojevich be impeached? Will the State House vote to issue articles of impeachment?
*****************************
This week’s suburban episode of Public Affairs with guest State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago) 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 at 8:30 pm airing 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. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox, this past Monday night's show in Chicago and Aurora with State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago); this week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," featuring State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago), our prior shows with Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago), State Rep. Candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), 6th CD Democratic candidate, Colonel Jill Morgenthaler (Ret.), State Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) and shows with many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
*************************************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page include this past Monday night's show in Chicago and Aurora with Sen. Kwame Raoul(D-Chicago), this week's show in the Chicago Metro suburbs with Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago)- watch here; our prior shows with State Rep. candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) on the Obama Presidential campaign and shows with many other pols
Jeff Berkowitz: Oh no, you’re making it clear, right now. You’re betting on
a tax increase next year, income tax increase,[coming] partly from getting
additional Democrats elected who will support that, and partly from the downstate Democrats, excuse me, downstate Republicans who you’ve mentioned, Eddy and Mitchell.
State Sen. John Cullerton: Absolutely, no question about it. And of course you know, I’m sure, why we need a tax increase. The actual amount of money coming into the State Government--
Jeff Berkowitz: I don’t know that, and I mean, [many of] my viewers don’t
know that. They would be saying to you, why don’t you cut spending on
some things. Why don’t you live within your means?
********************************
This week’s Chicago metro suburban edition of “Public Affairs,” features State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago). The show was taped on June 8, 2008
You can watch the show with Senator John Cullerton here.
Topics discussed this week in the suburban episode of "Public Affairs," with Senator Cullerton include Impeaching the Governor; Jack Roeser, Bill Brady and is Illinois a high tax state? Pat Brady, Andy McKenna, Jr., Kjellander and the State GOP; Budget Deficits, Income Tax Increases, Pension Bond schemes and Fund Sweeps; Topinka, Chicago Tonight and Speaker Mike; School choice, the loss of Federal matching funds and a Capital Budget; Go here for more about the Senator.
For a more detailed list of show topics, see below.
**************************************************
The suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs is included, below.
*********************************************************
The show with Senator John Cullerton will also air throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night, at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 (CANTV) and in Aurora and surrounding areas on that same Monday night at 7:30 pm on ACTV, Cable Ch. 10. Or, watch the show with Senator Cullerton here.
*************************************************************
Next week's "Public Affairs," show in the Chicago Metro Suburbs features Scott Harper, the Democratic nominee for the 13th Congressional District seat.
************************************
A partial transcipt of the show with Senator Cullerton is included, directly, below:
************************************************
The Source of a portion of the State Budget Deficit: House failure to pass the sweeps and the pension bond plan [scheme]?
Jeff Berkowitz: host of Public Affairs: The sweeps [of dedicated state funds not being spent] would give you about half a billion dollars, five hundred million.
State Sen. John Cullerton [D-Chicago]: Same thing is true for the pension obligation bonds [16 billion dollars of bonds to be sold would allow the Blago administration to “book,” a gain of about 500 million dollars].
Jeff Berkowitz: That’s an additional one billion dollars [of revenue for the operating budget] that you passed in the Senate that the House didn’t pass, so that explains why you’re a billion dollars short, but what about the other billion?
State Sen. John Cullerton [D-Chicago]: Well, as I said, it’s based on estimates of revenue for the coming year.
Jeff Berkowitz: No, but you know it’s not there. I’m trying to be fair, here
Is there an increase of the state income tax from 3% to 4% in your future?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Jeff, I’m trying to be fair, too. Next January when we come in, in the middle of the fiscal year, and we pass the one percent increase in the income tax that I just talked about--the effective date would be January 1st of 2009—that will bring in more than enough money to balance the budget for this fiscal year [a net increase for the state of about three billion dollars].
Jeff Berkowitz: So this is the plan. Because, people haven’t been talking about, you are making news here--
State Sen. John Cullerton: It’s one of the options.
Jeff Berkowitz: John Cullerton, you’re making news here today.
State Sen. John Cullerton: It’s one of the options.
Five new State House Democrats in 2009 would mean an increase in the state income tax?
Jeff Berkowitz: You’re telling the Illinois electorate, go out and elect five more Republicans to the state house—
State Sen. John Cullerton: Five more Democrats.
Jeff Berkowitz: Excuse me. You wouldn’t be telling [us] to elect five more Republicans.
State Sen. John Cullerton: Right.
Jeff Berkowitz: Elect five more Democrats, and you’re basically voting for a substantial, large—a very large tax increase.
State Sen. John Cullerton: You really jumped to a conclusion there. That’s not fair.
Jeff Berkowitz: That’s what’s going to happen if you get five more Democrats.
Will downstate Republican educrats support an increase in the state income tax?
State Sen. John Cullerton: No, not at all. We believe that we need a three-fifths vote. Even if there’s not more Democrats in the House, we’ve been talking to downstate Republicans to vote for the income tax increase.
Jeff Berkowitz: Can you name them? So [Republicans] can go ahead and run somebody independent against them. Tell me the five Republicans downstate who are going to support an income tax increase.
State Sen. John Cullerton: I said three.
Jeff Berkowitz: Three.
Do Republicans Roger Eddy and Jerry Mitchell support an increase in the state income tax?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Roger Eddy and Jerry Mitchell are two that I’m sure—
Jeff Berkowitz: They’ve signed on? Publicly?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Not signed on publicly. I said we’re talking to them.
Jeff Berkowitz: Eddy and Mitchell. Who else? Who’s the third?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Because they are school people.
Jeff Berkowitz: Who’s the third?
State Sen. John Cullerton: I can’t remember the name.
Do Eddy and Mitchell represent the Teachers’ Unions or their constituents?
Jeff Berkowitz: So, these guys are basically in the pocket of the teachers’ unions. They call themselves Republicans, but--
State Sen. John Cullerton [D-Chicago]: Just the opposite. They’re school
administrators and they know that—
Jeff Berkowitz: They make their living from the tax dollars that people pay--
State Sen. John Cullerton: They’re educators.
Jeff Berkowitz: I thought they were also supposed to be representatives.
Which is it? Are they working for the teachers’ unions or are they working
for their constituents?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Oh no, look, you can go talk to these
Republicans yourselves, but when I talk to them what they seem to be
concerned about is improving education in their area, in their state rep
districts. They also want a capital bill. They also want to pay the debts
of the state, as I indicated, which is what the income tax bill would do.
Jeff Berkowitz: All right, so there’s that news coming out of this show, that
you’re sort of betting on a tax increase.
State Sen. John Cullerton: I’m sure you’re not going to mischaracterize it. I
think I’ve made it clear.
Jeff Berkowitz: Oh no, you’re making it clear, right now. You’re betting on
a tax increase next year, income tax increase,[coming] partly from getting
additional Democrats elected who will support that, and partly from the
downstate Democrats, excuse me, downstate Republicans who you’ve
mentioned, Eddy and Mitchell.
Does the State need a tax increase or a spending decrease?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Absolutely, no question about it. And of course
you know, I’m sure, why we need a tax increase. The actual amount of
money coming into the State Government--
Jeff Berkowitz: I don’t know that, and I mean, [many of] my viewers don’t
know that. They would be saying to you, why don’t you cut spending on
some things. Why don’t you live within your means?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Right.
Jeff Berkowitz: When their revenue is insufficient for their expenses, they
don’t have the ability to go out and raise taxes. They cut spending.
State Sen. John Cullerton: Exactly.
Jeff Berkowitz: So, they’re saying to you, John Cullerton, why doesn’t
the Democratic majority do the same thing?
Is Illinois State Government growing or shrinking?
State Sen. John Cullerton: Because we have. We have the lowest ratio of
state employees to population in the nation, by far. We’ve cut thirteen
thousand state employees since the Governor’s been there—
Jeff Berkowitz: That’s what the Governor says, but the suspicion is that
he has added consultants and other people who are not full-time employees.
Spending is going up. It doesn’t matter how many employees you have.
Spending is going up.
State Sen. John Cullerton [D-Chicago]: If the spending has gone up, it’s
gone up for healthcare, which is obligated by the federal government
through Medicaid, and for schools. We pass through the money to the school
districts.
Would cutting tax rates lower the burden on state government? What do the
Republicans and Senator Bill Brady say? What do the Democrats and
Senator Cullerton say?
Jeff Berkowitz: The Republicans would say, [Senator Bill] Brady would say,
“cut taxes, bring in more jobs to Illinois,” and then you can have the private
sector pay for health insurance.
State Sen. John Cullerton: Yeah, I know. I like listening to Brady. Under
Senator Brady’s plan, I think Senator Brady believes we’d get the most
money if we had zero taxes.
Jeff Berkowitz: No.
State Sen. John Cullerton: If we had a zero [tax] rate.
Jeff Berkowitz: No, let’s be fair, [Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington)] is
not saying zero taxes, but he’s saying lower tax [rates] and you get more
jobs.
State Sen. John Cullerton: When he ran for Governor, I followed his
positions, they were so phenomenally inconsistent. Unbelievable…
******************************
Thanks to "Public Affairs," intern Amy Allen for preparing a draft of the above partial transcript of this week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs."
************************************
State Senator John Cullerton, now completing his third decade of service in the General Assembly, debates and discusses the issues with “Public Affairs,” show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz. Senator Cullerton is in the running to become the next Senate President, should current Senate President Emil Jones become Ambassador to the country of his choice, if Senator Obama becomes President Obama.
Senator Cullerton, who started his legal career as an Ass’t Public Defender, is now with the St. Louis based, 350 attorney firm of Thompson Coburn. In addition to St. Louis, Thompson Coburn has offices in Washington, DC, Chicago and Belleville.
Topics discussed on the show featuring Senator Cullerton include the 7% increase in spending in the State’s operating budget-- is it unconstitutionally unbalanced? Is there really a two billion dollar hole in the budget? If so, it that deficit typical of prior budgets, adjusting for inflation? Did Governor Thompson, the current lawyer for Campaign Blagojevich, face similar, unbalanced budgets. If so, how did he handle them?
How does the 16 Billion dollar pension bond scheme/sale figure into things? If Cullerton had been Governor, what would have done differently, starting in ’03? Would Judy Baar Topinka have raised the income tax if she had won in ’06? Does the answer to that question explain why she, and not Senator Rauschenberger, is now providing commentary on Chicago Tonight?
Does Speaker Mike Madigan, along with all the other legislative leaders, want a Capital Budget? What would Speaker Mike prefer as the revenue stream for the Capital Budget? Would there be more support in the General Assembly for an increase in the income tax if the legislators were confident they could limit the uses of the money to education, financing the capital budget and reducing the payment cycle for Medicaid?
Must a Capital Budget be passed this year to avoid Illinois losing federal matching funds?
With Pat Brady being installed as the new Republican Committeeman, is Kjellander back in the saddle? Did Kjellander work with McKenna to achieve that? Would the Dems be more afraid of Senator Rauschenberger leading the charge against them than Pat Brady?
Are the Dems anticipating a five-seat pick up in the State House in November? Will the Dems raise the Illinois income tax if they get that kind of pick up in the House? Can Cullerton name downstate Republicans who will support an increase in the income tax? How much of a net increase in state tax revenue is Cullerton talking about, come 2009?
Is School Choice like “Change,” or does it have real meaning? Are charter schools more saleable in Illinois than school vouchers? Are charter schools a good way to introduce competition into the provision of educational services, especially when you consider the political angle? Were the state caps on charter schools modified by the General Assembly this year? What about the teachers unions’ efforts to clamp down on the expansion of charter schools by limiting the number of campuses per charter school? Did the teachers unions get their way?
Is Jack Roeser right when he says the public schools in Illinois ought to be able to live on $250,000 per classroom? Where did he get that number? Does that mean that the public schools don’t “need,” more tax revenue? Does Senator Cullerton know Jack Roeser? Doesn’t everybody?
Is Senator Bill Brady right when he argues that lower tax rates will result in more private employers providing their employees more health care, and that would place a lower burden on the state to provide health care?
Is Illinois a high tax state? In general, and specifically with respect to gasoline taxes?
Should Governor Blagojevich be impeached? Will the State House vote to issue articles of impeachment?
*****************************
This week’s suburban episode of Public Affairs with guest State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago) 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 at 8:30 pm airing 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. You may watch "Public Affairs," shows with Presidential Candidates Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox, this past Monday night's show in Chicago and Aurora with State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago); this week's suburban edition of "Public Affairs," featuring State Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago), our prior shows with Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago), State Rep. Candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), 6th CD Democratic candidate, Colonel Jill Morgenthaler (Ret.), State Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) and shows with many other pols at www.PublicAffairsTv.com
*************************************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page include this past Monday night's show in Chicago and Aurora with Sen. Kwame Raoul(D-Chicago), this week's show in the Chicago Metro suburbs with Senator John Cullerton (D-Chicago)- watch here; our prior shows with State Rep. candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) on the Obama Presidential campaign and shows with many other pols
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