Better than Senator Jim Webb w/Russert; Comm. Claypool w/ Berkowitz on Obama, McCain, the Strogers, Peraica and much, much more, Cable and Streaming
Jeff Berkowitz: I mean you lost on the Cook County stuff. Todd [Stroger] got his tax increase. He now has a board that is looking like what he wants to run the healthcare bureau at Cook County. He’s got his friend Comm. Jerry “Ice man” Butler on there. And so, really, what hope is there for reform in Cook County? There is you, and Tony Peraica. Suffredin’s not there [on reform] anymore. Mike Quigley—you can’t trust him.
Comm. Forrest Claypool(D-Chicago): No, no, no. I don’t think that’s true, but I think--
Jeff Berkowitz: Those two guys [Suffredin and Quigley] abandoned you [and Peraica] when you needed them.
**********************************************
Tonight's City of Chicago and City of Aurora edition of "Public Affairs," features Cook County Comm. Forrest Claypool, who is also an Obama media team member. The show with Comm. Claypool airs throughout the City of Chicago tonight at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 (CANTV) and also tonight in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV, Cable Ch. 10. The Aurora station, Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
Turn on, Tune in and watch discussions Of Barack Obama's campaign for President and Obama's run-up to that campaign-- and Cook County politics on tonight's show in Chicago and Aurora with Comm. Claypool. Go here and here for partial transcripts of tonight's show, as well as for a more detailed list of topics discussed on tonight's show and for more about our guest.
*************************
You may also watch the show, taped on May 25, 2008, with
Comm. Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) here.
********************************************
A partial transcript of tonight's show is included, below:
Jeff Berkowitz: All right. Let’s go over to Cook County politics, or Cook County policy. The short question is: did the reformers lose? Is it all over? Because, at one point, you folks—the reformers—were winning votes. A few years back, when John Stroger was there, there was the Gang of Four. There was you—there were Larry Suffredin, Mike Quigley, and Tony Peraica. Three Democrats and a Republican. You might criticize or differ with Tony on some things, but on economic issues, the four of you were very close. You picked up the four other Republican votes; you picked up Earlene Collins. John Stroger couldn’t get a tax increase through there-- no matter what. Absolutely impossible. And then, a few years later, this year, Todd Stroger gets a 15 percent increase. In taxes. In Cook County. With all the waste that people talk about. How can that be?
Comm. Forest Claypool [D-Chicago, member of the Cook County Board]: Well, it was a lot more than 15 percent. We’re talking about a half a billion-dollar tax increase.
Jeff Berkowitz: I underestimated. Maybe 20%, how could he do that?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Well, that’s a good question. We know the history and what happened. It was a nine-to-eight vote. There was a compromise, which I did not support. The compromise was that the ninth candidate[board member] Larry Suffredin cast his vote for the tax increase in exchange for Todd Stroger turning over governance of the one billion dollar health care system—three hospitals, a couple dozen clinics—to independent governance. Try to take it out of politics, try to take it away from-- because it’s been a morass, and it has been one of the cesspools and one of the points where taxpayers have had to pick up hundreds of millions of dollars—
Jeff Berkowitz: I hate to interrupt, but we are going to continue to speak as the credits roll, but I very much want to thank our guest--we’re a little short on Cook County stuff, but you’re going to come back and we’ll do another show, right?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Okay.
Jeff Berkowitz: Our guest, Forrest Claypool, who is in his second term as Cook County Board member. He ran for president of the Cook County Board in the Democratic primary. He may do that again in 2010. He is a member of the media team for Barack Obama’s campaign for president, which was a campaign in the Democratic primary, and I think will shortly be a campaign in the general election to take on Senator John McCain. Thank you so much for coming. I’m sorry we had to cut that short. We’ll keep going on Cook County politics. Truly, we’d like to have you come back.
Forrest Claypool: Sure. No problem.
Jeff Berkowitz: So… what happened there? You were telling me that… you guys lost, but you’re still fighting?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: What do you mean? On the County?
Jeff Berkowitz: I mean you lost on the Cook County stuff. Todd [Stroger] got his tax increase. He now has a board that is looking like what he wants to run the healthcare bureau at Cook County. He’s got his friend Comm. Jerry “Ice man” Butler on there. And so, really, what hope is there for reform in Cook County? There is you, and Tony Peraica. Suffredin’s not there [on reform] anymore. Mike Quigley—you can’t trust him.
Forrest Claypool: No, no, no. I don’t think that’s true, but I think--
Jeff Berkowitz: Those two guys abandoned you when you needed them.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Look, the answer to your question is: we’ll find out in 2010. In 2010 the voters have a chance to turn Todd out, and they have a chance to turn these board members out. I think there is the highest level of awareness right now that there has ever been about the cesspool that is Cook County. It’s a test. Are people willing to come out? the machine has moved the election to February 5th; it will be even colder, probably will be a blizzard; they have made it even harder for an independent to win. They are counting on the same thing—a low turnout election. The same thing I saw in my campaign, bitter winds and people…going home instead of to the polls. I mean, bottom line, it’s a test. The anger that I see now in the street. The anger that you see in letters to the editor and on blogs and on TV news stories—
Jeff Berkowitz: Todd doesn’t seem affected by it. I mean, he just marches right along.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Right. Exactly. I mean I’m just saying that this is a test. I don’t know the answer to your question…. But, I’ll tell you this. Because,. If people aren’t willing to come out and take fifteen minutes to vote, in the middle of the winter, in the Democratic Primary. Now, that’s part of the problem. A lot of people say, “Oh, I don’t vote in primaries. Well, that’s when elections are decided in Cook County. You come in November and it’s all over. So, if you are really mad about this stuff, YOU HAVE TO VOTE. So, we’ll see. That’s the test. The test is turnout in these areas that are most affected and most angered. We’ll see…The answer to your question will be decided on February 5…
******************************************
Thanks to "Public Affairs," intern Amy Allen for preparing the above partial transcript of tonight's show.
***************************************************
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 coming week's show in the suburbs with State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago); last week's show in the suburbs with Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago), the prior week's show in the Suburbs with State Rep. Candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), next week's show in the suburbs with State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), our prior shows in Chicago and Aurora with 6th CD Democratic candidate, Colonel Jill Morgenthaler (Ret.), with 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 coming week's show in the Chicago metro suburbs with Sen. Kwame Raoul(D-Chicago), last Monday night's show in Chicago and Aurora with State Rep. Candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), tonight's show in Chicago and Aurora with Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) on the Obama Presidential campaign and shows with many other pols
Comm. Forrest Claypool(D-Chicago): No, no, no. I don’t think that’s true, but I think--
Jeff Berkowitz: Those two guys [Suffredin and Quigley] abandoned you [and Peraica] when you needed them.
**********************************************
Tonight's City of Chicago and City of Aurora edition of "Public Affairs," features Cook County Comm. Forrest Claypool, who is also an Obama media team member. The show with Comm. Claypool airs throughout the City of Chicago tonight at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21 (CANTV) and also tonight in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV, Cable Ch. 10. The Aurora station, Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
Turn on, Tune in and watch discussions Of Barack Obama's campaign for President and Obama's run-up to that campaign-- and Cook County politics on tonight's show in Chicago and Aurora with Comm. Claypool. Go here and here for partial transcripts of tonight's show, as well as for a more detailed list of topics discussed on tonight's show and for more about our guest.
*************************
You may also watch the show, taped on May 25, 2008, with
Comm. Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) here.
********************************************
A partial transcript of tonight's show is included, below:
Jeff Berkowitz: All right. Let’s go over to Cook County politics, or Cook County policy. The short question is: did the reformers lose? Is it all over? Because, at one point, you folks—the reformers—were winning votes. A few years back, when John Stroger was there, there was the Gang of Four. There was you—there were Larry Suffredin, Mike Quigley, and Tony Peraica. Three Democrats and a Republican. You might criticize or differ with Tony on some things, but on economic issues, the four of you were very close. You picked up the four other Republican votes; you picked up Earlene Collins. John Stroger couldn’t get a tax increase through there-- no matter what. Absolutely impossible. And then, a few years later, this year, Todd Stroger gets a 15 percent increase. In taxes. In Cook County. With all the waste that people talk about. How can that be?
Comm. Forest Claypool [D-Chicago, member of the Cook County Board]: Well, it was a lot more than 15 percent. We’re talking about a half a billion-dollar tax increase.
Jeff Berkowitz: I underestimated. Maybe 20%, how could he do that?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Well, that’s a good question. We know the history and what happened. It was a nine-to-eight vote. There was a compromise, which I did not support. The compromise was that the ninth candidate[board member] Larry Suffredin cast his vote for the tax increase in exchange for Todd Stroger turning over governance of the one billion dollar health care system—three hospitals, a couple dozen clinics—to independent governance. Try to take it out of politics, try to take it away from-- because it’s been a morass, and it has been one of the cesspools and one of the points where taxpayers have had to pick up hundreds of millions of dollars—
Jeff Berkowitz: I hate to interrupt, but we are going to continue to speak as the credits roll, but I very much want to thank our guest--we’re a little short on Cook County stuff, but you’re going to come back and we’ll do another show, right?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Okay.
Jeff Berkowitz: Our guest, Forrest Claypool, who is in his second term as Cook County Board member. He ran for president of the Cook County Board in the Democratic primary. He may do that again in 2010. He is a member of the media team for Barack Obama’s campaign for president, which was a campaign in the Democratic primary, and I think will shortly be a campaign in the general election to take on Senator John McCain. Thank you so much for coming. I’m sorry we had to cut that short. We’ll keep going on Cook County politics. Truly, we’d like to have you come back.
Forrest Claypool: Sure. No problem.
Jeff Berkowitz: So… what happened there? You were telling me that… you guys lost, but you’re still fighting?
Comm. Forrest Claypool: What do you mean? On the County?
Jeff Berkowitz: I mean you lost on the Cook County stuff. Todd [Stroger] got his tax increase. He now has a board that is looking like what he wants to run the healthcare bureau at Cook County. He’s got his friend Comm. Jerry “Ice man” Butler on there. And so, really, what hope is there for reform in Cook County? There is you, and Tony Peraica. Suffredin’s not there [on reform] anymore. Mike Quigley—you can’t trust him.
Forrest Claypool: No, no, no. I don’t think that’s true, but I think--
Jeff Berkowitz: Those two guys abandoned you when you needed them.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Look, the answer to your question is: we’ll find out in 2010. In 2010 the voters have a chance to turn Todd out, and they have a chance to turn these board members out. I think there is the highest level of awareness right now that there has ever been about the cesspool that is Cook County. It’s a test. Are people willing to come out? the machine has moved the election to February 5th; it will be even colder, probably will be a blizzard; they have made it even harder for an independent to win. They are counting on the same thing—a low turnout election. The same thing I saw in my campaign, bitter winds and people…going home instead of to the polls. I mean, bottom line, it’s a test. The anger that I see now in the street. The anger that you see in letters to the editor and on blogs and on TV news stories—
Jeff Berkowitz: Todd doesn’t seem affected by it. I mean, he just marches right along.
Comm. Forrest Claypool: Right. Exactly. I mean I’m just saying that this is a test. I don’t know the answer to your question…. But, I’ll tell you this. Because,. If people aren’t willing to come out and take fifteen minutes to vote, in the middle of the winter, in the Democratic Primary. Now, that’s part of the problem. A lot of people say, “Oh, I don’t vote in primaries. Well, that’s when elections are decided in Cook County. You come in November and it’s all over. So, if you are really mad about this stuff, YOU HAVE TO VOTE. So, we’ll see. That’s the test. The test is turnout in these areas that are most affected and most angered. We’ll see…The answer to your question will be decided on February 5…
******************************************
Thanks to "Public Affairs," intern Amy Allen for preparing the above partial transcript of tonight's show.
***************************************************
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 coming week's show in the suburbs with State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago); last week's show in the suburbs with Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago), the prior week's show in the Suburbs with State Rep. Candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), next week's show in the suburbs with State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), our prior shows in Chicago and Aurora with 6th CD Democratic candidate, Colonel Jill Morgenthaler (Ret.), with 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 coming week's show in the Chicago metro suburbs with Sen. Kwame Raoul(D-Chicago), last Monday night's show in Chicago and Aurora with State Rep. Candidate Joan Solms (R-Aurora), tonight's show in Chicago and Aurora with Comm. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago) on the Obama Presidential campaign and shows with many other pols
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