Thursday, July 10, 2008

Pat Quinn and Forrest Claypool: The odd couple? Berkowitz goes one on one with Lt. Gov. Quinn- almost

Berkowitz: How about your running mate, Gov. Rod Blagojevich? Is he doing a fine job, too?

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn: Well, I think there is room for improvement.

Jeff Berkowitz: What would you suggest?
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Jeff Berkowitz: So, how do you cure the rest of the deficit? You’ve only accounted for five hundred million [dollars with the fund sweeps].

Pat Quinn: I think what Forrest said is the way to go in state government: If you have to make cuts, so be it. Okay, thank you for coming.
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Claypool and Quinn: Strange Bedfellows

Although Forrest Claypool was Pat Quinn’s deputy, first at the Cook County Board of Tax Appeals and then when Quinn was State Treasurer, the two seem unlikely political allies. But, as they say, politics makes for strange bedfellows.

Claypool: the machine reformer

Claypool, almost two decades ago, started a two-year stint as Mayor Daley’s Chief of Staff and almost a decade ago, went back for an encore performance. In between those jobs, Daley sent Claypool off to clean up a dysfunctional, patronage ridden City Parks Department and Forrest developed a reputation, there, as a reformer and a fiscal conservative, a reputation he has enhanced as a Cook County Commissioner for the last six years and as candidate for Cook County Board President in the 2006 Democratic Primary against John Stroger.

Claypool lost in a close race to Stroger.[Watch here for some insights as to how he might have won]. However, most agree, but for the sympathy and “affection” vote that John Stroger received after his stroke, Claypool, not John’s son, Todd, would be Cook County Board President today. Further, most now agree the difference in county government between Democratic Presidents Todd Stroger and Forrest Claypool would be like the difference between night and day. Claypool would have made county government more efficient and responsive to those it served and done so without higher taxes and with many fewer patronage workers. Or, so many believe.

Claypool takes on the machine

In the 2006 race against Stroger, Forrest was in some respects taking on the machine—a machine he had to be a part of as Daley’s Chief of Staff. Indeed, many saw that race as the last step in Claypool’s evolution to true blue reformer—an evolution that Daley, ironically, put into play when he sent Forrest to clean up the mess at Parks. [Read and Watch here].


Quinn: the maverick populist

Quinn, on the other hand, has always been the maverick, distrusted and often detested by the party regulars. He has always been the populist, the man who drew his strength, energy and votes, from the people. He relishes going over the heads of the party bosses. He loves referenda and he loves drawing his power from “the people.” Unlike Rod, it seems sincere.

Quinn runs with Blagojevich: the real odd couple

On the other hand, although not Blagojevich’s candidate for Lt. Gov., in both 2002 and 2006, Quinn apparently swallowed his pride and did what he needed to do to be Rod’s running mate. Perhaps Pat had a sense, before others, that he would be just one senate impeachment trial away from being Governor. In the words of psychologists, Quinn might have felt an approach-avoidance magnetic field between Rod and himself. Like Gerry Ford, most would not think Quinn could get the top job directly. Such a direct path just would not fit with Pat’s maverick image and approach to politics.

Quinn: not a fiscal conservative

Although Quinn and Claypool share some common reformer traits, most are not going to mistake Quinn for a fiscal conservative. Pat does not want to raise the sales tax and he did not support Blagojevich’s proposal last year for a Gross Receipts Tax because he views such taxes as regressive and hitting the working guy and woman too hard. But, it is doubtful Quinn would be troubled by, say, raising the income tax for those families earning over 200K/year.

Claypool: the libertarian, fiscal conservative

Claypool, on the other hand, would work much harder to avoid such tax increases. In some respects, Claypool is more libertarian, if not Republican, than Democratic. Or, so it seems.

Quinn and Claypool find common ground in a tax repeal initiative: Power to the People.

But, earlier this week, the old friends and allies, Quinn and Claypool, came together to propose state legislation that would allow the voters of Cook county, and perhaps other Illinois counties, to repeal, if they had a majority of voter support, county taxes that their county boards had passed.

After that discussion, Pat Quinn seemed in the mood to answer some questions about the Governor, the Speaker and the State deficit. Tuning up for his role as Governor? We discuss, you decide. Take a listen.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Pat, are you on both sides here? Because, I think you are on record as being in favor of a massive increase in the corporate and individual income tax [in Illinois] to the tune of four to five billion dollars at the state level and here-- you’re upset about a Cook County tax increase that’s relatively small [500 million dollars per year], relative to that five billion dollar number.

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (D-Chicago): No, I am not on both sides. I believe in the right of voters in a referendum to decide how to organize their tax system. If you want to close down loopholes [as Quinn proposed last year with the state corporate income tax], and use the resulting revenue to cut taxes on ordinary people who are paying these high gasoline bills and utility bills, that’s what the voters would have a chance to do at the ballot box. I think the most important thing we are saying today is why should taxpayers, who pay the bill, and who are paying the salaries of all those in government be denied the opportunity, by referendum, to vote on issues involving their government spending and government taxation.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Forrest, do you know which of your Cook County Board colleagues are in support of your proposal that you are giving here this afternoon because I would think there would be others- but they’re not here. Did you ask any of them to be here? [Cook County Commissioner] Tony Peraica

Cook County Cmsr. Forrest Claypool (D-Chicago): No, this is the--

Jeff Berkowitz: Mike Quigley, Larry Suffredin—

Cmsr. Forrest Claypool: As Lt. Gov. Quinn said—this is the first step. We’re going to solicit support from legislators in Springfield, from other elected officials, from civic groups, others who have—taxpayers themselves at the grassroots level to fight for and speak out and petition for this process and hopefully that leads to a movement for change.

Jeff Berkowitz: What percentage [of the vote] does it require for repeal [of a tax] under your proposed legislation?

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn: Well, I would say this, eight per cent of the gubernatorial vote in Cook County is about one hundred thousand names to put a referendum on the County ballot. It seems to me that’s a pretty good showing of public support. And, as Forrest just said, repeal this unfair tax. One hundred thousand sign the petition and it would go on the ballot and people would get a chance to vote, yes or no on it and I think that is a heck of a lot better than what we have now where taxpayers are basically helpless. They are just stuck with paying the bill and we shouldn’t accept that in a democracy. We should perfect our democracy and give voters more voice.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, it’s a simple majority [of those] voting—is all that is required for repeal, once it is on the ballot?

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn: To pass it. Yes, simple majority to pass the law by petition referendum.

Another Reporter: You talked a little a bit about the gridlock in Springfield. Could you talk about Speaker Madigan’s role and do you think he’s dong a good job right now as Speaker of the House?

Pat Quinn: Oh yeah. I think he does a fine job. I don’t always agree with Speaker Madigan. There was a time once long ago where he questioned whether I was worthy of being called an Irishman. In 1976, I had passed a petition and it led to a law ending advanced pay for all legislators in Illinois…and Madigan said [I] was not worthy of being called an Irishman, but that was then…

Berkowitz: How about your running mate, Gov. Rod Blagojevich? Is he doing a fine job, too?

Pat Quinn: Well, I think there is room for improvement.

Jeff Berkowitz: What would you suggest?

Pat Quinn: I think the Governor should find a public forum to answer any and all questions from the press on any subject. I think that is the best way to go if you are Governor of Illinois or Governor of any state. Any chief executive should be answering the questions that people have.

Jeff Berkowitz: Are you referring to allegations of public corruption? Should the Governor be addressing those?

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn: I think the Governor should be answering all questions and that’s about as much as I want to say on that, today.
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Jeff Berkowitz: Are there any specific revenue proposals that you support that are on the table now to deal with the so-called two billion dollar state deficit?

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn: I am not opposed to the transfer of the special funds. I think that is something that is, you know, a legitimate way to make sure we enough money to pay the basic bills of state government. I’ve supported that in the past.

Jeff Berkowitz: What about the lease of the [State] lottery?Pat Quinn: I am skeptical of that.

Jeff Berkowitz: Expanded gaming?

Pat Quinn: I don’t think that should happen without a referendum by the voters. Right now the proposal is to double the size of gambling in Illinois and more than twelve thousand new positions. I think the voters should have a say, yea or nay on that.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, how do you cure the rest of the deficit? You’ve only accounted for five hundred million [dollars with the fund sweeps].

Pat Quinn: I think what Forrest said is the way to go in state government: If you have to make cuts, so be it. Okay, thank you for coming.
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Press Conference held by Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and Cook County Commissioner Forrest Claypool, Blue Room, Thompson Center, Chicago, IL, July 8, 2008.
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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 Obama, McCain, Giuliani and Cox, last Monday night's Chicago and Aurora show with State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda), soon this week's suburban edition of Public Affairs w/Ald. Sandi Jackson, our prior show in Chicago, Aurora and across the state of Illinois with 13th CD Dem. Nominee Scott Harper, last week's show in Chicago and Aurora with State Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago); our prior show 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
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Soon to be included on the Public Affairs podcast page is Ald. Sandi Jackson. A very recently posted show on the Public Affairs YouTube page is last Monday night's Chicago and Aurora show with State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda). Other recently posted shows include our prior show in Chicago, Aurora and across the State of Illinois with 13th CD Dem. Nominee Scott Harper, last week's show in Chicago and Aurora with Sen. Kwame Raoul(D-Chicago), our prior show 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