Better than Obama's Wednesday Presser: Berkowitz w/Senator Steans on Charters, Vouchers, State Budget deficits and Dem Brand dilution; Cable/Streaming
Jeff Berkowitz: But Senator Murphy and his Republican allies…are saying instead of raising the income tax, do the …Medicaid reform, managed care and I guess he’s suggesting that in 2009-10 you can realize that [savings], you’re saying you can’t. That’s the difference between you and Matt?
Senator Heather Steans [D-Chicago][Watch Steans here]: I think it takes probably time to get into that. I do think it probably takes time to actually achieve all those savings because you have—I mean, implementation, there’s always start up times on these things and I also believe you still don’t get to the seven billion dollars in savings that you need from doing all of that so I think…[Ed. Note, of course, Gov. Quinn’s proposed income tax increase also doesn’t, by itself, generate “the seven billion dollars in added revenue necessary to cure the state government deficit projected for 2009.-10].
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Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago): I think, though, there is a real danger when we try to set up a system that is outside the public school system.
Jeff Berkowitz: What’s the danger? Why is that a danger?
Senator Heather Steans: You know I am a big fan of the public school system and competition within that so I prefer the charter school model for that reason.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, isn’t your concern about the kids in the public schools rather than the public schools per se?
Senator Heather Steans: Because there’s always going to be kids whose families aren’t going to be advocating for them in the same way and getting them necessarily into a voucher school or into a charter school and we’ve got to make sure that we’re raising the bar for all of the kids in our public education system...
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This coming week’s Chicago metro suburban edition of Public Affairs features State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) [See below for the Chicago metro suburban, City of Chicago, Aurora and Rockford airing schedules for the show with Senator Steans]. Watch Steans debate and discuss State budget spending, tax increases, deficits, education and school choice, caps on charter schools, state employee pensions, issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz.[A more detailed description of the show's topics is included, below]
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The "Public Affairs," show with Senator Steans can be watched on your computer.
******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, show host and producer, and executive legal recruiter, debates and discusses with second year Illinois State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) a variety of state legislative issues, including how to fix Illinois' budget deficit; tax increases, spending, healthcare and pension issues; education funding and reform issues, e.g., school choice-school vouchers; charter schools; having state regulators focus on education outcomes, rather than inputs; campaign finance reform, ethics, public corruption, the Blago legacy and the Democratic Brand;
Prior to becoming a legislator last year, Senator Steans had extensive city, county and state government experience, including working with Democrat Paul Vallas at CPS and Republican Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin. Senator Steans has an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, a Master's Degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and she lives in the Lakewood-Balmoral area of the 7th District with her husband and children. For more about Senator Steans, please go to www.SenatorSteans.com.
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--How many kids are enough to attend Illinois' charter schools?
Jeff Berkowitz: With 30 Charter Schools in the City of Chicago, roughly what percentage of the [Chicago Public School] students are in Charter schools? Ballpark.
State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago): I would say, five to ten percent.
Jeff Berkowitz: I think that would be high. I think it’s more like two to three percent. [Ed note: Turns out Senator Steans was right, charter school students make up about 6% of the CPS enrollment, see here].
State Senator Heather Steans: Is it really. They have lots of campuses, though.
Jeff Berkowitz: …If I am right, and it’s two to three percent
State Senator Heather Steans: And I really don’t know the number.
--Lifting the legislative cap on the number of Charter Schools
Jeff Berkowitz: and you only increase the cap in Chicago of Charter Schools by 50% to 45 schools, even with more campuses—at the end of the day, I don’t think you are going to get even to 10% of the total students—in terms of how many attend charter schools…and no less than an authority than Arne Duncan, former Superintendent of the CPS
Senator Heather Steans: Absolutely.
Jeff Berkowitz: Now Secretary of Education. He said one thing he liked so much about charter schools is parents want them. And [Duncan] could tell that because there are these long waiting lists. [See here].
Senator Heather Steans: There are indeed.
--Real School Accountability
Jeff Berkowitz: So, isn’t that the accountability [we are looking for]. Do we need someone else to tell us its good [when] the parents are lining up- they want more charter schools, fewer of the [traditional] public schools. . I think the proponents of charter schools would say it is a good thing that you want to raise the cap
Senator Heather Steans: Absolutely.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, I think they would say either raise the cap much more, so that you could potentially be talking about 20 to 30 % of the kids attending charter schools, or lift it completely. Do you see that reasoning…Look, kids can’t wait. If they are not learning how to read, it doesn’t do them a lot of good to say, “Oh, in twenty years, we’ll get this right.” You’re sympathetic with that argument, right?
--Getting enough kids into the right learning environment
Senator Heather Steans: No, I understand the argument. But, there’s…I think we also have to figure out, you’re never going to get all kids into a charter school environment. Not going to happen.
Jeff Berkowitz: It doesn’t have to be into a charter school. The next argument would be to say, why not voucher schools. Why not take that $16, 000 and say to parents if you want, go to the private school of your choice. So…now you have charter schools, you have voucher schools and you have public schools all competing side by side. And, when you give $16,000 in purchasing power to each public or private school student, you will see many new schools start up, attracted simply by the profit motive, but if they don’t perform…the schools would not get the money [because] the parents would go somewhere else. That’s competition. You believe in competition, right?
--Charter schools or voucher schools: A danger to kids?
Senator Heather Steans: I think, though, there is a real danger when we try to set up a system that is outside the public school system.
Jeff Berkowitz: What’s the danger? Why is that a danger?
Senator Heather Steans: You know I am a big fan of the public school system and competition within that so I prefer the charter school model for that reason.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, isn’t your concern about the kids in the public schools rather than the public schools per se?
Senator Heather Steans: Because there’s always going to be kids whose families aren’t going to be advocating for them in the same way and getting them necessarily into a voucher school or into a charter school and we’ve got to make sure that we’re raising the bar for all of the kids in our public education system. There’s ways of doing that that we have not fully been exploiting. One of the problems that we have, too, now is that the model of the school has changed enormously over the last 50-60 years. What we expect a school to manage. All the social work. All the other requirements—keeping kids safe. There’s so many other expectations that we put on a school now…
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--Has the Democratic brand been destroyed?
Senator Heather Steans: No, I don’t think—
Jeff Berkowitz: Because by Rod Blagojevich, by Roland Burris—Is there a corruption issue, aura that’s plagued the Republicans with George Ryan. Has that ball been transferred now-- that aura, that taint-- been transferred to the Illinois Democratic Party via Rod Blagojevich and Roland Burris.
Senator Heather Steans: Great question; we also produced Barack Obama and I think people are pretty happy with him and think he is a very straight guy.
Jeff Berkowitz: He’s gone; he’s no longer in Illinois politics.
Senator Heather Steans: Yeah, but he’s
--The Blagojevich legacy
Jeff Berkowitz: I’m talking about Illinois politics now. I’m not talking national political parties. You’re going to have a guy or lady running for Governor, whose got to run, in a sense, on that legacy—that Blagojevich legacy.
Senator Heather Steans: I think most voters understand…that corruption in Illinois is not a party issue? …You know, Adlai Stevenson said, over 50 years ago, He’s a fellow Princeton alumni, he said, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness, except in Illinois where it is next to impossible.” 50 years ago and sadly, that still sort of very much applies…
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Achieve the Medicaid savings in place of an income tax increase
Jeff Berkowitz: The Republican group on the deficit [reduction] legislative committee led by Senator Matt Murphy said there is something like 2 to 3 billion dollars [per year] in medicaid cuts alone that he could find [to substitute for the income tax increases]. Does that sound right?
Senator Heather Steans: Yes, they did come up with that.
Jeff Berkowitz: You are familiar with that?
Senator Heather Steans: I am familiar with that, correct.
Jeff Berkowitz: Do you agree with Matt?
Senator Heather Steans: Well, I think those will take—I am not sure you could certainly realize all of those kind of cuts in a year. I do think there are some savings that could be found. I do believe that we’ve had a primary care, managed system in place in this state that we could be expanding to much greater degree and reaping more benefits from that, more savings…
Jeff Berkowitz: But Senator Murphy and his Republican allies…are saying instead of raising the income tax, do the …Medicaid reform, managed care and I guess he’s suggesting that in 2009-10 you can realize that [savings], you’re saying you can’t. That’s the difference between you and Matt?
Senator Heather Steans [D-Chicago]: I think it takes probably time to get into that. I do think it probably takes time to actually achieve all those savings because you have—I mean, implementation, there’s always start up times on these things and I also believe you still don’t get to the seven billion dollars in savings that you need from doing all of that so I think…[Ed. Note, of course, Gov. Quinn’s proposed income tax increase also doesn’t, by itself, generate “the seven billion dollars in added revenue necessary to cure the state government deficit projected for 2009.-10].
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The "Public Affairs," show with State Senator Steans was taped on April 19, 2009.
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Public Affairs Chicago Metro suburban airing schedule:
The show featuring State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) is airing this coming week in the North and Northwest Chicago Metro suburbs in its regular slot:
Tuesday night 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 Tuesday night 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 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday 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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Chicago and Aurora:
The "Public Affairs," show featuring State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) will also air throughout the City of Chicago one week from this coming Monday night i.e., May 4 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21(CANTV, aka Chicago Access Network TV) and that same night on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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Rockford:
The "Public Affairs," show featuring State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) , will also air throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) a week from this coming Thursday night, May 7 at 8:00 pm on Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Ch. 17 include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.
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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. *************************************************************
"Public Affairs," is a weekly political interview show airing in Chicago on CANTV, in the Chicago metro area, Aurora and Rockford on Comcast and also often on the Illinois Channel. You can watch the shows, including archived shows going back to 2005, here.
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Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page include the fastest five minutes on the web- a New York Times video about Obama-Berkowitz, a show with Senator Steans, a show with conservative activist Joe Morris, a show with State Senator Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago) about hot state legislative issues and politics, a show with Bill Brady, State Senator and 2010 Republican Primary candidate for Governor, a show with State Senator and likely 2010 10th CD candidate Susan Garrett(D-Lake Forest), a show with State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda), a show with State Rep. Susana Mendoza (D-Chicago), a show with then IL 5th CD Dem nominee--Cook County Cmsr. Mike Quigley (who recently won the April general election to replace Cong. Rahm Emanuel), the second fastest five minutes on the web- a segment of Bill O'Reilly with Berkowitz discussing a clip of Obama from 2002 on Blagojevich and many more shows. And, see here for very recent postings on our Youtube page.
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Senator Heather Steans [D-Chicago][Watch Steans here]: I think it takes probably time to get into that. I do think it probably takes time to actually achieve all those savings because you have—I mean, implementation, there’s always start up times on these things and I also believe you still don’t get to the seven billion dollars in savings that you need from doing all of that so I think…[Ed. Note, of course, Gov. Quinn’s proposed income tax increase also doesn’t, by itself, generate “the seven billion dollars in added revenue necessary to cure the state government deficit projected for 2009.-10].
*******************************************
Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago): I think, though, there is a real danger when we try to set up a system that is outside the public school system.
Jeff Berkowitz: What’s the danger? Why is that a danger?
Senator Heather Steans: You know I am a big fan of the public school system and competition within that so I prefer the charter school model for that reason.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, isn’t your concern about the kids in the public schools rather than the public schools per se?
Senator Heather Steans: Because there’s always going to be kids whose families aren’t going to be advocating for them in the same way and getting them necessarily into a voucher school or into a charter school and we’ve got to make sure that we’re raising the bar for all of the kids in our public education system...
************************************
This coming week’s Chicago metro suburban edition of Public Affairs features State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) [See below for the Chicago metro suburban, City of Chicago, Aurora and Rockford airing schedules for the show with Senator Steans]. Watch Steans debate and discuss State budget spending, tax increases, deficits, education and school choice, caps on charter schools, state employee pensions, issues with show host and executive legal recruiter Jeff Berkowitz.[A more detailed description of the show's topics is included, below]
**********************************************
The "Public Affairs," show with Senator Steans can be watched on your computer.
******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, show host and producer, and executive legal recruiter, debates and discusses with second year Illinois State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) a variety of state legislative issues, including how to fix Illinois' budget deficit; tax increases, spending, healthcare and pension issues; education funding and reform issues, e.g., school choice-school vouchers; charter schools; having state regulators focus on education outcomes, rather than inputs; campaign finance reform, ethics, public corruption, the Blago legacy and the Democratic Brand;
Prior to becoming a legislator last year, Senator Steans had extensive city, county and state government experience, including working with Democrat Paul Vallas at CPS and Republican Tommy Thompson in Wisconsin. Senator Steans has an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, a Master's Degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and she lives in the Lakewood-Balmoral area of the 7th District with her husband and children. For more about Senator Steans, please go to www.SenatorSteans.com.
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--How many kids are enough to attend Illinois' charter schools?
Jeff Berkowitz: With 30 Charter Schools in the City of Chicago, roughly what percentage of the [Chicago Public School] students are in Charter schools? Ballpark.
State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago): I would say, five to ten percent.
Jeff Berkowitz: I think that would be high. I think it’s more like two to three percent. [Ed note: Turns out Senator Steans was right, charter school students make up about 6% of the CPS enrollment, see here].
State Senator Heather Steans: Is it really. They have lots of campuses, though.
Jeff Berkowitz: …If I am right, and it’s two to three percent
State Senator Heather Steans: And I really don’t know the number.
--Lifting the legislative cap on the number of Charter Schools
Jeff Berkowitz: and you only increase the cap in Chicago of Charter Schools by 50% to 45 schools, even with more campuses—at the end of the day, I don’t think you are going to get even to 10% of the total students—in terms of how many attend charter schools…and no less than an authority than Arne Duncan, former Superintendent of the CPS
Senator Heather Steans: Absolutely.
Jeff Berkowitz: Now Secretary of Education. He said one thing he liked so much about charter schools is parents want them. And [Duncan] could tell that because there are these long waiting lists. [See here].
Senator Heather Steans: There are indeed.
--Real School Accountability
Jeff Berkowitz: So, isn’t that the accountability [we are looking for]. Do we need someone else to tell us its good [when] the parents are lining up- they want more charter schools, fewer of the [traditional] public schools. . I think the proponents of charter schools would say it is a good thing that you want to raise the cap
Senator Heather Steans: Absolutely.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, I think they would say either raise the cap much more, so that you could potentially be talking about 20 to 30 % of the kids attending charter schools, or lift it completely. Do you see that reasoning…Look, kids can’t wait. If they are not learning how to read, it doesn’t do them a lot of good to say, “Oh, in twenty years, we’ll get this right.” You’re sympathetic with that argument, right?
--Getting enough kids into the right learning environment
Senator Heather Steans: No, I understand the argument. But, there’s…I think we also have to figure out, you’re never going to get all kids into a charter school environment. Not going to happen.
Jeff Berkowitz: It doesn’t have to be into a charter school. The next argument would be to say, why not voucher schools. Why not take that $16, 000 and say to parents if you want, go to the private school of your choice. So…now you have charter schools, you have voucher schools and you have public schools all competing side by side. And, when you give $16,000 in purchasing power to each public or private school student, you will see many new schools start up, attracted simply by the profit motive, but if they don’t perform…the schools would not get the money [because] the parents would go somewhere else. That’s competition. You believe in competition, right?
--Charter schools or voucher schools: A danger to kids?
Senator Heather Steans: I think, though, there is a real danger when we try to set up a system that is outside the public school system.
Jeff Berkowitz: What’s the danger? Why is that a danger?
Senator Heather Steans: You know I am a big fan of the public school system and competition within that so I prefer the charter school model for that reason.
Jeff Berkowitz: But, isn’t your concern about the kids in the public schools rather than the public schools per se?
Senator Heather Steans: Because there’s always going to be kids whose families aren’t going to be advocating for them in the same way and getting them necessarily into a voucher school or into a charter school and we’ve got to make sure that we’re raising the bar for all of the kids in our public education system. There’s ways of doing that that we have not fully been exploiting. One of the problems that we have, too, now is that the model of the school has changed enormously over the last 50-60 years. What we expect a school to manage. All the social work. All the other requirements—keeping kids safe. There’s so many other expectations that we put on a school now…
*********************************
--Has the Democratic brand been destroyed?
Senator Heather Steans: No, I don’t think—
Jeff Berkowitz: Because by Rod Blagojevich, by Roland Burris—Is there a corruption issue, aura that’s plagued the Republicans with George Ryan. Has that ball been transferred now-- that aura, that taint-- been transferred to the Illinois Democratic Party via Rod Blagojevich and Roland Burris.
Senator Heather Steans: Great question; we also produced Barack Obama and I think people are pretty happy with him and think he is a very straight guy.
Jeff Berkowitz: He’s gone; he’s no longer in Illinois politics.
Senator Heather Steans: Yeah, but he’s
--The Blagojevich legacy
Jeff Berkowitz: I’m talking about Illinois politics now. I’m not talking national political parties. You’re going to have a guy or lady running for Governor, whose got to run, in a sense, on that legacy—that Blagojevich legacy.
Senator Heather Steans: I think most voters understand…that corruption in Illinois is not a party issue? …You know, Adlai Stevenson said, over 50 years ago, He’s a fellow Princeton alumni, he said, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness, except in Illinois where it is next to impossible.” 50 years ago and sadly, that still sort of very much applies…
****************************************
Achieve the Medicaid savings in place of an income tax increase
Jeff Berkowitz: The Republican group on the deficit [reduction] legislative committee led by Senator Matt Murphy said there is something like 2 to 3 billion dollars [per year] in medicaid cuts alone that he could find [to substitute for the income tax increases]. Does that sound right?
Senator Heather Steans: Yes, they did come up with that.
Jeff Berkowitz: You are familiar with that?
Senator Heather Steans: I am familiar with that, correct.
Jeff Berkowitz: Do you agree with Matt?
Senator Heather Steans: Well, I think those will take—I am not sure you could certainly realize all of those kind of cuts in a year. I do think there are some savings that could be found. I do believe that we’ve had a primary care, managed system in place in this state that we could be expanding to much greater degree and reaping more benefits from that, more savings…
Jeff Berkowitz: But Senator Murphy and his Republican allies…are saying instead of raising the income tax, do the …Medicaid reform, managed care and I guess he’s suggesting that in 2009-10 you can realize that [savings], you’re saying you can’t. That’s the difference between you and Matt?
Senator Heather Steans [D-Chicago]: I think it takes probably time to get into that. I do think it probably takes time to actually achieve all those savings because you have—I mean, implementation, there’s always start up times on these things and I also believe you still don’t get to the seven billion dollars in savings that you need from doing all of that so I think…[Ed. Note, of course, Gov. Quinn’s proposed income tax increase also doesn’t, by itself, generate “the seven billion dollars in added revenue necessary to cure the state government deficit projected for 2009.-10].
**********************************
The "Public Affairs," show with State Senator Steans was taped on April 19, 2009.
************************************
Public Affairs Chicago Metro suburban airing schedule:
The show featuring State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) is airing this coming week in the North and Northwest Chicago Metro suburbs in its regular slot:
Tuesday night 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 Tuesday night 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 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
*************************************************************
Chicago and Aurora:
The "Public Affairs," show featuring State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) will also air throughout the City of Chicago one week from this coming Monday night i.e., May 4 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21(CANTV, aka Chicago Access Network TV) and that same night on cable in Aurora and surrounding areas at 7:30 pm on ACTV-10. The Aurora station, ACTV-10, aka Aurora Community Television, Comcast Cable Ch. 10, reaches all of Aurora, Bristol, Big Rock and parts of Oswego, Sandwich, Sugar Grove and Montgomery.
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Rockford:
The "Public Affairs," show featuring State Senator Heather Steans (D-Chicago) , will also air throughout the City of Rockford (and in surrounding areas) a week from this coming Thursday night, May 7 at 8:00 pm on Cable Ch. 17. The surrounding areas reached by Ch. 17 include Byron, Cedarville, Cherry Valley, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Mount Morris, New Milford, Portions of Ogle County, Oregon, Polo, Stillman Valley, Winnebago, Portions of Boone County and Poplar Grove.
*******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com. *************************************************************
"Public Affairs," is a weekly political interview show airing in Chicago on CANTV, in the Chicago metro area, Aurora and Rockford on Comcast and also often on the Illinois Channel. You can watch the shows, including archived shows going back to 2005, here.
*******************************************************************
Recently posted shows on the Public Affairs YouTube page include the fastest five minutes on the web- a New York Times video about Obama-Berkowitz, a show with Senator Steans, a show with conservative activist Joe Morris, a show with State Senator Rickey Hendon (D-Chicago) about hot state legislative issues and politics, a show with Bill Brady, State Senator and 2010 Republican Primary candidate for Governor, a show with State Senator and likely 2010 10th CD candidate Susan Garrett(D-Lake Forest), a show with State Rep. Mark Beaubien (R-Wauconda), a show with State Rep. Susana Mendoza (D-Chicago), a show with then IL 5th CD Dem nominee--Cook County Cmsr. Mike Quigley (who recently won the April general election to replace Cong. Rahm Emanuel), the second fastest five minutes on the web- a segment of Bill O'Reilly with Berkowitz discussing a clip of Obama from 2002 on Blagojevich and many more shows. And, see here for very recent postings on our Youtube page.
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