Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz - Ken Dunkin

This week's Public Affairs features State Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago), who was born and raised in Chicago's Cabrini Green housing development. Dunkin has an undergraduate degree in political science from Morehouse College and a Master's Degree from the University of Chicago (SSA). He is in his 6th year in the Statehouse and is one of a few House Democrats who, on important matters, tend to align with the Governor over Speaker Mike Madigan.

Topics discussed include the appeal of Barack Obama and Dunkin's assessment of Obama is based in part on what Dunkin knows about Obama, going back to when they met for the first time in 1991 on the basketball court, with both being students at the University of Chicago; how is a person better off being unemployed at the minimum wage in Illinois--$7:50/hr—than being employed at, say, $4:50/hr.; McCain and Obama compared in terms of who works better across the aisle than the other; which factors are most important in terms of explaining current levels and sectors of unemployment; what can be done to improve K-12 education, especially in failing schools in the City of Chicago? More parental involvement? More competition among private and public schools? School vouchers? Merit pay? What did Barack Obama say in 2002 about school vouchers and charter schools?

Additional topics discussed include whether more guns will tend to result in less crime; would crime be lessened if criminals had to wonder if homeowners possessed a gun or not? Is there a problem of trust between the legislators and the Governor? Or is the problem that various legislators are seeking political advantage? Can the problem of trust be handled by having the Governor sign a memorandum of understanding? Will Blagojevich be impeached? Indicted? Should he be? Has Blagojevich taken money improperly from individual donors? Did he trade a government job for a campaign contribution from Ali Ata?

RT/29:06

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• public
• affairs
• tv
• jeff
• berkowitz