On Banking

“Before Congress goes after bank misdeeds on Wall Street, let’s stop the petty theft on Main Street. I mean the predatory mortgages and usurious loans. Had we protected the poor and the weak, the problems of our mighty banks might not be so great. Why don’t we have a “National Usury Act”? Why, in the party of William Jennings Bryan, is there no one demanding an interest cap on our Visa cards and our MasterCards?” (5/06/08 American Prospect)

On Iraq

“I’m against invasion. As Doctor Johnson might say of so rash an act—the expense, damnable (up to $200 billion or more); our strategic posture, ridiculous (as our allies flee us, and North Korea goes nuclear); and any pleasure, even for a hawk, fleeting (since we may be in Iraq a very long time). So count me in with Robert Byrd, the pope, James Baker, and Joschka Fischer. As to the blow-back? Maybe a movement for international law. Bad for the Bush crowd, but good for our country. In the long run, if we’re going to survive as a superpower, as I hope we do, we’ll need a smidgeon of such law to check and balance us.” (2/19/03 Slate)

Layoffs

“It hollows out companies so they can’t compete. It hollows out the country by removing middle-class jobs. It hollows out the middle-class employees who are laid off and then too often drop permanently to a demeaning, low-wage way of life. To Mr. Uchitelle, who reports on economics for The New York Times, corporate America’s addiction to the layoff has gone past the point of economic rationality. In this fascinating book he tries to tell the history of the United States in our time as the unchecked rise of layoffs.” (03/09/06 New York Times)

Student Loans

“Declare an amnesty. Or let college grads off the hook if their incomes fall below a certain level. Or at least let them discharge the loan in bankruptcy.” (7/02/03 The Nation)

Create More Jobs, Less Prisons

“It’s strange that the incarceration rate is not as big an issue in the U.S. now as it was in Dostoevsky’s Russia, not to mention Dickens’ England. It’s strange, because the numbers are so much bigger. For locking up people, the U.S. has a capacity that is unmatched in the history of the world.” (12/26/07 American Prospect)

Healthcare

“First, we should “re-enact” Medicare — for everyone. We should take our single-payer health-care system and just make it wall to wall. Aside from its merits, people also understand it, while they don’t really understand any of the health-care plans. One thing that Ronald Reagan proved is that people like big, simple ideas: In his era, the big simple idea was tax cuts, and in ours, the big simple idea should be “Medicare for all adults,” and “national coverage of children, too.” (I know it comes out to the same thing, but since single-payer is a big pill to swallow, it’s nice to cut it in two.) Above all, keep it simple. The Democrats seem to specialize in coming up with health-care plans that only Paul Krugman can understand.” (10/26/07 American Prospect) “Did you know that uninsured people pay two to three times what you and I, as insured patients, have to pay? I bought a class-action suit case for uninsured patients because the hospitals gouge them. You and I have Blue Cross or Humana to negotiate for us and lower the prices. The uninsured have no one.” (Which Side Are You On?)

Democracy

“I say to my friends that the Democratic party is missing the real issue: it should live up to its real name and stand for more democracy. Democratize the workplace, democratize the economy, democratize the whole country, in new ways, we go into the next century.” (Which Side are You On?)

Fighting for Working People

“The line of battle keeps going backward. First, it was: Would they be union? We lost. Then would they keep a pension? Lost. Then, health insurance? Lost, either all or part. Now it’s: whether they are really “employees” at all or just independent contractors. That’s the big one now”. (Which Side Are You On?)

Democratizing Foreign Policy

“That is, we just pass a simple law. ‘Yes we will comply with Kyoto.’ Or: ‘We’re in the ICC.’ It’s a straight up or down vote in the House. Then it’s 50 votes plus the veep in the Senate, if we get rid of the filibuster under special fast-track-type rules. Otherwise our next president is going to be a Woodrow Wilson.” (06/18/07 American Prospect)

Immigration

But in all these proposed tests of good citizenship, an obvious one is missing — a requirement that new citizens register to vote. It’s especially in the interest of progressives to say: ‘If you want to be a citizen, persuade us you’re going to be a citizen and vote. Don’t show us your bank account. Prove to us you’re going to read a paper, follow current events, and take up the responsibilities of democratic self-government.’ (05/23/07 American Prospect)

From the Tribune questionairre

Whom did you support in the 2006 primary and general election for president of the Cook County Board? Please explain your thinking.

I supported Forrest Claypool in the 2006 primary for the same reasons the Tribune did. I have brought three separate suits against John Stroger for different forms of political corruption. I won two of those suits and almost won the third!

First I sued Stroger for putting cronies in top management at the Public Defender's office. I won. Then I sued for cutting off Claypool and others from speaking at County Board meetings. Stroger relented and settled. Then I sued the Board of Elections (really Stroger) for political manipulation of polling sites for early election voting. There were no polling sites on the Lakefront. Judge Coar was dismayed but did not think there was time to give appropriate injunctive relief.

What: Come and enjoy a cup of coffee with Tom Geoghegan and members of the Portage Park community

Where: Home of John Arena, 4137 N LeClaire Ave

When: Saturday, February 28, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm