Comcast Cable TV Show features Elizabeth Brackett on Rod Blagojevich

My weekly show TV Chicagoland ("30 Minutes") last month (June 2009) featured an interview I did with Steve Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

Beginning next week, the weekly Comcast Cable TV Show will feature an interview with Elizabeth Brackett, the WTTW Channel 11 reporter who wrote the book "Pay to Play" which explores the controversy surrounding former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Although I like Blagojevich and his wife, Patti, I thought the book was interesting. It's only drawback was it seemed to reflect the negative view the media has of the former governor.

Johnson talks about the departure of TV shock jock Jerry Springer from his Chicago base and the rise of his TV afternoon format.

The segment is broadcast on Comcast Cable TV every Friday night on Channel 19 at either 7 pm or 8:30 PM depending on which Comcast circuit you live in. (You can visit www.TVChicagoland.com to find out.)

The show is broadcast in 145 suburban communities.

-- Ray Hanania

www.RadioChicagoland.com

Here's the online video of the show:

07-6-09 Interview with Elizabeth Brackket, author @ Yahoo! Video

Give the TribLocal credit for hitting taxes on the head

TribLocal Reporter Heather MacDonald hit the nail on the taxing head in her story Thursday in the Chicago Tribune's popular weekly community newspaper insert (www.TribLocal.com). The lead was right on the mark, "Orland Park grapples with budget shortfall."

But more important than the spin that Village officials have been pushing hard to sell -- arguing it's not a "shortfall" but just a budget adjustment -- is that MacDonald also nailed the real issue in the story, the FACT that the Village Board is considering revoking the annual tax rebate it gives to its citizens.

Among cutbacks and savings the village is examining closely, MacDonald writes, "One issue still on the table for the village board is whether to continue the practice of rebating Orland Park's share of the property tax collected by Cook County, which totals $5.3 million."

Not every caught that point, which village officioals are telling everyone is not an issue. (Afterall, there is a village election coming up and I don't care how many "awards" the village wins, they don't add up to the benefit of rebating property taxes, which average around $250 per homeowner.

Other cuts include not spending the $24,000 for a "new filing system" for the Village Clerk, David P. Maher's office. (I guess that means paying to have Maher attend an Illinois Open Meetings Act workshop is out of the question?)

Ray Hanania
www.OrlandParker.com