Focus 580; Talk to the Candidate: David Gill, MD

This morning in this first hour we will have the last of our series of candidate conversations for this election cycle in the run up to primaries and general elections we have as many candidates on this program as we can. We invite them to be here to talk not just to me but also to talk to potential voters. And we're pleased that in this hour we will give you a chance to speak with Dr. David Gill and he is running for Congress for the U.S. House of Representatives and Illinois 15th Congressional District. His opponent is Republican Tim Johnson he's the incumbent has been there for a while and is running for re-election he was here on the program on Friday to give you that same opportunity to talk. And Dr. Gayle is good enough to come in here and didn't do the same spend an hour with us this morning answering questions now. I can certainly ask questions but the important thing is that people who are listening if you have questions whatever issue is most important to you. That's your opportunity to call in and talk with him. Just a little bit more about him in terms of biography he has a physician an emergency medicine physician makes his home in Clinton Illinois. He has some involvement in politics he has served

as a Democratic precinct committeeman for Dewitt County for a number of years and in his professional life He's medical director working in the emergency department at John Warner hospital in Clinton. He is also president of the hospital's board of directors he grew up near Chicago. He tended the University of Illinois here in Urbana champagne for both his college and med school and other than three years that he spent in residency his medical residency in Iowa. He's lived here in central Illinois for the past 25 years. And we are here again as I say in open to your questions. 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll 3 800 2 2 2 9 4 5 5. The district itself is very big. Something like 10000 square miles. And in case anybody is not quite certain about the dimensions it includes a lot of territory runs down kind of the eastern Russian sort of border between. Illinois Indiana and also includes Decatur Champaign Urbana Bloomington normal matter in Charleston and Danville.

So a lot of territory not a particularly easy place to campaign in. Now I would imagine because of all the ground you have to cover it's kept me quite busy have gone through a couple sets of tires over the last 20 months. Well thanks very much for being here. It's my pleasure thanks for having me here David. I think maybe I would start out talking about Iraq. That's the way a place that we started when Tim Johnson was here on Friday and maybe isn't unless you want to talk about it maybe leaving aside the question of whether we should have gone in the first place maybe I would ask you to talk a little bit about since we are there what you would like to see the United States do from this point forward particularly around the question of how is it that we and under what circumstances we leave. You know I would prefer to address whether we should have been there in the database just along the lines of It's my opinion that a lot of otherwise excellent people in Washington in October of 2002 abdicated their constitutional responsibility regarding the declaration of war.

Which which I think was a shame on both sides of the aisle there. I think it's also pertinent because the voters have to consider what might come in the future with regards to keeping that responsibility. You know there's talk about Iran and North Korea and people need to be aware of the precedent that was set where Mr. Johnson and many others gave up their power to declare war and instead deferred to President Bush. And I think it's quite pertinent as far as what I would like to see happen now in traveling around the district I've met too many grandparents and parents of young men and women that are there in Iraq and parents and grandparents of young men and women who may well wind up in Iraq to feel any way other than the fact that we need to delineate a and exit strategy. I am a believer that our involvement in

Iraq has has made the world and our country a more dangerous place. Right think that it has served as a recruiting tool of sorts for Osama bin Laden and people that think like Osama bin Laden. And I think that it would be best if we begin to focus on exiting in particular with a declaration that we have no designs on Iraqi oil facilities and a formal declaration that we have no intentions of setting up permanent military bases in or around Iraq. I think that if we were to take those steps we would likely be much more likely to obtain some assistance with regards to. Reconstruction of Iraq from the United Nations. And the League of Arab nations and perhaps Nieto you know I guess I'm through sitting here thinking the one thing I didn't do right the beginning problem is give a phone number and maybe I don't do that because I want to make sure that people know that we're here taking calls 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 that's where

Champaign-Urbana toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5 we like to talk with our guest David Gill Democratic candidate for Congress in the 15th Congressional District one of the other questions that I put to Tim Johnson and is one that seems to be a central question here is when and and how do you decide to use military force. You know the president has outlined this this doctrine that some I don't think the Bush people have called it. Preemptive war but a number of people have saying that the United States won't hesitate to defend itself and that means not only a real threat but in a sense it also means a perceived threat even if that threat is not a threat. Today he seems to be saying if that threat we think it's a threat next week or next year or a couple of years away if we think that that threat is real then we're not going to wait for that enemy to strike us we're

going to strike them and that that seems to be the justification for you know how do you think about that. I think the key words there are if if we think that threat is real and there was enough doubt around the world and within this country with regards to the involvement in Iraq that I don't. It wasn't proved that that threat was real. To my satisfaction or to many Americans satisfaction and certainly not to the world satisfaction. You know I agree with Senator Kerry. He's been the little defer the comment to a global test and I've heard it taken out of context many times by President Bush. Certainly we must defend ourselves if and when something does occur. What he was talking about was this very question when you would engage in a preemptive strike of sorts and it's the type of thing when when reasonable people from from around the world recognize that indeed this is. This is a gathering storm that will hurt Americans if not if

action is not taken. And that was not the case with Saddam Hussein who had been thoroughly boxed in by the United Nations over a twelve year time period and who was at complete odds with an individual like Osama bin Laden with regards to their way of thinking. To picture them as being in cahoots or or some such thing. One being the most secular of individuals and one. I'm being very religious in the in a disturbed type of way. There were red flags going off within my mind and as well as those of millions of people around the world. We have some calls. Let's talk with them or let them talk with you first. In champagne wine number two. Hello. Oh hello. I am tuned in just a few minutes ago. Here are your guests though. Mr. Gill Dr. Gil excuse me. Something about to the military bases around Iraq followed by then

something about more cooperation and I just wondered if that that struck a note because it had been thought that if we could just get to keep our presence there without having our noses in their civilian life so much that might be so. I'm actually actually asking what I missed. And with that out o it might as well hang up. What is that. Just let me ask you is the question clear that the yeah is it OK. I think he he might've not heard the initial part of it. That's right. We were talking about how we might exit from Iraq. And I think that if I don't think it's going to happen under a second term President Bush but if we were to make a formal declaration that we did not have designs on setting up permanent military bases there and did not have designs on their oil installations there that if we were to do those things we might see a lot more cooperation in terms of coalitions

willing to be of much more assistance than they have been to this point with the reconstruction of Iraq. Well you would though would you expect that there would still have to be some kind of American military presence there for some time or whether we might say this will not be a permanent presence we're not going to build bases but that we expect that for x number of years or months. Well whatever you know whatever the timeframe you think would be would be possible. Again I think as Representative Johnson has said very well on numerous occasions he and I are not running for president. It's just a seat in Congress. And but in my personal opinion as a citizen is that the reconstruction there ought to be not under the auspices of America. You know certainly our funding could be used to you could develop a Marshall Plan type situation but I think it would be ideal if the League of Arab nations or the United Nations would

oversee the project as a whole. All right. Let's talk with someone here on cell phone there next line one. Hello. Well I'm going to change the subject fast fun. Representative Johnson has talked about having a pretty good. Mental record I wonder if Dr. Gail could speak to that. Just discuss the environment a little bit in general terms for not hearing anything about it. And I'll hang up the muscle car it certainly I. Many many times I have to listen to people say he has a Mr. Johnson has a pretty good environmental record for a Republican. And when you look at his voting record as measured by the League of Conservation Voters Sierra Club etc. over the last three years he's had a 64 percent rating at 25 percent in a 75 percent. And to me that's not good enough. I think we need individuals in Washington who have 90 to 100 percent ratings which is what I'm certain I would achieve if I were to go to Washington. The environment is very

important to me. And of course not having been a public servant other than precinct committee man and having served on the board of our city owned hospital in Clinton all I can tell you about is my own personal life. We for two decades I've recycled every two weeks and. Purchased member I enrolled my son the day he was born my first born in the national Arbor Day Foundation you know those are the types of things that I've told crowds during the campaign that my wife insists on buying recycled paper goods from a company called seventh generation who get their name from an old Iroquois Confederacy saying which is that every decision we make must take into account the impact that it will have seven generations down the road. And I'm a firm believer in that. It's in Mr. Johnson's right when he says that when you don't have a record then you can say about anything but the odds are.

That's how I've lived my life that's how I feel and that's how I would intend to vote in Washington on a much more steady basis than Mr. Johnson has the next caller's in Belgium and that's a line for Hello. Hurt her or her rock record her program recorded government upturn McCarver war her that we are different from what we praise her for in order to promote democracy. COOPER All right. Very strong from when we have things that go on all over the world including are 911 exactly different crimes. People who did not have enough power to agree waited for her were going to have to accrue criminal truth in the way we look at the rest of the world in America. Direction frankly. Are you worried. Oh very much so. I think that the I should have prefaced my remarks on Iraq by saying what I do think is that

our involvement in Iraq does not equate with the war on terrorism. I firmly understand that. There is a war on terrorism that needs to be fought aggressively on our part. The perpetrators of 9/11 need to be brought to justice those who would repeat 9/11 need to be dealt with any in a firm manner. It's just that I think the wrong way to fight terrorism is to invade a country that wasn't involved in the actions of 9/11 and was essentially made impotent over a 12 year time period by by U.N. sanctions and inspectors. What I'm getting at Herford are fundamentally how crooked. Look Rick we know not why quicker but we are required to come to grips with what you are. Oh I agree very much and I think that's a large part of what I'm talking about with Iraq you know we've. And when I talk about Iraq serving as a recruiting tool for Osama

bin Laden he's able to point at what we've done there and really emphasize whatever points it is that that he has been trying to make her share do you think that the United States was right in going into Afghanistan. I do I do. I think we should have done it quicker. We gave them a six to eight week head start and I would support even further involvement there given that Osama bin Laden is still producing video tapes being shown around the world. We've done it. Less than what we ought to have done with regards to those who were responsible for the damage of 9/11. Next caller is in Urbana when Number two. Hello hello. Thank you for taking my call. I have a couple of questions. Go ahead and ask them and then take my answer off the phone. The first one has to do with corporate or business fraud.

There's an article in this morning's Wall Street Journal headlines that e-mails suggest Mark knew Vioxx the dangers at early stage. And this seems to be emblematic of what's going on in the business world. And it seems to me that very little is being done about the corporate fraud and liked it. What you have to say about that what you would do if you were elected. And my second question regards the. The documentary that was aired by I think we're broadcasting here locally they own your ICD TV and I decide to go ahead and watch it and see what who the advertisers were. And I notice that you ran an ad during that documentary and I wonder why you chose to do that. So I'll take my answer off the phone. Thank you. Certainly. Part of my campaign has consisted

of trying to reach out to Republicans and independents the way that map was drawn that David was discussing at the start of the hour. It was drawn to make this a Republican district at baseline and was very effective at that to the extent that I receive no assistance from the National Democratic Party or the state Democratic Party. And in acknowledging that there are certain realities one has to deal with and very early on in this campaign I'm not a politician I'm just a citizen like yourself. And I recognised the reason I ran for Congress was because I'm a firm believer that we need a national health care plan in this country and that myself as a member of Physicians for a national health program. It can help to provide that with the plan that they advocate and healthcare is an issue that cuts across all boundaries left wing right wing young and old. And we wanted to make sure to reach out to the Republicans and independents who are also

getting crushed with their health care financing and let them realize that they had someone here who has the answer I believe. And and part of that strategy was recognizing that Republicans might well be watching that program. It's based on everything I read about it I didn't watch it. We anticipated that there would be Republicans watching and wanted to make them aware of me and in particular the ads that we ran on that show a commercial which begins with a gentleman who is a dyed in the wool Republican who also happens to be a gill supporter. And we want to let the folks that were watching that see that it's OK to be Republican and vote Gill. It likely is to your benefit and we've had we've gone to lots of Chamber of Commerce meetings and Rotary Club meetings and usually the hour starts with people laughing and saying we haven't had a Democrat in the room for 25 years or some such thing but by the end of the hour in talking about health care a fair portion of the

audience comes up to me with a smile on their face and and stating yes indeed we do need to do something about this and this sounds good what you're talking about. So I I I am aware of the fact that people were boycotting that station in that program. But I felt it was an ideal opportunity for someone who was given very little chance of winning this election to to reach out to people whose votes are needed. OK. And the other question is he was already having a talk about corporate you know the issue of corporate misconduct corporate for us and so forth. It's a problem there's no denying it's a problem and it needs to be dealt with in a very firm punitive manner. We we treat white collar crime in this country much different than violent crime or or. The so-called blue collar crime and I think it's as a society we pay a price for not taking it seriously enough and whatever

issue related to that was to come before the Congress I would be firmly in favor of dealing with him in a very firm manner in a very serious manner. We're getting close to the midpoint here just for anybody who is tuned in I should introduce Again our guest We're speaking with Dr. David Gill. He is running for Congress in the 15th Congressional District his opponent the incumbent Republican Tim Johnson who was here on Friday to do the same kind of program. He lives in. That is Dr. Gill lives in Clinton and he works and the John Warner hospital there in Clinton he's a medical director who works in the emergency department He's also president of the hospital's board of directors. David I watched President Park Pardon me sir and website hasn't been updated but sorry I had too many irons in the fire and decided to move myself down a notch. Well I'm going to stand that you have your hands full doing to do those two things. He is here and would take whatever questions you have 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 toll free 800

to 2 2 9 4 5 5 will go on next to we have some other callers here they're all in Urbana. The next three and the next person in line is none number one. Hello yes. Yeah I hope the doctor gets to talk more about health care because I'm extremely interested in that. But my specific question has to do with environment. And I'm wondering if that doctor has specific initiatives I guess one of my main concerns are also alternative energy use and so that we're not so dependent on oil. And I'll hang up and listen. Thank you. I agree wholeheartedly with you. I spent a full day down in man this past April at a wind energy conference and I am a big proponent of wind in all renewable fuels I've listen to Mr. Johnson for several weeks now talk about the energy bill that he voted for that made it through the house and not through the

Senate. And while it has some admirable. Statements with regards to bio diesel and ethanol and wind. I think it doesn't go nearly far enough and what it also does what I never hear him talk about is the 11 to 23 billion dollars in in your money taxpayer funded subsidies that goes to big gas and big oil. And I think that you know the environment and energy are inseparable and we need to really change the way we look at our energy policy and we need to do so promptly it's not something that we can put off until 2020. You know we're reaching a point where things are becoming very difficult with the Chinese purchasing ever increasing amounts of oil each month. The cost of oil up to $55 a barrel. The environment which I can't cannot continue to be overloaded with the debris of fossil fuels and so on and I'm in complete agreement complete agreement with you. The technology with

wind energy has changed substantially over the past decade and we could do a terrific job with that resource alone. If you were to put 11 to 23 billion dollars into helping out our farmers with setting up two or three wind turbines on their land you could make a tremendous difference with regards to the way things go in this country. And not only would it help that farmer and society overall it would also be good economically it expands the tax base and creates jobs. And I'd like to see us heading in a different direction. Other than giving 10 to 20 billion dollars to big gas and big oil. In addition to which that energy bill really shreds many of the environmental protections that have been put in place in this country over the last 30 years based on my reading it's the big energy all but held the pencil as they as they wrote the bill. Next dollars lie number three also Urbana. Hello.

Hello. Earlier referred to John Kerry's statement about that our involvement in or Iraq should pass a global test. Now this has been referred to a lot by the Republicans and mainly they don't seem to understand what he meant by that. There is a rather eloquent statement which was made many many years ago in a slightly different context which I think it can be can be used to refer to something like a global test. And I am surprised that nobody has meant. Good tomorrow's hearing before who goes by the course of human events. And it's tough I've learned being on the campaign trail myself you have to put things in little snippets sometimes and perhaps Mr. Kerry could have put it much more eloquently but I think that was well spoken.

Let's go another caller here this is the line number two this is also Urbana Hello. Yes good morning good morning. I did not hear the whole show so perhaps you have already done this and I want to start by saying that I am a Democrat and I really feel that it's appropriate to say when I talk to a candidate so everybody knows where my questions are coming from but I could take a few minutes it seems to me in the past. Minute said I've been listening you sort of had done that. Can you list your point of view and where you disagree with Tim Johnson. I just heard you do it on energy. I wonder if you could key in on some other things where you just simply disagree with with Jim Johnson the current representative. Where do I begin exactly. We disagree very fundamentally on health care. He does acknowledge that there is a problem with the financing of health care in this country. But he has spent a good

bit of time in recent weeks bashing the type of single payer national health care plan that I've been advocating for many years in the past nearly two years as a candidate. He he feels that it would reduce flexibility when in fact the plan is devised by Physicians for a national health program would increase flexibility. He would be free to go to whatever hospital and whatever doctor you want which is not the case today under the rule of the PPO as in the HMO so he states that it would reduce health care quality which it is almost laughable. I respect the man but I don't think he has the expertise with regards to. Health care issues that I have and you can't do much worse than spending twice as much as every other country and being ranked thirty seventh in the world by the World Health Organization in terms of quality. That ranking is largely because everyday people just can't get the things that they need. He talks about waiting times in Canada ignoring the fact that the plan that I've proposed is

an American plan run by American health care providers and health care consumers it's not government run as he has referred to it and it will continue to be funded at the same level as today if the comedians were to double their health care investment dollars tomorrow. Some of the flaws that are present there and they are not nearly as significant as Mr Johnson would have you believe even those flaws would would go away if they were to invest themselves fully. What my plan does is put your money actually into health care rather than into bureaucracy and the profit of people who know nothing about health care. So we disagree on health care substantially. We. I think we disagree on energy as we referred to. We disagree on taxes. As a member of Citizens for Tax Justice I'm well aware that what has been passed since Mr Johnson and George Bush went to Washington those tax cuts have

overwhelmingly favor the wealthy. They've left us with a sea of red ink which is unconscionable in regards to how that's going to impact our children and grandchildren. I was just over it visiting with a class of fourth graders here in Champaign and they asked me about Texas and I think it's sad to look at them. Look at them and recognize that they will be the ones responsible for the party that has been thrown in Washington since January 1. So I would like to reverse those tax cuts as they apply to those doing very well in our society those making a quarter million dollars a year or more. Last week in Charleston Mr. Johnson had a misstatement in a televised debate he stood he stated that my Project Vote Smart website. That's a questionnaire you can fill out to make people aware of where you stand on different issues. He stated that I would that I indicated that I would slightly increase taxes on those making $25000 a year or less which goes against everything I've ever stood for in my life. And he said no

that's not the case and he said no you better check your site in. Indeed I was right it says that I would not increase those people's taxes and I don't know why he said that on television. But that goes up into the champagne market so I'd like to make that clear to those who saw that show. I don't know if he's reached what level of desperation he's reached but that that point should be. Set straight. So we disagree on stem cell research. I'm all an advocate of all forms of stem cell research. I think too to turn our backs on that is a mistake with all the tens of millions of people who may potentially benefit from that people with neurologic disorders as well as juvenile diabetes. I could go on and on. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the call other questions are welcome. We have certainly time for others. Guest this morning is David Gill He is a Democratic candidate for the U.S.

House of Representatives from the 15th Congressional District here in Illinois running against Republican Tim Johnson. 3 3 3 9 4 5 5 is the champagne Urbana number if you like to call with a question toll free 800 to 2 2 9 4 5 5. Just be particular because you have made health care a central issue for your campaign. And we did have an earlier caller saying she was interested in hearing about that I just wanted to make sure I give you another opportunity if you want to to talk about basically what it is that you're suggesting for health care reform. You know particular one of the things that we come back to again and again is that they are there's a very large group of Americans that have no health care. The last time I looked at I don't know what it is and now 44 million $40 million something like that. And it's the scope of the problem is overwhelming. It's not only is it those 45 million and 90 percent of them are working full time. It's the very many people who have insurance but have to deal with premiums and co-pays and and

deductibles that are skyrocketing on a regular basis. And the solution as offered by Physicians for a national health program is a plan which has been through the congressional budget office repeatedly always receives rave reviews. And they indicate that the country as a whole would save upwards of 300 billion dollars a year. Ninety five percent of households would save substantial amounts of money. It's a tax based plan. But it's a it's a tax cut if you will of sorts in that and you'd be paying much less with this tax which some people say ought to be 2 percent on individuals much less in that tax than you're currently putting in today in terms of premiums and co-pays and deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. It's it would allow for all needed care for all Americans including long term care for our seniors prescription drugs acute illness chronic disease mental health care which so many insurance companies seem to drag their feet on funding and preventative

medicine which is so vitally necessary and that it would reduce bureaucracy would go from fifteen hundred different health insurance companies to one insurance company which would those savings alone health care economists from of all political persuasions look at the savings of going from fifteen hundred to one and streamlining down from fifteen hundred different forms to one set of forms and recognize that the savings involved in that alone would cover the 45 million people who have no health insurance. It should have been done 50 years ago and there are a hundred twenty six people in Congress who have signed on to this type of plan it's not some pipe dream on my part and I look forward to being number one twenty seven if the voters so decide tomorrow. And hopefully speaking with a physicians voice who's lived in the trenches of medicine for 16 years. Hopefully being able to to lead others to recognize that this is something they need to do for the vast majority of their constituents.

When you look at all the things that go into the cost of healthcare one of the places where the costs have gone up the fastest. Maybe it is the place where the cost of going to the fastest is prescription medication. Yeah that's what's driving this this debate now about whether or not people should be able to go to Canada right to buy their medicines because they're less than if you buy them here in the United States right. Is that something that the government that is that with a cost of prescription medication. Is that something that the government can and should do something about. Yes and yes it would be if I had my way it would be wrapped up within the national health care plan that I'm talking about the pharmaceutical industry is the either the first or second largest lobbying group in Washington. Which reminds me that last week Mr. Johnson said on your show that he gets the majority of his funding from individuals which is not true. We have documentation about that. The bulk of his comes from political action committees and they the pharmaceutical industry is the largest stumbling block toward putting through the type of plan that I'm

talking about. They they give a lot of money to a lot of people in Congress and they have their profit margin is unlike anything anybody else sees in their business. It's a problem that is really it's hurting everybody big business is being hurt small business people are being hurt their own able to compete on a level playing field with the rest of the world. Labor gets hurt as well with health care prices that go up five to ten times the. Rate of inflation for all other goods and services so it's something that we we need to get done. And I would look forward to helping with regards the importation of drugs. I think that that's fine in the arguments against it are very disingenuous but but it is just a Band-Aid. For a gaping abdominal wound that needs to be fully repaired. Do you think that people if they are in. However they're doing it buying their

prescription medicine from outside the United States have some reason to worry about the safety is that that's what that seems to be the primary objection of the FDA to doing this. They're saying well we can't assure that these that they that what it says on the package is in fact what it is you are getting right. I would say that the FDA has while it's illegal they've permitted it for 11 years. They haven't taken any action so you wonder if their concerns regarding safety are real. And I would just be certain that what you're buying is actually products that are manufactured and packaged here in this country the same as what is sold in this country in for the most part that's the case I've heard anecdotally. One or two episodes of. And we might see more of people trying to cash in on this in some criminal manner. But for the most part if you can identify your prescription medication as being the same stuff as you would buy right here in America in terms of

manufacturing and packaging I I would hardly give that a second thought. OK. Well we have some other callers here and we'll get back to where the phones they. Next person is in Urbana line one. Hello. Well exactly. You know I have a question because it seems that even here locally there is a shortage of either physicians or very high turnover especially for doctors that deal with mental health. And we've been dealing with it for more than a year or so it seems like you can barely keep a doctor for a year before they decide to leave. The clinic that they're at and then you have only a child psychologist or a child psychiatric doctor left to deal with all the adult patients and it concerns me that if we manage to get health care coverage for a greater portion of the population what kind of pressures that will put on the existing systems and how you would see we could meet the need in the extra demand

that would would happen. Well there there might be extra demand in that sense but there would be reduced demand in the sense that you'd be able to manage things preemptively or prevented to flee. There is rarely a day where I don't see a patient who's coming in with disaster going on with their coronaries who's had ample warning. And you know people experience 10 minutes of chest pain frequently when they're active and then they rest and it goes away and they don't address it oftentimes because of the bills that they fear they might incur by addressing it when it's something that can be managed in a in a more reasonable way or are people with high blood pressure which is a risk factor for coronary disease who can't afford their medication. So. When I talk about the congressional budget office reviewing this plan they have experts in these types of issues who who look at it and take into account all of those types of savings to be had on the front end as well as some of the

increased use that occur might or might occur. You would also reduce the volume of non-emergency situations that we see on a regular basis in emergency departments around this country and there are people who have nowhere else to turn for their health care because the first question they get asked by many doctors offices is what kind of insurance do you have. And so on. And E.R. care is the most expensive of of all the way to get care that you know pricing up that it's tremendously cost inefficient and I would hope that when we have this program in place that you'd you'd have much better availability and funding of mental health care. So you would perceive that people more. Change their habits or make it to the system in a more appropriate manner in terms of seeing their way you plainly create this doctor. Exactly getting another coach mentioned that you need right now only when you have the U.S. health care. When everybody has the US health care. Things will be a much more

appropriate. OK thank you thank you thank you let's go to next caller line number two this is someone else on our panel. Hello hello. Yes thanks for taking my call this has got to do with the environmental issue. A few years ago. I think it's been about five years ago now and it doesn't look like things have changed. There was a construction site not too far from our home. And these trucks laden with with soil were going back and forth you know going one way with soil and coming back empty for days and days and they were spirit the most terrible you know. They're pulling exhaust I have ever seen in my life and I called them to get a hold of the EPA office and they say well you know cars are regular I said if I drove my car to get that sort of thing they'd have me pull it off in nothing flat and I couldn't drive it till it was fixed. Yeah those trucks are exempt from this kind of air pollution. Is that correct.

I've heard people say that before. I'm not sure to what extent. I think they might not be exempt they might be held to a less stringent standard and while it's considerably less stringent than insects and I really would. I think that's probably were a risk environment we had to have pay several hundred dollars after they were done. I have our house washed because it was so bad but I'm just saying that is what I heard one of the worst polluting elements we have our trucks and buses. That's important and that energy bill doesn't address our need to demand more fuel efficient vehicles. Well they need to prescribers are something that thank you for calling. Thanks for enjoying listening to your program. Thank you thank you for the call we'll go on again another caller here this is line 3 this is someone in Champaign Illinois hello. Yes thank you for taking my call. First of all I want to tell Dr. Gill that I find everything you say so comforting.

I think living in Illinois just one year and I would find it extremely comforting to have you representing me in Congress. Everything you say at this I agree with and I would love to. I hope that health plan gets a lot of attention. We tried to make it get a lot of attention to the best of our abilities. Well you know your words are very flattering but I also have a question on an entirely different subject and that is is there anyone in Washington who has even thought of simply talking to some of them adn or communicating with him. It does. How do you see this recent the recent release of that tape. Does it seem at all like. Tentative attempt to communicate to say let's talk and let let me explain why we thought it was a good

idea to bomb the Trade Center and then. Is there anybody who sees another solution other than bombing people and threatening to kill us. Not that I've heard and I haven't heard any talk like that in Washington. I do think. I think that what he spoke last week was much less all pompous sounding and arrogant and I don't know if he was trying to engage in dialogue or if that was to serve as further recruitment of the more moderate element of people in that part of the world. But he did make reference to what happened in 1902 in Lebanon. And I think that that's right. We should. We should bear in mind that and far be it from me to to really give the man any credence. But but separate and apart from what he said it brings to mind the fact that I'm a I'm a believer that we

need to have a Palestinian state that we need a two state solution with regard to the Israelis. And that's another area of disagreement between my opponent and myself. Well I realize it's not going to be easy but if we don't talk to people then. I just wondered if there were anybody in Congress who believes that dropping bombs doesn't solve anything. Well I think there are many people who probably in a general sense feel that way but he's done a pretty good job of vilifying himself with within America and and in much of the rest of the world remember we had tremendous sympathy for our cause on September 12th 2001. And it's only since that time that through the involvement in Iraq for the most part that we've lost that sympathy in a large measure of negative feelings.

Yes we've lost a lot of friendship around the world. I know I wrote the first thing I remember about OK I'm 81 years old so I remember several wars and I remember noticing John Kerry the first time I noticed him was when he spoke for Veterans Against the War. And I thought what a brave young man. And so I'm going to vote for him. I just I'm disturbed every time I hear him say we're going to. Seek them out and kill them. We can seek them out and find out. You know how how can we talk to each other and make peace. But to through this threaten to think about and kill him seems to destroy any possibility of communication. Well I would agree with that when they're if they're killed there they won't be communicating going right. I think there are there are some things and again I can't speak for John Kerry but there

are there are several issues where I think that the politicians career politicians there's a calculation to everything that they say and they need to make sure that they ensure that they get fifty point one percent of the vote and I think some of what he talks about with regards to that is to is not so much with regards to what is the right answer as to what is the way that I get into the White House you know because you can't do anything unless you get elected. Well thank you so much for taking my question on this. I play I'm told to go. Thank you we'll see if we get at least one more of the caller-ID next designer Bana in line one fellow. Oh good morning Dr. Gayle good morning. Thank you for running. My question is about the flu vaccine shortage. I understand that flu kills about 36000 people in the United States and a million worldwide.

Yes every year when we have vaccine available now we have vaccine available. And CNN and other news organizations are talking about pandemic. Yes. Which occurs what every 20 to 30 years. And the in that the flu strain changes right so that people have little immunity from previous flu bouts. So could you talk a little bit about how we can keep sufficient supply of flu vaccine and what we can do in the way of policy to help us be put more prepared. What I would say and what I've been saying for the past three or four weeks is. That with a national health care plan we would never have a shortage of flu vaccine. The reason that we don't have manufacturers of flu vaccine in this country is that it's not profitable profitable enough. Last year four million doses had to be disposed of because they didn't get used and that cuts down on profit

margin when the focus is on the well-being of people rather than the maximizing of profit then. Then you would see plenty of flu vaccine in fact I find it ironic. My opponent and many politicians knock Canada and some of the European countries but here in our hour of need. That's precisely who we're turning to because they have national health care and they have more than enough flu vaccine available. Well I do appreciate your cogent thoughts on the matter. Thank you well I hope you get to Washington to help us out. And I'd like to just say one thing one word of appreciation for Governor Blagojevich who has really stepped up in this flu vaccine shortage to try to get more scenes available for Illinois the citizens of Illinois I think he's done an outstanding. Made an outstanding effort. Thank you. Well thank you for the call there we will have to stop because we've used our time and our thanks to our guest Dr. David Gill. He is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives here in the 15th congressional district running against incumbent

Republican Tim Johnson. Thank you David. It goes fast doesn't it it doesn't mean. Appreciate you being here. It was my pleasure.