Odyssey

The. Publics of the particular public and of public life. From National Public Radio News in Washington I'm CORBA Coleman. President Clinton

shook his finger at television cameras today and again declared he never committed improper behavior with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. I did not have sexual relations with that woman Miss Lewinsky. I never told anybody to lie not a single time never. These allegations are false and I need to go back to work for the American First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton stood at his side. The president did not go into detail. He left the room without taking questions. One of Northern Ireland's pro British paramilitary groups has withdrawn from peace talks today. It's outlawed paramilitary wing has admitted murdering three Catholics. The Ulster Democratic Party the lawful representative of the outlawed Ulster Defense Association didn't wait for the British and Irish governments to decide whether the LDP would be forced out of the peace talks. NPR's Michael Goldfarb says the announcement was made by the LDP leader Garry

McMichael at the morning session when all the participating parties gave their viewpoints on whether they should be allowed to stay in or not with a clearly against their continued participation with the government. The Irish and the British government will ultimately make that decision. But it was very clear and the beauty Pete would not stay to be humiliated by a decision by the government to throw them out. So they have left. NPR's Michael Goldfarb at the Northern Ireland peace talks at Lancaster House in London. The departure of the Ulster Democratic Party has raised fears that there will be even more attacks against northern Ireland's minority Catholic population. Opening statements are under way in the state of Minnesota's lawsuit against the tobacco industry. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports from St. Paul. In other news the government says sales of previously owned homes fell slightly in December but 1997 was still a record year. The National Association of

Realtors says sales of existing homes dropped 2.1 percent in December. But for all of 1900 for four point two million existing homes were sold That's three percent better than in 1906. The association says Strong home demand was fueled by strong job creation by low mortgage rates. A group of business economists says the economy will continue to expand moderately for the first half of this year. The National Association of Business Economists says that was also true of the last quarter of 1997. The associations latest survey finds that wages and costs were unchanged at most firms. On Wall Street at this hour the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up more than 23 points at seventy seven hundred twenty four. Trading is active. This is NPR. In NPR's business update. As the Tokyo stock markets soared today prosecutors raided the country's powerful finance ministry on allegations of bribery among officials who inspect Japan's banks.

NPR's Julie McCarthy reports. And the latest blow to the prestige of Japan's financial policies about 50 prosecutors descended on the offices and homes of the finance ministries banking inspectors. They searched for evidence that financial institutions had entertained government officials in exchange for confidential information about the finance ministries bank inspections Japanese banks are heaving under the weight of bad debt totals nearly 600 billion dollars and some banks have a powerful interest in concealing the extent of their compliance with things such as adequate capital ratios. If they do not meet international standards they can be shut down. Police are investigating whether officials who were given expensive gold and other entertainment did so in exchange for lenient oversight of the banks. This is Julie McCarthy NPR News Tokyo. AT&T Corp. says it had an 18 percent decline in its fourth quarter profits in 1907. The nation's largest telecommunications firm earned one and a

third billion dollars in that time period down from one point sixty two billion from the year before. But the report was stronger than expected. This afternoon New chair the new chairman of AT&T is expected to announce a major realignment of management and staff about 15000 people are expected to be laid off from AT&T again on Wall Street the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up more than 23 points at seventy seven hundred twenty four. Trading is active. I'm core of a Coleman National Public Radio in Washington. Support for NPR comes from Borders Books and Music. Putting a world of knowledge within your reach. With over 200 locations across America 800 6 4 4 7 7 3 3. Good morning and welcome to odyssey on WBEZ Chicago I'm Gretchen health. Well the events of the past six days have made it perfectly clear that politicians are under intense

scrutiny all of their actions public and private are subject to public approval. The harsh and swift judgment of the public over matters which may not be directly related to the duties of office is frequently put forth as a reason that good qualified people do not seek public office Other reasons include the demands of campaigning both personal and financial and the perceived inability of politicians to accomplish anything substantial. Nevertheless men and women continue to seek public office and young people who have a range of career options available to them choose to do so as well. In light of the disrepute into which politicians and politics have fallen I wonder what motivates a young person to seek public office and to consider devoting his or her life to politics So today we've invited four young candidates each of them is under is 32 or under and each is running for state office for the first time to talk about themselves and their personal goals. We're not going to talk specifically about campaign issues but rather about the personal views and decisions behind these candidates. So we're joined today by Tim Schmitz who is a

Republican running for the Illinois House in the thirty fifth district which is to the west of Chicago near Batavia that area. Forty Second sorry. Oh my gosh. Still it's out. I got that part right. I try to whisper to that in that out in that area Tim is 32 years old. Andy Cornell who is 31 he is a Republican running for the Illinois House in the 80th district. I checked that one Lisa Madigan is here she's a Democrat running for the state Senate in the 17th District which is on the north side of Chicago She's 31 years old. And Dan Hines who is a Democrat running for state comptroller he is 29 years old. Thank you all very much for coming in today. Thank you he would let me start by asking each of you the basic question which is why did you decide to run in this election now. Tim And Andy I should make clear both of you have held actually hold public office now in your in your towns. Right right. You are a councilman and an alderman is that your township trustee township trustee and the old woman. OK and this is your first this is your first state election for each of you. Let me begin by asking you how you made this decision to run Tim want you start.

Well the old man of the group you're 32. I am an alderman imitating a fireman and I just decided that I'd like the job I used to be a staffer for the House Republican leader right after college and I felt Someday I'm going to come back and our representative retired this year or announced her retirement and I decided now's a good time the kids are very young and to go after it and my biggest fear is quite on this was my age. I had to know how that was going to be perceived and I've been having a lot of fun with it and people have been very encouraging that they they want young people to get involved to make some changes so on we go. This is your first partisan election is that right. Yes. OK. And what made you decide to run. We'll get back to the partisan issue later on. I just want to get it a chance to have one and well I was raised in a family that I always believed in. You should dedicate service to both your community church and country and I had always taken that with me when I ran for a township for township trustee five years ago I was elected and re-elected this past April and I always thought we could do more and do more on a higher

level. And you know the the youth. I want to reiterate what Tim said the youth of America people are really excited about us coming out and working towards our political aspirations and getting involved in the political process because too many of us don't. Dan Hines How about you. Similar background I was raised in a family where politics was the nightly discussion at the dinner table and public service was considered a noble calling. And so I was raised with it I've been knocking on doors and working for candidates my whole life and then after that your father is Tom Hines another democratic elected office for 26 years. And so I've really been working out for other candidates for many many years and after the last election I decided that I would like to enter into into public life myself and started to seek the office of state comptroller and traveling across the state meeting with people about some of the new ideas I think I could bring to the table in state government bringing new people into the political process. And again people were very excited about that.

And this is your first run at elective office of any kind. Right right. Lisa How about you Lisa Madigan. I think the reason that I've made this decision to run for the state Senate is mainly based on a lot of the community work that I've done. So when I graduated from college I've spent time as a teacher. I also spent time working out at Wright College which is in the north with the city with a lot of the police department and in the job that I had we were doing all sorts of community programming. And so I learned what a lot of the concerns are of the people in the community and I think that running for elected office will allow me an opportunity to really promote those issues and to do work in areas that are of great concern to people in the community. How many of you view this particular decision to run in this election as a career choice. I mean how many of you see this as the beginning of a career that you intend to have last for the rest of your life. Dan I know I talked with you before the show you said that you definitely saw this as as part of a long term course of your life. You know I think most people our age when they make a decision a professional decision they don't think about just four years from now or even 10 years. They try to think of 30 years from now as this is where I want to be

heading. And if everything goes well and I do a good job and I enjoy it as much as I think I will I would like to serve many years in public service. But that is yet to be seen. What about the rest of you do you see it as as the the area or the field you want to stay in for the rest of your life or maybe you have a more circumspect view about that. I myself I just view it as a just a different stage in my life. I had no grand plans to to move onwards or upward or sideways or anything it's just an opportunity arose and I decided to put my resources into it and mostly legwork and time and if I like it I like Dan likes it. I'd love to stand it if I don't I want to do the best job I can and move on to another. But right now it's been a lot of fun so so think about your not seeing it as necessarily. This is a commitment you're going to make for the rest of your life you're no are certain more. No I don't see it at all for myself for now.

You know a lot of people I know when I'm going to a door will say to you Well you know is this just a stepping stone which is really the question you're asking. And you know the reality is I'm very focused on winning this election and this is what I want to do and you know I made a conscious decision as to seek a certain office. But because I believe that that can really be a good place to do work for the community. And I don't know you know if there are more things there are other arenas you know to do that in at this point. But certainly I think we're probably all pretty focused on accomplishing you know this election and winning at this point. I tend to agree with Lisa on that. And I look at it as an honor that you know the voters are going to be still upon you whether or not you are going to stay in that office forever. And I also think that you know when when we created the legislative body you know 200 some years ago. I don't think our forefathers looked for us to turn this into a career. I think they expected us to go to Springfield or to Washington get the work done that needed to be done and then get back to the business at hand which whatever it may be for you whether it was your farm or whatever. But I believe that that's the way

that you should look at it. Let's talk about some of the some of the issues that people see as the downside of politics or the downside of being a politician and I noticed as I was talking with each of you before the show I noticed that that I think none of you used the term politics or politician that you all saw it as a public service or government or some other term so that would be my word for the day. Let's talk about some of the things that people see as the downside Let's start I guess with the issue of campaigning. And that raises the related issue obviously of of fund raising but there's a lot of cynicism in the public about campaigns about campaign promises about being able to trust what people say and whether people are just saying things to get reelected the pressure to get re-elected. What has your experience been so far in terms of your interacting with with the voters on your campaigns. So I want to build up what Lisa said a minute ago as you're running for this

because you want to run to the next stage and that I've been getting a lot of the question too it's all you want to be a congressman some day it's step by step and. You know what do you say when people say that I have at this time I am so focused on winning the primary that I can't even think beyond Marja 2:53 right now and I and my friends who are helping me in this. I mean we can't even begin to think of running door to door in a congressional district or are we damn want to do a statewide Dan you're crazy. And I've every night we're out in the streets and I know you guys are too and it's a lot of work. I just want to build off yours Lee so that people are look at this and know what you're doing this for a future you're doing this for the next stage and why are you getting involved and I'm doing this for today right now I have a five year old that starts school next year the issues in our group. I mean we're living them right now and we have a chance all of us here to to make a positive change and that's how I'm going about it it's it's not as a

politician in. People say When your door to door I don't know you guys are probably going to are you so young you seem nice why would you want to get into a business like this and I still think I told you in our little chat I still think it's an honorable profession I think it's a it would be incredible to serve the district and if you're in it for two years for your six years you did your part. You did your business and you came home so if I say what is wrong with the idea of using one office as a stepping stone for another office I mean if you're planning to be in public life for the rest of your life Dan you know you said that this is something you you see doing for a long time what's wrong with that what's wrong with being a planning a career in politics. The only thing wrong with that is if people feel that you're only seeking one opts to seek another I don't think anyone would condone that. I think you need to make sure that you're doing a good job in the office that you're holding that you're seeking. But I don't think there's anything wrong with saying you know I'm committing myself to public service. And if I do a good job I want to do it for a long time. But nothing is certain in this life. And. Five years from now I could decide I

don't really enjoy this and I want to see I want to go back to the private practice of law and do that. But I think it's also it would be shortsighted to only think about the next four years you've got to think about your life I mean just as you know we're raising a family and everything else how this impacts your for your family life. And that's what I've done before I decided to enter it in the first place. Do you get that question from voters about what your long term goals are. Yeah I get the steppingstone question of course. I would imagine actually be worse for you and for Lisa since you're coming at it you know you've got your family background to support you you're sort of stepping into it with a lot more behind you than than maybe the average candidate I mean I think people would be even more skeptical about what your motives were or or suspicious. Sure and it's also it also relates to what they read in the paper a year and a half before the election all they hear is this person is looking at that office and this person is going to move up to this office they're all going to piggyback and. And it's seems like a game shouldn't be it shouldn't be people should focus on the opposite there. There are currently holding and I think

that the people around this table feel the same way. One of the things that is really exciting in that I think we're all sort of speaking to is the actual going door to door. I would say it's a very slim minority of questions you get from people saying well what office you know do you eventually want to hold or what is your eventual goal. I get a lot of very enthusiastic people. You know as Tim was saying that are at the door and are willing to engage in conversation with you very interested in the issues. And while they do you know some of them do make that comment well you seem to be young are very excited and say you know we need more young people to get involved. So there really seems to be this continual hope that people have to get involved in that you're going to have good people who are running for public office. I have I have I worked two precincts a week and I have yet to have somebody say well what office are you going to seek next time. And I'm already an elected official that covers you know a third of my district. And you know the same people have voted for me twice in office. Most of them are very excited about seeing you know myself run for higher office

and most of them when you're when you go door to door a lot of them are talking about the issues that are affecting the state today. They're not they're not concerned about where you plan on being four years from now or six years from now they plan on. They're concerned about what you plan on doing come next January. Do any of you worry when you if you do look ahead and think about you know what what might come after this I know you've all said that you're all focused on this but you know there must be moments when you sit back and reflect and say gosh when I'm 37 what am I going to be doing. Do you ever do you worry about whether or not you're going to be able to avoid politics as a game the way you described it Dad. The pressures that everyone can see are there pressures of party pressures put on you by the media all sorts of different forces that that make demands on you that are maybe not the demands that you would choose to put on yourself. Do you do you worry about that do you worry about whether you're going to be able to to negotiate that. Well it's absolutely you know a tradeoff that earlier you have to assess before you

decide to run for public office whether it's something you want to do or not. And you know the process of doing that is going through and saying you know here are the pluses I think I can contribute to this community we can add to the dialogue we can bring resources back into the community. You know but at the same time it's a lot of hard work. It's probably the hardest job you know running for office that I've ever done it's you know 18 20 hours a day walking precincts. Well it's great work and I love the interaction and you get you know a lot of motivation from it is very tiring as well you know and the other pressures that you mentioned you know public scrutiny is certainly one of them that we've seen a lot of recently. But that's continual and I think you factor all that in before you make your decision. So I don't think any of us went into this blindly and. Well but can I mean can you anticipate what it's really going to be like ahead of time I mean at least a year. Just your own experience I mean since you announced that you were running you know your names in the paper are there reports about you. Again the skepticism about you know here's somebody who can mount this great campaign because of her connections and you know is she really about serving the district.

Did you was that what you expected were you did you anticipate that. Specifically I don't I don't mean of course there are going to be stories but did it turn out the way you thought it would. Sure it's not much different than what I thought it would be in part of that obviously is because I've grown up. Part of my life in a political family you see what goes on you know you see newspaper reports you know there are reporters you know that it's a very you know long working day you know if you want to do this well. And so no it doesn't come as a surprise. And you know people will say to you when you decide to get involved I'm sure that everybody around the table here you know you develop a thick skin and you have to and you know you listen to things that people say about you that are not true. And you know but you move on and really when you're talking to people at the door you know in the neighborhoods they have a very different perspective sometimes than what you know than the hype that you end up hearing is that you do you all find that that there's a difference between what goes on in the press and politics as described in the press and politics or public service or

whatever you want to call it as you encounter voters individually. Because we're so into our campaigns and we know what we said and we. We know what how the. It was pretty in the newspaper. But then when you go to somebody's doorstep and you introduce yourself Your Ground Zero everything started over again everything's fresh. That person probably hadn't even read the article about the issue that was printed in the newspaper and I think you guys have got to begin this too they're so shocked that somebody knocked at their door. And that's that's what I think all four of us are talking about we're trying to bring back the lost art of door to door campaigns by the candidate and what do you get back to your question about the you know the public pressures and the. And I've had some articles printed out and it's weird seeing your name in the paper so much now and what you get labeled as and what you're pointing to get labeled as and at that part I'm developing a thicker skin. I didn't grow up in the families that you two had and I could imagine you know the thick skin that you guys are used to some of this is a

pretty new ballgame for me so it's a I'm evolving. Did you anticipate it. Did you know did you know how that was going what that pressure was going to be like. I had a good idea. But when it actually hits. It was a it was an awakening. Yes I think it's for me it's been easier it's been easier to take criticism about myself than it has been when I was growing up hearing criticism of my father and reading about it and seeing unfair attacks or or or just something I didn't think was fair. When it happens to you I mean you know what really is going on and you can fight back. But when it when someone attacks someone you care about. It's much worse it's much worse it's very hard to take. Growing up and maybe that has prepared me and hardened me to be able to withstand criticism of myself. But it's just always been more difficult and you have got you and you could no I I tend to agree with them on the thick skin you have to go the further and further you get into the political process the worse things are. You know the more they say

the more you have to defend yourself about things the more you're labeled about different things. And I've always had a principle when I was in high school. We had a discipline problem in our school. And he used to always say that 98 percent of the kids were great in 2 percent of them were the problem and those 2 percent were causing a problem for everybody else. And I think it's the same thing in a political process most of the people that are out here being public servants 90 percent of them are great people. And there's 2 percent that are giving a bad name for everybody else and making it not a attractive career as you put it for everybody else to go into. Get involved. Let me ask you there's another issue that you've touched on Lisa and Dan you both mentioned it and that is to what extent is your youth an asset in your campaign to what extent is that a focus of your campaign in terms of Dan. You talked a lot about bringing young people into the political process people who maybe haven't voted before maybe haven't participated in politics in some other way.

For each of you how how much is that a focus of what you're trying to do with your campaign. Well I'm glad you brought that up because I think what's sadder than the fact that maybe young people are hesitating to to enter public life and running for office is the fact that young people are even getting involved behind the scenes or knocking on doors or even voting. That is a tragedy in my opinion and in a way I try to use my campaign as a mechanism for getting other people involved. Not everyone wants to run for office not everyone wants to withstand this criticism and scrutiny that we've been talking about. But everyone should get involved in some way even if it's just voting. And so what I've been trying to do is get my friends to get other people and get any young person that I talk to to take that first step and get involved. And it's been so far. We've had some success and we have got a long way to go. But it's so important for our generation and for the future of our state and country that young people. Participate in the dialogue about the future of our state that young people who have the most at stake about the decisions being

made every day participate. And that to me is really the worry something not about can withstand the scrutiny What's it like growing up in a house with politics and and all these personal decisions for all of us but can we change it for all the young people who are not getting involved. Can we turn that around and give them a reason to get involved. Is that important for the rest of you and you're that important part of your campaign. Yes it's a very important part. And it amazes me as I go through and as I'm campaigning and I meet more people and you run into old people you went to school with and stuff and they say oh I want to help you out I want to get involved and you find out they're not registered to vote they've never been registered to vote. My birthday is March 1st. And so the year that I turned 18 there was a primary. My parents went out made me register to vote before their primary and before I was even 18 years old so I could vote in their primary. And you know that's very important to me and it's a very important process and we need to teach the youth of America that above all else they should at least get out and vote and vote their concerns.

That's that's classic right there ima find it out so your best friends haven't registered to vote. So they can help you out on March 17th. But I've been shocked and you guys you have to be shocked at this. We just had an election November we had 17 percent turnout and that's turnout of the registered voters. And not everyone who is registered to vote so I've been really working on saying folks your vote does count and I was involved in a race where we want to statehouse by six seats I mean six or six seats six votes. I mean that's your vote does count and that's the message I'm trying to bring across is it does count whether you're 85 years old or whether you just got your voter I.D. card. Go out there and cast the ballot. You know what Kim is saying is very true I mean the district that I'm in because on the north northwest side of the city there's so much movement you know from people from the lakefront in Lincoln Park moving into the district where people from the suburbs moving into the district that you see people it doesn't matter what their age is they're not necessarily registered to vote. So we spend a lot of time and attention trying to make

sure that people register to vote and you know handing out flyers to tell people you can go to the public libraries to vote or to register to vote. And you know just getting people involved. But I really find it prevalent to for some people across the board you know no matter what their ages. It amazes me as you go through and walking the precincts and you have walk sheets that show the registered voters and you can walk by six homes that are not registered in any of them you know three of them. Yeah. And of course when you ran the last time they told you they came out and voted for you you know. How do you get those houses. Well I do because I like to talk to him and I tell him you know would you like to register to vote let him know where they should go get registered go and get registered to vote and become a part of the process. You know because I've always said the first people they complain are always the ones you never get out and vote anyways. I would go one step further than what Tim said and in that your vote does count that is true. But I challenge people I say you if you don't vote you've lost your right to complain. And and it's young people are very knowledgeable on the issues. They are they have strong opinions on what's

going on and yet they don't participate they don't vote and so I try to challenge it and bring the issues to their doorstep and say Do you know that the federal government is deciding what the retirement age is going to be and it's not the retirement the retirement age for people who are 55 right now. It's for people who are Twenty five 30 years old because there's an effective date of 20000 and 10 and from that they're deciding how much money is going to go to education and it's our children who are going to be impacted by that. And if you don't if you don't vote you have no right to criticize what's going on. And so I think that wakes them up a little bit. And would you say that that lack of participation I mean none of you seems to be an anti-establishment candidate or you know anti system you all seem to think that the system is. Well you want to be part of it and you don't seem to be coming in it with this. You know we must change everything. Is the lack of participation and the lack of involvement by a large segment of population. Is that your main concern when you look at the overall system of politics or are there other concerns that are in terms of the system on any particular issues.

It's the most discouraging for me personally. You know you talk to people like you. You said you you know if you're the houses and they're not on your walk sheets and you wonder why they're not on the walk sheets and last time away I'll support and will do all the stuff but really the sports on election day when you get the win you get the whole for the for the candidate and getting these people to get out and vote and tell him that just because you're on a voter list does not mean you're going to be stuck in a grand jury for the next three years that's people might think it was a smell the smell that I want to get really WHITE Well apparently you end up getting called for jury based on your driver's license if not when you register to vote because it was then you know they'd have a very small pool of people to draw from. So but you know you do get a lot of people there is no I'm not going to register to vote because I don't want to be called for jury duty. That's not how you get called for jury duty. You should be. Well you should go do your duty at your call I'm sorry I like to stick my two cents in. That's nice of you and do it. Well look you listening to WBEZ Chicago ninety one point five FM. I'm Gretchen Halbert and this is Odyssey and we were talking today about why young people are getting involved in

politics and choosing to run for office our guests today are Tim Schmitz who is a Republican candidate for the Illinois House in the 40 second district. My mistake earlier Andy canel who is also a Republican running for the house in the 80th district. Dan Hynes who is a Democrat running for state comptroller and Lisa Madigan a Democrat running for the state Senate in a 17th legislative district. We're going to talk some more there's several more issues that I'd like to raise but we're going to take a brief break and then invite you to join in the conversation our phone number here is 3 1 2 8 3 2 3 1 2 4 3 1 2 8 3 2 3 1 2 4 Give us a call if you have a question you'd like to ask. You're listening to WBEZ Chicago. Support for programming on WBEZ is provided by the DePaul Opera Theatre presenting an operetta of Rivendell revelry and champagne. Johann Strauss Jr. deflator mouse for one weekend only Friday through Sunday Feb. 6 7 and 8 at the Merle reskin Theater in Chicago to get information

is available through the box office. 3 1 2 9 2 2 Nineteen ninety nine. Tune in to WBEZ starting Friday for our Valentine's membership drive. You'll have a chance to support public radio and you might win a trip for two to the city of love. Paris. Everyone who calls will be entered to win this trip courtesy of Air France Concorde hotels and the Terra Museum of American Art. The celebration of the current show American artist and the Paris experience. Tune in for this and other Valentine's surprises starting Friday here on WBEZ. This is WBEZ Chicago Chicago's public radio station ninety one point five FM. I'm Gretchen help and you're listening to Odyssey. Our guests today are Tim Schmitz who is a Republican candidate in the thirty fifth house district and Republican candidate in the 80th House district. Dan Hines a Democrat running for state comptroller and Lisa Madigan Madigan a Democrat running for the state Senate in the 17th legislative

district. We're talking about the appeal of public life for young people only appeal and difficulties and why young people are choosing to go into politics. I wanted to raise the issue we've been talking a little bit about your campaigns wanted to raise the issue of fund raising This is obviously something that generates a great deal of cynicism. Can you can I ask you to talk about what sort of fund raising you're having to do and whether that is what you expected and you want you start. Well we've been doing the usual you know cocktail parties and stuff like that. I've also had a lot of people just the other day had a retired couple who sent me a check for $23 because that was what they could afford to send me to help out in my campaign. And we are trying to come up with new and innovative ways to raise money. I am not. I don't have the honor of having the name of Heinz or Madigan So it's a little more difficult. But you can you know you can raise money anybody can run for office in raise money it's just

has a very difficult. How much do you expect to assuming you win the primary go on I don't know I don't have a pro OK then in terms of the total cost of the election how much do you expect that you'll have to raise. I'll do whatever it takes it's probably going to be a couple hundred thousand dollars in and that's what about what you expected. Yes. Because that's what the previous races ran. How big is your campaign organization. What do you mean by extent like the amount of people. Yeah yeah how many people I'm looking for you. I have a couple hundred people probably that come in when we need them. I mean on a day to day basis I probably have 25 people that come in and help out whatever we need you know and volunteers Yeah it depends. They're all volunteer They're all volunteers. It all depends on you know what we're doing at that time and what what needs to be done and what type of manpower we need to get the job done. TIM How about you how does your what sort of fundraising are you doing.

Probably pretty much the same as everybody else we have some cocktail parties. We had a family spaghetti dinner we're trying to get more families involved into this and I'm not charging the you know the cocktail parties that we used to see as being a staffer five hundred ahead. Twelve hundred for dinner I mean we're doing $25 for a family of four that kind of bent just to get more people involved in it and balloons and clowns and just to have some fun. I'm one candidate in a primary with with three others. So we're kind of chasing the same dollars. You know it's a it's an interesting chase and it's you know I chatted earlier it's a fund raising for me it's just been a it's horrible I don't enjoy it. How many how big is your campaign organization. Roughly you know how many people do you have working with you. One. I mean. I know I have one. I do have a primary and I like it I do have a primary so I have one paid staffer does a tremendous amount of work and my mother is deeply involved in the

campaign day to day and she's on paid Thanks mom. If you register that's a crime Oh yeah. MR. But I have just one staffer that I call right now is run of the day to day operations he's in there answering the phones then. I don't look to grow beyond that. Now you're both an in house races Lisa can you give us some basis for comparison you're in a state senate race. Sure I mean in terms of how to raise money the answer is exactly the same so we have you know you have a series of events some small events in people's homes in the district larger events. As an attorney you know we did a lawyers of that we're doing a big Mardi Gras themed party later this month actually later in February. Want of your time is devoted to fundraising. A lot of it a lot of it to me right way too much of it. And you know you have to call your friends you know people who you've grown up with people who you've worked with and whatever jobs you know and ask them tell them that you're in a race and see if they're willing to contribute and you know most people are you know it is and he just said you got a check for $20 with some woman sent me a dollar in the mail and we're

glad to have it anyone with me a dollar please. How much do you think your race is going to cost too much. Don't you know. And he said I'm not sure how much it's going to cost but I'll raise what I need to. But it's going to be too much money. Now Dan you're in a state you're running for statewide office so you're campaigning on a much bigger scale what sort of operation do you have behind you. Well it will be a bit more costly. And I think what's more important. How much you've raised is how you've raised it and the people at this table talked about small dollar contributions and that's so important just to get people feel that they're involved. And we're sitting here at Navy Pier. And it's ironic because my first fundraiser for my campaign was an event we had at Navy Pier at the end of the pier during the summer a year and a half before the election where we asked people under the age of 35. This group that we've been talking about trying to get them involved people under 35 to pay $35 to come to a political fundraiser. And we had over 4000 people come out a year before a year and a half before the election. And it was an amazing an amazing

event really gave us some momentum and it gave us some encouragement that young people are ready to get involved. They just need to be asked because we were talking earlier about you know young people are doing this and young people are getting involved and it is their own fault and they can't complain. But I do want to say that on the positive side almost every young person I've talked to if I asked them to get involved in a certain way they do it. They're very excited about it in fact is that what makes the difference the personal contact we've really got quite a bit. Actually yes. OK let's let's go to the phones let's take some calls and answer some other questions. WBEZ Good morning good morning. I have a question regarding the large amount voter apathy that seems to be out there. A.M. would any of your guests agree that perhaps it's caused by the way individuals have to campaign I mean you can't really explain issues. So I've used and I have to use soundbites for like the commercials to say tough on crime or you know I'm for the family without really going into detail and more you know the average individual who will say doesn't listen to the station all the time or read certain publications they can't really

tell how you define You know how can a difference can that be. That's where they think there's any way to change the way that they broadcaster up their viewpoint. It's such a public. Yeah I think it's a good question. Go ahead Lisa. I think there's some ways to do it and you know one of the things that we've been talking about during my campaign is how to make government more open and accessible. So in terms of getting out and talking about issues to do more maybe town meetings to go to the different neighborhood organizations because at least in my district there are a lot of very strong neighborhood organizations. Go and make a presentation of some sort to some sort of a forum. But you're right in terms of getting a message out you know you're limited in the space you know if you're doing it on a mailer or something and you have to have something that will be engaging. And you know sometimes people will not read through paragraphs and paragraphs but the people who want the information do tend to call you up to seek it out and so you know we've been encouraging people you know when I go door to door I'll talk to them for a few minutes if they have something you know they want to talk about we'll talk longer and say to them you know here's a phone number it's on the bottom of the literature should you think of a question later and if you please give us a call. So there is an opportunity to do it but it is

difficult and I think that is one of the reasons for voter apathy. But I do have to agree as well as I'm walking. Same thing you have a lot of people asking you questions and. My biggest problem is I continue to talk to him for 10 15 minutes and it's hard to get through all these homes. When that happens to you but getting your message out is a very difficult thing to do because of because of the apathy and because a lot of the people don't read through the literature. And then you do have the ones and it's great to talk to these people that call up and ask your stance on a certain issue or you know how you think that we can fix a certain a certain issue something along those lines and it's nice. I mean they're not everybody is against the political system as people would think. Is there any particular method or forum that you'd like to be able to use more that you think is more effective in getting a more complicated or more nuanced statement of your position and you're getting that across there I don't think anything can substitute for door to door and all the walking I've done. People are shocked when they open the door and you've got your sticker on I just think you're supporting them when you say your name and they look

at your sticker again and they realize you're the guy. And they say I've never seen a candidate but yeah I like hearing that all over the place and getting your message out is is very costly and for me. I mean it costs nothing to go door to door cost him time and then and that's the way to do it. And they are oh sorry I don't have to just agree with that. Let me just give the phone to Reagan 3 1 2 8 3 2 3 1 2 4 3 1 2 8 3 2 3 1 2 4 Give us a call if you'd like. Richard you're on WBEZ. Good afternoon everyone I guess. Good good good. Thank her. I had a question. Sure. Question I'm a young voter. I'm registered but let's say I go to the voting booth and these candidates and I pray you don't keep up with it. How do you really know who to vote for. You look at the MAME. You know it sounds like a good name you know like Heinz ketchup you know

cynical or anything but I mean there are just so many officers out there. What's the best way to keep up with all of that. Think of all those things. Why do you think what is the best source of information for individual voters. Well I think the best the best way for them to get their information is by doing their own research. Any of your political organizations will have literature on both candidates. You know on their particular candidate and the other organization would have it on their candidate. And you need to you need to do your own research and look into it and you know find out where that candidate stands on what what you hold near and dear in which you feel you know are the issues that you feel I'm voting on because the majority of the voters have certain issues that they vote on. You know it's whether it be education crimes. You know economic development whatever it is they have issues that they are concerned with and that they're going to vote on.

And you know when it comes to like he said he can he came into the voting booth and didn't know. That's what they always say the top spot on the ballot the bottom spot on the ballots the Best Buy to be because you know people either pick one of the two. What is your assessment. Direct this to all four of you. What is your assessment of the job that the media does in presenting the issues in your campaign I mean you've talked about getting good treatment and bad treatment by the media but overall do you think that as a source of information for the voters in following your individual races is it a good source. I think it's one of many. You know of course I'm with my literature and with my campaign I'm trying to promote some of my own issues that I think are important and sometimes the press and I differ on it. But I think the press is just another avenue for people to get their information from. I've learned things about my opponents in the press and you know where they stand on different issues so I would you get a fair shake I mean granted they're going to be differences of opinion and you'll be presented in ways that are not the ways that you would choose but

if you were knowing what your campaign is about and reading what your campaign is about do you think voters are getting a fair account of you. No I don't think you can ever get a fair shake in a newspaper article for someone else that's. It's to fill some space up in you know trying to get a couple good quotes and that's divisive you agree with that. I'd have to agree an expression that in my in Tim's button Lisa's spot we are talking about small microcosms of the state here and the local newspapers that are going to cover it you're not covered. You're not covered by a big Chicago Daily you're covered by you know twice a week type paper. I'm not going to spend as much time on your race in also per se they don't have the readership that a lot of you know the larger papers do. Where Dan has the luxury of at least of having you

know the bigger the larger papers covering him and he might get a fair shake out of the deal then you know we would or better media coverage I should say. You know you both got higher profile races right. Well I'm of the higher profile race with the last name makes it perceived to be a higher profile race but one thing that I did when I announced in October was to go around all of the local papers with smaller papers and really try to develop relationships with those people because those are people who are going to be writing about the race. I think more so than the larger papers particular you're talking about you know a state race either for a state rep or a state senator you know obviously there are different issues to be dealt with because of the last name so you know I don't know if I necessarily get an unfair treatment. But it's you know people are looking for a certain angle. You know that may or may not be based in reality so you know in spite of the last name I actually grew up on the north side of going to school on the north side my entire life. And you know so there's a lot you have to overcome. And I'm sure Dan can speak to this as well. You know while you've had the ability to see what political life might be like and

understand how you can you know have an impact and influence that same time you come to this with some more baggage than other people do. And so dealing with the media I think makes it it's a little more difficult in some ways. Dan what do you think. Well I want to go back to the question that Richard asked. How do you know who to vote for particularly when you're faced with the candidate himself or herself at the polling place. And I would just say to Richard. If you meet the candidate when you're walking into the polling place you should question this person and ask them what they do how they feel about issues don't don't let them get away with handing you a piece of literature and saying I need your vote because I want to win. Really. Let's take the time. Take 15 minutes 20 minutes to talk as a person about the issues that you're concerned about. And if you don't if you're not lucky enough to run into the candidate you should call up their office and ask them for substantive detailed position papers on what they're trying to accomplish as your elected official. But your thanks very much for your question. Our phone number here is 3 1 2 8 3 3 1 2 4 3 1 2 8 3 2 3 1 2 4. Let's talk to Karen.

Hi thanks for taking my call. I'm just calling with a comment. I wanted to say that I think that a lot of younger people are getting more involved politically because frankly people are pretty disappointed in the older folk that are out there there's so much shit and craziness going on that I think you know it be older. Or political leaders aren't really that effective and I think young. People are starting to say hey I can do that. And there were tech ready. Karen let me ask you something. Do you I'm assuming that you're a young voter. Do you feel like you are better represented would you feel better represented by someone who was more or less your own age than by someone who was older. Not necessarily but you know considering you know all the standard things that you see out there I think that people are becoming more open to considering somebody their age I mean I think you know we you know I think it's

you know what were you through and and what could be are two different things. Are you looking for someone just someone who's new someone who's a fresh face and not someone who's been around for a while. Frankly I'd rather have somebody that that would be more established that I didn't know about but it seems like now the more you know about somebody the more you know about it through their personal files the less desirable candidates they pick up. Yeah yeah that raises a whole other question that I hope will have time to get into but how do you how do you respond to that to the to the notion to you for candidates to the idea that that the our current crop of politicians is just they have little or no credibility with voters particularly younger voters. I think that goes back. Excuse me to what Andy said earlier you know you you've got 98 percent that are that really do mean well I want to go do a good job and you do have 2 percent in that get the high profile and. You know it is a system it's the greatest system in the world. It has its flaws just like every other system but.

We're here we've got some young fresh faces. We want to go and we want to do the best job we can. And that's that's really it I mean that I can't think of anything else with the agendas and what about the other part of Karen's comment which we sort of are. Well in light of recent events of course somewhat dancing around but let me let me phrase it this way because I don't want to get into necessarily a conversation about President Clinton. I don't promise that I will I don't know that we can add anything to that conversation but I do want to ask you this question and that is do you think that someone in a position of high or medium or low public office should be held to a higher standard of personal integrity and personal morality do you think that's a legitimate thing for voters to be concerned about. I'll be brief yes of yes sure. I think it's unavoidable and probably legitimate. But I think in the final analysis people want an elected official gets the job done. They don't care to hear about a person's public life. If they do it may affect their opinion a little bit. But I think they just assume that

you know I they didn't want to have somebody who's going to do the job. If someone's personal life impacts the way they can do the job then they don't want that as well. And. But I really believe that. People want somebody who's going to take their job seriously who has the qualifications and ideas to move our state forward and the rest of it is something that they would rather not know about. But if it does come to their attention it in Pinon impacts the way this person is perceived to be able to lead. Then it becomes fair game. I think though when you look at a lot of your elected leaders you know they should be role models in the community. And I believe that you know these should be held to a higher moral and ethical standard. I mean you really need to it's not just a job that you can get done it's also what type of image are you putting promoting for the youth of America I mean we're talking about the youth here. You know. I got a five year old child I mean I think you want to promote you know a good wholesome. Person for a role model for them as opposed to a

situation like we have now. I think that you know if you look at the morality of the people in the United States it is it's absolutely a key issue. And so you know I don't think any of us sitting here under the illusion that we are going to be held to to a lesser standard in fact I think we all know we're going to be held to a higher standard. You know but in terms of looking at elected officials currently you know respect is something that every individual has to earn on their own. You know you learn that in any job you have even that as a teacher you have the earn the respect of your students if you want to be an effective teacher. And I think similarly you know for those of us who want to go into elective office we are going to have to earn the respect you know and we will continue to find ourselves you know in a situation where we are held to a higher standard if we like that or not. Well do you feel comfortable with that or at least prepared for that to have people scrutinizing your conduct in a way that that would not happen if you were not in a position of public trust. Sure. In a if I didn't I wouldn't be doing this. I think you just have to be aware of it I mean when you're at a public social event you know there are some eyes on you when you walk in the room now and that's the strange part that I'm getting used to but. You know you do

have to be aware of what's in your hand you know as far as cocktails and if this is your third wind who's driving in you should be aware of that anyway. But for us for sitting here at this table you know we're going to have photographs going off. We're going to have people remembering all that so-and-so running for office and the guy was a complete stooge last night. That's a something that you have to be aware of and you know it we are. We laugh about it but it's it's very aware in my mind to how I carry myself and you know is it is it I mean to a degree that you find artificial or is it holding you to standards you would hold yours or would like to hold yourself to. I mean do you feel like this higher standard is something inhuman or is it just you doing your best to to behave the way I behave. I just think I'm behaving. I don't I don't think I'm going to hold myself to any other standard that I would normally live by but it's just something that in the back of my mind now that you know there are people around looking at you and waiting for you to trip. And

that's something it's sad but I'm aware of it now. Now this question is for you both of you are married right Chris. What is thought of as a new law it's a new Republican Party how are your wives responding to this type of pressure I mean this particular area is something that affects of them directly you know when you talk about making sure a lot of you know whether it's your third cocktail that kind of thing do your wives feel that pressure as well. Well my wife I have to tell a quick little story here I actually when I got elected the first time to office I had made a promise I made one campaign promise I'd been dating my way for years. And I said when I get elected I will ask my wife to marry me so that my victory party of course I get engaged to my wife and we've been married ever since. And so she has been used to the kind of the political life you know at a smaller level and it's it's getting you know more scrutinizing. But I don't think that it really affects her in any negative way.

You know if you carry yourself like you do normally in like you always will then you should never have any problems seeing how you I when I want to do this I was scared to go home and ask that night because you know something I really thought it was a pretty neat job to go for and I really wanted her support and without hesitating she said oh absolutely you're running for this job. So without that support I wouldn't be sitting here today running for this job. But it's very important. I don't think it runs her daily life as to how she handles herself and she's her own person. I just don't want my public life to slow down my private life when my kids have their own lives and my wife has her own life and I don't want that to change. OK I want to try to sneak one more call in we're almost out of time but I think we can say it one more Stevie on WBEZ. Hi I want to make a quick comment about the optimism that they were talking about earlier about the campaign says look I am a volunteer with all of my pervy involvement with some a group we've been working out of. Pain called Americans Against Political corruption and I'll echo the point that they bring up in the campaign is to limit the amount of money that each person could donate also or only

donate only contract making contributions getting contribution from people in your own district and also reduced and free TV advertising and other such ideas. You know it's a pledge like that were to be presented to the candidates and they were to sign it would that help you know reduce recidivism amongst the people they go to the door and say well hey I signed the pledge. I will and I but still or I pledge to you know only takes 20 dollars in money in Ohio or no PAC money. Well let me quickly get a response we've only got about a minute left so who wants to take that one on because part of what he's talking about isn't that I've done I actually did state individual and corporate limits in terms of contributions. And I have decided not to take any special interest PAC money but more so because you want to be able to go to Springfield and actually represent the interests of your district and of the people there as opposed to being beholden to the special interests. You know that I think people perceive to be controlling government and that's where a lot of the system cynicism arises. So that is something that I have done.

Well that's going to be the last word today I'm sorry. I wish we could have time to get everyone's response that question because it's a very interesting one. Steve thanks very much for the comment. I'd like to thank my guests. That was Lisa Madigan Democrat Democratic candidate for state Senate in the 17th legislative district. Dan Hines a Democrat running for state comptroller and Republican candidate for the Illinois House in the 80th district. And Tim Smith is also a Republican candidate for the Illinois House in the 40 second district. Thank you very much to all of you for coming in. My thanks to you for producing and directing to very Winograd tomorrow on the program we're going to talk about the energy of Illinois. Tune in for that. You've been listening to Odyssey I'm Gretchen and this is WBEZ Chicago. Support for programming on WBEZ.