DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU.
>> TONY, THANK YOU.
TO EDDIE ARRUZA WITH ANOTHER OF
THE DECLARED CANDIDATES OF THE
GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS.
>> PHIL, AMONG THE SEVEN
CANDIDATES THAT AUNITED STATES
NOD A RUN FOR GOVERNOR, A FEW
ARE LITTLE KNOWN OUTSIDE THEIR
PROFESSIONAL CIRCLESES AND THAT
IS THE CASE WITH THE MADISON
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
BOB DAIBER.
Mr. BOB DAIBER TAUGHT HIGH
SCHOOL FOR THREE DECADES AND
SERVED ON THE BOARD OF MADISON
COUNTY LOCATED DOWN STATE ON THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR ST.
LOUIS.
AND BOB DAIBER JOINS US TO TELL
US WHY HE WANTS WHAT MIGHT BE
THE MOST CHALLENGING JOB IN THE
ILLINOIS PUBLIC SECTOR.
WELCOME TO "CHICAGO TONIGHT."
NICE TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I ENJOY VISITING THE CITY AND
WAS DELIGHTED TO BE ON YOUR
PROGRAM.
>> WE ARE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU
HERE.
YOU ARE A KNOWN QUANTITY IN THE
SOUTHWESTERN PART OF THE STATE
BUT HERE IN THE NORTHEASTERN
ILLINOIS AREA, I DO NOT THINK
YOU ARE WELL-KNOWN.
TELL OUR VIEWERS MORE ABOUT
YOURSELF.
>> WELL, I AM A LIFELONG
RESIDENT OF MADISON COUNTY.
AND DURING THE TIME THERE IN MY
ADULT LIFE I WAS A CLASSROOM
TEACHER.
I TAUGHT CAREER AND TECHNICAL
EDUCATION TO STUDENTS FOR 28
YEARS HELPING THEM DEVELOP SKILL
SETS FOR THE WORKFORCE AND LIVE
PRODUCTIVE LIVES.
THE LAST 10 YEARS OF MY LIFE,
I'VE BEEN A REGIONAL
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
I HAVE 13 SCHOOL DISTRICTS ABOUT
50,000 STUDENTS AND ONE OF MY
DUTIES IS I MANAGE A SAFE SCHOOL
TO DEAL WITH AT RISK YOUTH.
PROFESSIONALLY THAT IS WHAT MY
CURRENT STATUS IS.
I'M MARRIED IN MY 25TH YEAR OF
MARRIAGE AND I'M PROUD OF MY
FAMILY.
I HAVE TWO GIRL AND BOYS AATTEND
UNIVERSITY AND I HAVE A
SUPPORTIVE FAMILY WHICH ENABLES
ME TO DO THIS.
>> AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST
TIME THAT YOU'VE TRIED TO MAKE
IT TO SPRINGFIELD.
YOU HAVE RUN FOR LEGISLATOR,
THREE TIMES AND LOST.
IN 92, 94 AND 98.
WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN
MAKE IT THIS TIME TO THE HIGHEST
SEAT IN ILLINOIS GOVERNMENT?
>> WELL, I LEARNED A LOT IN
THOSE THREE RACES THAT PREPARED
ME FOR THIS CHALLENGE.
AND DEVELOPED A LOT OF POLITICAL
RELATIONSHIPS.
AND WHEN I WON IN 2002 TO THE
COUNTY BOARD A WISE MAN SAID IN
A COFFEE SHOP HE GOES ALL THE
GUYS FORGOT YOU LOST THREE
RACES.
WE DON'T LOOK AT OUR LOSSES BUT
THE SUCCESS WE HAVE HAD AND THE
NUMBER OF RACES THAT WE'VE WON.
AND I'VE BUILT A STRONG
CONTINGENCY IN MY REGION AND
WORKING TO BUILD IT STATE-WIDE.
I WAS ELECTED TO BE PRESIDENT OF
THE REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENTS IN
2010.
AND I HAVE A NETWORK STATE-WIDE
THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE ASSISTING
ME IN MY CAMPAIGN.
AND SO WE SEE A PATHWAY TO
VICTORY HERE FOR OURSELVES AS WE
CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR VOLUNTEER
BASE.
>> WHAT HAS PREPARED YOU TO
BECOME GOVERNOR OF THIS STATE,
ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME, WHEN
IT'S IN SUCH DIRE FISCAL
STRAITS?
>> WELL, IN THE TIME IN WHICH I
WAS A CLASSROOM TEACHER, I ALSO
SERVED AS A VILLAGE TRUSTEE AND
SERVED AS A TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR
AND SERVED AS A COUNTY BOARD
MEMBER AND SERVED COUNTY-WIDE AS
AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
AND EACH OF THOSE CAP YOUTIES
YOU --
CAP I IT IS YOU LEARN ABOUT
GOVERNING.
AND GOVERNING IS AN ART AND PART
OF THAT IS TO COLLABORATE WITH
PEOPLE AND UNDERSTAND COMPROMISE
AND UNDERSTAND YOU KNOW, HOW YOU
PRESENT INFORMATION TO
INDIVIDUALS THAT THEY FIND
ACCEPTABLE.
THAT, I THINK, IS A KEY THING
THAT A GOVERNOR IN A STATE HAS
TO HAVE.
ADDITIONALLY WHEN YOU ARE
INVOLVED IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT,
YOU BECOME THE DIGESTIVE PART OF
THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS.
YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THAT
LEGISLATION AFFECTS LOCAL
PEOPLE.
YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT
IT HAS WHEN A GOVERNOR WOULD
VETO A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT
MAY BENEFIT RESIDENTS.
SO THOSE ARE SOME WAYS IN WHICH
I'VE PREPARED MYSELF AND WHY I
BELIEVE MY PARTICULAR SKILLS
WOULD BE VERY GOOD FOR THE STATE
AT THIS TIME.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO START
TACKLING THE FISCAL PROBLEMS?
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING IS
IMMEDIATELY WE HAVE TO BRING
STABILITY TO THE STATE.
WE HAVE A FINITE AMOUNT OF
REVENUE AND WE HAVE A REVENUE
PROBLEM IN THE STATE.
BUT THE $10 BILLION OF BACKLOGS
OF BILLS NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE
OF.
AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT AN AVENUE
IN WHICH THESE COULD BE BONDED
OUT.
AND BOND OUT THE DEBT.
TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF INTEREST
THAT TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING DAILY
IN THE STATE.
WE ARE PAYING $10 MILLION A DAY
OF INTEREST.
YOU MULTIPLY THAT BY 365 DAYS IN
A YEAR AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE
ARE LITERALLY WASTING TAXPAYERS
MONEY ON INTEREST.
>> ISN'T BOND TO GO OUT KICKING
THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD?
>> IT IS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME
UNTIL YOU GENERATE ENOUGH
REVENUE AND YOU DO OTHER
EFFICIENCIES TO PAY THE DEBT
OFF.
THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE SHORT FIX
TO THIS DEBT.
BUT, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO LOOK
AT A RESTRUCTURING OUR TAX
SYSTEM.
AND LOOK AT A PROGRESSIVE INCOME
TAX WE ARE ONE OF FOUR STATES
THAT HAVE A FLAT TAX.
AND OUR TAXATION SYSTEM IS NOT
WORKING.
>> A PROGRESSIVE TAX PUTS MORE
BURDEN ON THE WEALTHIER IN THE
STATE.
BUT DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO PAY
MORE IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF THIS
MESS?
>> WELL, I BELIEVE THERE'S GOING
TO HAVE TO BE A SHORT-TERM
REVENUE FIX FOR THIS UNTIL THAT
PROGRESSIVE TAX CAN BE PUT INTO
PLACE.
>> WHAT IS THAT?
>> RETURNING TO 5% INCOME TAX.
>> THE INCOME TAX THAT WAS --
THAT GOVERNOR QUINN AND THE
LEGISLATURE ENACTED?
>> RIGHT.
I THINK YOU CAN SEE WHAT
HAPPENED WHEN THAT WENT AWAY.
OUR DEFICIT HAS INCREASED FROM
ABOUT 3.5 BILLION UP TO NEAR 11
BILLION TODAY.
AND THAT IS ASTRONOMICAL.
IN TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS TIME.
>> AS SOMEONE WHO WILL
EVENTUALLY GET A PUBLIC PENSION
BECAUSE OF YOUR WORK NOT ONLY AS
A SCHOOLTEACHER AND NOW AS THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, WHAT
DO YOU FAVOR IN TERMS OF PENSION
REFORM?
>> I BELIEVED THIS IN PENSION
REFORM THAT YOU SHOULD GET ONE
PENSION FREE.
PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE PENSIONS
SHOULD PAY INTO THE SYSTEM AND
PAY INTO SOME FORM OF A SHARE
THAT HELPS THOSE PENSION
SYSTEMS.
BUT I BELIEVE EVERYBODY GETS ONE
PENSION FREE.
I'M COMPLETELY IN REGARDS TO
PENSION ABUSE, I THINK WE HAVE
TO REVIEW PEOPLE WHO ARE ABUSING
THE PENSION SYSTEM.
WE HAVE TO SUPPORT THE PENSION
SYSTEM TO MAKE IT WHOLE.
AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE PAID ON
TIME.
>> DO YOU FAVOR CONSTITUTIONAL
CHANGES TO THE PENSION SYSTEM IN
THE STATE?
>> WELL, I THINK THE ONE THAT WE
PERHAPS NEED TO LOOK AT IS
PARTIALLY DEALS WITH THE PART
THAT PAYERS PAY IN.
THOSE LIKE MYSELF WHO ARE
PARTICIPATING AND WHAT PORTION
OF THAT SHOULD THEY PAY AND WHAT
PORTION SHOULD THE STATE PAY
BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS WHERE WE
ARE IN TROUBLE.
>> AND YOU HAVE A FAMILY FARM IN
YOUR FAMILY FOR FOUR
GENERATIONS.
AND AGRICULTURE IS STILL A
VIABLE INDUSTRY IN THIS STATE?
>> THAT IS CORRECT.
>> IS THAT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS
TO BE EXPANDED UPON IN ORDER TO
SHORE UP ILLINOIS' FINANCES?
>> I THINK EACH AND EVERY YEAR
AGRICULTURE BRINGS A GREAT DEAL
OF NEW REVENUE TO THE STATE.
IT'S THE SOMEWHAT OF AN ECONOMIC
ENGINE FOR THE STATE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO
CONTINUE TO MARKET AND IT IS A
KEY PART OF THE ILLINOIS
MARKETING PLAN THAT I WILL
PROMOTE TO SUPPORT ILLINOIS
FARMERS AND SUPPORT ALL THE
RELATED BUSINESSES IN ILLINOIS
THAT RELY UPON ILLINOIS BEING A
RICH AGRICULTURAL STATE.
>> YOU STILL OWN YOURS AND OTHER
FARMERS STILL OWN THEIR FAMILY
PLOTS BUT HAVEN'T A LOT BEEN
BOUGHT UP BY BIG CORPORATIONS?
>> EACH GENERATION AS
INDIVIDUALS RETIRE, YES, YOU ARE
CORRECT.
I HAVE A SLOGAN I TELL MY BOYS.
DO NOT SELL GRANDPA'S FARM
BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER GET IT
BACK.
YOU KNOW, AGRICULTURAL LAND
CONTINUES TO INCREASE IN VALUE
IN THIS STATE.
UPWARDS NOW TO $15,000 AN ACRE
IN SOME PARTS.
SO IT'S VERY TEMPTING TO LET GO
OF IT BUT THE REVENUE FROM
AGRICULTURE IS STILL PROFITABLE
AND MANY FAMILIES WISH TO HOLD
ON TO THE HOMESTEADS.
>> YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT IN WHAT IS
LARGELY A REPUBLICAN AREA OF THE
STATE.
YOU ARE NOT A KNOWN GUARANTEE
HERE.
YOU ARE AGAINST BILLIONAIRES
THAT ARE RUNNING INCLUDING THE
INCUMBENT.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO MAKE INROADS
NOT ONLY IN YOUR PART OF THE
STATE AS A DEMOCRAT BUT IN THESE
PARTS AND AGAINST THESE WEALTHY
CANDIDATES?
>> WE CAMPAIGN EVERYDAY.
THAT IS WHAT WE DO.
WE CAMPAIGN EVERYDAY.
WE CONTINUE TO INTRODUCE
OURSELVES.
WE STAY FOCUSED ON THE ISSUES
THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH
CONSTITUENTS.
AND CONTINUE TO BUILD OUR
VOLUNTEER BASE.
>> BUT AGAIN YOU ARE UP AGAINST
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN CAMPAIGN
MONEY.
JB PRITZKER PUT A LOT OF MONEY
INTO HIS FUND AND THE GOVERNOR
PUT IN $25 MILLION.
AT LAST COUNT YOU HAD ABOUT
$37,000 IN YOUR FUND.
DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN
COMPETE?
>> I THINK THEY WILL SPEND A LOT
OF MONEY TO BE AN EVERYDAY GUY
LIKE ME.
>> BOB DAIBER NICE TO HAVE YOU