GEOGRAPHY OF GENIUS.
FIRST WITH THE MARCH PRIMARY ONE
MONTH AWAY TONIGHT WE KICKOFF
OUR ELECTION FORUMS.
WE CHOSE SOME OF THE HOTTEST
RACES.
TONIGHT WE START WITH ILLINOIS'
FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
IT'S UP WITH OF THE MOST
INTRIGUING IN THE COUNTRY.
IT INCLUDES PARTS OF CHICAGO'S
LOGAN SQUARE, MELROSE PARK,
CICERO AND BRIGHTON PARK.
THE CANDIDATES IN THE DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY FOR THE FOURTH CONGRESS
AT DISTRICT ARE LUIS GUTIERREZ
WHO HAS BEEN THE CONGRESSMAN
SINCE 1993 AND CHALLENGER JAVIER
SALAS WHO WAS A SENIOR POLICY
ADVISER TO PAT QUINN AND THE
LONG TIME SPANISH AND A LONGTIME
SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO HOST.
LUIS GUTIERREZ DECLINED OUR
INVITATION AND JOINING US IS THE
CHALLENGER JAVIER SALAS.
WELCOME TO "CHICAGO TONIGHT."
FIRST OF ALL FOR VIEWERS NOT
FAMILIAR, TELL US ABOUT
YOURSELF?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WELL, I CAME TO THE UNITED
STATES WHEN I WAS 26 YEARS OLD.
I IMMIGRATED TO THE GREAT
COUNTRY WITH NO WORD OF ENGLISH.
I WORKED HARD MY WAY UP IN
FACTORIES AND RESTAURANTS
DELIVERING, DOING DELIVERING
UNTIL I GOT AN ON TO BE ON THE
RADIO SPANISH RADIO FOR MANY
COMPANIES AND I WORK FOR TV
STATIONS.
AND I WORKED HARD.
I BEGAN A POPULAR SHOW WHICH
LASTS FOR 12 YEARS.
IT WAS THE LONGEST RUNNING SHOW
IN THE UNITED STATES ON THE
RADIO.
AND I'M THANKFUL TO THE COMPANY
FOR HELPING ME.
>> WHY ARE YOU RUNNING FOR
CONGRESS?
>> I'M RUNNING FOR CONGRESS
BECAUSE WE NEED A NEW IDEA IN
WASHINGTON WE NEED A NEW VOICE
AND NEW STRATEGY AND ALSO A NEW
VISION.
WE HAVE HAD FOR 22 YEARS A
CONGRESSMAN WHO IS ALWAYS
SPEAKING ON ONE ISSUE WHICH IS
IMMIGRATION.
AND THE DISTRICT IS SO BIG AND
DIFFERENT AND DIVERSE ALL THE
NEIGHBORHOODS, AND EVERYBODY HAS
DIFFERENT PROBLEMS NOT
EVERYTHING IS ABOUT IMMIGRATION.
WE NEED EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES WE NEED JOB
CREATION AND ALSO WE NEED TO
WORK ON IMMIGRATION REFORM BUT
FOR EVERYBODY NOT ONLY FOR
[INAUDIBLE]
>> IN YOUR DISTRICT THOSE ARE
THE LEADING ISSUES IN THE
DISTRICT, EDUCATION, IMMIGRATION
REFORM AND EMPLOYMENT?
>> PRETTY MUCH.
BUT WHEN I TALK TO THE PEOPLE ON
THE STREETS THEY TALK TO ME
ABOUT VIOLENCE.
HOW TERRIBLE THE POLICE IS WITH
THE PEOPLE SOMETIMES.
THEY TALK TO ME ABOUT PROPERTY
TAXES.
THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT IS
HAPPENING WITH EDUCATION WITH
THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
CLOSING THE SCHOOLS AND ALL
THAT.
AND THOSE ARE CITY AND STATE
ISSUES BUT I WANT TO BE THERE
FOR YOU AND HELP YOU AND DO AS
MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO FIX THE
EDUCATION PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE.
>> WHAT WOULD BE YOUR TOP
PRIORITY AS A CONGRESS PERSON?
>> FIRST OF ALL WE NEED JOB
CREATION.
PEOPLE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE
SUFFERING SO MUCH AND WE KNOW
THAT WE HEAR THE REPORTS
ESPECIALLY THE REPORTS THAT COME
OUT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF
CHICAGO RELEASED.
I WAS THERE AND IT'S TERRIBLE
THE FOURTH DISTRICT PEOPLE THE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND LATINOS,
YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE JOBS
AND THEY DO NOT HAVE EDUCATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES HOW IS THAT
POSSIBLE?
HOW ARE THE POLITICIANS NOT
SEEING THAT?
THE CONGRESSMAN LUIS GUTIERREZ
DOES NOT TALK ABOUT IT.
I MEAN THE FACT THAT HE IS NOT
HERE DEMONSTRATES THAT HE DOES
NOT CARE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
[INAUDIBLE]
THE FACT THAT HE IS NOT PAYING
ATTENTION AND TALKING TO US HE
IS TRAVELING WITH HILLARY
CLINTON ALL OVER THE NATION.
SO WHEN I WIN THAT IS GOING TO
BE DIFFERENT.
>> CONGRESSMAN LUIS GUTIERREZ IS
AN 11-TERM INCUMBENT WHY DO YOU
THINK HE IS VULNERABLE?
>> BECAUSE HE HAS THROWN IT BACK
ON THE LATINO COMMUNITY TOO MANY
TIMES.
PEOPLE ARE UPSET BECAUSE HE
TURNED HIS BACK SUPPORTING MAYOR
EMANUEL AND THAT IS A PROBLEM
AND ALSO HE IS NOT WITH THE
COMMUNITY.
HE IS SIDING WITH MAYOR EMANUEL
IN EVERYTHING AND NOW HELPING
HIM TO DO THE MESSAGE CONTROL IN
THE LAQUAN McDONALD CASE.
AND HE GAVE $30,000 FOR HIS
CAMPAIGN AND YOU KNOW HE HAS
SOME EXPLAINING TO DO.
WHY IS HE DOING THAT?
AND NOT FOCUSING ON WHAT HE
NEEDS TO DO WHICH IS HELPING THE
COMMUNITY.
HE IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTACT
WITH THE COMMUNITY.
>> REGARDING IMMIGRATION REFORM
WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD HAPPEN
WITH FOLKS IN THE COUNTRY WHO
ARE UNDOCUMENTED?
>> FIRST OF ALL, WHAT I'M NOT
GOING TO DO I'M NOT PLANNING TO
BE TRAVELING THE COUNTRY ALL
OVER THE NATION JUST TALKING
ABOUT IMMIGRATION REFORM AND
TRYING TO BE LIKE IMMIGRATION
EMANCIPATOR.
I WANT TO WORK IN THE FOURTH
DISTRICT.
DOING CONSTITUENCY SERVICES
BECAUSE TODAY THIS IS TERRIBLE
WHAT IS HAPPENING.
YOU CALL THREE OR FOUR TIMES AND
YOU DO NOT RECEIVE AN ANSWER.
SO WHEN I AM IN WASHINGTON I
WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT I
WILL BE WORKING ON IMMIGRATION
REFORM AND EDUCATION AND
OPPORTUNITIES.
IMMIGRATION?
WELL, OBVIOUSLY I WILL BE A
FRESHMAN CONGRESSMAN IF MY PLAN
IS THEY WILL BE PAYING
ATTENTION.
BUT I CAN SUPPORT AN IMMIGRATION
REFORM THAT INCLUDES EVERYBODY.
THERE IS 9 MILLION PEOPLE THAT
WERE OUTSIDE AND [INAUDIBLE]
EXECUTIVE ACTION FROM PRESIDENT
OBAMA.
AND POSSIBLY THAT IS GOING TO
DISAPPEAR.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE SUPREME
COURT IS GOING TO DO ON THIS
ISSUE.
THAT IS TERRIBLE.
THAT COULD BE TERRIBLE NEWS FOR
OUR COMMUNITY.
AND BUT ALSO WE WANT TO WORK ON
IMMIGRATION HERE.
WHEN I WAS ON RADIO I WAS ONE OF
THE PERSONS WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE
TO HAVE DRIVER'S LICENSE FOR
UNDOCUMENTED THAT A FANTASTIC
IDEA AND NOW OUR ROADS ARE
SAFER.
AND MORE PEOPLE FEEL MORE
ASSIMILATED AND INTEGRATED IN
OUR BEAUTIFUL STATE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I
WOULD LIKE TO CREATE AN OPTION
BECAUSE PEOPLE UNDOCUMENTED
PEOPLE THEY DO NOT HAVE AN
OPTION TO BUY OR PAY FOR HEALTH
COVERAGE.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I