Mark Pera tries to sound like a populist on health care

I have a sign for Mark Pera at my residence, so it's fair to say I've endorsed him at some level. I prefer Pera to the incumbent, Dan Lipinski, and I judge Pera as having the best chance at beating Lipinski.

First, Pera says, "The quality of medical care in the United States is world renowned...." This is a vague statement. While people differ on what measures to use to compare health care systems, I think it's fair to say that the U.S. health care system is about average, maybe worse, among developed countries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) did a study which ranked health care systems. The United States ranked 37 of 191 countries which includes backwaters like Afghanistan, Cambodia and Haiti. Critics have raised reasonable concerns about the methodology. See Glen Whitman (Agoraphilia). The U.S. system is far and away the most expensive health care system.

The countries that have public health care systems have lower costs. If a country delivers health care on a for profit basis, the people and companies within the "for profit" health care system will figure ways to squeeze customers for more money.

Pera and I differ on health care. Pera talks about wanting to restrain the influence of insurance industry and big pharmaceutical companies. However, his vision for health care is fundamentally a market-based approach. It's this "for profit" or market-based approach that makes health care unaffordable.

Pera is clearly trying to sound populist, but his vision for improving health care involves relatively minor changes to the system, not radical overhaul.

LWV hosts candidate forum for IL-03

All four Democratic candidates for Illinois' Third Congressional District appeared Sunday afternoon at a League of Women Voters forum at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange. The small to medium-sized meeting room had an overflow crowd, which seemed to be mostly affluent, “White” suburbanites with relatively few seniors.

The organizers seated Mark Pera (Western Springs) on the left (from the audiences perspective), Jerry Bennett (Palos Hills), Jim Capparelli (Chicago) and Dan Lipinski (Western Springs) on the right. The moderator had the candidates answer questions in a random order.

Lipinski started awkwardly. He arrived late and then started by complaining he hadn't gotten the questions in advance like the other candidates. The organizers wanted candidates to address health care and immigration in their five-minute opening statements. Lipinski asked to give his opening statement last so he could prepare while the others spoke. The moderator didn't respond to the request for a few seconds. Pera was scheduled in the fourth spot and offered it to Lipinski; Lipinski thanked Pera for making the exchange.

Capparelli emphasized his “working class background” and his military experience. He's a combat veteran (Grenada) and a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves. Capparelli favored forcing employers to provide health insurance coverage. Lipinski also shared this opinion, but wanted a lower employee threshold (20 vs. 50 employees).

Pera gave his background on the Lyons Township school board and working as an assistant state's attorney (environmental crimes, public utility regulation). He emphasized the contrast between him and Lipinski on abortion rights, the Iraq War and warrantless wiretapping. Pera favors abortion rights and capping funding for the war to force the President to withdraw. He's critical of President Bush asserting a right to surveil U.S. citizens without a warrant. On health care Pera expressed optimism the Democrats would win the presidency and said, “We are going to get universal health care. I will support it.”

Bennett grew-up in Chicago in a large Irish family. He was elected mayor of Palos Hills at age 30. He's been mayor 27 years and has been a leader in coordinating mayors on municipal issues. He made a point of how the Iraq War is diverting funding from spending for local projects to spending overseas. Bennett said:

As local officials, as local mayors, we are already on the cutting edge. Whether it has to do with issues of environment or, again, economic development, creating jobs with good health care benefits. We have been in the trenches doing that. We haven't waited for Washington. We have taken the initiative locally to solve those kind of problems. And I believe as the Congressman I can bring that experience to Washington and bring back to this metro region, and specifically this district, the type of federal fundings and assistance that we need. And we need it desperately. Washington over the last few years has taken a step away under the this administration. This Bush administration has lost where local government [fits into the economic picture] and the ability of local government to be the economic engine in this country. In fact, 79% of the Gross National Product in this country is generated by cities. We need to reestablish that federal-city partnership.

Lipinski identified himself as a former engineer, in addition to being a former educator. (He was a political science professor.) Lipinski claimed to have done things to help families, the economy, the environment, seniors and veterans. “I have delivered results for the people of the Third District.”
Lipinski:

Unfortunately today middle class families are being increasingly squeezed by higher costs, higher property taxes and stagnant wages. That's why I helped pass a bill that protects 82,000 families in the Third District from being hit by the AMT this year.

Bennett and Capparelli espoused a conventional view of immigration. The federal government should do more to keep undocumented aliens out. There should be some path to citizenship for immigrants already here. Employers should be held accountable for hiring illegal workers. And undocumented immigrants should receive basic legal protections. Bennett specifically said he supports the Kyl-Gutierrez bill. Pera did not address the immigration issue even though the LWV asked all candidates to speak to the issue in their opening statements. Lipinski said, “We cannot allow those who are here illegally to get a leg up on becoming citizens.” [UPDATE: Pera did address immigration. I either missed recording it or missed apprehending it when I was listening to the recording. Pera said,

Immigration: I hope you all saw the article in The Doings, the endorsement in The Doings, the strong endorsement. We had a long conversation at The Doings about immigration. It's set forth in the pamphlet that you've probably got, but the fact of the matter is we need to secure the borders, we need to secure the ports. We need to crack down on employers who are taking advantage of the undocumented, but we have to do it in a humane way and we have to find a path to citizenship for those that are already here. We can't have a situation where a woman who is raped, or is the victim of domestic violence is afraid to go to the police.

Social Security:

• “Social Security is not in jeopardy,” Lipinski. “We cannot use Social Security to pay for our yearly deficits.”
• Capparelli favors removing cap for Social Security withholdings.
• Pera discussed the possibility that Baby Boomers would work past retirement which would cause more people to continue to pay into the system and delay drawing out.
• Bennett expressed reservations about putting the money in the stock market.

NCLB (“No Child Left Behind” Act):

• Lipinski favored more fed funding for local districts and wants to change how AYP is measured.
• Bennett favored the federal government investing in capital improvement of schools.
• Capparelli expressed his support for funding federal mandates.
• Pera said,

It is and is going to be the largest unfunded mandate from the federal government, the largest back door property tax increase, that any of us are going to see on our property tax bills as school systems attempt to meet the requirements of the law. The fact of the matter is that by 2014 every school in this country will be run by the federal government, which is something that none of us want to see happen. I haven't heard yet anyone say really what they will do in regard to this law. But it's coming up for reauthorization. And if it can't be substantially corrected then I would not vote to reauthorize it. Sure, it's a catchy sounding name. But it hasn't accomplished what it's intended to do. Without adequate federal funding to meet the goals then I don't think it should be reauthorized.

Energy, fossil fuels:

• Bennett supported bio-fuels and increasing corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. “We need to get away from Middle Eastern oil and all foreign oil. And that can be done by alternatives in this country.” He went on to mention local government's role in reducing congestion and creating green cities.
• Lipinski:

Well, I've been a leader in Congress in pushing legislation to do this. I helped to write the new energy law that just passed that increases fuel efficiency standards for cars. I helped write the law, to help Hydrogen to become a possible replacement for gasoline. I fought for--we passed in the House, the Senate took it out--a part of the energy bill that would tax energy companies $22 billion so that money woud go to alternative fuel research. I strongly support alternative fuel. I think we need to do that.... Some people want to open up places in the United States like Artic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore drilling. I have said no, and I have voted against doing that. We cannot threaten our environment, but we do need to get away from our dependence on foreign oil.

After Pera finished, Lipinski asked, “Do we have an opportunity to respond?” The moderator answered, “No, sir. Not at this point.... [You can later] if you choose to return to a prior question.”

• Capparelli mentioned that France gets much of its electrical power from nuclear and that the U.S. Navy operates nuclear reactors on submarines. He went on to say:

I feel very comfortable with nuclear energy as a way to reduce our foreign consumption of oil. I am for the drilling of resources off the coast. It doesn't mean their will be a natural catastrophe. But I'll tell you what: the working men and women of the Third Congressional District don't want to pay $200 to fill up their car.

Stem cell research:

• Pera, supports embryonic stem cell research. “Congressman Lipinski was one of fourteen Democrats to uphold George Bush's veto of the stem cell research bill.”
• Bennett:

I guess I also find it difficult for Congressman Lipinski, who brags about being the vice chairman of the science committee in Congress, that [he] would take a position against an important research in stem cells.

• Lipinski:

I do not support embryonic stem cell research. I have been a leader in getting funding for other types of stem cell research. We have seen the great advances that have been made in that regard. I'm a diabetic. People talk about people with diabetes maybe some of the first to be cured. I strongly support--y'know I'm an engineer, scientist--I strongly support science. I do not support tax payer funding going to embryonic stem cell research. Embryonic stem cell research is legal in this country and it is going on.

Going back, check the record on oil. Check the record how I voted for the amendment to take drilling out of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge out of the energy bill a couple years ago. Check the record on how I voted three times this year to tax oil companies. Or check the record. I have received no money whatsoever from oil companies. Just because you say something, put something down on paper and send it out to people doesn't mean it's true.

• Capparelli opposes embryonic stem cell research as “a question of faith” and identified himself as a “pro life” candidate.

I'm going to try to write-up the other questions later today, but I did want to get something posted sooner rather than later.

After the Democrats spoke, Art Jones (R-Chicago) spoke. I was walking out of the room and he railed against the federal government, starting with the Iraq War. He began at a borderline yell and escalated the volume and intensity as he spoke. You can read more on Jones in this Proviso Probe entry.

To disclose fully, I did place a Mark Pera sign in the window this weekend, although I will probably vote for Jerry Pohlen, the Green Party candidate, in the general election.

what do you think of Rep. Dan Lipinski's performance on Chicago Tonight?

I don't want to bias the responses by asking a leading question, but what do you think of how U.S. Dan Lipinski (D-IL03) speaks and carries himself in this interview?

[UPDATE: Mark Pera, president of the board of ed for Lyons Township High School, is running against Lipinski in the Democratic primary. You can see him grovel for campaign contributions at Prairie State Blue. Pera says that last week he was in the top five candidates in the country on Act Blue, a site for raising money for Democratic candidates. This is impressive because the only candidates ahead of him were running for POTUS or U.S. Senate.]

[One can make a strong case that LT is the best run high school in the area based on producing the most National Merit Scholar semifinalists and costing less that "we heart property taxes" Oak Park.]

[The other candidates running would probably also like your money before September 20, so you might want to visit their websites too. Jerry Bennett, Jim Capparelli and Dan Lipinski. And Jerome Poehlen is running as a Green Party candidate.]

Mark Pera taking questions online Saturday 1:00 PM

Mark Pera, president of the board of education, Lyons Township High School, is running for Congress against Dan Lipinski in the Democratic Primary. The district includes southern Proviso Township, including Brookfield, La Grange Park, North Riverside, and the southern portions of Forest Park and Westchester. There may be a third candidate.

On Saturday, September 8, at 1 PM, Pera will take questions from people around the country, and around the world, on Fire Dog Lake.

h/t EricV (Prairie State Blue) for reminding me to post this.

What would you ask Pera?

I would ask something like,

Mr. Pera, your wife is a consultant who is working to privatize the UK health care system. You've stated that the best health care system is more public than the U.S. system and more private than the UK system. In your mind what are the problems with the U.S. health care system? What needs to be fixed?

[UPDATE: Fire Dog Lake discussion with Pera.]

Mark Pera criticizes Lipinski for supporting Bush

Mark Pera is challenging Rep. Dan Lipinski (IL-03) in the Dem Primary. The district includes southern Proviso Township (south Forest Park, Brookfield, North Riverside, La Grange Park and southern Westchester).

Pera criticized Lipinski for voting with the Bush administration on legislation pertaining to the FISA court. The Bush administration has been violating the law pertaining to surveillance of U.S. citizens. It has never explained to what extent it is violating the law.

Bush critics who are especially suspicious of government power suspect the Bush administration has avoided explaining the details of how it has violated the law because it has engaged in surveillance of journalists and political critics and opponents.

EricV (Prairie State Blue) has the Pera press release.

Gerald Bennett, Mayor of Palos Hills, has also begun a campaign for the seat. See EricV (Prairie State Blue). Count me among those suspicious that Lipinski's allies have encouraged or enticed Bennett to run to split the opposition vote.

Democracy For America considering Pera

One of the local Democracy for America (DFA) chapters is mulling the decision whether to support Mark Pera in his quest to unseat U.S. Representative Dan Lipinski in the Democratic primary. See Blog For American (Sandra Verthein). DFA is the legacy organization from Howard Dean's campaign for President.

Mark Pera speaks to DFA in Oak Park

Mark Pera and his wife, Leslie, attended the local Democracy for America meeting at La Majada in Oak Park. Pera is running for Congress against Dan Lipinski in the Democratic primaryin February, 2008.

I interviewed Pera before, but it was good to see him field questions from others. Both he and his wife are physically attractive people. Pera's wife is a management or financial sector professional currently working on privatizing portions of the United Kingdom's health care system.

Pera made it clear that he's going to be a consensus builder and rejects strident, ideological politics. The good of this is that he will probably be a productive member of Congress. The bad is that I could definitely see him getting behind something like the Iraq War because the Beltway class portrayed opposition to the war as being limited to extremists. Pera did refer negatively to “extremists” within the Democratic Party.

In my previous interview Pera emphasized getting involved in transportation issues. The district includes Midway Airport as well as rail lines and Interstate. In front of DFA Pera showed passion for environmental issues. Since he prosecutes and litigates environmental and utility matters for the Cook County State's Attorney it makes sense for him to serve on a committee dealing with these issues.

Pera reiterated a few issues where he contrasts with Lipinski. Pera is pro-abortion rights and pro-stem cell research. Lipinski is opposed to abortion even in cases of rape and incest. Pera is for rapidly withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Lipinski has been mostly supportive of Bush's Iraq policy.

Pera took heat from the audience on various issues. Pera favored improving access to health care, but didn't provide details about how to do this. He cited Hillary Rodham Clinton as being a health care expert with unlimited access to other experts and she has yet to formulate a plan. Pera's wife seemed quite influential on his thinking about health care. Pera criticized countries with universal health care systems because of issues of “rationing” health care. I criticized this language forcefully and argued that the U.S. system performs poorly by any measure. After hearing from the audience Pera and his wife seemed to be rethinking their position on health care. They seemed most persuaded by the argument that health care costs were stifling small business and big business.

Pera also described Iran acquiring nuclear weapons as a threat to U.S. security. He prefers diplomacy, but would be open to using military force.

I tried to give credit to Pera for doing a good job running Lyons Township High School. He's the president of the board of education. Pera demurred and said credit should go to the superintendent and other professional staff.

Pera also took some grief over gay marriage. Pera favors civil unions, not gay marriage.

Two Congressional candidates in news

Mark Pera has created a web site and filed FEC paperwork to run against Congressman Dan Lipinski in the Democratic Primary. (h/t scorekeeper Prairie State Blue.) The district includes most of southern Proviso Township, including southern Forest Park, southern Westchester, Brookfield and La Grange Park.

Huffington Post (Robert Naiman) covers the race from the point of view of Democrats from Democrat districts who have been opposed to expeditiously withdrawing from Iraq.

Pera was president of the Lyons Township High School board for six years. And he ran for state representative in 1996.

Also, Alderman Ricardo Munoz is a candidate for the Fourth Congressional District, which includes Stone Park and part of Melrose Park. It's currently represented by Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Chicago), who has announced he is retiring at the end of this term.

Yesterday (Wednesday) Munoz's father was charged with manufacturing documents for undocumented workers. See Sun-Times (Natasha Korecki & Fran Spielman). The exculpatory part of the story is that Munoz has been estranged from his father for 16 years.

Ald. Munoz said he has been estranged from his father since his parents divorced nearly 16 years ago.

"We talk maybe once or twice a year," he said. "I continue being his son. I'm going to do what I can to help him. . . . It's been difficult, but he's still my dad."