Chicagoist: Interview: Rich Whitney, Green Party Candidate for Illinois Governor

Steven Vance

Fri, 03 Nov 2006 16:29:57 -0600

That photo is the only picture we've seen of Rich Whitney. Did they run out of memory on the camera? Steve

Anonymous

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 18:39:43 -0600

Whitney is the candidate to turn to in Illinois time of political need. Whitney is too much like Topinka and Blagojevich, he too supports continued spending when Illinois is already in debt, he too is pro-abortion, he too is anti-traditional family, and he too is opposed to the right for parents to choose where to send there kids to school. It is time for CHANGE in Illinois, it is time to elect Randy Stufflebeam, www.runrandyrun.com, governor. If you are ready for change, write in RANDY STUFFLEBEAM for Governor.

Anonymous

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:50:30 -0600

While we're talking about nuclear energy, I might as well pimp out a recently published book that says, in not so few words, that nuclear energy is bad bad bad. I have met the author, and he is a very smart man.

Tom Abram

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 17:18:53 -0600

The "tax swap" Whitney is referring to, HB 750, would provide earned income tax credits to lower and middle income families - cancelling out the effects of the income tax increase. It simulates a progressive tax structure, though our constitution calls for a flat tax. 60% of Illinoisan's wouldn't even see a tax increase. Illinois has one of the most regressive tax structures in the country, with the bottom 20% paying 13.1% of their income to state and local taxes while the top 1% pay only 4.6%. Now THIS is gouging the less advantaged. It's idiotic not to address this issue and HB 750 is a start. ctba.inspidered.com/home/HB750.html

Kevin

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:55:05 -0600

I was most impressed with his grasp of issues other than environmental ones. He really does come off as coherent, and he is fluent in everything, not just alternative energy. He understands economics and social justice in a way that I think Blago and Big Red would be hard pressed to explain.

Realistic?

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:33:36 -0600

The tax swap is another idiotic way people say they are helping the less advantaged while really gouging them. Think about it. Income tax goes up, everybody pays. Property tax goes down. Much greater advantage to the wealthy. Hey, I don't mind. My $450K condo requires a lot of tax I would much rather see others pay a portion of. The green party has a ton of nice philosophies with the minor problem that they would destroy the lives of the people they are designed to help.

Phil Huckelberry

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:19:44 -0600

A lot of you are asking about nuclear. Very briefly: Nuclear energy costs more to produce more kilowatt hour than pretty much any other source. Wind is now significantly cheaper. (Nuclear is so heavily subsidized by the federal government that the cost to consumers per kwh does not appear to be as high as it really is.) There is still no solution for nuclear waste. Epidemiological studies have shown higher incidence of infant mortality in areas downwind of nuclear power plants. Uranium refinement is one of the leading causes of CFC emissions in the United States. It's not just about the nuclear waste - the entire nuclear cycle is bad news. These are, boiled down, among the leading reasons that nuclear needs to be phased out. It's bad for the environment and bad for consumers. All of those federal subsidies for nuclear could be shifted to wind and solar and the result would be cleaner and CHEAPER electricity. Phil Huckelberry Co-Chair, Illinois Green Party Green for 88th State Representative www.ilgp.org www.votephil.org

Anonymous

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 14:45:42 -0600

The most recent Zogby/Wall Street Journal poll has Whitney at 16% support, and that number is quickly rising!

ao

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:46:10 -0600

Actually wind power could run Downer's Grove. A combination of solar/wind could easily run the entire state. In fact a wind farm with 180000 turbines could power the whole US.

jon

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:35:21 -0600

odds are, regardless of where you're working, whether it's Whole Foods or a Nuclear Lab, somebody there will get cancer. it's a sad fact of life these days.

Navin

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 11:48:14 -0600

Uhh, Yeah guys I'm sure when he says he'd like to end nuclear power that he means he'll just flip a switch and cut the power off. You don't think that maybe he's suggesting that we explore other avenues? efficiency? some kind of conservation do you?

MJK

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 11:16:56 -0600

He seems to take the against-the-grain approach to issues. While the other two idiots are duking it out for who is worse for this state, he seems to have less politically agenda'd concerns. By that, I mean, he is thinking realistically. Good luck to him. He's got my vote.

Tony

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 11:01:48 -0600

Ending nuclear power in Illinois?? What a tard.

geekgrrl

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:56:25 -0600

you know.. i worked with my mom in the aforementioned nuclear field and so far we're okay (though i haven't had a physical in some time).. however, several people at our lab did develop various forms of cancer. no clue if it was related to working in the lab, if they were predisposed, or if they got it some other way.

jon

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:54:16 -0600

the man's got my vote

mike

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:46:19 -0600

Whitney will get my vote as a ptotest. If he actually won, it'd be like the end of The Candidate where Redford says, "now what do we do?" There has never been a better time for me to vote for a 3rd party candidate at the state level. His energy position amuses me though. Is he talking about eliminating nuclear power fifty years from now? Or longer? Because as long as people like light, air conditioning and plasma screen TVs, I wonder what the alternative to nuclear power is supposed to be, other than burning coal. I agree that alternatives need to be studied. I agree that we waste gobs of energy on homes that are too big, bad development, shortsighted planning and our electricity-hogging appliances. But seriously, what do we do with no nuclear power? Wind and solar power's great and all, but it's not gonna run Downer's Grove. Nuclear power's easy to demonize but no one has a realitic alternative. As usual, the Europeans are ahead of us on this one. My dad spent 25 years on nuclear powered boats in the U.S. Navy. Neither he nor I glow or have any extra digits.

Rob

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:44:07 -0600

Yup, I took advantage of early voting yesterday & cast my vote for Whitney.

geekgrrl

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 09:44:12 -0600

i like the sunflower pic. whitney's getting my vote at this juncture.. unfortunately he'd put my mom out of a job, since she works in the nuclear energy field. she never liked that job anyway.