Berkowitz w/CEO Rabine on IL’s business environment & how to improve it; Airing in Chicago, Aurora & Rockford, Cable & Web – ChicagoNow

Public Affairs show with Gary Rabine, CEO [Rabine Group] airs this week in Chicago, Rockford and Aurora, See airing schedule, below

Jeff Berkowitz: JB [and many of the Dems] want to raise your income tax with the progressive income tax. Property taxes, are they high in IL? Workers' comp. insurance, is that high in IL? Are those the kind of things that might drive you out of IL?

Gary Rabine: You mention are they high? High would be to me, higher than the average... but when you are the highest, that's ridiculous, that's crazy high, that's where we're at in IL, we're off our rockers high!

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Gary Rabine [CEO, Rabine Group]: Gov. Pritzker said to me, "Gary, you built all your businesses here, your family is all here, you're never gonna go anywhere, I mean, that's exactly how he said it... and God Bless him, if he really believes that that's the case, but that can't be the case, I can't risk...

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Gary Rabine: If I were born with a few billion dollars, I might be the same way as JB Pritzker, I might be trading businesses. Heck, it's a lot cheaper. All my businesses that I have, these small and mid-sized businesses, I am paying income tax for all profit because I am S corp. and LLCs. JB, he's trading businesses, so he's paying capital gains tax, half of what I am.

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Tonight's Rockford edition of Public Affairs features Gary Rabine, CEO of the Rabine Group and advocate for Free Enterprise. It airs at 8:30 pm, Cable Ch. 17, in Rockford and surrounding suburbs. The program, featuring Rabine and a discussion of growing businesses, IL and Nat'l politics and capitalism, also airs:

--in Chicago this Saturday morning, 10:28 am, Cable Ch. 21 (CAN TV) and Sunday morning, 9:58 am, Cable Ch. 19 (CAN TV)

-- in Aurora this coming Saturday and Monday night, 6 pm, Cable Ch. 10, aka Aurora Community Television and ACTV-10

Rabine discusses with host Jeff Berkowitz how he began, after graduating from high school, a driveway paving business that was transformed, over time, into a group of major companies that have been a source of hope, growth and aopportunity for his employees and improved choices for his customers, both in and out of Illinois.

Rabine and Berkowitz discuss and debate, among other issues, some of Gov. Pritzker fiscal plans, IL pension reform, Pritzker's proposed IL progressive income tax and Democratic Party Presidential Primary candidates and President Trump.

Rabine also discusses what is necessary for IL to become more competitive in business.

You can also watch 24/7 the program featuring Ditch Digger CEO Gary Rabine by clicking here

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Jeff Berkowitz: ...[W]hat's your elevator pitch?

Gary Rabine[CEO, Rabine Group]: One of the most important things ... is how I differentiate myself... So first ... we give away ... the best engineering we can find in the world when it comes to pavement, stormwater and structural engineering for roofing, we... say "Here's our engineers, use them how you like to help you plan your properties"...we did that originally through boots on the ground, but today we do that using drones, satellite imagery and artificial intelligence.

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Gary Rabine [CEO, Rabine Group]: Gov. Pritzker said to me, "Gary, you built all your businesses here, your family is all here, you're never gonna go anywhere, I mean, that's exactly how he said it... and God Bless him, if he really believes that that's the case, but that can't be the case, I can't risk the lives & jobs we are talking about, I can't risk all these jobs just because I want to be here- right?

Berkowitz: If you could persuade [those in control of] the IL State Government to change and start going in the other direction: [LEGISLATE] lower property taxes, lower income taxes, [Don't support] a progressive income tax, [ADOPT THE NEEDED REFORMS TO] lower workers compensation rates, would that be Nirvana for you?

From Public Affairs, taped on November 18, 2019 in the Chicago Loop offices of Residco

Filed under: Uncategorized

Tags: Aurora Community television, CAN TV, capitalism, Chicago Access Network TV, competing in a non-union state, Competing in a union state, Ditchdigger CEO, Fixing IL Business Climate, Gary Rabine, Governor Rauner, IL Business Climnate, IL pension reforms, IL progressive income tax, IL taxpayer funded abortion, IL workers' compensation reform, Impact of business regulations on IL job growth, impact of high IL income tax rates on IL jobs, Impact of high property taxes on IL job growth, impact of unions on IL employee welfare, impact of unions on IL job growth, Impact of unions on jobs in IL, Jeanne Ives, Jeff Berkowitz, paving large parking lots across the country, paving parking lots, Public Affairs, Rockford community access TV, SB 40 in Illinois, using drones and satellite imagery, Why IL Governor Rauner lost re-election

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Berkowitz w/CEO Rabine on IL's business environment & how to improve it; Airing in Chicago, Aurora & Rockford, Cable & Web - ChicagoNow