8th District candidates debate health care, immigration
Different ideas on how to handle illegal immigration and health-care costs emerged Wednesday night from three candidates in the Republican primary for the 8th Congressional District.
Steve Greenberg of Long Grove and Gurnee residents Kirk Morris and Kenneth Arnold are the GOP's entrants in the 8th District, which includes eastern McHenry, northwest Cook and western Lake counties. Declared Republicans will pick from the trio in the Feb. 5 primary.
About 75 spectators jammed into the Lake Villa Township community center to watch the debate. One of the questions midway through the event dealt with illegal immigration.
Greenberg said he'd push for completion of a fence along the U.S.-Mexico border. He also took a gentle swipe at Morris, who last week in a Daily Herald interview said he educated presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani about high-tech virtual fences when the men met in Lake Forest and later retreated from that position.
"I haven't passed this through any presidential candidates," Greenberg said of his illegal immigration position. "This is my own theory."
Morris didn't respond to Greenberg but reiterated his support for the virtual fence. He said it would be more effective than bricks and mortar.
Arnold criticized the virtual fence, saying he doesn't see it used at any military installations. He said that as a member of the anti-illegal-immigration Minuteman organization, he would push for strict enforcement of existing laws.
"I will stand for our rule of law," Arnold said, "above the rule of the mob."
On health care, Morris said the Department of Veterans Affairs system already demonstrates the federal government is "a pathetic example." He said he'd help improve the system by pursuing an idea of having good doctors work off medical school debt in the VA hospitals.
Morris also said the health-care system overall must become more consumer-driven.
"We need to get fair and equal access, especially for small businesses, to affordable health care," Morris said.
Greenberg said he'd work for health savings accounts that would promote more consumer choice.
Arnold said he'd push to make more information about doctors and hospitals as part of a larger plan to drive down costs.
"The biggest problem in the system is we don't have a free market," Arnold said.
Greenberg, 36, is a former minor-league hockey player who has a lead role in his family's businesses of developing solutions for small retailers competing with large chains.
Morris, 50, is a sales executive for a biofuels manufacturing company.
Arnold, 51, is a senior benefit plan management consultant who made an unsuccessful attempt for an 8th Congressional District seat in 2006.
Incumbent Melissa Bean faces Lindenhurst activist Randi Scheurer in the Feb. 5 Democratic primary.