Jerry Springer is known for his television talk show, but last night in the Lenhart Grand Ballroom, Springer spoke on another topic that is important to him — politics.

Springer entered the Lenhart Grand Ballroom with cheers from the audience and protest signs held by republicans.

The republicans there showed their opposition, with signs saying “Final Thought, Grow Up,” or “Keep the majority with morals, keep Jerry out.”

Although some people were against him, Springer held the attention of the audience, and welcomed questions, even from the opposition, at the conclusion of his forum.

The former mayor of Cincinnati and television host ,who is now running for senator of Ohio, spoke on a variety of issues, including education, voting and other various topics brought up by audience members in his address to the University public.

Springer began with a concept that he referred to as elitism. “The way the government is set up now, it seems to only exist for the wealthy and powerful,” Springer said.

He brought up the idea that government needs to concentrate their efforts and funding to more economically troubled neighborhoods and school districts, not on giving tax breaks to the wealthy.

“I’m not the one that needs a tax break,” Springer said.

Springer outlined how he would change some of these government actions if he had the power.

“I would give a tax break for the first ten to twenty-thousand dollars that someone makes in their first year,” Springer said . “That is the money you need to get started and live on.” Springer used the war in Iraq as a major example for many of his points.

“We are spending $200 billion on helping people we don’t even know, and look at us,” said Springer. “If we’re willing to free Iraq, why can’t we free America first?”

There needs to be more federal government money going toward public schools in the inner city, Springer said.

“We need to get schools off property tax,” he said. “If we can spend $200 billion on a war, I know we have the money to put towards education,” Springer said .

The blame lies with the voters and who votes, he said. “In the ideal situation, everyone in America should vote and a lot of things such as education would be able to get changed,” Springer said. “The problem is that government does not want everyone to vote because then they will lose power.”

“We could have a girl out there who could be responsible for the cure for cancer, but she can not afford to go to college,” he said. “It is our job to get the government to put up the money to send this girl to college so that she can find the cure for cancer.” Along with his views on the current nature of education, Springer answered questions from the audience regarding other issues. Springer said that he is for affirmative action because white people have always had the upper hand in government and other areas of life.

“(White people) got where we are today because we were not the ones who had to clean the floors,” Springer said.

In order to benefit society we need to start blacks and white Americans at the same place, Springer said.

Another topic that Springer mentioned was the media. He said that it is from a white person’s point of view.

“If we do see a show about black people it is usually on a less known network,” said Springer.

He said that television does not portray reality, and that is the reason so many people disagree with his show is they are seeing what they are not used to seeing on television.

“It is a free society, and the media should show it all, not just a one side of things”, Springer said.