* Gov. Pat Quinn responded to Dan Hynes’ proposed graduated income tax with a claim that many have made about the governor. Hynes, Quinn said, has flip-flopped…
“In 2004, [Dan Hynes] opposed a graduated income tax,” Quinn said. “Maybe he’s flipped and he’s flopped over to our side, and I’m glad he has. In 2004, he wasn’t there to help us.”
I’ve asked the Quinn campaign for Hynes’ quotes from 2004, but they haven’t gotten back to me yet.
Quinn also blasted Hynes for proposing to fumigate half of Blagojevich’s appointees…
Quinn bristled at Hynes’ suggestion that he should fire half of the appointees made by Blagojevich who are making $70,000 a year, saying it was “un-American” to fire people based solely on who hired them. He said he has gotten rid of “a lot of bum apples,” but believed in evaluating “each person individually, based on their character, their record, their work performance.”
Quinn wasn’t as harsh when Speaker Madigan expressed his desire to fumigate all Blagojevich hires, but he still expressed reservations about it back in May.
Quinn also criticized Hynes’ proposal to allow more casinos in order to balance the state budget, saying he doesn’t want Illinois to become the “Las Vegas of the Midwest.”
Quinn also accused Hynes of being absent during this year’s budget battle, saying Hynes “went fishing” while he negotiated with the legislature. He also accused Hynes of failing to work with him and other constitutional officers on a variety of legislative issues this year, “but Dan Hynes, he didn’t want to work. From Day 1 he didn’t want to cooperate, he just wanted to play politics. I’m disappointed in him, I thought he wouldn’t be so much of a professional naysayer.”
* Meanwhile, Republican response to Hynes’ announcement has been somewhat slow. I’ve seen two so far. Sen. Kirk Dillard sent out a press release…
No state has ever taxed and borrowed its way into prosperity- the same way no family has ever spent their way out of a financial bind. It’s more of the Blagojevich, Hynes, Quinn Chicago “dem-economics” that got us into this problem.
When are Illinois Democrat leaders, who control every statewide office and both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, going to learn? Just like Illinois families and small businesses, we as a state must learn to live within our means.
These plans do not represent leadership. Instead, they represent more of the tried and failed. Others are proposing more borrowing- another failed economic concept to bring about growth and prosperity.
Hynes only problem w/ Quinn tax increase is was not big enough. Job-killing, malaise-inducing grad tax is horrible idea
* UPDATE - From Pat Brady, the new state GOP chairman…
“The Democratic field for Governor is shaping up to be a choice between a Blagojevich Democrat who wants to raise taxes and a Blagojevich Democrat who wants to raise taxes, which is clearly not the kind of change the people of Illinois seek nor the kind of change Republicans are ready to bring to our state.”
* UPDATE - From Sen. Bill Brady…
“The first words we hear from candidate Hynes is a proposal to dig deeper into the pockets of Illinois’ citizens and businesses. This is just another Chicago area politician looking to tax our vulnerable families and businesses, without realizing Illinois already is pushing jobs and people out of the state due to the high cost of living and working here.”
“As Illinois already ranks 48th in economic performance, we cannot afford to increase taxes on anyone, and we can’t continue to look to expanding gambling as any kind of solution to the state’s spending problems,” said Brady, a Bloomington Republican and business owner.”
* Congressman Mike Quigley (D-Chicago) was elected earlier this year as the reform candidate. Both city papers touted his reformer credentials over and over on their editorial pages. Well, those often over-the-top editorial boards would do well to pay attention to Quigley’s remarks yesterday when touting his endorsement of Rep. John Fritchey for Forrest Claypool’s county board seat. Watch it…
You can’t fight everything and everyone on every single topic and demand total victory or nothing and then expect to win anything.
* According to the Tribune, the new International Olympic Committee report on all the proposed 2016 sites appears to be a draw. The Tribune headline this morning is: “No clear favorite emerges from IOC report”…
An International Olympic Committee document assessing the bids of the four cities vying for the 2016 Summer Olympics this morning noted several problems with Chicago’s bid. But problems also were found with Rio de Janeiro, considered by some the emotional favorite to win the Games.
The committee also had concerns about the other two cities, Madrid and Tokyo. It cited organizational problems in Madrid’s bid, and the low level of public support in Tokyo.
Rio Janeiro and Chicago’s chances of hosting the 2016 Olympic Games received a boost on Wednesday after they appeared to edge ahead in the technical evaluation of the four candidates.
The Lausanne-based International Olympic Committee’s evaluation report still identified key shortcomings in the Brazilian and US cities, notably on transportation and some of the planned venues.
However, the report released Wednesday used blunt language to fault Madrid and Tokyo, even though all the potential hosts were regarded as being of “an extremely high level” and presenting both “risks and opportunities.”
Then again…
Sources close to the IOC told AFP earlier this month that Rio de Janeiro’s bid to become the first South American city to host the Olympics has been gaining momentum, while Chicago has been losing ground.
Perhaps the biggest red flag for Chicago in the 90-plus page report: the questions raised about Metra’s ability to handle an expected doubling in demand during the Olympics.
The commuter rail line is key because it’s expected it would handle two-thirds of the “overall Olympic traffic” and that would “more than double peak commuter traffic demands,” according to the IOC report.
And while the IOC praises the compactness of Chicago’s proposed Olympic Village and 22-venue plan, and even lauds the Chicago 2016 bid committee’s work to ensure that no white elephants — buildings that no longer serve any purpose — are left standing after the Games, the report questions whether plans for re-calibrating existing facilities, for example, might ultimately prove to be costlier.
The report calls the city’s proposed budget achievable.
Rio — seeking to take the Olympics to South America for the first time — may have gained the most, receiving the fewest direct criticisms in the report summary.
The 98-page report also cited low public support in Tokyo and a lack of understanding of different roles in Madrid.
Rio bid leaders said they believed they received the best review.
Political newcomer Kip Kirkpatrick, the co-founder of a private health-care equity firm, is expected to pull the plug on his bid for the Democratic nomination for state treasurer, sources familiar with the campaign said today.
That leaves just one Democrat running in the primary, Robin Kelly. JB Pritzker, who ran for Congress unsuccessfully several years ago and has since focused on his business, might run, although that seems somewhat in doubt. But it is within reason to assume that Democrats will look at Kelly’s current free pass and somebody will decide to jump in.
* 10:19 am - Comptroller Dan Hynes has just called for a “progressive” income tax, a dollar increase in the cigarette tax, two to three additional casinos, luxury services and other revenue ideas and budget cuts. You can watch it live by clicking here.
“I think it’s wrong to tax families during a recession,” said the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
Hynes called for a “Fair and progressive tax system that will not raise taxes for 97 percent of our citizens… It will increase taxes only on those making over $200,000 per year…. Even then, the incremental increases will be staggered.” Top rate of 7.5 percent at $1 million a year.
The constitution would have to be amended to pass this proposal, of course.
* Gov. Pat Quinn, by the way, initially had no events on his schedule today. He then added two events, including one at 10:30 (just 8 minutes from now), where he will answer questions. [Update: The afternoon event is no longer on the schedule.]
* Hynes: “Our budget deficit is the product of our leadership deficit.”
* Hynes has ended his speech and is now taking questions from reporters.
Hynes said he wants the General Assembly to pass a resolution to put the constitutional amendment question before voters next year.
“Pat Quinn’s plan is regressive and unfair… Now he might have changed it, probably did.” Ouch.
“The hard, cold fact is this: We can’t cut our way out of this.”
No increase in corporate income tax.
Pushing, again, to merge comptroller and treasurer’s office.
* Hynes wants to cut back government operation lines to 2005 levels,
* 10:35 am - End of presser. I’ll be posting some docs in a few. Patterson has more.
* From the Hynes campaign…
“The general idea…is straightforward: before turning to taxes, we have to cut unnecessary government spending. If we don’t, we’ll place an unfair tax burden on people… We won’t have addressed the problem in the same common sense way that they would. A budget, whether at home or in Springfield, should require budgeting.”
To reduce the 2010 Budget shortfall, Hynes proposed taking immediate action to:
o Cut unnecessary government spending with a strategic process;
o Fire half of the Blagojevich political appointees making $70,000 a year or more;
o Reduce exorbitant state contracts by 20 percent;
o Bring state government operations back to 2005 levels, using best practices and directing agencies to work with front-line workers to identify cost-saving measures and efficiencies (Through a similar process, Hynes’ Comptroller’s Office is operating at 2001 levels.);
o End unfair tax exemptions, loopholes and discounts.
“The goal of this plan is simply to make our state better,” Hynes concluded. “But to do that we have to lead with clarity and consistency.”
* AP: Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes has formally announced his campaign for governor by introducing his plan to solve the state’s budget crisis.
* NBC5: Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes formally entered the Illinois governor’s race this morning, and during his announcement he laid out a reform agenda aimed directly at the establishment.
CBS2 and ABC7 are both using AP stories at the moment.
* Sun-Times: Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes formally announced his candidacy for governor today, proposing to change the state’s income tax from a flat 3 percent tax to a “progressive” tax that would top out at 7.5 percent for millionaires.
* Tribune: State Comptroller Dan Hynes today said he could dig the state out of its budget hole if he were governor–outlining more than half a dozen initiatives ranging from a graduated income tax and new casinos to cutting state workers and reducing state contracts.
* Daily Herald: Illinois voters would decide whether those making more than $200,000 a year would have their taxes raised at the same time pick a governor next year, under the plan put forward by Democratic hopeful Dan Hynes.
* 11:44 am - Illinois Federation of Teachers…
“We want to take a closer look at it before commenting further
* Just in time for Dan Hynes’ formal campaign announcement kickoff today, Gov. Pat Quinn’s campaign has a new poll of 751 likely Democratic primary voters out that shows Hynes has a long row to hoe…
Quinn: 54%
Hynes: 26%
Undecided: 20%
The pollster claims that Quinn leads in “every demographic and geographic subgroup. More…
• Almost three-quarters of voters (73%) agree that, “Pat Quinn is honest and trustworthy.” Two-thirds (68%) agree that, “Pat Quinn has restored integrity to the governor’s office.” And 60% agree that, “Pat Quinn fights for people like [them].”
• While 62% say that, “Pat Quinn has shown that he deserves a chance to serve a full term as Governor,” just 29% say, “Pat Quinn helped get past the scandals of Rod Blagojevich, but he isn’t up to the job of Governor.”
Name ID, favorability and job approval…
• Pat Quinn (88% name identification) and Dan Hynes (67% name identification) both start out with good name identification. But Quinn’s favorable rating (72%) is 16 points higher than Hynes’s (56% favorable). Quinn’s job rating as governor (68% positive) is 7 points higher than Hynes’s job rating as Comptroller (61% positive).
I’ll have more on this poll later.
* Meanwhile, Mark Brown doesn’t think much of a new advertising campaign by the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights which attacks Mark Kirk. The print and online ads feature a photo of Kirk and a condom: “Congressman Mark Kirk: Condoms are not an immigration solution!” The radio ad begins with an announcer saying: “I wonder what goes on inside the mind of a congressman when he states that the solution for immigration is to send condoms to Mexico.”
Actually, Kirk never said anything about condoms, nor did he specifically use the words “birth control,” although I think the latter at least is a fair inference to draw from what he actually did say.
Kirk was speaking on the House floor in June 2007 in favor of U.S. financial support for international family planning agencies when he made these comments:
“A slower rate of growth of Mexico’s population would improve the economy of Mexico,” Kirk said. “It would also reduce the environmental pressure on Mexico’s ecosystem. But a slower rate of growth would also reduce the long-term illegal immigration pressure on America’s borders.”
While that doesn’t strike me as particularly objectionable, I’m told I would feel differently if I were of Mexican descent.
* Our political quote of the day goes to Congressman Danny Davis, who was asked about the failure yesterday of the Cook County Board to roll back part of the sales tax hike…
Another politician eyeing Stroger’s job, Congressman Danny Davis, says he doesn’t know enough about the county’s finances to take a position because he’s not on the board.
DAVIS: So how I can I take a position when I don’t know the issues?
Wow. That’s a pretty serious admission of ignorance.
A spokesman said there is no significant purpose for the addition, which first began appearing in news releases Monday.
“There’s no reason or why,” spokesman Bob Kettlewell said. […]
Kettlewell was asked if Jackson had begun using her maiden name because of prior female senators who used three names - Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, by way of Illinois and Arkansas.
“Absolutely not,” Kettlewell said.
Could the Jackson name be polling badly? They’re not saying.
* Chicago Treasurer Stephanie Neely is definitely not running for US Senate, I’m told. It would’ve been pretty late to jump in anyway.
And that his victory, even in the face of terrible Cook County unemployment, high foreclosures, and consumer flight to collar counties with lower sales taxes, is something to sit back and study.
Especially if you are Mayor Richard M. Daley and his brother, County Commissioner John Daley.
An override of Stroger’s veto of the roll back required 14 of 17 commissioners. Sims was to be the 14th.
Sims changed course, she says, because it’s not clear yet how a loss in tax revenue might impact county services. Keeping all the county health clinics open is her top priority.
We don’t want to close clinics, either. That’s why we were glad to hear that the Cook County Health and Hospitals System proposed budget — released Tuesday, just in time for the vote — didn’t call for closings.
That budget isn’t set in stone, and Stroger’s office said a roll back would have required deeper cuts to the health system budget.
