Quinn, Hynes spar over who makes tough decisions

ROCKFORD, Ill. -- Democrats Pat Quinn and Dan Hynes offered Republicans plenty of campaign material Sunday as each accused the other of ducking hard decisions, misleading taxpayers and cozying up to former governor Rod Blagojevich.

Appearing at a candidate forum, the rivals for the Democratic nomination for governor did agree on the concept of selling a state prison to the federal government to house suspected terrorists and on the need to raise taxes to narrow a staggering budget deficit. But they spent most of their time on the attack.

Quinn, the incumbent, repeatedly accused Hynes of hiding when other state officials were debating in the spring and summer over how to close the worst budget deficit in Illinois history. He said the comptroller should have weighed in on how to cut spending, whether to raise taxes and other touchy topics.

"He did nothing. He disappeared," Quinn said. "I think the comptroller should have been part of that debate. When you politic all the time and you try to tear down the incumbent governor, that doesn't get Illinois very far."

Hynes was largely silent when the budget debate was at its height. But he told the Democratic crowd Sunday that he gave Quinn a list of $1.8 billion in contracts to consider cutting. Hynes also said he was busy figuring out how to pay the state's many bills without enough funds -- a problem that continues even now.

"I'm doing my job. My job is to find a way to pay $4 billion in bills that we don't have money for because you haven't balanced the budget," Hynes said. "That's why I'm running for your job, because you're not doing it."

Hynes accused Quinn of backing an income tax increase that would have fallen hard on middle class families. When that failed, he said, Quinn gave up and agreed to postpone any real action on the budget until after the Feb. 2 primary.

"We need a leader who is going to deal with the budget crisis head-on," Hynes said.

A long list of Republicans are vying for the chance to take on a Democrat in November. They see a strong chance for victory emerging from the Blagojevich scandal, state budget troubles and the Democratic battle, which could produce a weakened nominee.

Hynes has countered with a proposal to create a graduated income tax, so that people making more money would pay a higher rate. His plan would increase taxes only for those making more than $200,000.

But Quinn suggested Hynes was ducking the state's immediate problems by focusing on a graduated income tax. That's because it would require a constitutional amendment that couldn't be approved until next November at the earliest.

"We've got to deal with the reality now," Quinn said.

Each candidate tried to use Blagojevich, who was booted out of office in January after being arrested on federal corruption charges.

Hynes said he spent years criticizing Blagojevich's budget plans while Quinn was serving as Blagojevich's lieutenant governor.

"One of us was taking on Rod Blagojevich. The other was not only on the sidelines but was his lead cheerleader," Hynes said.

Quinn countered that he spoke out against a major Blagojevich tax plan in the governor's second term and that he fought to give voters the power to recall corrupt officials, an idea that Hynes opposed.

The governor defended his proposal to sell an unused state prison in Thomson to the federal government. He said terrorism suspects can be held there safely and that the project would create thousands of jobs.

Hynes didn't flatly endorse the proposal, but said he expects the questions it raises to be answered favorably by President Barack Obama.

"I'm open to the idea because I trust the Obama administration," Hynes said.