Quinn, Hynes trade barbs during debates

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes disagreed over the best way to raise the state income tax but agreed on their support for a government-run health insurance program during two debates Wednesday between the rival Democratic candidates for governor.

The men traded verbal jabs, with Hynes saying Quinn's tax proposal would "crush the middle class" and Quinn calling Hynes' tax plan "a blank piece of paper" that wouldn't come to fruition soon enough to help the state's finances.

"We've got to do it now," Quinn said during a debate at the Union League Club of Chicago.

The governor has proposed a 50 percent income tax rate increase that would be coupled with some tax relief to help poor and working families. But that idea went nowhere with lawmakers and Quinn has agreed to hold off on pushing for a tax increase until after the Feb. 2 primary.

Hynes is backing a graduated income tax that would only increase taxes for those making more than $200,000, but it would require a constitutional amendment. That's a time-consuming process.

Hynes blasted Quinn, the state's former lieutenant governor, for not sticking by his past support of a progressive income tax when he proposed his tax increase.

"We don't want to know what you did as lieutenant governor, we want to know what you've done as governor and you chose the tax on the middle class," Hynes said.

Quinn, who inherited the governor's job in January when Rod Blagojevich was ousted from office, called Hynes a latecomer to the progressive tax idea.

"All of a sudden when he's running for governor he's found the faith. Oh happy day," Quinn said.

How to fix the state's growing budget problems was the most contentious issue between the two men.

Hynes accused Quinn of using the same budgeting "gimmicks" that helped get Illinois into a financial mess in the first place, including an over-reliance on borrowing and postponing payment of the state's bills, including to health care providers.

Quinn said the state has a "stable" budget and he would address revenue and other budget issues in the new year. He accused Hynes of trying to "demonize" him and his tax plan.

They debated other issues, including the possibility that the federal government could buy a nearly vacant prison in northwestern Illinois to house Guantanamo Bay detainees.

Quinn is a major proponent of the plan. Hynes said he's "open" to the idea of using the Thomson Correction Center for detainees because he believes the Obama administration would make safety paramount.

Quinn said afterward that a deal to sell the prison "probably" would happen, but he acknowledged he didn't have any inside information about the government's deliberations.

On education, Quinn said the state has too many "inefficient" school districts that need to be consolidated. Hynes said consolidation should be looked at if it's done with input from local communities.

At a health care debate hosted by the advocacy group the Campaign for Better Health Care, both Quinn and Hynes said they back the landmark health care reform legislation recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Universal health care is our goal," Hynes said.

Hynes and Quinn said they would have voted against the amendment that put limits on abortion coverage. But Quinn said its inclusion was necessary to get votes in the House.

"A lot of times in a democracy you make compromises in order to move the ball forward," he told reporters afterward.

Hynes said that provision needs to be kept out of the Senate health care bill.

Both men said they support the government-run health insurance program in the House bill and Illinois should not opt out of it if there is a provision to do so in any final health care bill.

Most of the Republicans running for Illinois governor have said they would want the state to opt out of a so-called public option.