Quinn Gears Up For The Heavyweight Fight
From Crain's Chicago Business
As he flies into his re-election campaign, Gov. Pat Quinn is carrying a lot of baggage.
With a state economy still struggling to recover from the recession, the third-highest unemployment rate and the worst credit rating in the nation, his Republican opponent will start with an ample supply of talking points. And in the months ahead, the challenges of managing the state will provide even more fodder for attack ads.
Mr. Quinn faces a huge governmental and political dilemma, caused by a temporary hike in income tax rates scheduled to roll back at year-end—halfway through the state's next fiscal year—leaving Illinois with a $1.7 billion revenue loss, a drop of nearly 9 percent.
While his GOP opponents talk in generalities about cutting taxes and spending, Mr. Quinn must unveil a detailed annual budget proposal next week, requiring him to take a big political risk and call for some extension of tax rates or go against core Democratic voters—and his own values—by proposing drastic and specific cuts in education, health and social services.
“Whatever he does will create issues and problems,” says Alan Gitelson, a professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago and a four-decade observer of Illinois politics. “If he keeps the tax, Republicans are going to pound him and pound him and pound him.”
Read more in our daily News Update...
From Crain's Chicago Business
As he flies into his re-election campaign, Gov. Pat Quinn is carrying a lot of baggage.
With a state economy still struggling to recover from the recession, the third-highest unemployment rate and the worst credit rating in the nation, his Republican opponent will start with an ample supply of talking points. And in the months ahead, the challenges of managing the state will provide even more fodder for attack ads.
Mr. Quinn faces a huge governmental and political dilemma, caused by a temporary hike in income tax rates scheduled to roll back at year-end—halfway through the state's next fiscal year—leaving Illinois with a $1.7 billion revenue loss, a drop of nearly 9 percent.
While his GOP opponents talk in generalities about cutting taxes and spending, Mr. Quinn must unveil a detailed annual budget proposal next week, requiring him to take a big political risk and call for some extension of tax rates or go against core Democratic voters—and his own values—by proposing drastic and specific cuts in education, health and social services.
“Whatever he does will create issues and problems,” says Alan Gitelson, a professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago and a four-decade observer of Illinois politics. “If he keeps the tax, Republicans are going to pound him and pound him and pound him.”
Read more in our daily News Update...