Hi Kossacks – I’m Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes and I am running for Governor.
I just kicked off my campaign last week and wanted to come here – to the nerve center of the progressive community – to introduce myself and discuss how the Netroots must help change Illinois politics. I’ll spend the next 30 minutes answering your questions, in the comments section, about the future of the progressive movement in the Land of Lincoln.
Now, whether you’re from Illinois or not, I’m sure you’re aware of the tumultuous year our state has had. We’ve seen our favorite son, Barack Obama, elected President and embraced as a national symbol of hope and change. I know firsthand what an effective leader President Obama can be – in 2004 I finished second to him in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate.
While it was certainly disappointing to lose - and make no mistake, it was very, very disappointing - I couldn’t help but be inspired watching Barack step into the national spotlight. In my mind, President Obama represents the ideal of public service and the very best that Illinois has to offer. That’s why, in an open letter published in the Chicago Sun-Times in September 2006, I called on Barack to run for President, becoming the first elected official in the country to do so.
The flip side, unfortunately, to the pride we took in Barack’s rise has been the ongoing national embarrassment that is our former Governor, Rod Blagojevich. There is little more that needs to be said about his actions, and his bizarre behavior since his arrest and removal from office speaks for itself. It is clear that our state must change the expectation that holding public office is, first and foremost, a means to personal gain. Governor Blagojevich stands accused of running an organized criminal enterprise - think about that for a second.
I immediately called on Governor Blagojevich to resign, which would seem obvious, even though some other prominent Democrats in our state demurred. And since that dark day, I have been wrestling with how best to help the people of Illinois turn the page on this ugly chapter in our state's history.
And here’s the thing: as bad as Rod Blagojevich was for our state, only the degree of his corruption and his venality were especially surprising from a historical perspective. He will likely soon join his predecessor, a Republican, in prison. This brand of corruption – the shrugging expectation that it is inevitable, the powerlessness we feel to stop it – must end. I have decided to run for Governor because I believe, in my heart and soul, that it doesn’t have to be this way. I am running because we can do better.
As Governor, I will continue my fight against the old brand of Illinois politics and guarantee that government is transparent and politicians are held accountable. In 2005, I proposed an innovative package of reforms to fight “pay-to-play” politics and put an end to the widespread practice of “no-bid” state contracts going to campaign donors. I fought hard for these reforms and worked with the Legislature to make them law. I also knew, however, that Governor Blagojevich would find a way to stall and curtail these reforms – and he did – so, rather than waiting on him to act, I issued an Executive Order to make my own office subject to those reforms immediately. In 2007, the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform honored me with the Paul Simon Public Service Award for my work to promote good government.
Still, we cannot change our government if we don’t change our party, and I am leading the charge to reform the Democratic Party here in Illinois so that it reflects our best progressive values. The way we conduct elections says a lot about who we are and what we stand for. Again, I want to let Barack Obama’s rise serve as a guide. So much of his success – both in Illinois and across the country – comes from the tremendous outpouring of grassroots support he has engaged and energized. But that energy and excitement may never have emerged or been rewarded from the smoke-filled rooms of yesterday’s political machinations. Barack’s campaigns are a great example of the wisdom of a system that encourages all the people to get the facts and throw their support behind the candidate who inspires them.
Slatemaking is a relic of a different era. To truly live up to our ideals, I believe Democrats should have open primaries, and that is why I have urged the Cook County Democratic Committee to make no endorsements for any of the 2010 statewide races. It’s my hope that a free and open discussion of ideas will give our party the opportunity to move beyond the corrupt legacy of Rod Blagojevich and into a new era of transparency.
Of course, political corruption and federal investigations are only part of Illinois’ current legacy. As our state’s fiscal watchdog, I have been frustrated by the perennial battles to balance our budget, as well as the fact that we never seem to balance the budget at all. Last week, I proposed an innovative plan to fix our state’s chronic budget shortfall once and for all - using a combination of targeted spending cuts and measures to modernize and make our tax code more fair. Illinois remains one of only seven states without a progressive tax structure. Our flat rate is, in fact, regressive.
We have had problems balancing our budget for years, and our current tax structure falls disproportionately hard on those least well off. Not only must they pay a larger share of their income in taxes, they are the people most affected by cuts to vital human services – especially in a time of economic recession. To get out of this cycle, I am proposing the implementation of a progressive income tax that asks those making over $200,000 a year to pay their fair share. You can read my full budget proposal by clicking here.
This campaign to put our state back on the right track is very personal for me. I was born and raised in Chicago, and my wife Christina and I are raising our three boys here. It has been this experience – as a husband and father – that inspires my commitment to public service. For instance, Christina’s work as a physician – she specializes in women’s health issues – inspired me to go to work for stem cell research in our state. You may remember that under the Bush administration, federal funding for stem cell research largely dried up, and it was left to the states to keep this potentially life-saving program intact.
In 2005, I helped secure state funding for efforts that resulted in the creation of the Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute. The next year, IRMI awarded $10 million in grants to medical research facilities for the development of stem cell-based treatments and cures – making Illinois the first state in the Midwest to commit public funds to this life-saving work. Two years ago, we helped enact a law that ensured our state protects all ethical forms of stem cell research.
Thank you for taking the time to read my opening foray into the blogosphere. I really have been amazed at what has become possible in terms of transparency and building accountability by using the Internet and online activism as the leading vehicles. You are leaders in the fight to build a good and decent government that reflects the progressive ideals we all want put into practice. I am looking forward to engaging the Netroots as we go forward. We clearly need your help here in Illinois.