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Hi everyone – thanks so much for your questions during the last session, and sorry I couldn’t make it to our scheduled live blog. Below I’ve answered some of your questions that my staff collected. If I’ve omitted anything, or there’s more you’d like to know, please leave a question in the comments section or come by our next live blog, which will be tomorrow, Oct. 6, at 11:00 AM CDT. In the meantime, thanks for helping us begin the work to put Illinois back on the right track!
More after the jump...
Why Hynes instead of Quinn? – TomP
What do you think makes Dan a better candidate for Governor that Pat Quinn? Not so much as a candidate per se, but how would he be an improvement over Quinn? We all know about Blagojevich's stink, far too well, but Quinn was not part of that. How would Dan Hynes be an effective Governor given the insane nature of the Illinois legislature? – Jennifer Clare
I've read (quickly) your diary twice, and one "why I'm running" question that is not addressed is what distinguishes you and makes you better for IL than our current Governor? - huckleberry
This really is the central question of the race, so thanks for cutting to the chase!
Like everyone else in Illinois, I hoped we would be able to turn the page after Rod Blagojevich was removed from office. We had a chance to get to work on the issues that have been plaguing our state for years, without the personal and political animosity of the Blagojevich years. The budget mess – which is structural as much as political – in particular requires real leadership. I had hoped to work with Governor Quinn to put in place a comprehensive plan to get our state’s finances back on the right track.
To put it mildly, Governor Quinn has chosen a different course, and on the important issues facing our state, we’re still waiting for change. Rather than bearing down and building support for a real budget plan, one that cut spending first before asking the people to pay more in taxes – he put forth a plan that raises income taxes by 50 percent on all Illinois families, and then resorted to scare tactics when support fizzled. This was what our old governor used to do.
Now we are left with a stopgap budget that has gutted vital services (like MAP grants, the scholarships that help 138,000 Illinois students afford college), and an announcement that nothing new will be done on the budget until after the February primaries. I’m not sure when a primary election became a major fiscal milestone date, but that’s his call. That doesn’t make it responsible.
Whether it’s a workable budget plan, ethics reform, or handling the fallout of the University of Illinois clout scandal, the Governor has been all over the map, and his actions (or inactions) have real consequences.
I have a record of steady leadership, and I have the know-how to get to work to fix our budget mess. You can read my plan on my website - http://www.danhynes.com. The basic priorities are:
- Reduce the short-term budget
- Address the State’s structural Revenue Problems in Fiscal Year 2011
- Have a balanced budget in Fiscal Year 2012 and return to investing in Illinois’ future
Getting Illinois back on its feet will require a competent, honest, steady leader who will have a plan to solve problems, and that is the kind of leadership I can provide.
If The Legislature in Illinois were to pass laws legalizing Marijuana and Gay marriage, would you support those causes, and if not, why? – Ministry of Truth
Good questions. Let me address gay marriage first. I hope the Illinois Legislature does move forward on this issue, and I will definitely support the cause. I believe that if two committed adults want to express their love for each other through marriage, then that should be their civil right, regardless of sexual orientation. My thinking on this issue has evolved over the last few years, I’m not afraid to say, and I am proud to stand squarely on the side of equal rights. For more, check out Eric Zorn’s blog.
I do not support the outright legalization of marijuana. However, I do think there is room to reform our drug laws, both in terms of overall priorities and sentencing (which are Byzantine and often excessively punitive). As we continue to talk about our drugs laws, federal, state and local authorities will need to get on the same page and formulate common goals and objectives to ensure to that our citizens are protected and that our laws are effective.
Why not run for US Senate again? – ChiAntiWar08
My run for the US Senate in 2004 was a remarkable experience, and also an educational one. I won’t make any excuses – I mean, come on, getting beat by Barack Obama is hardly anything to be ashamed of. But having been through that campaign, and seeing where we are now, I’m also certain that I’ll best serve Illinois as Governor.
Please elaborate on your opinions concerning the trustee scandal and how Governor Quinn handled the reappointments. Do you believe President White should resign? – peglyn
There has been some movement on this since President White announced his intention to step down almost two weeks ago, but I do want to talk more about the U of I trustee issue, because it goes to the heart of Governor Quinn’s leadership shortcomings. First, I believe it is the right move for President White to resign, and I hope Chancellor Herman follows suit. If not, the new Board of Trustees should act to remove him immediately.
But even as it seems that we are moving toward a resolution, it has been way too long in coming. Governor Quinn mishandled this process from the start, and the fact that we’re still talking about this, four months after the scandal came to light, is testament to this.
I’m a parent. And though it will be many years before my boys head off to college, I know that when the time comes, my wife Christina and I will want everything to be perfect. I can’t imagine the anxiety that the parents of this year’s freshmen are feeling with this chaotic situation swirling around. There have been protests on campus; the faculty senate voted no confidence in the leadership; and there has been general unease at our state’s flagship institution. It has just been a mess that should have been resolved long before now, period. My priority would have been to put in place a process to have new leadership in place before the beginning of school.
Will you commit to live downstate in Springfield, in the capitol city, rather than using Springfield just as an occasional office? - Support
I’m a superstitious sort, so I want to avoid anything that looks like measuring the drapes of the Governor’s Mansion! I should point out, however, that Christina and I lived in Springfield during my first two years in office, and we loved it.
I know this isn’t a great answer, but it’s the best I can do: maybe. Christina and I have three young boys, and she has her medical practice in Chicago. So there are a lot of factors to weigh, but it’s a definite possibility, and I absolutely see the value of a governor who lives in the Capital City.
Unlike some others who shall remain nameless, if I commit to live in the Governor’s Mansion, I’ll actually live there.
Thanks again for your questions! Please feel free to post below if I didn’t have the chance to answer your question from the last session or if you have another question for me. I will be live blogging here tomorrow, the 6th, around 11 AM CDT – hope to chat with you then!
— Dan