Quinn blasts Hynes for holding out on borrowing
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| Illinois state Comptroller Dan Hynes (right), looks over at Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn during their Democratic gubernatorial debate Nov. 18 in Chicago. (AP Photo) |
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CHICAGO – Gov. Pat Quinn accused his chief primary opponent of playing political games with a loan the state needs to pay its bills, but Comptroller Dan Hynes shot back Wednesday that the real problem is a lack of detail in Quinn’s borrowing plan.
Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, the third state official who would have to sign off on any borrowing, seemed to back up Hynes.
After Quinn told reporters Giannoulias was “ready to go” and Hynes was the only holdout, Giannoulias’ spokesman Scott Burnham said the comment was “premature” because the treasurer’s office had not yet received loan documents from the governor’s office.
The Democratic governor blasted Hynes after a reporter asked about the fate of a short-term borrowing plan Quinn had announced in October.
Short-term loans are routinely used for cash during times of the year when the state is low on money. The problem is especially severe now, when the state is battling massive budget problems.
Quinn said Hynes has to stop “dragging his feet.”
“To be lollygagging along and meandering along instead of getting the job done is inexcusable,” Quinn said. “The people of Illinois expect every constitutional officer to do his or her job without politics.”
But Hynes said the problem is with Quinn, who Hynes said has proposed borrowing varying amounts of money and offered no specifics on repaying the loan, which would have to be done by June 30, 2010.
“I’m not going to sign off on a borrowing proposal that has no specifics and doesn’t even solve the cash flow problem,” Hynes said.
When Quinn proposed borrowing in October, he said the state needed $900 million. On Wednesday, he said it would start by borrowing $500 million.
Quinn’s office said budget officials had been providing information to Hynes.
Hynes, whose office is responsible for paying the state’s bills, said he has been working with agencies to avoid “catastrophes” and get the most important bills paid first.
“I’m managing a crisis here that Pat Quinn has been unable to solve,” Hynes said.
