Fact Check: Volume gets turned up in governor's race
By DEANNA BELLANDI - The Associated Press
CHICAGO – Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Dan Hynes aren’t letting up in their Democratic primary fight for governor, launching another round of TV ads critical of one another.
Quinn accuses Hynes of going AWOL during negotiations over the state’s historic budget deficit, claiming that he even spent time at a Chicago spa. And Hynes whacks Quinn for allegedly wanting to raise taxes on someone making $14,000 a year.
Here are some of the facts behind their TV ads:
CLAIM: Quinn said Hynes stayed on the sidelines while he and legislators were figuring out how to close a gaping hole in the budget. Quinn’s ad heaps on the criticism, claiming Hynes was “absent” while the governor “made tough choices.”
FACTS: Hynes doesn’t have a formal role in state budget negotiations even though he is one of the state’s top financial officers. If he wanted, Hynes could use his position to advocate for the budget measures he thinks make the most sense.
But Hynes largely was silent during the key months when the budget was being debated.
After Quinn unveiled his budget proposal, including a tax increase, a Hynes aide simply called it “a starting point.” Hynes wouldn’t comment when asked about the tax nearly a month later. After another month, Hynes still wouldn’t spell out where he stood on Quinn’s proposal or what he thought should be done.
Hynes points out, however, that he did brief Quinn on budget issues early in the process and provided a list of contracts that potentially could be cut. “I was trying to be helpful, but he was ignoring my advice,” Hynes said.
A week before the budget deadline, Hynes issued an open letter to Quinn criticizing his handling of the budget and calling for a temporary budget to allow negotiations to start all over.
“That’s the kind of thing you do when you just want to showboat instead of work at something,” Quinn said.
CLAIM: Quinn’s ad said that while he was busy working on the budget, Hynes was “hitting a spa in Chicago.”
FACTS: The spa in question is a Chicago hair salon that also offers services such as manicures, facials and waxing, according to its Web site. Hynes spokesman Matt McGrath said the comptroller was getting his regular haircut on the two days Quinn mentions.
According to the schedules that Quinn cites to support his accusation, Hynes visited the spa first thing in the morning before going to his downtown Chicago office. Nothing in the documents suggest Hynes shirked any responsibilities.
Quinn is twisting the facts.
On Tuesday, Quinn visited Washington rather than take part in a meeting on the budget problems of Chicago-area mass transit. The Hynes campaign immediately noted that one of the complaints in Quinn’s ad was that the comptroller had visited Washington while state budget problems were unresolved.
CLAIM: Hynes’ ad shows video of Quinn advocating a tax increase for anyone making more than $14,000 a year.
FACTS: Under the plan Quinn discussed with a newspaper editorial board, $14,000 was the magic number for individual taxpayers. Anyone making more would pay higher taxes. For instance, a person making $14,500 would pay $375 in taxes under the current system but $382.50 under the Quinn proposal.
That’s partly because the tax relief portion of Quinn’s plan depended on household size. A family of four would get a bigger break than a single person.
Campaign ads sometimes take snippets of video out of context, but Quinn’s comment is used fairly.
CLAIM: Quinn scoffs at Hynes’ promise to cut spending, with the narrator of his ad saying Hynes approved “every single state check” for years as the state budget hole deepened.
FACTS: As comptroller, Hynes virtually has no power to block spending, even if he disagrees with it. In fact, when he recently delayed approving some payments, Quinn scolded Hynes for stepping out of line.
The state comptroller keeps track of how much money the government has and makes payments as ordered by the governor and the Legislature. If no money is available, he doesn’t write the checks. The only time he can refuse to make a payment is when it would be illegal for some reason.
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