Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes formally entered the Illinois governor's race this morning, and during his announcement he laid out a reform agenda aimed directly at the establishment.
"I present a plan to get our state on track," Hynes said at an event in Chicago.
Hynes, a Democrat, will challenge accidental-cum-incumbent Democrat Pat Quinn for the job.
In laying out a few of his proposals, Hynes wasted no time attacking Quinn and his bent toward raising income taxes across the board.
"What Pat Quinn has proposed is even more unfair," said Hynes, whose proposed tax increases would target those making $200,000 a year or more.
In addition to reforming tax proposals, Hynes suggest reforming the administration. He wants to fire half of the Blagojevich political appointees making $70,000 a year or more saying that will "save millions."
"They should have been removed a long time ago," Hynes said.
Politics
He also wants to close luxury loopholes and close retailers discounts; raise the cigarette tax by one dollar to pay unpaid Medicaid bills; and expand riverboat casinos.
Quinn quickly reacted to Hynes proposals, calling him a flip flopper on taxes and overzealous on gambling.
"I don't want Illinois to become the Las Vegas of the Midwest," Quinn said.
Hynes, a three-term comptroller is a well-known name in Chicago politics. His father, Thomas Hynes, is a former Illinois Senate president and former Cook County assessor.
Dan Hynes also ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination to the U.S. Senate seat that President Barack Obama won in 2004.
