CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The major-party candidates for Illinois governor bickered over the state budget and jobs Thursday without providing specifics in an hour-long debate, leading Green Party candidate Rich Whitney to accuse them both of offering "fantasy economics."
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn repeatedly called his GOP opponent "heartless" for proposing budget cuts that would almost certainly require deep cuts to schools. He also said state Sen. Bill Brady lacks courage and integrity.
Quinn boasted that he has persuaded companies to expand in Illinois and has cut state spending by $3 billion. But he had little to say about what further steps he would take to close a $13 billion deficit.
Brady, meanwhile, insisted Quinn is driving jobs away from Illinois with his proposal to raise income taxes.
"Gov. Quinn's the job governor all right, but it just happens to be for Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and other states," said Brady, of Bloomington.
He said Illinois must balance its budget without raising taxes, although he didn't outline how he would accomplish that.
Whitney said neither candidate was being honest with voters.
"We can't rely on fantasy economics," said the Carbondale attorney.
The three candidates faced off in a televised debate at Southern Illinois University. Two other candidates, independent Scott Lee Cohen and Libertarian Lex Green, were not invited because they failed to get 5 percent in the most recent polls.
One of the most pointed exchanges involve an agreement Quinn reached with a key union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The deal says that if the union comes up with at least $50 million in budget cuts, the state won't lay off any union members or close facilities through mid-2012.
Whitney said the deal harms both taxpayers and government employees because it delays real action on the state's problems. Brady accused Quinn of signing the agreement to win AFSCME's endorsement and compared it to something that ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, now a convicted felon, would support.
"This is a deal Gov. Blagojevich would be proud of Gov. Quinn for," Brady said.
Quinn maintained the agreement is a boon for the state because it will cut costs. He said he's the only governor who has been able to negotiate givebacks with AFSCME.
"I have a record of saving taxpayers money by getting union concessions," Quinn said.
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Associated Press Writer Deanna Bellandi contributed to this report from Chicago.
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