 Two of the state's new constitutional officers, Treasurer Dan
Rutherford and Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, are the first
Republicans to hold a statewide office in four years. They are also
in charge of the state's financial offices, and they say in charge
of carrying out the new spending discipline voters chose last fall.
Topinka makes her return to state government as comptroller. She
served a dozen years in both the Illinois House and Senate in the
1980s and 1990s. Topinka was first elected Illinois treasurer in
1994 and was re-elected twice, in 1998 and 2004. She lost in the
2008 race for governor to Rod Blagojevich and was the last
Republican to hold a statewide office.
Topinka told the inauguration audience on Monday that state
leaders can't continue to make the former governor the bad guy and
blame him for Illinois' $15 billion budget deficit.
"It would be convenient, and in some cases very satisfying, to
blame one party or one administration for the mess that our state is
in. But frankly it wouldn't be true, because both parties have for a
very, very long time helped dig this ditch," said Topinka.
It's not just blame that Topinka says can go around. The new
comptroller said if Illinois is going to fix the budget, everyone is
going to have to act like adults.
"It's time to put aside any petty bickering, and certainly any
partisan fights, roll up our sleeves and turn this state around.
State government has unfortunately gotten out of touch and out of
control, and it is time to bring it back," she said.
Rutherford echoed that, saying he expects each of the players in
state government to do their jobs and make the state work.
"I intend to use this statewide stage and not be an
obstructionist with my friends in the legislature or the executive
branch of the government. But I am not going to be shy about
articulating what I believe is necessary to help the economic
standing of (Illinois)," he said.
Rutherford was first elected as a state representative in 1993
and served in the House until he won his Senate seat in 2003.
The new GOP officials campaigned on a pledge to be tighter with
the state's checkbook than the Democrats.
Rutherford said there is a reason why voters chose Republicans
last fall.
"Illinois is faced with a massive, massive financial challenge.
Some of it is out of our control. But some of it is been by the
makings of Springfield," he said.
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Former Republican Gov. Jim Thompson said there may be some truth
to Topinka and Rutherford's view.
"Republicans have been, in the minds of many voters, been
identified as the party with fiscal discipline," he said.
Thompson, who served four terms as governor from 1977 to 1991,
adds that Democrats have run the state for the past four years, and
he thinks it'll be good for the state and the Republican Party to
have new people in office.
"It's healthy to have bipartisan voices," he said. "The
legislature is controlled by the Democrats, the governor is a
Democrat. It will be helpful for the day-to-day business of
government and for the party for those voices to be heard."
Topinka is already piping up, declaring that she's going to pay
the state's bills and stop playing games.
"That means no more arbitrage schemes, pension holidays, binge
borrowing, sweeps and raids, because none of them have solved our
problems. So it's down to just really getting at it," she said.
University of Illinois at Springfield political science professor
Kent Redfield said that's exactly what her job is going to be.
"We saw with Dan Hynes what the comptroller's office can become
-- another voice on the budget. The Republicans now have a new
voice, and one that carries some weight on fiscal issues," he said.
Redfield adds that the beleaguered Illinois GOP should be very
pleased with winning two statewide seats.
Gov. Pat Quinn's office has said for months that it is 'looking
forward to working with the new treasurer and comptroller," but the
administration is not offering an opinion on the specifics of their
comments.
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
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