Aug 11, 2008 5:20 pm US/Central
Quinn Protests Pay Raises Outside Governor's Event
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn (File)
CBS
Has a cold war within state government escalated to open hostility? Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn was picketing his own boss on Monday.
CBS 2 Political Editor Mike Flannery said he can't remember seeing anything like it; the lieutenant governor protesting a pay raise for top officials outside a public appearance by his boss, while Gov. Rod Blagojevich snuck in a side door.
Handing out leaflets headlined "Stop Political Pay Raises Now!" Lt. Gov. Quinn and a few friends protesting outside the governor's luncheon speech on the Near North Side didn't impress Illinois Senate President Emil Jones. He said legislators need the 12% raise.
"I have members of my caucus who are single parents … who feel very strongly that they deserve a pay raise," Jones said.
To avoid Quinn and reporters waiting at the front door, the governor snuck in a back door to deliver his speech. When cornered later, though, he criticized state senators who are blocking a floor vote likely to kill the unpopular proposal.
"The last thing they should be doing is giving themselves pay raises," Blagojevich said.
Earlier, Jones introduced the governor for his speech to the City Club of Chicago. Blagojevich opened by poking fun at his record-low standing in voter opinion polls and, when given a coffee mug, noted the ongoing federal investigations he faces.
"Better a mug than a mug shot, right?" Blagojevich said. "This is such a tough job, you know, I think it's fair to say I have fewer friends now than I had before I was governor."
Calling Jones one of his most loyal friends, Blagojevich added, "Emil and I are homeboys, man. … There are times I consider myself the first African American governor of Illinois."
The House rejected pay raises in May. If the Senate doesn't vote by Wednesday, the pay raises automatically take effect.
But State Comptroller Dan Hynes said Monday it doesn't immediately matter what the Senate does. He said there's no budget appropriation for the raises and they won't happen without one.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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