McKenna offers ideas to fix budget
CHAMPAIGN – Republican gubernatorial candidate Andy McKenna said Friday that he's prepared to be a one-term governor if that's what it takes to clean up Illinois' financial and economic problems.
McKenna, of Chicago, is one of seven GOP candidates for governor in the Feb. 2 primary election. He also is the former chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.
"It's something that my wife said to me when we started talking about this," he said. "She said, 'You'd better be prepared to be a one-term governor because if you make the decisions you're going to have to make you're probably not going to get re-elected. You'll be very unpopular.'
"I'm prepared to do that. I've been in business, and I'm not going for another career. I think that the state is literally on the brink of failure. I think that someone has to go down there who isn't angling for another position."
McKenna, 52, the wealthy president and CEO of Schwarz Paper Co. in Morton Grove, said he will solve the state's budget problems without raising taxes and by freezing state spending, "probably at 2009 levels."
"I intend to solve the problem by holding the line on taxes and by dealing with the spending side," he said. "What got us in trouble was the spending, not the tax problems."
He said state officials are not "leveling with voters about how bad the problem is. We hear about 6-, 8-, 10-, 12-billion-dollar deficits. Big numbers.
"But what about the debt side of this thing? I'm a business guy. I look at the operating budget and it's problematic. But then you look at the financial statements and it's even worse. People aren't even thinking about all that debt."
McKenna said he wants to "accelerate the growth of small business" in Illinois by using state government "as a connector of pieces."
"Illinois' assets include great research institutions and universities, a good technical infrastructure and ample natural resources. Government can play a role in connecting those pieces so smart people with good ideas can start businesses."
He said he would support public higher education.
"When you have out of control spending in your core activities, it diminishes your ability to invest in anything that's good, like higher education," said the candidate with a bachelor's from Notre Dame and an MBA from Northwestern. "The fact that we haven't been able to set priorities compromises our ability to invest in every good priority."
He said he will not be a flashy, bombastic candidate. "I think people want substance today," he said. "They had a big personality in 2002 and 2006. His name was Rod Blagojevich. He sounded great. He promised lots of things, but he let people down.
"I'll never give a speech as good as Barack Obama, but I think people are starting to wonder what is the substance beneath some of these big personalities."
McKenna said he is prepared to spend "in the area of $5 million in the primary," and said it will not all be his money. "I'll invest in the race, but I don't believe in self-funded campaigns," he said. "I don't think they're successful. This needs to be a community effort."
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