2010 IL Senate Debates: on Government Reform

Alexi Giannoulias: I streamlined & cut Treasurer's Office staff by 17%

KIRK: The economic situation for our state is terrible. [We should] return fiscal responsibility without someone bailing out even more irresponsible decisions led by the current team that runs the State of Illinois, including my opponent.

GIANNOULIAS: We've got some enormous challenges here in Illinois. I've been screaming from the rooftops as State Treasurer. We talked abou pension reform from the very beginning. Unlike Congressman Kirk who has doubled our national debt, we've actually found ways to cut our discretionary spending when needed. We've streamlined services in the State Treasurer's Office. I've cut my workforce by 17%. Congressman Kirk proudly said he voted twice for bailouts of the biggest Wall Street banks. But voted against the Recovery Act, which provides emergency stimulus and funding to states and municipalities that have been devastated.

Mark Kirk: Support a line item veto; cut spending across the board

GIANNOULIAS: This is a fundamental public policy difference between myself and Congressman Kirk. He said he's a fiscal hawk. Look, the Congressman has told some real whoppers during this campaign, but that may be the biggest one of all. He voted for every single one of the Bush budgets which doubled our national debt. He voted to increase his own pay six times, he voted for the bridge to nowhere twice, the list goes on and on. So, Congressman, saying you're a fiscal hawk doesn't necessarily make it true and your voting record proves that it's not true.

Q: The tax cuts are $700 billion they want to extend. Where are they going to get the money?

KIRK: We're going to get the money by spending reductions across the board, by cutting out whole programs and making sure that we have a new set of mechanisms. For example, the president has been rumored to be bringing forward a line item veto proposal. Republicans should support that.