Gov. Pat Quinn Announces Tax Raise In Rambling 'State Of The State'

In a meandering, largely improvised address at 12pm Wednesday, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn announced new tax hikes, outlined jobs creation programs, and recited his achievements in office.

The governor announced he was planning to find a "fair way to raise money" from "a fair tax code," but didn't go into specifics. He also said he was hoping to reform the tax code and offer tax relief to lower- and middle-class workers.

Quinn also laid out a number of ambitious construction projects, hoping to be known as the "Building Governor" for having constructed "more things than any other governor in history." Misquoting the thoroughly flogged Daniel Burnham adage, he reminded Illinoisans that "it's important not to make little plans." To that end, he discussed making Chicago "the inland port of the nation" by developing shipping facilities in the city. These plans will go hand-in-hand with other enterprises, like the Thomson prison and the Illinois Jobs Now program, to create jobs in the state.

With three weeks until the primary, when Quinn will face a heated challenge from State Comptroller Dan Hynes, he also took time in the 75-plus-minute speech to recite some of his major achievements as governor. He mentioned ethics legislation, reform at the University of Illinois, and re-opening of state parks among his accomplishments.