Even though the state is $13 billion in the red and the economy is the predominant issue in the minds of voters, the sad truth about this year's gubernatorial race is that neither major party candidate has offered a comprehensive plan to pull the state out of its hole. Gov. Pat Quinn has fought admirably for what he calls an "education surcharge," but he's entirely dropped his emphasis on the need for fundamental tax reform, which played a key role in his budget address last year. Sen. Bill Brady, on the other hand, won't release any details on how he intends to pay the state's bills. "This is going to be an election between which one of these two guys, frankly, I can tolerate at this juncture," lamented the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability's Ralph Martire on WTTW's Chicago Tonight earlier this week (full segment is available here):

It's worth noting that Rich Whitney, the Green Party candidate, is forcefully supporting (PDF) HB 174 and other progressive measures to increase revenue in Illinois. Here's a brief clip from a recent second-tier gubernatorial debate in which he details a portion of his platform. Although he has virtually no money and very little chance of winning in November, his rhetoric is at least refreshing to hear: