Son Of Late State Comptroller Said Topinka Would Be 'Furious' With Budget Stalemate
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The son of the late State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka suggests his mother would be livid at the long budget stalemate underway in the state of Illinois.
Retired Army Major and now law professor, Joseph Topinka has authored a book that will be published, about his mother's life and legacy. Judy Baar Topinka died after being re-elected State Comptroller in 2014. The Republican firebrand was resolutely bipartisan, and her son said she would have been furious and frustrated that Illinois has gone without a budget for more than a year and a half. WBBM's Craig Dellimore reports.
"Mom was about compromise, if that is bipartisanship, so be it," Topinka said. "Mom would like to work towards the middle ground of everything. Mom used to joke with me, 'they're calling me a rhino again.' Republican in name only. Well I am not really sure what a republican is, and I am not really sure what a democrat is."
He said his notoriously bipartisan mom would have had harsh words about the standoff between Governor Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan.
"I'd like to use the word furious," Topinka said. "But then I also like to think she would use some other words starting with 'f.' One would be fatigue. This is very fatiguing. I can actually see her saying that word 'fatiguing.' The other word she would probably use is, frustration."
Topinka says she was always about compromise.
WBBM will talk about leadership and politics on the AT ISSUE program this weekend, which features some words from Mayor Emanuel too. The program runs Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m.