Quinn Criticized For Flying Off To New York To Ring NASDAQ Bell
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Gov. Pat Quinn is catching some heat for a quick overnight trip he made to New York City.
As WBBM Newsradio's David Roe reports, Quinn was in New York Tuesday to ring the opening bell at the NASDAQ stock exchange and to appear on a national cable talk show "Morning Joe" on MSNBC.
The Chicago Tribune reports the trip cost taxpayers an estimated $1,200 for airfare and hotel accommodations for Quinn and a press aide.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's David Roe eports
Podcast
But the newspaper reports the Quinn administration is defending the overnight trip as well worth the expense, since it allowed Quinn to promote Illinois businesses on an international stage.
But the Tribune also said Quinn opening the NASDAQ exchange had an "element of irony," since Chicago's major stock exchanges – the CME Group and CBOE Holdings – have both threatened to leave Illinois over the state's corporate tax hike earlier this year.
CME Group executive director Terrence Duffy warned lawmakers last week that they need to hurry up on legislation for a tax break for his company, or it will begin to explore moving the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade out of state.
