INSIDE TODAY’S PL@Y • LITH’s Scott Buetow finds success on giant-truck circuit • Woodstock stage to be dedicated to Orson Welles • HH for ‘Identity Thief’ THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2013
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BLACKHAWKS PLAY PHOENIX TODAY
Musick: Torres not worth Hawks’ retaliation Sports, C1
Address called a letdown Pension woes got short shrift in State of State, area lawmakers say
Family Alliance listens to needs Two new support groups to address grief, caregiving By SHAWN SHINNEMAN sshinneman@shawmedia.com
AP photo
Gov. Pat Quinn delivers his State of the State address Wednesday to a joint session of the General Assembly at the State Capitol. Behind Quinn are Speaker of the House Michael Madigan (left), D-Chicago, and Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago.
Online n Read Gov.
Pat Quinn’s State of the State at www. illinois.gov. n For video of the address, visit NWHerald.com.
Web poll What’s the most important issue Gov. Quinn addressed in his speech Wednesday? Vote at NWHerald.com.
Inside Lyons: A few things Quinn should have said. PAGE A2.
By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com McHenry County’s representatives in Springfield wanted to hear Gov. Pat Quinn acknowledge a fiscal crisis and call lawmakers to action in his State of the State address Wednesday. Most said they were left wanting after a 40-minute speech that made scattered references to the state’s unfunded pension liability of at
least $96 billion and no reference to the state’s $9 billion in unpaid bills. State Reps. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, and Mike Tryon, R-Crystal Lake, said Quinn’s address sounded more like a kickoff of his 2014 re-election campaign than a serious accounting of the state’s dire financial situation. “I wanted to hear from Gov. Quinn that we’re in a state of fiscal emergency. The discus-
sion today was just a litany of special-interest, liberal programs he wants to pursue, and that’s very disappointing. The house is on fire,” McSweeney said. Quinn did not dedicate any one portion of his address to the state’s finances as he did with subjects such as jobs, hiring of veterans, health care, education and public safety. His first statement about the pension crisis – the word “pension” appeared eight times in
his address – did warn that the issue, if left unchecked, could derail the state’s economic recovery. “This is a choice about whether we’ll make the tough decisions necessary to balance our budget by reforming our public pension systems, or whether we will let our jobs, our safety and our schools be squeezed out by skyrocketing pension costs. We have a tall
See ADDRESS, page A5
Quinn pushes ethics reform, higher wages The ASSOCIATED PRESS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. Pat Quinn boosted his populist credentials Wednesday as he looks toward a 2014 re-election bid, calling for tougher conflict-of-interest controls on lawmakers, increasing the minimum wage to $10 per hour
and banning military-style assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition feeders. In the annual State of the State address to a joint session of the General Assembly, Quinn said state law should prohibit lawmakers from voting on issues where they have a conflict of interest. He urged
the Legislature to impose the same kind of ethics requirements on itself that it previously approved for judges and administration officials in a state that has seen its past two governors jailed on corruption charges. But lawmakers weren’t keen on what’s perceived as
a direct challenge to the Legislature’s authority, and even government watchdogs pointed out it’s a thorny issue that isn’t as clear cut as it seems. Quinn made only scattered references to the state’s most pressing problem – a stifling
See PROPOSALS, page A5
WOODSTOCK – Family Alliance built a business on providing home care to the elderly. But sometimes the caregivers themselves need help. The always-evolving adult day care center added a grief and loss support group this month. It’s led by Nicole O’Dea, a social worker who joined the staff in September. And in coming months, it will add a caregiver support group for the Spanish-speaking population. The new groups are part of an effort to grow into the community’s needs. New Director Kim Larson is putting her stamp on the center founded and methodically grown under Carol Louise, who retired this year. “The population of 65 and better is growing by 10,000 every day, so that’s enormous,” Larson said. “There’s going to be a lot of needs that we can’t even identify yet. We’re just trying to stay ahead of the curve.” The older population is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. By 2030, nearly one in five people will be 65 or older, according to the Administration on Aging in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “We’re prepared and we want to be visionary,” Larson said. “We know we want to grow. We’re just trying to identify what those needs are and
See SUPPORT, page A5
“There’s going to be a lot of needs that we can’t even identify yet. We’re just trying to stay ahead of the curve.” Kim Larson Director of Family Alliance
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RED RAIDERS NEAR VALLEY TITLE Despite a sluggish defensive performance, the Huntley boys basketball team defeated Crystal Lake South, 59-53, in their Fox Valley Conference Valley Division game Wednesday night. With that win, the Raiders have won 29 consecutive division games and could wrap up their third straight Valley title Saturday at Dundee-Crown. For more, see page C1.
Kellie Bell, Forrest Construction Group owner
HIGH
HUNTLEY
HUNTLEY: Woman-owned Huntley construction company evolving after a decade of growth. Business, D1
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