BOYS SOCCER
November 2, 2014 • $1.50
Harvard falls to Herscher, takes 4th place at state / C1
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48 35 Complete forecast on page A12
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ELECTION 2014
Things to know Illinois gubernatorial hopefuls’ stance on taxes, wages before Tuesday
Candidates on the issues By SARA BURNETT
The Associated Press
CHICAGO – The next governor of Illinois could decide a raft of big issues, from how to close a multibillion-dollar state budget gap to whether businesses must pay a higher minimum wage and whether to put more restrictions on guns. As voters head to the polls Tuesday, here’s a look at where Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn, of Chicago, and GOP challenger Bruce Rauner, of Winnetka, stand on some of the top issues:
Early voting still available locally; what’s on ballots By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com Voters have several options open to them if they want to vote ahead of Tuesday’s mid-term election. Sunday is the last day for people to vote early. Some early voting stations are open from 10 to 4 p.m. at the county Administration Building in Woodstock, and the municipal buildings of Crystal Lake, Lake in the Hills and McHenry. Monday is the last day for in-person absentee voting at the County Clerk’s office, meaning voters apply for an absentee ballot in person, and fill it out and submit it on premises. And for this election, Illinois residents can register to vote on Election Day at the county building or the Crystal Lake, Lake in the Hills or McHenry municipal centers. A state law passed earlier this year mandated county clerks to make Election Day registration available, as well as extend early voting another day and extend its hours. While the Democratic majorities that control the General Assembly called the bill a measure to make sure as many people as possible get to exercise their democratic right to vote, Republicans called the bill a politically-motivated effort to pump up Democratic voter turnout in a tight gubernatorial race. People registering to vote on Tuesday must present two forms of identification, with at least one containing the resident’s current address,
INCOME TAX Quinn wants to make the income tax increase that Democrats passed in 2011 permanent rather than let the rate fall from 5 percent to 3.75 percent for individuals, as scheduled, on Jan. 1. He says that would lead to “severe” cuts to schools, social services and other areas. Rauner wants to return the tax rate to its pre-2011 level of 3 percent within four years. He hasn’t outlined specific areas where he’d cut to make up for the billions in lost revenue, contending that economic growth would help fill the gap.
AP file photo
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner (left) and his wife, Diana, laugh with employees Monday during a tour of the Lapham-Hickey Steel plant in Chicago. BELOW: Gov. Pat Quinn announces Wednesday the planned construction of the $1.4 billion Cronus Chemicals fertilizer plant at the facility’s future site, about 1 mile west of Tuscola.
Early voting The following early voting stations are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday: n McHenry County Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Woodstock n Crystal Lake City Hall, 100 W. Woodstock St. n Lake in the Hills Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate n McHenry City Hall, 333 S. Green St. Polls open at 6 a.m. on Election Day and close at 7 p.m.
SERVICE TAX Rauner wants to impose a new tax on some services, such as advertising, mini-storage and sewer services. He says Illinois – which currently doesn’t tax services – could reduce tax rates if the base were broadened. Quinn opposes it because he said it would disproportionately hurt working people.
Source: McHenry County Clerk’s Office
MINIMUM WAGE Quinn wants to raise Illinois’ minimum wage from $8.25 to $10 an hour, and has pledged to do so by January. He says raising the wage will improve the economy by putting more money in people’s pockets.
Inside
See ISSUES, page A9
John Dixon for the Champaign News-Gazette
Election Central: Follow local, state and national races at NWHerald.com/election-central.
n First lady backs Quinn as Rauner calls for change. PAGE B3 n Considering a voting booth selfie? Think again. PAGE B3 n Analysis: GOP rebels mind their political manners. PAGE B4
See VOTING, page A4
Get your election news and join the conversation on Twitter by using #nwhvote. Follow us on Twitter at @nwherald.
Report: 60K veterans got triple benefits last year – legally
SPORTS
veterans, or 4 percent of the total, received concurrent payments of $100,000 or more, the Government Accountability Office said. The highest payment was to a veteran who received
$208,757 in combined payments in 2013. Some lawmakers say the report shows the need for better coordination among government programs that are facing severe financial constraints.
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Prep football Johnsburg beats Aurora Central Catholic in first playoff game since 2009, will face off against Chicago Phillips on Friday / C1
Giving back through food Algonquin’s Light of Christ Lutheran Church helps pack meals for children in need / A3
The Social Security Disability Insurance trust fund could run out of money in as soon as two years, government officials say. “We should fulfill our promises to the men and wom-
en who serve, but we need to streamline these duplicative programs,” said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who requested the study.
See BENEFITS, page A8
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retirement pay plus veterans and Social Security disability benefits at the same time, conWASHINGTON – Nearly gressional auditors report. 60,000 veterans were triple It’s all legal. dippers last year, drawing a The average payment was total of $3.5 billion in military about $59,000, but about 2,300
By MATTHEW DALY