By Rebekah TsadikThe Daily Northwestern

There was an elephant in the room at Evanston’s annual Legislative Outlook Breakfast Friday, and it wasn’t the Republicans.

Under the shadow of Illinois’ financial woes, federal and state politicians met Friday in Evanston with about 75 local business owners at Hotel Orrington, 1710 Orrington Ave., to talk about the reforms they want to fund and how they would affect local businesses.

The annual event was hosted by Evanston’s Chamber of Commerce.

State Sen. Jeff Schoenberg, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin and State Reps. Julia Hamos and Beth Coulson outlined political goals for the year, such as passing health care reforms and fostering successful bipartisan relations.

Then, they broke into focus groups to discuss various issues with local education, non-profit and business representatives. Talk focused more on problems that need to be addressed and less on solutions.

Any reform would be hard to implement amid budget crunches at the state and county levels.

Illinois’ debts and unfunded obligations – including health care, education and pension costs – eventually will add up to more than $100 billion, a December report by the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago concluded.

At the county level, Cook County Board President Todd Stroger’s 2007 proposal would cut the county budget by 17 percent to help close a projected $500 million gap without raising taxes.

Suffredin criticized Stroger’s budget proposal, saying it would cut too deep into county services.

The cost of health care and unfunded pension plans are the state’s biggest problems – and the problems are growing each year, Schoenberg said.

Business owners agreed.

“As a small-business owner with 50 professionals who work with my company, health care is a huge thing,” said Steve Hagerty, president of Hagerty Consulting, 1618 Orrington Ave.

In his industry, where much business happens across state borders, Hagerty said individuals typically can receive better rates than those available to his business.

“I definitely came in with my business-owner hat on,” Hagerty said. Health care, taxes and tax policy – issues that he “touches and feels” every day – were those he said most concerned him.

And while he approved of the conversation, Hagerty asked what action might come of the talk.

Although she applauded comments from Schakowsky and state legislators, Dana Motley, 28, said officials should have done more to show how the issues affect the 20-to-40-year-old demographic. For example, finding health coverage is especially challenging for young adults, she said.

“Several young entrepreneurs who are trying to celebrate and follow their passion are finding they are not able to do that without having little health care or no health care,” said Motley, vice president of Young Professionals of Evanston.

Motley said policymakers need to reach out more to young adults and teach them how to become more involved.

“I would like to see more time spent on how people can get engaged in these issues,” Motley said. “That’s something our generation has not really been trained to do.”

Those officials, in turn, will have to cooperate to promote these business owners’ interests.

“In the (Illinois) House, we will continue to have to work as a bipartisan group on these issues,” Coulson said.

Hagerty said he hopes both parties will work together to pass legislation that helps local businesses.

Attendees such as Motley also said Iraq is the biggest issue facing the young demographic right now. The session on the Iraq war was one of the best attended.

“There’s also a subset of very relevant issues that I think people are starting to become more aware of,” Motley said.

These issues include terrorism, post-9/11 effects and the disparity between minimum wage and executive-level compensation.

“Education reform and health care reform are going to be hot issues from all different angles,” Motley said. “Exchange or even the presentation of the information would be a positive change.”

Reach Rebekah Tsadik at [email protected].