News Local/State

Quincy Mayor Wants Action, Not Politics At Veterans Home

 
The Quincy Veterans' Home

The Quincy Veterans Home Andrew Gill/WBEZ

The Mayor of Quincy says politicians should focus on taking care of veterans at the state run home in his town and not on blaming others for political gain.

13 residents at the Quincy Veterans’ Home have died from Legionnaire’s Disease since 2015. 11 families are suing the state for negligence. Governor Bruce Rauner recently spent several nights in the home on a fact-finding mission.

Speaking on the Illinois Public Media talk show The 21st, Quincy Mayor Kyle Moore warned other politicians against trying to make political hay out of the Veterans’ Home’s troubles, or calling for the facility to close. "You saw Senator Durbin come to the home and reverse his decision," Moore said. Durbin had called for the home to close, but now he says he wants more federal dollars to help it.

Moore says that community leaders in Quincy are focused on delivering high quality care to the veterans living at the state facility and he hopes government leaders do the same.