 Mitsubishi Motors announced Friday it will start building the
Outlander Sport SUV at its Bloomington-Normal plant. The governor's
office also announced that Mitsubishi will test market its new
electric vehicles in the state.The bottom line, Quinn said, is
that Illinois is once again keeping or adding jobs.
"In Illinois we're very honored to have more Japanese-owned
businesses investing in our state than any other state in the
Midwest," he said. "Mitsubishi is an excellent example of that. ...
Just last week I was with the Chinese president and their minister
of commerce. I see a lot of Chinese investment heading our way."
New Jersey's governor is making good on his promise to come to
Illinois and try to use the state's recent income tax increase to
lure businesses back to his state. Christie's office in Trenton did
not offer specifics of what the governor plans to do or with whom he
plans to meet.
A representative for Christie also refused to comment about
Mitsubishi's announcement or field other questions about job
poaching. The person would only say that "Gov. Christie does not
feel the need to respond to any comments from Gov. Quinn."
Quinn tried to stay above the fray.
"I'm not wrangling with any governor," Quinn said. "I don't think
it's productive for governors of states to kick each other in the
shins."
Illinois has also found itself the punching bag for governors in
Indiana and Wisconsin, who have touted their states as lower taxing
and better for business.
Quinn has thrown a few jabs of his own since lawmakers OK'd
higher personal and corporate tax rates last month. And he didn't
let Friday's announcement go to waste.
"(In) New Jersey, I think the last auto production was about 2005
in the state," the Quinn said. "The lights have been turned out over
there. We're doing very well in Illinois, with Mitsubishi, with
Ford, with Chrysler and with Navistar that makes trucks."
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Even though most in Illinois say the new production line and
electrical vehicle testing for Mitsubishi is good news, it won't
necessarily lead to new jobs.
Quinn's office phrases the announcement as saving 1,200 jobs. But
the Mitsubishi plant in Normal had employed almost three times that
many before slashing production and employment in recent years.
Jerry Berwanger, chief operating officer of the Mitsubishi plant,
said employment levels might rise, but a lot depends on whether
people buy the cars they build.
"At the present time we have enough people to produce what we're
projecting," Berwanger said. "If the future calls for higher volume
(of cars), of course we'll have to increase employment at that
time."
The governor's office is pointing to other numbers as proof that
Illinois' economy is bouncing back. The Quinn administration said
unemployment fell once again in December, making it the ninth
straight month when the jobless rate dipped.
The seasonally adjusted rate fell for the ninth consecutive
month, dropping 0.3 to 9.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]
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