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Illinois may pay ADM to move to Chicago

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[December 07, 2013]  By Benjamin Yount

SPRINGFIELD (Illinois Watchdog) — Illinois is one step away from paying one of its biggest companies to pack up and move from a struggling small city to Chicago.

While most people were keeping an eye on the state's landmark pension reform vote earlier this week, the Illinois Senate approved what could be a $30-million tax break package to help Archer Daniels Midland move its world headquarters from Decatur to Chicago.

"At some point we have to address the structural cost of doing business in this state and quit picking winners and losers," state Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, said Tuesday.

McCarter used to represent Decatur, but his legislative district was redrawn in 2011 to give Decatur to a Democrat.

"I know about Decatur," McCarter said. "I know the people, I love the people, I've served them. And I know the difficulties they are dealing with in that town."

But McCarter said even with his ties to the community and to ADM, he cannot support changing the tax code to give multibillion-dollar companies the kind of benefits that small businesses in the state will never see.

"Small businesses with five, 10, 15 people don't have lobbyists, but they need your help," McCarter told senators.


ADM has agreed to replace the jobs it would be taking from Decatur. The agribusiness giant would hire 500 people in Decatur to open and maintain a North American headquarters — as well as fill open blue collar jobs — in exchange for moving 100 mostly white collar jobs to a new world headquarters in Chicago.

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CAN’T LET 'EM GO

Manar doesn’t want to pick winners and losers, but won’t let ADM leave Illinois.

"This is much different than where we started off with this conversation," state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill said. "But I believe this is a balanced product moving forward."

Manar has said he doesn't want Illinois to pick winners and losers, but he also doesn't want Illinois to lose ADM.

ADM for its part has said Chicago meets the company's need as a "world-class city." St. Louis, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Dallas reportedly are being considered as well.

But ADM is going to have to wait to see whether Illinois offers tax breaks.

The Illinois House left town before casting a vote on the incentives. Lawmakers are not due back until January.

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Contact Benjamin Yount at Ben@IllinoisWatchdog.org and find him on Twitter:  @BenYount.

[This article courtesy of Illinois Watchdog.]

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