 Doug Whitley, president of
the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, made the comments as he launched a
two-day statewide tour to highlight obstacles he says stymie growth
and thwart attempts to reduce a state jobless rate that's hovered
stubbornly around 10 percent. The national unemployment rate is
closer to 8 percent.The head of the 3,500-member chamber singled
out Peoria-based Caterpillar's recent decision to open a new
manufacturing plant that will employ 1,400 workers, not in the heavy
equipment maker's home state but in Georgia.
"The next time Caterpillar thinks about locating a plant, we at
least want Illinois in the running," Whitley said in a telephone
interview from Aurora, the first stop on his tour. "The fact some of
these companies don't even consider Illinois -- that's got to
change."
Asked later Monday to respond to Whitley's less-than-stellar jobs
grade, Quinn said he deserved better. At least one group, the United
Auto Workers, would give him an A for helping to persuade Chrysler
recently to add 1,800 workers at its Belvidere plant, he said.
"We work every day on that issue (jobs), and it is the most
important issue we have in Illinois," he said.
If Illinois fails to get its economic house in order, Whitley
said, there's a real danger of losing businesses to states with more
business-friendly reputations, like Indiana.
Illinois' own reputation has suffered both from the
unpredictability of its economic policy over the past decade and
from a series of high-profile corruption scandals, illustrated most
recently by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's multiple corruption
convictions.
"Every year there is talk about raising the corporate tax, or
there's another governor going off to prison," he said. "People
don't think about job creation (when they think Illinois); they
think about corrupt governors."
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The chamber is voicing its views as Quinn prepares to deliver his
much-anticipated budget proposal Wednesday. Quinn has cut spending
and raised taxes, but Illinois remains in dire financial shape -- in
large part because of yawning health and pension costs.
Whitley did praise the governor for identifying economic
development as a priority, and especially for putting renewed focus
on generating more trade between Illinois and the rest of the world.
But he says Quinn "gets a really low grade on fiscal policy."
"The situation is not terribly different in Illinois than the
situation in (debt-crippled) Greece," Whitley said. "We are going to
have to do things that aren't terribly popular ... but it's the only
way to turn this state around."
Among Whitley's prescriptions for re-energizing the state's
economy is to cut Illinois' corporate tax rate, lower workers'
compensation costs, lessen the influence of public employee unions
and reform state courts so businesses aren't as susceptible to
lawsuits.
Whitley was scheduled to be in Aurora, Joliet and Peoria on
Monday. His stops Tuesday were to include Springfield and
Belleville.
[Associated Press;
By MICHAEL TARM]
Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen also
contributed to this report.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or
redistributed.
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