A good friend of mine will soon be unemployed. Grant’s factory is moving to Mexico and he’ll be out of a job by Election Day. Grant is 50 years old. No college degree.
If misery loves company, then Grant will soon have plenty. Twenty thousand Illinoisans lost their jobs last month.
Those are 20,000 real, live people with rent or mortgage payments, credit card and utility bills, car payments, groceries to buy, kids to educate. Almost all of us know somebody in the same situation. These are our friends and families, neighbors, fellow church members.
Yet, they seem to be invisible. If you read the media’s coverage of the unemployment numbers released last week, you probably only saw that Illinois lost a net 4,200 jobs in August. The revised numbers showed that our state’s unemployment rate actually dropped below 10 percent for the first time since May of last year.
One reason for the “good” news was state and federal spending on a massive infrastructure program. More than 14,000 new jobs were created last month in construction, and most of those jobs were created by the repairs being done to our roads, bridges and schools.
I’m happy for those people and hesitantly encouraged by the overall trend. But I still fear for those who’ve suddenly found themselves out of work, and those, like my friend Grant, who are about to be jettisoned into the abyss. He’s not a bulldozer driver.
Meanwhile, the only candidate for governor who is showing any concern for the real people who’ve lost their jobs is Scott Lee Cohen, who is conducting some well-attended employment fairs. But he was once arrested for allegedly holding a knife to his hooker girlfriend’s throat. I can’t exactly vote for him. Then again, he might be just the sort of vicious character we need to keep the General Assembly’s sultans in line. I kid. That’s not going to happen. Plus, he hasn’t said if he has actually found jobs for those desperate folks he says he’s helping.
They look like cynical props to me.
Republican Bill Brady talks a lot about what’s wrong, but his solutions are mostly platitudes. Our workers compensation system is too expensive, he rightly notes. But all he says he will do is lower the cost without actually saying how. Most of his proposals involve a two-step process: Create a blue-ribbon commission and then implement its results.
This allows Brady to avoid specifics, and because he’s leading Gov. Quinn in all the polls, that’s politically smart. Unfortunately, it leaves the rest of us in the dark.
Gov. Quinn talks a lot about what he has already done with the state’s huge infrastructure program and his efforts to help big companies such as Ford and Navistar expand here. But his administration has been so preoccupied with crisis management that he really doesn’t have any definable vision. It’s all too ad hoc. And the infrastructure program was passed with large bipartisan majorities. The only thing stopping it before was the fear by the House speaker that Rod Blagojevich would try to steal all the money.
A governor cannot control a national economic crisis. But there is still plenty of room for improvement here. If anybody running for governor can convince my friend Grant that he has reason for hope, then he will get my vote. I’m not holding my breath.
I will probably end up skipping that office or voting for Green Party nominee Rich Whitney. He’s for legalized marijuana. Maybe then everybody will be too stoned to care.
- anon - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:30 am:
Rich, your craft continues to improve. I love how you worked in SLC’s negative (”held a knife to his hooker girlfriend’s throat”) without allowing that to distract from your story. People need to know about this guys personal baggage, and, I imagine your comumns are word limited. Way to keep the drumbeat of knowledge going without losing focus on your column.
Great job.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:33 am:
===I imagine your comumns are word limited===
Yeah. 600 is tough sometimes.
- Shemp - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:40 am:
Unfortunately, some issues are beyond the control of even the governor as you’ve noted. Bringing manufacturing back to the US is not something a governor can accomplish. At best, a governor can make Illinois a as competitive as possible within the USA. That does mean sound fiscal decisions, revisions to work comp, changes to the education system, development incentives, infrastructure maintenance, etc. No governor should be expected to directly create jobs, and any candidate claims promising the creation of jobs, as though he/she can defy the business cycle or create something that businesses weren’t already destined to create should be dismissed.
- Cincinnatus - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:40 am:
Quinn can claim well earned success for bringing Navistar and Ford to the state. He should look back and decide why they chose Illinois. These companies came here because a consortium of government entities offered them and incentive package. This incentive package lowers the costs of doing business in this state. Unfortunately for your friend Grant, his company did not have those same offsetting breaks.
Grant’s company’s CEO’s job is to earn money for his company. A private company is not some sort of altruistic endeavor, it needs profits to pay its shareholders and investors, and balance its needs for investment and profits against the environment in which it must operate. If the environment is onerous, the company may choose to move its operation to another state, country, planet or galaxy where its operating costs maximize its profits. It’s just that simple.
The company owes Grant a fair shake. But it doesn’t exist for the benefit of the employees alone. This is a harsh reality, but true for all companies.
The State of Illinois is obviously, at least to me, not considered by many companies to be business friendly. I think our citizens are highly motivated. We have a decent infrastructure of transportation. We have some world class universities and two of the largest research facilities on the planet. With all our plusses, something must be swamping them to at least partially explain why some companies are vacating the state.
Is it labor costs, government policies, worker’s comp rules, tax burdens? Probably some combination of some, all or more of these. But the incentives offered to Navistar and Ford must have balanced these factors out since we can assume the companies and their CEO’s acted in the best interests of the company’s bottom line.
Until the leadership of this state bring the costs of operating in this state down to the levels that the Navistar and Ford incentives reached FOR EVERY BUSINESS LARGE AND SMALL, it will only be a booming (and probably bubble-driven) economy that will make Illinois a state in which companies want to do business.
The solutions are many, and most are controversial, but this is the reality. Until Illinois is business-friendly, people like Grant will be hard-hit, as they have already and will be in the future.
Do any of our politicians understand this?
- vole - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:42 am:
“Maybe then everybody will be too stoned to care.”
Been many years but I seem to recall Aldous Huxley writing that the holy smoke was a “reality revealer”. So, in place of not caring, there should be intense caring. And pollsters not asking with which politician would you rather share a beer and a cheer, but with whom would you rather share a toke and a tear.
- Adam Smith - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:43 am:
Journalists seem to love hitting Brady for not having a 500-page budget proposal that details every single penny he’d spend (and, more importantly, not spend).
But as any real observer of state government knows, transparency is almost non-existent and a governor and his team need to see the real books and have at least a short time to evaluate what is really going on in state agencies to responsibly detail where each dollar would be cut.
The most important point Brady is making is that he is committed to cuts first. That “we can’t cut anything” just isn’t going to fly anymore and that every area of government will have to be on the table if we have any chance of balancing the books.
Meanwhile, Quinn has paid lip service to cuts and has actually cut some low hanging fruit. Then he turns around and signs a crooked deal with his political puppet masters at AFSME to wall them off from layoffs and facility closures in exchange for some theoretical “savings.” Not exactly an inspiring commitment to spending cuts.
Brady has examined the patient and knows that surgery is indicated. But he needs the MRI, the CAT scan and, ultimately, to open up the patient to see exactly what he has to do.
- GetOverIt - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:45 am:
Great article this morning Rich…suffice it to say, the Governor is of little value here in our grand old state…Illinois.
- Adam Smith - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:47 am:
Point of correction, Cincy-
Quinn didn’t BRING Navistar or Ford to Illinois. Navistar started here in the 19th century and Ford has been making cars here since 1914.
Much easier to stop someone from moving when their roots, (physical plant, people, vendors, etc) are here than to attract brand new investment.
Granted, better to keep them here than see them go and Quinn actually did a good job with both, but it isn’t growing our economy which requires a commitment to lower taxes, fees, regulation, legal hurdles, workers comp costs, etc.
- Lefty Lefty - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:54 am:
We’re in one heck of a bind. I have friends all over IL-14 and the Chicago area out of work, some recently out of work and some for more than 2 years. All highly credentialed and experienced, too.
I’ll say it out loud here and people can bag on me all they want: our taxes need to be raised, preferably back to Reagan-era (1986 or 1987) brackets. Invest it in infrastructure, end the wars, and follow through on real health care reform.
Fixed!
- vole - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 9:58 am:
Edgar has advised Brady that he may have to cut more than his proposed 10% across the board. I assume that Brady will do just this.
I think Quinn should resurrect the Brady voting record to reveal the values that have determined Brady’s votes. Hold Brady accountable for that record. And use it to predict what special interests Brady will protect and what he will cut.
It should not be very difficult to fathom where Brady’s heart lies. My bet is that few of us will like it.
- Downstate Commissioner - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:03 am:
Interesting that you are even mentioning voting for Whitney, even with the pot comment. Unfortunately, you hit the nail on the head about the other candidates and their problems. Whitney at least has some kind of plan, whether it would work or not-the others are just saying anything to get elected. If enough people waste their vote like me, maybe he could sneak in there, but I expect most of the protest votes to go to Cohen.
(By the way, what is “sock puppetry”. Am not familiar with the term, and don’t want to step across the line unintentionally)
- Fred - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:06 am:
To vote——–And far more than a few don’t like Quinn’s performance.
Adam Smith makes great points and provides outstanding analogies.
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:14 am:
Workmen’s comp has been the bugaboo for 30 years. I didn’t notice it was a problem during all the building booms of that period.
We all need to be very careful on what we think state government can or cannot do to “create” jobs. An educated workforce, reliable infrastructure and safe streets are the biggies for state government.
- Downstater - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:19 am:
I’m an owner in several businesses. In total, those businesses employ more than 350 people across more than 20 communities through Northern, Central and Southern, Illinois.
Illinois’ business climate is a microcosm of what afflicts our nation as a whole. Businesses are about risk and return. Right now, the risks of the future are considered too high to make investments in people or plants. Businesses are learning to do more with less (that’s not something that portends a bright economic future).
Why is Quinn to blame? Because he and Blago have only added to the uncertainty. Blago wanted to place the GRT on businesses across the state. We stood in fear for several months waiting to see how that would turn out.
Then Quinn wanted to impose Prevailing Wage rules for any new construction done in an enterprise zone. Construction firms across the state saw potential projects in those areas quickly put on the back burner.
Everytime Quinn (and Obama) have the chance, they seem to boost up unions while “smacking it” to business.
We’ve complained for decades that the cost of Work Comp. insurance is the state is outrageous. And what’s been done to cure it, by our leaders? Nothing.
That type of inattention to a “business issue” is a clear indication that the state’s leadership is happy to ignore a key business and job issue.
Businesses are tired and frightened. We spent innumerable resources trying to beat back the GRT. And we did it again when Quinn proposed the prevailing wage issue for enterprise zones.
After spending those dollars (and the time), we accomplished nothing other than keeping the status quo.
If business has to continue to play “defense” against these types of proposals, they start to look outside the state for a more appealing climate.
And we don’t have to look too far.
- American Made - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:25 am:
I keep wondering what is crooked about the deal made with labor for no lay-offs?
Illinois had the lowest amount of state workers per capita of any state in the country.
In the last ten years there has been very little new hiring.
A good portion of the workforce is close to retirement. In some agencies it could reach up to thirty per cent or higher in the next five years.
If we were to lay off the younger workers we would cut the least expensive of the staff, discourage recruiting for a new workforce and pay a more in overtime and consulting.
There is no upside to a large layoff from what I can tell.
If there was any hanky panky which I do no believe for a minute that this was pay to play, isn’t it great to think that those that benefited are the middle class workers and not rich owners of business?
In the same breath as decrying the loss of employment in the private sector people are calling for the lay-off of public sector employees.
How does that help the economy?
It certainly does not help the state balance the budget. Corrections is a great example. They had 70 Million Dollars in overtime in 2008 because they had a hiring freeze for several years. Hiring more people was the only way to get that expense under control.
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:27 am:
Downstater, you really didn’t sit in fear for several months over GRT, did you? It was over in a New York minute.
As always, I’ll ask for the Shangrilas that businesses will relocate, too. Is it New Jersey this month, with the new pinup, Christy Christie? A few months ago it was Indiana with super-hunk Mitch Daniels.
- Who Cares - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:28 am:
It’s a complicated mess we are facing and the solutions will need to be complicated as well.
Is government soley responsible for the state of the economy? Money has been freed up, to a certain extent but the business community is being cautious and not hiring.
I think the blame for this financial nighmare falls on government AND the business community. The solutions will need to come from both sides, not just govenment.
- Sad Democrat - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:33 am:
I too will be voting for Whitney. While it may well help Brady get elected then so be it. At least Brady is a serious adult and maybe only a conservative Republican is capable of making the serious changes that are needed to clean up the 8 year mess that my party allowed to happen.
- Segatari - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:35 am:
>I will probably end up skipping that office or voting for Green Party nominee Rich Whitney. He’s for legalized marijuana. Maybe then everybody will be too stoned to care.
That pretty much gives us a window to see what the true Rich Miller is. Please do sit out the election so the educated voters can put in the appropriate people into office to undo some of the damage left behind by our previous liberal administrations.
- Cynic - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:35 am:
–Journalists seem to love hitting Brady for not having a 500-page budget proposal that details every single penny he’d spend (and, more importantly, not spend).–
How about laying out his priorities? He doesn’t have to give all the gory details, but he ought to at least tell voters what he most wants to protect and where he’ll look for savings. Voters ought to have an idea of where schools or health care or universities or prisons rank on his list of things to cut. Because, as Rich notes, a 10 percent across-the-board cut ain’t gonna balance the budget. Not this year or next year or the year after that.
- the Other Anonymous - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:39 am:
My other quibble with Scott Lee Cohen’s job fairs are that the fairs do not create jobs (except, apparently, as paid endorsers for the SLC campaign). Kudos to SLC for recognizing the problem of unemployment, but he isn’t really doing much about it, and doesn’t have the chops to bring jobs to Illinois.
- Downstater - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:48 am:
Wordslinger,
Did we sit in fear over GRT?
Absolutely! I saw business owners that have NEVER been interested in political issues, suddenly attending meetings and trying to figure how to bring pressure to bear on Blago.
Maybe everyone in Springfield knows which proposals are hopeless and which are potential. But some of neophytes aren’t that well tuned in.
I’m not in the car business, but a relative is. I can assure you they took the threat of the GRT as a clear and present danger.
Just as the union was enthusiastic over Quinn’s “prevailing wage” proposal, what issue coming out of Springfield have you seen businesses get excited about in the last eight years? None.
That’s because we are simply paying defense.
- tunes - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 10:58 am:
Quinn is clueless, Brady is deceptive (yet electable), SLC might be the best option but has no chance- plus he would never get Madigan’s support in the House, Whitney would probably do an adequate job but is unelectable due to his stance on cannabis- which is unfortunate.
- Louis Howe - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 11:26 am:
The sad truth is that we have allowed the “Wall Street Types” to set our economic policies for so long that we need a political revolution to dislodge their narrow interests. Unfortunately, the anti-incumbent energy generated by the Tea Party is being funded by the very moneyed interests now driving our economic policies. We’re setup for another double-dip after the Nov. elections and another 3 to 4 years before democrats get another swing at the plate.
- DuPage Dave - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 12:16 pm:
The recent cozying up between Brady and Edgar suggests this possibility: Brady wins (by a wide margin) and claims this as a mandate to slash state spending.
His “blue ribbon panel” approach will involve Edgar who, having raised taxes a couple of times on his watch, will get enough Republicans to go along with the tax increase stalled in 2009 by Mike Madigan.
Spending cuts plus revenue increases equals a sane budget. If the national and state economy recover at all by 2014 Brady is assured re-election.
The big downside is the hurt will be put on cities, towns and school districts to make up the state cuts with local taxes. If the pain from that move happens too long before a general economic recovery, Brady will not get a second term.
- Ghost - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 12:26 pm:
Louis Howe, very well stated. That is exactly the problem we are in.
A good example of this (and I do not know why there is not more media coverage/discussion of this) is the savings and loan bailout. years ago when the savings and loans collapsed there was consideration by the dems of tighter regualtion to keep these two big to fail financial insiutions from detsroying the economy. McCain and the GOP backbed by Wall street types” fought it of syaing it would not help, only hinder growth, it was socialism ad naseum ad infinitum.
Fast forward to a fincial collapse that took the world econmy with it, fueld by similiar unregualted wal street type fincaial schemes in the lending area.
Once again instead of making sure this cna neverhappen again the wall street types are pushing hard to make sure we can repeat this cycle in another decade or so.
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 12:47 pm:
Ditto on the finance guys. They’ve got the world by the tail. They in large part caused the financial collapse with their razzle dazzle new “products” — yet they’re the ones who were made whole.
And now that the Fed is giving them money, they’re making bigger margins than ever before, when they deign to lend.
Finance used to grease the economy, not drive it.
- Amalia - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 1:25 pm:
today is the day for writing and speaking for the downtrodden.
good job on the column, Rich. and for a look at migrant
farmwork, everyone should check out Stephen Colbert’s testimony today in front of a Congressional subcommittee.
humor, empathy, caring for those in need. thanks rich!
- flabergasted - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 3:14 pm:
@amailia-Perhaps you should apologize to Rich for sort of comparing him to Colbert..?
Whoever is govenor will have a rough road to travel to try and brings Illinois out of this economic disaster.
- Amalia - Friday, Sep 24, 10 @ 4:43 pm:
flabergasted, Colbert is acting as a hero to the downtrodden,
as is Rich. it’s hilarious watching the talking heads on
MSNBC who talk about Colbert’s performance as if it is
disrespectful of Congress. I guess the point of political satire
is lost on them. perhaps they are too far from reading in
high school, “A Modest Proposal,” for example. satire
or straight policy, if your point is to help those who
need real help, you deserve props.
- NRA associate - Saturday, Sep 25, 10 @ 4:54 am:
Thank you Rich for acknowledging those that are less fortunate. Everyone should give thanks for what we currently have…because that could all change tomorrow. God speed!