“Convenient” timing on HQ move
Thursday, Sep 12, 2013 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Greg Hinz has an hilarious follow-up to the governor’s announcement that I told you about earlier today…
Just a day after a big Illinois manufacturer announced that it’s moving 400 jobs to Wisconsin from Lake County, Gov. Pat Quinn today tried to even up the public relations score by announcing that a well-known beverage company “is opening” its new U.S. headquarters on the Near West Side.
In fact, the U.S. headquarters of Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co. opened here in April 2012 — a year and a half ago.
Mr. Quinn’s office counters that the move and the 80 new jobs Mike’s will have here are real and never had been announced as the company quietly filled out its executive team. So are the up to $1.86 million in payroll tax credits Mike’s will get over the next decade, plus a $25,000 job-training grant.
But the timing of today’s press-release announcement certainly is “convenient,” Quinn spokeswoman Brooke Anderson conceded.
Oh, for crying out loud.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 1:23 pm:
I am surprised the Governor’s Office didn’t wait until after 4:30 on Friday to make this announcement, so I guess, maybe, they are trying to be ahead of the Friday Press Dump?
Yeah, I can’t help, this was pretty Dopey …
- OneMan - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 1:36 pm:
I am looking forward to the following announcements in the next few days…
Man Of Steel to be shot in Plano (hey it is about to come out on DVD)
Ford To Make Cars At Plant on Torrence Ave…
Guard Towers At State Prisons All Manned (for 24 hours about 14 months ago)..
- Anon. - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 1:41 pm:
I would like to announce that I am in possession of a ticket for last Saturday’s Powerball jackpot, which the Governor today agreed to purchase from me for $400 million.
- Arthur Andersen - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 1:50 pm:
Quinn to unveil unique “grassroots” Pension Reform campaign-promises to be “memorable.”
- Been There - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 1:56 pm:
April of 2012 may have been a good time to announce that those State House doors won’t be purchased for $700,000
- wordslinger - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 2:08 pm:
The concept of governors “creating jobs” with giveaways is stupid. It’s not real.
The whole effort among the the 50 states creates nothing but very expensive press releases for politicians.
I think Edgar called out his fellow governors on this back in the day at an NGA conference.
I have a lot of respect for that position. For the multi-million-dollar press release machines, not so much.
- dupage dan - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 2:35 pm:
This is all a part of Quinn’s grand strategy. He plays the ingnorant, foolish rube during the run up to the election then creams the opposition with his piercing performance during the final days of the campaign. He acts such a tyro during theses times the other sides gets lulled into a false sense of security. “I’m just an old-fashioned country (caveman?) lawyer, your honor”.
- Calhoun Native - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 3:22 pm:
Quinn’s mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative ideas. Or maybe not.
- Formerly Known As... - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 3:39 pm:
This is a blatant deception.
Perhaps Quinn is more desperate than expected.
The “good news” cupboard is so bare that he must resort to this? No thanks. #weaksauce
- Norseman - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 3:55 pm:
Shouldn’t he be allowed to forget one or two things since he works so hard day and night on so many issues. He just found the note under the pillow on his desk mentioning the move.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 3:57 pm:
===just found the note under the pillow on his desk ===
He should keep stuff like that in his fridge.
- Fed up - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 4:29 pm:
Press release from office of Gov. Pat Quinn Sears is building a tower in Chicago as headquarters.
Later same day
Sears tower plan so revolutionary that Willis group ins is planning tower also.
- The Dragon's Breath - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 5:32 pm:
“Desperate times require desperate measures.”
Signed,
Pat “The Desperado” Quinn
- Lancer - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 6:27 pm:
“In other news, Ford Motor Co. announced its new 1956 Ford Fairlane Victoria today. Dealers are standing by to take your order, starting at only $2,249.99!”
- Anonymous - Thursday, Sep 12, 13 @ 9:31 pm:
I guess no one has noticed that since Feb 2013 according to the BLS web site Illinois has lost about 102,000 EMPLOYED as it’s labeled on the spreadsheet.
That’s 20,000 per month on avg, and there are at least five straight months of decline in a row. Can we get six?
Additionally over a 5`6 month time period after losing 102,000 EMPLOYED the UNEMPLOYED column only gained 10,000 people. That’s strange no? So where did they go?
Meanwhile, Illinois Civilian Labor Force also shows a decline of about 100,000 workers.
BOOM right out of a job and right out of being counted as unemployed and right out of the labor force too. It’s like magic!
Oh, but pay no attention to that. Look over here where the non-farm payroll gained a few hundred jobs since Jan 2013,
Then again. Maybe the words EMPLOYED and NON-FARM PAYROLL don’t mean what everyone thinks they mean.
I think it’s like what the definition of “is” is. I say that because when you start looking thru the BLS metro data for Illinois to try and see which areas these people are disappearing from and even more strange things surface.
Like posting a higher count in the non-farm payroll column than in the employed column for the month?
How can that be? EMPLOYED should never go below what the non-farm payroll numbers are, right? ..unless the non-farm payroll number doesn’t actually represent employment.
Yeah, or the definitions of the terms are not what we think they are — or the numbers are all rigged IMO
Ha, are you kidding me? Nope, go look at Illinois Economy At a Glance on the BLS site.
Illinois labor force is shrinking at a 4% annual rate if you project it all and out should it continue.
When you’re done there you can visit the USDA site and look at Illinois SNAP caseload increases year over year now running at about 14.7% with a magical addition of about 100,000 people in the latest reported month.
The ship is sinking captain!
We wonder if the decline in the labor force number is an indication of people fleeing the state for lower taxes, fines, fees? Some people on social media claim to be moving to Gary IN. for a better life but who knows.
- wordslinger - Friday, Sep 13, 13 @ 7:28 am:
–Some people on social media claim to be moving to Gary IN. for a better life but who knows.–
No, if you engage the space between your ears, you can come to a conclusion on that claim.
Quite a conspiracy you’ve uncovered.
Where do you factor in the people who retire? That happens, doesn’t it?