119 Comments - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:08 pm: The next time the Speaker recites his support for working families routine it would be nice if he was challenged by the media on these grim statistics - Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:08 pm: Amen - walker - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:09 pm: As Greg surely knows, starting and sustaining relatively new businesses is not Illinois’ problem. We often lead states in the category. We fall short in growing and retaining bigger, well-established businesses. We help those at the top, but not the rest. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:11 pm: we might also consider that there has been a trend away from these kinds of jobs with many liberals saying they are insulting of a person’s mentality. college not trades has been a long time ridiculous refrain, even if we factor out any implied racial and ethnic. thankfully, if you listen closely, you will hear a presidential candidate offering ideas to help with the need for more in trades and not just barking anti whatever slogans. - Just Me - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:17 pm: The Democrats plan is to raise the minimum wage (again — because it worked so well the last time they raised it in creating jobs). - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:22 pm: All of those businesses popping up north of Lafayette on the I-65 corridor are the products of Purdue and their graduates. Purdue’s budget has increased by over 50% since 2004 - 2005. Meanwhile at the University of Illinois the budget has decreased by over 50% and Rauner wants further cuts as the U of I faculty head for the exits. There is a direct correlation between investing in the future as Indiana is currently doing and blindly cutting revenues. Illinois needs a Governor, not a ruler. - chiatty - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:29 pm: Thanks for the link. This is a familiar tale, made somewhat novel by the influence of social media. The protagonists and victims in these gun homicides seem to have several things in common: nobody seems to have a job; everybody seems to have a gun; nobody seems to have an intact family; everybody seems to be gang affiliated; everybody seems to be on some kind of dope; nobody seems to be particularly well educated. As a society, which of these commonalities is something that we can hope to attack and ameliorate? Can’t do much about the guns because of the nutty interpretation of the Second Amendment. The cultural issues with regard to the lack of intact families seems difficult to solve. The drug problem has been around for many decades and doesn’t seem to be getting any better. That sort of leaves us with education and jobs. I can’t say that I see those improving any time soon. No wonder so many people in these communities are hopeless. It’s a sad state of affairs that will continue to get sadder. - cgo75 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:32 pm: Very well said. Business is never going to embrace a highly regulated, costly state over environments like Indiana and Idaho where the Red Carpet is literally rolled out to welcome new and expanding businesses. A pro business approach just isn’t part of the Democratic playbook and I don’t foresee becoming so in the near future either. - Consideration - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:40 pm: I believe Rauner could have gotten some reforms if he had handled the situation differently. You don’t negotiate with hostage takers. That simply sets yourself up to face the same situation later. You give-in to his demands this time…he’ll do it again with the next budget. The road to reforms isn’t refusing a budget until you get what you want. Negotiate some real. Give the dems something they want and you can get a reform passed. Hint: it’s not a tax increase. - blue dog dem - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:41 pm: Folks. The factory thing can be done. 1. We need significant causation changes to Work comp 2. We need good trade deals that balance U.S. regs ( notice I didn’t say change) With stricter international regs. 3. Currency manipulation not allowed 4. Procurement incentives that reward American produced products (we do it WBE/MBE/DBe) 5. Tax laws that are not excessive for Cash carryovers. Lastly, but most importantly, a return to pride of AMERICAN consumers to buy AMERICAN. NOTICE old Blue said nothing about unions. This stuff will take care of itself. - Liberty - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:43 pm: “But look at neighboring Indiana, which saw its median household income plummet 17.2 percent — to the current $48,060 — in the same time period. Or Wisconsin, which had a 10.5 percent drop. Missouri went from $58,819 in 1999 to $56,630 in 2014 — a 3.7 percent decline.” http://rebootillinois.com/2016/07/13/fact-check-bruce-rauner-says-illinois-family-incomes-lower-today-than-17-years-ago/61266/ - Belle - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:45 pm: Nov 2015—little kid pointing 2 guns for picture is beyond horrid. It seems to be the new reality? - Steve Schnorf - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:48 pm: Rich, I can’t speak to Indiana, but I can to Tennessee where a lot of manufacturing jobs have relocated to or been born. It’s really important to understand that those manufacturing jobs aren’t the kind we have traditionally thought of here, where a man or woman can support a family of 4 in a lower middle class lifestyle. They are better than Burger King, and even Walmart, but not by much. Check out the entry level wage and benefits for an assembly line position at the huge and expanding new VW plant in Chattanooga. Not exactly what people in developed states like Illinois think of when they think of heavy manufacturing jobs. Still far better than nothing but still far less than what we need. If we wish to emulate Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia I guess we can, and I’m sure the jobs will be filled,but no one should delude themselves into thinking that represents a solution to our problems. Chicago and places such as Champaign/Urbana and Bloomington/Normal will continue to thrive (and have to pay their workers at McDonald’s almost as much as the new manufacturing jobs pay),but much of the state will be little better off. I guess every small town in Illinois might be better off with a small plant that paid $14 an hour, but those kind of jobs will only keep around the same kids who stay around now. A big question to be answered would be what price we have to pay for chasing those jobs. By the way, I hope I’m wrong about all this, too pessimistic, but I remain to be convinced. - Enviro - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:49 pm: We don’t want changes to the Illinois business climate that will result in reduced wages for workers and bad working conditions. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:52 pm: ==I guess every small town in Illinois might be better off with a small plant that paid $14 an hour, but those kind of jobs will only keep around the same kids who stay around now=== I’d disagree. People are leaving downstate areas for jobs like that right now. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:52 pm: ===We don’t want changes to the Illinois business climate that will result in reduced wages for workers=== The problem is there aren’t enough jobs. So, when you’re unemployed, a $14 an hour job is a huge increase. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:53 pm: ===We don’t want=== And fine. We all know what you don’t want. Tell me what you can do then. If you don’t have a plan, at least admit you are bereft. - crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:57 pm: == The cultural issues with regard to the lack of intact families seems difficult to solve. == Most American children don’t grow up in an “intact” family, and domestic life was anything but tranquil when they did. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:57 pm: Yes, Illinois has budget problems, but to have the chief ceo, Gov. Rauner refuse to fund education, social service, roads and other projects, solely responsible for increasing the State deficit. Why would any sane business relocate with in this state? - Chicagonk - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 12:58 pm: I’m glad the media is starting to pay attention to the impact of social media on the violence. The taunting and threats made on facebook, twitter, instagram, and youtube provoke real life violence. If the schools, parents, CPD, churches aren’t paying attention to what’s being said online, they better start. - Pepper Brooks - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:03 pm: Enviro, You should produce evidence that regulatory changes would reduce wages. IN, WI and MI have recently made changes like what Rauner wants. Their wages didn’t fall. The average IN manufacturing worker is better paid than the Illinoisan, after cost of living. Chicago 20: It’s not Purdue that’s driving Indy’s manufacturing growth, but they do have the man who helped allow it to happen. Daniel’s administration reinvigorated Indiana’s economy. - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:10 pm: - Pepper https://www.inbia.org/success-stories/awards/award-winner-profiles—2014/2014/04/27/purdue-technology-centers—2014-award-winner - Chicago_Downstater - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:12 pm: It can be dangerously deceptive to compare industry across state lines. Historical context and natural economic edges–think natural resources–greatly influence the range of successful policy decisions any one state can enact to increase manufacturing jobs. For instance, I wonder how much of Michigan’s 7 year increase is because of the Auto Industry Buy Out. Still we can’t just write off those numbers. I suggest we can’t just mimic our neighbors’ policy strategies, because then we just get into beggar-my-neighbor policy territory and no one wants that but a few short-sighted profiteers. However, we can learn from their successes, analyze our own natural and historic strengths with an eye toward current demand, and craft targeted policies to improve our weaknesses–i.e. workers comp reform. Basically, we really need to dig deep if we are set on creating a successful and sustainable path toward a larger manufacturing sector. - blue dog dem - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:13 pm: Some more things I want. 1.) Sure would be nice if my state, through DCEO, didn’t create unfair tax advantages to entice out of state businesses that produce similarly Illinois produced products. 2.) Sure would be nice if my local school district understood the property tax ramifications every time they wanted something ‘new’. - yeah - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:14 pm: Glad to hear the automobile industry has recovered and has been able to rehire people laid off in 2009. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:14 pm: The real answer to the problems of gun violence in Chicago is education. This must start with quality early childhood education such as Diane Rauner is working to bring to Chicago’s disadvantaged young children with the Ounce of Prevention Fund. - Anon221 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:16 pm: If you want to revitalize downstate, and especially small town areas, what jobs will fit best in those areas? Large manufacturing concerns are probably out. So… it’s time to brainstorm. Look at the BLS website here- http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_il.htm#51-0000 . What jobs are possible? Will it take a two income family to achieve $50K and above for a household? Is childcare going to be available? What training programs are available? Will it translate into the inner cities? All are “chunks” of the budget that helps to provide a sound foundation for economic growth. I am refraining from a Rauner Rant. This has needed to be done for decades to replace lost major manufacturing. What do you want your community to look like? It takes very thoughtful conversations and engaging debates. You cannot leave it to someone else, or try and foist the responsibilities to others. The American Planning Association has some good info- https://www.planning.org/communityassistance/ . WIU’s Institute of Rural Affairs is also a great resource- http://www.iira.org/ . - Pepper Brooks - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:18 pm: Chicago 20: Link doesn’t open but it’s from 2014. Indiana’s manufacturing came roaring back long before that. Also Indiana is up 84,000 manufacturing jobs per the Baise speech. How many of those are you saying resulted from Purdue’s tech center? - Trolling Troll - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:19 pm: Massive infrastructure capital project. Vo-tech educational funding. Larger investment in higher education. Re-building of inner cities with a training/incentive program for those residents. All paid for by closing some corporate tax loopholes and a graduated income tax. - Anon - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:19 pm: Everyone should take a half hour to watch Greg’s presentation to the City Club. It is found here: https://www.cityclub-chicago.org/video/1124/greg-baise Key points to consider are that most of his members are small family run manufacturing businesses who can easily make the decisions where their new or expanded plants go. They have made it clear that IL is NOT a choice for that job growth. So there is job growth from IL manufacturers just not here. We need to change that. Greg spells out several recommendations for change including the stifling property taxes in Chicago/Cook County. We can argue all day long why that is so, but that HAS to be addressed. That is not the only solution of course—you could expand in other areas of IL with lower property taxes. So there are many other drivers. I don’t know how you can accurately rank “image” as an issue but seems to me IL does not have a pro-business image. The pension mess, union domination of the legislature, anti-business legislation and regulation (that individually may not seem too bad, but when added up in totality display a strong anti-business attitude). If the Governor and legislature can begin to find areas to agree upon to demonstrate they DO INDEED want to grow manufacturing jobs and not just middle income government jobs, many of those home grown, home owned business owners might have a reason to look here instead of elsewhere. We have the educated workforce, we have transportation and many other natural assets other states don’t have (Greg says TENN does poorly when it comes to educated workforce). It must begin with “Springfield” demonstrating it can and will work together to change that anti-business climate image and encourage business to grow here. - A Jack - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:20 pm: Here is one fee that perhaps both sides can agree to eliminate, the commercial distribution fee. This was a Blagojevich introduced fee on trucking companies. I remember quite well that at the time that it was said that it would drive trucking companies out of state. At the very least it increases the cost to move goods in Illinois. It’s has been lowered, but never eliminated. The money goes to GRF. If manufacturers can move their goods for a cheaper cost, perhaps that will out weigh some of the higher business costs of the state. Eliminating that fee, doesn’t effect workers. It does reduce GRF, but an increase in manufacturing jobs will outweigh that GRF loss. No doubt there are many other piddly fees that if reduced or eliminated will make this state more attractive to business. I don’t hear things like this being debated, just tunnel vision items. - Six Degrees of Separation - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:20 pm: My daughter lives not all that far from Watseka, and she and her husband have been toying with the idea of moving east to the Lafayette IN area for some time. They make a living, but too many layoffs and not enough good jobs to go around. But “who” would they sell their house to? More outgoing than incoming. - Piece of Work - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:25 pm: I think we all can recognize the dems solution to pretty much everything is: RAISE TAXES - Responsa - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:26 pm: The Salon article is breathtakingly horrifyingly depressing. I’m glad to have read it, though. Its exposure of the use of instant social media connections by practitioners of two of the great violent scourges of the day–inner city gangbangers and ISIS type suicide extremists–is spot on and helps explain why nobody really knows how to combat them. - Just Me - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:28 pm: Rich — I appreciate you pointing out the correlation to employment and crime. So many of our policy makers are trying to fight crime with crime issues, perhaps they should fight crime with employment issues as well. - Matt Belcher - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:40 pm: What one may perceive as ‘logical and common sense’ is often not confirmed by empirical data: “Today, more than 600,000 manufacturing workers make just $9.60 per hour or less. More than 1.5 million manufacturing workers—one out of every four—make $11.91 or less.” http://www.nelp.org/content/uploads/2015/03/Manufacturing-Low-Pay-Declining-Wages-Jobs-Built-Middle-Class.pdf N.B. Carrier left Indiana (even after the workers’ comp system was dismantled) for Mexico. CAT left Joliet (after the Machinists were locked-out and wages reduced)for Mexico. How much lower would wages and costs have to be for either of those employers to have remained in the United States? Just sayin’. - Eugene - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:43 pm: Gosh, I wonder why Baise didn’t mention that Minnesota created almost 30,000 manufacturing jobs during that period. Maybe it’s because Minnesota is a pro-union state? Minnesota has less than 1/4 the population of Illinois, so its per capita manufacturing job growth is better than any of the states listed except Michigan (which is an outlier because of the near death and revival of the auto industry). - Triple fat - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:45 pm: A good first step would be to admit the inevitable… Automation is going to do away with most jobs, if not all. When driverless vehicles start bringing goods to the market how many truckers will be unemployed? Robotics have eliminated far more jobs than any trade agreement. Capitalism has run its coarse. The Nanny State is a necessity. There you go Rich. A real solution to the most pressing issue of the day. It beats the heck out of racing to the bottom to appease the business community with lax regulations and Goverment giveaways. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:46 pm: ===I wonder why Baise didn’t mention that Minnesota created almost 30,000 manufacturing jobs during that period=== OK, consider it mentioned. So, how do we get that kind of success ourselves? I’ll ask you again to stop whining and nitpicking and either propose a solution or demand one. Your defensiveness tells us more about you than you might think. - Skeptic - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:46 pm: “Eliminating that fee, doesn’t effect workers. It does reduce GRF, but an increase in manufacturing jobs will outweigh that GRF loss.” That’s where I disagree. What you’re suggesting is Reagan-esque “trickle-down” economics which has been a failure. I don’t see that as “more jobs and higher wages for workers”, I see that as “more profit for business owners.” Disclaimer: I admit to being bereft of ideas. - Triple fat - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:47 pm: For them. We might as well let the masses feast rather than the few. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:49 pm: Minnesota, by the way, has half our population, yet 8 times as many new manufacturing jobs. - Juvenal - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:51 pm: Rich - The problem isn’t that Democrats don’t have a plan. The problem is that they need to do a better job of articulating it. Chicago 20 is correct: higher Ed is a proven driver of job creation. The Tribune ridicules, but ensuring we have a strong and transportation grid is also a must. Along with reliable energy and communications. Long term, Democrats have pushed to improve K-12 quality so that getting a world class education does not depend on your zip code. Most immediately, we need to pass a budget that lays out a revenue plan that is sustainable. No manufacturer want to invest hundreds of millions relocating or growing their business if they have no idea what the property taxes and income taxes will be six months from now. CEO’s prefer good news, but they prefer bad news over uncertainty. These are all bipartisan. They could have been done a year ago. - Site Selector - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:56 pm: Having been involved in site selection around the USA for over 20 years, it breaks my heart to see our state essentially “red lined” for new manufacturing plants which consistently pay much higher wages than many other industries. Why are we excluded from new projects coming to our state? Three basic reasons: Lack of Right to Work; Worker’s Comp that is 30 to 50% higher than neighboring states, and the state’s fiscal problems and looming ultimate bankruptcy. Someone mentioned VW wages in TN. Here is a link to starting wages for different positions. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Volkswagen-Group-of-America-Chattanooga-Salaries-EI_IE4308.0,27_IL.28,39_IM164.htm - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:02 pm: - Pepper I’m not sure who gets the credit for the increased spending at Purdue but the region is reaping the benefits. https://engineering.purdue.edu/EngineeringImpact/2014_2/mining-smarter-cleaner - Amalia - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:03 pm: someone somewhere has also probably done the work on the connection between misogyny and shootings, especially mass shootings, only lightly detailed in this piece. it is the one thing that gets ignored when these crimes are detailed. the level of misogyny is this country is disturbing. and the bashing of women online is out of control. Leslie Jones is the latest and most famous example of a person wronged and in a coordinated way (hello Breitbart). but I know lots of women, myself included, who are regularly subjected to horrid sexist comments on line. the “discoveries” in these articles are not new. there are multiple well known on line experts in the country who are sought out to testify as the police often bring into the discussion what an individual put on line. why, oh why, don’t people around individuals take notice to what they are like? - Ahoy! - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:04 pm: From your keyboard to Madigan’s eyes. In all seriousness both sides are wrong and both sides are a little right in this fight. we need items in the turn around agenda and we need to better take care of our education system including higher education. Our strength is our workforce, but it doesn’t matter if our workforce is going to Indiana or Tennessee because that is were the jobs are. The answer is to fix both because they are both broken and reliant on one another. Maybe those factory jobs are not as much money as we want them to be and the people in other states will be glad to have them, the capital investment that creates tax revenues that help funds schools and government services and create higher wages in service jobs since businesses have to compete for workforce. Also, just because a small manufacture has a lower than we want starting wage doesn’t mean that all the workers earn that. There are foremen, managers, professional staff, engineers and higher skilled laborers in there making good money. I’m sure Tennessee would be glad to have those jobs and businesses that some of us don’t want in Illinois. - A Jack - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:06 pm: Skeptic, isn’t profit the reason people go into business? Would you start a business that doesn’t make money. Manufacturers must make a profit if they are going to move to Illinois. They do have expenses, labor, land, taxes, transportation, cost of materials, etc. If you can’t lower one of the expenses such as wages, you have to lower one of the other expenses, such as transportation. That is hardly a Regan idea, but Acounting 101. - Pepper Brooks - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:06 pm: Matt Belcher: Avg manufacturing worker in Illinois made $68k in 2015, and in Indiana made $65k after adjusting for cost of living. This isn’t a $9.60/hr industry. http://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/data_views/data_views.htm#tab=Tables But let’s not allow overwhelming facts distract us from the critical evidence in your anecdotes about Carrier and CAT. Just because wages start low for entry workers doesn’t mean they stay low as workers gain skills and experience. - Lucky Pierre - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:07 pm: Local control of right to work, as well as workers comp reform in these impoverished areas would attract businesses and grow jobs. It would never fly in Chicago for obvious reasons. Downstate has more in common with Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee but is not competitive. - striketoo - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:09 pm: BBC can do a story like this, but our local media can’t (won’t). http://www.bbc.com/news/video_and_audio/features/magazine-37292306/37292306 - Responsa - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:10 pm: == The Nanny State is a necessity== But where do the taxes come from and how do you propose to pay for the nanny state if (as you say elsewhere in your same comment) “Automation is going to do away with most jobs, if not all.” - Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:11 pm: - Trolling Troll - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:19 pm: Massive infrastructure capital project. Vo-tech educational funding. Larger investment in higher education. Re-building of inner cities with a training/incentive program for those residents. All paid for by closing some corporate tax loopholes and a graduated income tax. KEEP YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND. WE HAVE THE 5TH HIGHEST STATE AND LOCAL TAX BURDEN. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:15 pm: - Juvenal - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 1:51 pm: Rich - The problem isn’t that Democrats don’t have a plan. The problem is that they need to do a better job of articulating it. Chicago 20 is correct: higher Ed is a proven driver of job creation. The Tribune ridicules, but ensuring we have a strong and transportation grid is also a must. Along with reliable energy and communications. Long term, Democrats have pushed to improve K-12 quality so that getting a world class education does not depend on your zip code. Most immediately, we need to pass a budget that lays out a revenue plan that is sustainable. No manufacturer want to invest hundreds of millions relocating or growing their business if they have no idea what the property taxes and income taxes will be six months from now. CEO’s prefer good news, but they prefer bad news over uncertainty. These are all bipartisan. They could have been done a year ago. Thanks for the laugh. Illinois Dems have only fought to line their union backers pockets. - Site Selector - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:19 pm: Pepper Brooks: Great comment on how wages go up over time in mfg as new skills are learned and productivity kicks in. Manufacturing is still one of the best wealth generators in the USA. We need more of it in IL. - the Cardinal - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:20 pm: So many small communities (add your own population number here)have been destroyed by the loss of one or two manufacturing plants. Tour the small towns as I have and you see it. Once busy towns are completely empty of commerce or nearly so and the store fronts boarded up or abandon/vacant. Might be a diner or a couple of bars and that depends on the town. The destruction started years ago even before NAFTA. Mergers forced closings and consolidated operations. Springfield lost Allis Chalmers and the decay began. 4000 jobs gone. Look at the downward spiral slow as it was. Decatur, Joliet, Rockford, Peoria downtowns are dead after 530 pm. Perception is reality in Illinois, even if the tax climate were better and there were not the other barriers the outlook is not perceived as positive. The state debt is crushing an businesses know that they will eventually shoulder it, so why come or start up here. The big boys get breaks to show up in the City but they will soon tire and go elsewhere when the incentives are gone. - Skeptic - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:21 pm: A Jack: Agreed, people go into business to make money. But that’s exactly my point. By cutting the cost of doing business, you’ve instantly made the business more profitable. The big question then is what the business owners actually *do* with those profits. I maintain that “hiring more workers and paying better wages” is generally very low on the business owner’s list, unless of course it directly leads to even more profits. - kimocat - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:25 pm: I was part of a discussion with community activists a few years back when the subject of minimum or near minimum wages job creation was brought up. To paraphrase a woman from Chicago who works in these neighborhoods, ” you want to offer these young guys a job bagging groceries? Are you nuts? They got a job — they sell drugs and steal stuff. And they make a lot of money doing it. You people have no clue.” I think she was right. And if you think, creating $14 an hour jobs with few benefits is going to address this problem or even demonstrably improve lives in downstate Illinois, I think you are wrong. The Rauners of the world seem to think if they can make entire communities desperate enough, even lousy wages and benefits will be accepted. I agree with Schnorf — race to the bottom is bad for everyone except the few with their foot on the neck of the workers. And if you think it is bad around small towns like Watseka, then take a sashay through rural Arkansas or Mississippi. Not even close. - crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:29 pm: =Why are we excluded from new projects coming to our state? Three basic reasons: Lack of Right to Work; Worker’s Comp that is 30 to 50% higher than neighboring states, and the state’s fiscal problems and looming ultimate bankruptcy.== Minnesota is NOT a right to work state. How does it compare on the rest of your “site-selector” axes? - Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:30 pm: Interesting that the 7 year window of job gains would be the time period the auto industry bounced back with TARP funds. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:31 pm: Chicago Downstater at 1:12pm: =I suggest we can’t just mimic our neighbors’ policy strategies, because then we just get into beggar-my-neighbor policy territory and no one wants that but a few short-sighted profiteers. However, we can learn from their successes, analyze our own natural and historic strengths with an eye toward current demand, and craft targeted policies to improve our weaknesses–i.e. workers comp reform.= Perfectly stated and I would add that this is what the founding fathers envisioned when they created the constitution. States are not meant to compete with each other but that is what it has turned into. Rather, we need to share and learn from the policies that each states create and build on them. That is the foundation of American policy and what makes us so envious to many other countries. - blue dog dem - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:35 pm: Am I going to have remind everybody that oreos left Illinois to go to another country……if we all stopped eating them…. - Anon221 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:35 pm: Why MN? http://www.americanmanufacturing.org/blog/entry/she-brought-manufacturing-back-to-this-small-minnesota-town.-now-shes-wants http://www.startribune.com/rural-manufacturing-leads-minnesota-rebound-after-years-of-contraction/222764251/ Small businesses comprised 87.40 percent of all exporters in Minnesota. - http://www.nam.org/Data-and-Reports/State-Manufacturing-Data/2014-State-Manufacturing-Data/Manufacturing-Facts–Minnesota/ And what is happening in Illinois for small business development??? Closures of Small Business Development Centers across the state. The last thing we need right now is vulture capitalism against the very programs that can help business. Intersect Illinois and paying superstars commissions on businesses they bring in, is not the answer! - Anon221 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:38 pm: blue dog dem- I’m going to have to give up on Milka chocolate, too! Crain’s: How will Mondelez chip at U.S. chocolate market? Oreo candy bars http://tinyurl.com/hoyntkp - Site Selector - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:41 pm: crazybleedingheart: Here is a look at worker’s comp by state. IL 7th highest at $2.35; MN 20th at $1.99; and IN at $1.06. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/10/09/343201.htm Here is ranking of states by fiscal stability: IN 17th best; MN 26 and IL 47 http://mercatus.org/statefiscalrankings We did a project for an IL manufacturer a few years ago that was paying $1.8 million in worker’s comp compared to $800k for same sized plant in IN. IL one is now closed. Abuse by workers and their lawyers in IL was sickening. - Skeptic - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:44 pm: Odd…my comment was held/deleted? - Anon - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:52 pm: Rich, ===Minnesota, by the way, has half our population, yet 8 times as many new manufacturing jobs.=== Minnesota also raised it’s taxes, solved it’s budget issue, and invested heavily in education and infrastructure projects. I’m not aware of Minnesota doing anything that gutted regulation or stripped workers of bargaining rights to hit that goal. If you want to copy Minnesota, that’s great. I’m all for it — but Governor Rauner’s plan seems a little more like copying Kansas with a dab of Wisconsin. - A Jack - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 2:58 pm: Skeptic, that is why we unionize, so that when the business owner makes more money, we can ask for a bigger share. However, there has to be a manufacturing job first before we can unionize and ask for a share of the profit. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:03 pm: ===Minnesota also raised it’s taxes, solved it’s budget issue, and invested heavily in education and infrastructure projects.=== Yep, and a year after that tax hike, manufacturing jobs plateaued http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/SMS27000003000000001?data_tool=XGtable - Skeptic - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:05 pm: A Jack: Ah ok, so what I hear you saying is to reduce costs in order to lure companies (and their jobs) here, and not (necessarily) just cut the costs of existing businesses. I certainly can’t disagree with that, although even better would be to enable those companies to create new jobs and not just move them from somewhere else, otherwise the somewhere else will be right where we are now. - Judgment Day - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:07 pm: “Chicago 20 is correct: higher Ed is a proven driver of job creation.” ————- Only IF you orient the added funding into the areas that will produce a positive return. The biggest issue I see (way too often) is that the Higher Educational administration is both intellectually bankrupt and has an extreme case of tunnel vision as far as meeting the workforce educational requirements for the current business environment. They are all about ‘fighting the last war’. A practical example: Both UI-UC and ISU have joined up into a so-called “Business Incubator” style program. (As an aside, do a Google search for “ISU Business Incubator development”. See what you get….). I finally found the Illinois website for our Business Incubators. The site is: http://illinoisincubators.org/ Take a look….. Now do a quick compare to similar types of sites in other states…. Just pitiful…. - RNUG - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:11 pm: - blue dog dem - Not just Oreos. We all need to concentrate on buying American and even buying union, especially for the big ticket items that have a lot of labor associated with them. It’s not easy but it can be done. - RNUG - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:12 pm: -skeptic- One of my comments with some proposals in it seems to have gotten hung up also. - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:13 pm: ===However, there has to be a manufacturing job first before we can unionize and ask for a share of the profit=== Exactly. Look, the simple math is taxes will need to rise. When you do that, though, compromises are made. Some programs are protected or expanded. And there also needs to be some mitigation for businesses. And I don’t mean LaSalle St. businesses, either. It’s how coalitions are put together for these votes. Sticking your head in the sand and denying that both problems aren’t real is just plain idiotic. Ask yourself why the Democrats haven’t raised taxes on their own. - City Zen - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:14 pm: =Minnesota also raised its taxes== And Minnesota has always taxed retirement income. So if you want to copy Minnesota from a tax perspective (and it seems you do), that’s great…start taxing retirement income. I’m all for it. - Honeybear - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:17 pm: –Just because wages start low for entry workers doesn’t mean they stay low as workers gain skills and experience.– Without collective bargaining wages hardly ever go up and you know it. There is no “incentive” for the employer to do that. Every incentive to keep them low. - Ron - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:18 pm: Here are the % of manufacturing jobs in each state in July 2016 from 10 years ago: Indiana 91.8% Minnesota 91.4% Wisconsin 93.4% Illinois 83.7% - Ron - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:23 pm: Michigan is at 96.9% - cgo75 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:27 pm: People are remarkably supportive, understanding and patient when it comes to improving the business climate here. It concerns me that with the available workforce leaving every day, that it will be harder to lure employers here. My West Suburban neighborhood is 300-500k homes and a ton of them on the market. - GlimmerGirl - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:28 pm: Things are booming in Tennessee…including new technology initiatives such as a high tech carbon fiber company near Knoxville headed by Greg Lemond. Lots of new jobs. TN also has no state income tax and low property taxes — all of which can mean thousands more $ in a worker’s bank account each year. - DGD - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:29 pm: ** Without collective bargaining wages hardly ever go up and you know it. There is no “incentive” for the employer to do that. Every incentive to keep them low. ** 90% of the workforce is non-union, so are you saying 90% of the workforce never gets a raise or promotion ? - Honeybear - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:30 pm: I’d like to see Health Care Enterprise Zone’s be created. The rural communities are getting killed with lack of healthcare and we as a state could create enterprise zones that give hospitals tax incentives to expand or set up shop. Healthcare jobs can be good jobs all things considered. - Captain Illini - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:31 pm: Interesting debate… First, Illinois’ government won’t and can’t create any jobs - risk taking entrepreneurs either corporate or individuals do that. Business climate for incubating job creation, now that’s what Illinois can do - along with the other issues persons have raised. Until the environment is incentivized to attract these risk takers outside of Illinois’ home grown, we’re going to lag behind. Secondly, labor issues tend to fix themselves over time, or become contentious depending upon the work environment. - Matt Belcher - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:32 pm: ===Pepper Brooks - Avg manufacturing worker in Illinois made $68k in 2015, and in Indiana made $65k after adjusting for cost of living. This isn’t a $9.60/hr industry. http://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/data_views/data_views.htm#tab=Tables === I am having some trouble replicating your conclusions from that data source. Perhaps it’s your “after adjusting for cost of living” modifier. Private company Manufacturing in Indiana sorted by Average Weekly Wage shows earning of about $800-900 per week: Page 1: https://www.dropbox.com/s/hhu8uazsr2xo4e7/Indiana%20Manufacturing%20Average%20Weekly%20Wage%20.JPG?dl=0 Page 2: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zu7mq92n6yzbwd1/Indiana%20Manufacturing%20Average%20Weekly%20Wage%20%20Page%202.JPG?dl=0 - Robert the 1st - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:35 pm: =Without collective bargaining wages hardly ever go up and you know it.= I’ve gotten a raise every year since I graduated college. One year that did involve me soliciting another job offer as leverage, but so be it. No union for me. - Captain Illini - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:37 pm: Another point I’d like to make is the large manufacturing template for a city or area to attract a 1000 employee project is very tough to happen. Rather than spending time, money and effort to do this, it’s better to incentivize creating one job a thousand times - and more likely to occur. - crazybleedingheart - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:43 pm: == Here is a look at worker’s comp by state. IL 7th highest at $2.35; MN 20th at $1.99; and IN at $1.06. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2014/10/09/343201.htm Here is ranking of states by fiscal stability: IN 17th best; MN 26 and IL 47 http://mercatus.org/statefiscalrankings == Thanks for the info. MN looks good to me. Lots more jobs and stability without chasing business downward into a labor-destroying, safety-net-shredding underbid abyss (like IN, WI, KS, sunbelt). - Avid Reader / Seldom poster - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:45 pm: I am an analyst by trade. We are taught to look for the ‘root’ of the problem. I have heard both sides of the argument. Wages, business regulation, tax burden are all items that are being talked about, but are not the root problem. To solve our problems, people need to be able to buy the necessities, quality food, affordable shelter, good preventative health care and have a little left over for some fun. Most people would be content if they could achieve those goals. When you look for the root problem, you find it all relates to greed. In the Big Business world, the companies are forever trying to increase profits. Big Business is not about making the customer happy, the customer is a tool to make the stock holders happy. If you are a CEO and don’t keep increasing profits, you won’t be a CEO for long. Nothing can increase forever. In order to try and meet these expectations, companies are now forced to cut items such as wages, benefits, etc. This is the so called ‘race to the bottom’. When is the last time you saw a company’s stock increase with a report of no year over year growth? In smaller business, it is still about profit and growth. No, they do not have to placate stock holders, but they feel compelled to keep earning as much as possible. Even item such as Regulations are related to greed. While well over 95% of regulations are reactions to a situation, albeit a knee jerk reaction sometimes. They are were put in place to solve or prevent a problem. However, business sees them as a cost that reduces profits. The solution is not easy, it is as old as the Bible. We need to change the way we look at things. We need to move away from year over year monetary growth to a form of year over year contributions to society growth. There are a few companies that are trying to move into this new area, but until it happens in a wide scale move, the 99% will suffer. Specifically to the post, manufacturing no matter what the kind, is a dead end. The root analysis says that automation will continue to reduce the number of humans needed to produce a product. We need to develop a society that recognizes that over a person’s life, they may need to transition to a new job with new skills and most importantly, support those people so they do not lose what they have worked so hard to obtain. It will cost money. It will need regulation to ensure it is not abused. It will take planning and cooperation for both sides. - cdog - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:49 pm: re: the teenage brain and violence. If “fire in a crowded theatre” is not Free Speech, how are these jokers getting away with this speech that promotes violence? The definition of theatre is just a little larger in this application. Maybe we need a revisit to the CCC of the 1930’s and 40s–Civilian Conservation Corps, no cell phones allowed. A little hard work, a little earned self-esteem would go along ways in their teenage brains. Ask anybody who detassled, walked beans, went through boot camp. That’s what these kids need. The CCC planted 3 billion trees, improved trails and lodges in 800 parks, cleared fire hazards. It could be a choice for the parents of these young people. Either clean off your kitchen table, buy a calculator, and help your kid stay focused on his/her math homework, OR make sure he or she is mentally prepared to help with the $900B in infrastructure work that our national parks need. Magically employing this particular generation and type of kids with low character quality and shady values, in fantasy manufacturing jobs, ain’t going to happen. - Ron - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:49 pm: DGD, of the approximate 10% of the workforce that is unionized, what % is public employment? - Smitty Irving - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:49 pm: Before we go swooning over Indiana, in Illinois permanently disabled workers receive benefits for life, whereas in Indiana it is capped at 500 weeks (less than 10 years). After that, if you can work as a WalMart greeter, you’re off disability. Can’t post link on this phone, but see In These Times June 13, 2016 “The War on Workers’ Comp.” - cover - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 3:51 pm: = Rather than spending time, money and effort to do this, it’s better to incentivize creating one job a thousand times - and more likely to occur. = True, but that requires working with a bunch of small businesses instead of a single large one - and there’s no big press pop at the end either. More work for bureaucrats and less glory for politicos, thus less likely to happen. - Pepper Brooks - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:03 pm: Matt Belcher: On the left side click on “All states, one industry” then in the center choose 2015, Annual averages, 1013 Manufacturing. Click “get table”. IL is 68,283, IN is 59,029. Multiply IL by 0.993, multiply IN by 1.0941 for cost of living adjustment. Also consider that relatively fewer entry-level jobs are created in Illinois, and more are created in IN. Entry level jobs are a good thing, but they actually pull down Indiana’s average. Eliminating entry-level jobs pushes up Illinois’ average. - DGD - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:06 pm: ** After that, if you can work as a WalMart greeter, you’re off disability. ** If you can do something productive to help offset disability, you should. We aren’t guaranteed the same job/vocation/career for life. - Triple fat - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:09 pm: Responsa - Your question infers that we are a poor nation. If you read my comment, and thought about it honestly, surely you know where the money will come from. Capitalism is obsolete. The people will be the beneficiaries of the automated means of production. Capitalism will let them starve. I suppose that should work for a select few. - Responsa - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:11 pm: == Without collective bargaining… there is no “incentive” for the employer to do that.== Hiring and keeping and rewarding good employees who will help grow and share in the business’ success is the reason employers “do that”. That is in fact how most businesses in America and around the world do operate sans any union involvement. - Ron - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:16 pm: My salary has increased 25% over the last 3 years. No union represents me. - Ron - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:17 pm: The wife is up 17% in that same period without a union. - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:20 pm: And then the market changes and poof 165 jobs near Remington, IN disappear and the ripples turn into waves. Wages, workers comp, suddenly don’t matter and all of the tax incentives are for naught. http://wlfi.com/2016/08/27/magnetation-plant-to-potentially-shut-down-all-operations/ - Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:22 pm: Well, there you go, Chicago 20. We shouldn’t worry about jobs anyway because… Markets! C’mon. Argue like an adult. - DGD - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:24 pm: ** DGD, of the approximate 10% of the workforce that is unionized, what % is public employment? ** I can’t speak for Chicago, but downstate, I would say nearly all of it. - Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:25 pm: ===can’t speak for Chicago, but downstate, I would say nearly all of it.=== Cite, please. Thank you. - Smitty Irving - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:26 pm: That was DGD. - Responsa - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:28 pm: Sorry, Triple fat @4:09. I have thought about it as have (I am sure) most readers here. The ball is in your court to explain where the bottomless pit of money will come from, and for how long, if Capitalism is dead and no one is working and paying taxes. Raiding Fort Knox? Confiscating bank accounts, private property and retirement pensions? Heh. Seriously, what is YOUR plan to fund the post Capitalist nanny state? - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:57 pm: Since the NAFTA deal the US lost 18% or over 1 million of its manufacturing jobs. http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/4550207 While local and State government fight over the scraps of what’s left, and pundits give their 2 cents worth based on gut instincts, nothing will change until these “free trade” agreements are repealed. While the grass may look greener on the other side but it’s only a mirage. NAFTA and the upcoming TPP will require US manufacturers to compete for wages with workers in third world countries. Manufacturers will compete with manufacturers in third world countries where environmental laws are non existent. US students bury themselves in debt for college degrees to compete for jobs with European students with the same degrees and no debt. Disney IT workers found themselves training their replacements after Disney scored worker visa to replace their IT department. We can all placate ourselves with these small job gains but these are not middle class jobs. After the incentives expire these jobs will disappear along with our tax dollars. Until these trade agreements get fixed, it’s just a race to the bottom with 99% of us feeling the effects. - Triple Fat - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 4:58 pm: The people are the Nanny State! sheesh. The Nanny State owns the means of production. The people benefit. Not a select few that should be known as Job Eliminators… How is capitalism going to feed those replaced by machines? Artificial intelligence will even replace the need for managers, accountants most white collar jobs. And capitalism will do nothing but enrich the already wealthy. - illinois manufacturer - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 6:18 pm: The state could look at procurment and try to buy local but that might not always be cheapest. The state could issue some cuopons to citizens to buy local goods…but it cant because it doesnt have the money. The list by bdd is not bad unfortunaly only workmans comp is under state control. Both Hillary and Trump claim they will do the other stuff…we shall see. On taxes I would like to see ptax relief for an income tax increase but we may be in too big of a hole for that. Otherwise repeat the economic and technological growth of 1870 to 1970. - Steve Schnorf - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 6:55 pm: I think it is important to give some credit to the Governor, even if you disagree with his proposed solutions, for absolutely insisting that the problems of Illinois’ economy be addressed. We’ve all known it but somehow haven’t gotten around to addressing it head on or adequately. We wouldn’t be having these discussions, difficult and divisive as they are, if he wasn’t insisting, and they are discussions that have been needed for quite awhile now. You say they need not be so divisive, the proposed solutions don’t have to be so harsh, and so on. Maybe, but we never seemed to get around to it until he insisted, so maybe that’s our fault, not his. - cdog - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 7:08 pm: Human capital is too expensive if automation is available. The sad joke is that this will cause the Demi’s of capitalism as we know it. Local agrarian - cdog - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 7:09 pm: oops, hit the wrong button. Local and agrarian will survive, and some already live like this. - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 8:00 pm: - Steve NONE of Rauner’s proposals fix the economy, increase wages or solve any of the state’s problems. All of Rauner’s proposals are rehashed ALEC canards which have been disproven in Wisconsin, Louisiana and Kansas. Rauner’s only focus is to remove any State sponsored support system and eliminate any past, present or future financial obligations for any and all of Illinois citizens and vendors in a self centered effort to reduce his and his fellow 1% taxes. - Ron - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 8:10 pm: Illinois is implodin from the 5th highe st tax burden in the nation, abysmal job growth and high unemployment. Things need to change. Ever increasing taxes to further coddle the public workforce is not the answer. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 8:17 pm: –* And just as a reminder, here’s an excerpt from Greg Baise’s recent City Club address… Just remember as you leave, in the last seven years…. Wisconsin created 44,100 manufacturing jobs Ohio created 75,900 manufacturing jobs Indiana created 83,700 manufacturing jobs and Michigan created 171,300 manufacturing jobs.– The states “created” those jobs? Is that how capitalism works in the world? Reminder of what, in the context of “Online gang wars and manufacturing jobs?” (A relationship I don’t understand, either). Milwaukee, Cleveland, Toledo, Cincinatti, Detroit, Indianapolis, Gary, Hammond, Elkhart… they don’t have violence issues? You might want to check the per-capita stats on them in comparison to Chicago. And you can check state manufacturing stats here. Real numbers. http://www.nam.org/Data-and-Reports/State-Manufacturing-Data/ - Chicago 20 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 9:19 pm: - “For decades, MANUFACTURERS have been the best producers of middle–‐class jobs in the nation.” “They were able to raise a family” “Government now feel that they are the experts on how to run a business.” Next Baise claims that Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and Michigan “created” jobs, not the entrepreneurs. http://www.centerforregionaldevelopment.com/New%202015%20-%20uploads/Show%20Case%20Manufacturing/Entire%20Report.pdf Since 2000, these States mentioned by Baise have LOST up to 22% to 38% of their manufacturing jobs. Yet productivity has increased and conversely manufacturing wages have declined to an average of $19.43 in 2014. Who can raise a family on $19.43 an hour? Are we supposed to subsidize these workers with welfare to work benefits? Baise and his friends are not paying middle class wages. Without the middle class spending there is NO demand for these manufactured products. Without demand the entrepreneurs have NO business. It used to be the Government only got involved in business when there are clear abuses or now when they demand and receive corporate welfare. Baise is simply spinning an updated version of the disingenuous trickle down economics canard for the sole benefit of his members and the gullible public eats it up. If the State could only enrich manufacturers with endless incentives, then they could employ more manufacturing workers at “middle class” wages that have regressed to 1970 wage levels, at least until the incentives run out. Just a few years ago Caterpillar was lamenting the lack of qualified apprentice machinists that required an college associates degree in mathematics. After two years of college level mathematics these highly skilled machinists can now earn a whopping $12 an hour at Caterpillar while their CEO, Oberhelman in an off year only I made $17.9 million last year or $8,606 an hour. If that money was spread among the Cat workforce it would be spent in Illinois on goods and services and boost the Illinois economy instead of being socked away in off shore tax havens. Rauner has no problem spending tax dollars on corporate welfare yet refuses to pay the State’s vendors. But hey there is always a profits to be made in dysfunction and chaos. The privatization of State functions and assets will make others wealthier in a captive restricted market while the taxpayers will pay more and get less in return. - tune440 - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 9:24 pm: Totally agree with you initial statement. Totally. - Judgment Day - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 10:56 pm: Partnership to enhance research and innovation I’ll give you an example of where we need to start, but this step puts us like 3% of the way compared to other neighboring states already are (Iowa and Indiana specifically come to mind, but Michigan is also in the mix), but at least it’s a start. Link is: https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2016/05/partnership-enhance-research-innovation/ But it’s so limited. People mention that Illinois is a ‘nanny state’. Well, it’s way too true. We seem to operate under this posture that if it’s something that is not specifically approved as being within the scope of a mission, it’s prohibited. And it seems to be forbidden here in IL to bring up a new and creative business opportunity that isn’t already regulated, because then everybody gets busy creating/fabricating all sorts of reasons the new idea can’t possibly be successful. In Illinois, it’s like they throw a bunch of paper at you and then run away in the other direction. In other states, they are climbing all over you to help out. A little example: Tiny IL company (just 3 people; female run) who are really smart. Comes up with an idea/process to revitalize old orphan information technology systems and do it both quickly and inexpensively without having to spend years of development resources. It works, and they’ve proven it over and over again. But they need to be able to test each one out - and creating a large ‘test bed’ each time (how does it scale?) takes a lot of resources. So, let’s approach a university here in IL to work in some sort of a research partnership. What a mistake that has turned out to be. The front line people that this tiny company would be working with were beyond enthusiastic. They wanted it so bad they could taste it, because they felt it would make their work lives so much better, and far more effective. And it would. And it wasn’t going to cost then one dime. They would get the product for free for their own internal use - period. No conditions, etc. All the tiny company wanted was somebody who would honestly work with them. Both sides wanted a true long term partnership. And then front line management had to take it up to the Vice Presidential (Administrative) level to get the go-ahead. And…. Short take: The tiny IL company has now (very recently) wrangled an invite to meet with the entrepreneurial development staff of a Michigan 4 year university. They’re really interested…. Lesson: You work with people who want to work with you. Not a bunch of bureaucratic paper pushers… - steve schnorf - Wednesday, Sep 7, 16 @ 11:48 pm: 20, I don’t agree with you that none of them do, but the larger point I was making is that before his election we weren’t even having these discussions, and they were needed, and now we are. I’m sure not seeing the attack on Baise. He’s dong his job, representing his members, just as union heads do, and as do all association executives if they’re earning their pay. - Honeybear - Thursday, Sep 8, 16 @ 8:53 am: I think there is a tech innovation hub at SIU. Just sayin. I’ve got a friend who is with DCEO who went and visited them last year. They were great! Just wanted to pass that along. - Fairness and Fairness Only - Friday, Sep 9, 16 @ 12:32 pm: Reading some of the Twitter accounts is like reading a foreign language. It’s a crazy, mixed up world. Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.