* Tom Kacich talked to Gov. Rauner by phone this week about his European trade mission…
In September, [Gov. Rauner] said, Hannover Messe will have an exhibition in Chicago.
“We’re working out the details to do a big Hannover Messe show in McCormick Place later this year,” he said. […]
“I had dinner with a business owner in Poland who makes agricultural equipment and he would like to evaluate opening a plant in central Illinois to make agriculture-related equipment We had good discussion there,” he said. “I think Illinois is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the Polish economy’s growth. […]
“We have Ed Seidel from the U of I (the university’s vice president for economic development) and we’re going to talk about joint research projects between the U of I and Aachen University,” Rauner said. “We’ve also met with research organization called Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, which does joint projects around the world focused on economic development. We’re going to be working with them to do a partnership with the U of I in Champaign.”
That Hannover Messe trade show was announced last September.
* Chuck Sweeny also chatted with the governor and one of his traveling companions…
The 21 leaders on “Intersect Illinois” mission include state economic development officials, leaders of the Illinois Manufacturers Association and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, economic development officials from Lake and DuPage counties, and officials from the University of Illinois and Rend Lake and Harper community colleges. There are also representatives from German-American and Polish-American business groups.
I reached Anderson and the governor by phone late Tuesday afternoon. It was about 11 p.m. their time and they were in Germany aboard a bus bound for Frankfurt. Each man was in a buoyant mood despite having been on the go since 4:30 that morning. “It’s no glamour trip. We’re working nonstop,” said Anderson, who was sitting next to Rauner on the bus. […]
Anderson met in Warsaw with the Polish president and other Polish officials.
“I used the skills I learned working from (former Illinois senator) Peter Fitzgerald,” Anderson said. “I worked the room with the staff people. The Polish people and their leaders are in love with America and they are extremely impressed that we came all this way to meet with them.”
As of yet, however, the governor’s office has not released a list with names of all the people he’s traveling with, even though he did it before both of his previous overseas trips (click here and here).
* There are delegation photos, however, including this one…
Ouch.
*** UPDATE *** Choose DuPage has posted the list of folks traveling with the governor. Click here.
* Related…
* Zorn: Rauner to ask Germans, Poles to invest in a ‘broken’ Illinois: When state or city leaders are forever rending their garments about how terrible things are, it makes the job of attracting and keeping business and residents all that much more difficult. This, in turn, makes things more terrible.
- Saluki - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:31 am:
Christian Mitchell never fails to find something negative to say.
- @misterjayem - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:35 am:
“Christian Mitchell never fails to find something negative to say.”
When you can’t contest the substance, complain about the tone.
– MrJM
- PJ - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:36 am:
==Christian Mitchell never fails to find something negative to say.==
If you can’t understand why that “intersect Illinois” roster would elicit some eye rolls in 2018, I can’t help you.
- Yiddishcowboy - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:41 am:
I understand Rep. Mitchell’s point/concern, but I’m willing give the gov an opportunity to bring home the, um, (kosher?) bacon. We shall see….
- Blue Bayou - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:41 am:
Avoiding the upcoming election?
- 360 Degree Turnaround - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:44 am:
There should be some sort of an audit to see how Illinois tax dollars are used on those trips and what the return on that investment is.
- Cocoa Dave - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:51 am:
Christian Mitchell is absolutely correct, that picture is a sea of whiteness. Rauner has preached diversity while employing little.
- Boone's is Back - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:57 am:
I may be missing something here but why do officials from Rend Lake and Harper Community Colleges need to be on a trade mission to Germany? Also, are taxpayers footing the bill for the trip?
- Ambrose Chase - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:00 pm:
Filming “House Hunters International” in Italy?
- Iggy - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:02 pm:
hes clearly a racist. has to be. Christian Mitchell said so
- Henry Francis - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:07 pm:
So the Guv travels over to Europe and is toutin’ a company that has to create 5 jobs in 2 years and a trade show that was announced 7 months ago.
While he IS wearing a tie, I heard he is dropping his umlauts. Can anyone confirm?
- A Jack - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:13 pm:
Rauner’s next trip should be to India so he can learn about karma. Although I suspect he won’t learn until his karma is handed to him in November.
- El Conquistador - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:40 pm:
The man’s unfit to lead a snipe hunt much less promote IL…
- Generic Drone - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:41 pm:
So Rauner went overseas to continue his lies?
- Aldyth - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:43 pm:
Fifty shades of white?
- JS Mill - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:49 pm:
=“I had dinner with a business owner in Poland who makes agricultural equipment and he would like to evaluate opening a plant in central Illinois =
Did you have a chance to talk to his elderly grandmother too? Was she from Sweden?
=I heard he is dropping his umlauts. Can anyone confirm?+
Ja.
=Christian Mitchell never fails to find something negative to say=
Sorry, I was distracted by the sea of white guys (like me) in the picture. Tell me how Mitchell is wrong.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:50 pm:
What’s Rauner doing in Europe?
He heard “they” had an old, old wooden ship called “Diversity” and wanted to bring a whole bunch of people to see it(?)
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:53 pm:
==- Yiddishcowboy - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 11:41 am:==
The thing he crowed about to Tom Kacich was already signed, sealed, and delivered.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 12:55 pm:
===Fifty shades of white? ===
Whiter shade of pale.
- Ill Annoyed - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:01 pm:
anyone else hear a high pitched whistle sound?
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:05 pm:
===anyone else hear a high pitched whistle sound?===
I don’t believe Daryl Boston made the European trip.
- City Zen - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:18 pm:
==It’s almost as diverse as the @realDonaldTrump White House Intern Photo.==
It’s more diverse than IUOE Local 150 leadership. It never stopped Christian from cashing their checks.
- wordslinger - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:20 pm:
–hes clearly a racist. has to be. Christian Mitchell said so –
He did not. It’s in writing. Sound out the words, again, this time for comprehension.
- PlayK8 - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:25 pm:
Fifteen is Bruce’s limit on schnitzengruben.
- blue dog dem - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:33 pm:
Let’s offer a bunch of EDGE tax incentives to an ag equipment manufacture to relocate in central Illinois. Then we can offer an existing ag equipment manufacture,already located in central Illinois an equal tax incentive to stay here. We can then justify raising income taxes on those of us remaining suckers. Really,really makes me wonder about an Ivy League education.
- Don Gerard - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:34 pm:
It is not uncommon for farmers in Central Illinois to be floating a million dollars or more in debt and the Governor’s plan is to bring in a company to sell them more expensive, new equipment. How about we convert a lot of that land into solar farms? Solar doesn’t care if it rains to much or if there is a drought. Just a paycheck for the farmers for their land, year in and year out…how much corn do we need to have rotting in silos? And if the farmers get board of letting the ground go to prairie and provide respite for pollinators they will find the soil will be in even better shape after a few years of “rest” from the fertilizers, etc. …but, yeah…no way to make money off farmers if they are just making money for themselves by selling electricity to a grid.
- The Dude Abides - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:36 pm:
Just a free vacation for Rauner and his group. He loves photo ops but governing not so much.
- Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:39 pm:
“I like it here. Can I stay and be Governor?”
- Angry Republican - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:40 pm:
I thought Mr Mitchell was referring to the lack of Carhart in the photo
- zatoichi - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 1:54 pm:
Dark suit..check, dark shoes..check, whitish shirt..check…..hey, who’s the rebel with a red tie?
- RNUG - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 3:28 pm:
So … Rauner is going to bring a Polish Allis-Chalmers to central Illinois to compete with John Deere?
Hope it works out better that Fiat buying A-C …
- Great Caesar's Ghost! - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 3:35 pm:
I’m shocked! Rauner is wearing a tie! Holy Moly!
- Amalia - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 3:47 pm:
does Rauner know what the racial breakdown of Illinois actually is? because that photo is way more than 77 % white.
- Real - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 4:16 pm:
Rauner cares nothing about diversity other than saying it as a campaign talking point. Ken Dunkin has to be looking very silly right now. Being used by Rauner and thrown away.
- Henry Francis - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 4:31 pm:
Anyone else find it odd that the Guv isn’t boasting about his crew that he brought over to Poland/Germany? We have to find out the full list from Choose DuPage?
I see Kelly Nicholl got another free international trip with the Guv. How come Intersect isn’t boasting big time about this? Not even a tweet of their lunch (like they did in Japan).
- Anonymous - Thursday, Apr 19, 18 @ 5:33 pm:
Why does Rauner need 22 people to help him get a joint research project with the University of IL? What the universities need is more funding from the governor to keep their researchers.
Are the taxpayers on the line for their travel expenses?
- Rabid - Friday, Apr 20, 18 @ 6:55 am:
Whirlwind tour with pre planned announcements