* Ope…

Full story is here.

* 2023 press release…

The IL Freedom Caucus today held a press conference to demand answers to some of the concerns Manteno residents have with a Chinese company building a battery plant in their community.

The Chinese company Gotion High-Tech Co. is in line for $ 7.5 billion in federal tax credits over five years, while the State of Illinois is kicking in an additional $536 million in subsidies to build the plant. The cost to build the plant is $2 billion and the subsidies add up to an astounding $3 million per job. […]

“We need to put our money where our mouth is on human rights, and we need to lead by example when it comes to China,” said State Representative Blaine Wilhour (R-Beecher City). “JB Pritzker signed a law divesting Illinois from Russia because of the war in Ukraine. If we are condemning Russia – how can we not have the same policies in regard to the CCP? We say we are for human rights but not only are we blindly doing business with a company whose corporate papers pledge loyalty to the CCP, but we are handing over millions in subsidies. And instead of a substantive thoughtful response from JB Pritzker – all we get is insults and hyperbole. Illinois deserves better. Manteno deserves better. We need to put the brakes on this project and return sanity to our state.”

* I reached out to the Illinois Freedom Caucus, and their response was provided by Rep. Blaine Wilhour himself…

Let me know when Donald Trump sends half a billion taxpayer dollars to a company that pledges allegiance to the Chinese communist party-like JB Pritzker did-then we will be concerned.  I’m glad you’ve finally taken some interest in this important issue. 

Dude, I’ve been writing about Gotion since the get-go, thank you very much. And, as far as I can tell, the allegation of CCP subservience has not been proved.

Also, it’s OK for the president to take a contribution from an alleged “company that pledges allegiance to the Chinese communist party” but it’s not OK for the state to help that company create jobs after it invests $1.9 billion into the plant? Please.

To be clear, I don’t care if Gotion gave money to the president’s inauguration committee. It’s fine by me. But I’m not in the club complaining about Gotion for months on end.

* By the way, Gotion is represented by the Mercury lobbying outfit. President Trump’s former campaign manager and current chief of staff Susie Wiles was until recently the co-chair of the Mercury lobbying group. Mercury lobbies for Gotion in both DC and Illinois.

I sent follow-up questions to Rep. Wilhour about whether President Trump should return the contribution to the alleged commie company and what his reaction was to Mercury’s relationship with Gotion, but for some odd reason I never heard back.

Huh.

Blaine, if you’re gonna run for governor, you gotta up your game. You can’t hide for the next 18 months.