Sears Holdings looking to leave Illinois

**canuck** · May-11-11, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

The point you raise, bailey, is a non-issue in the 23 states that have "Right to Work" laws. Unions, however, will argue that even non-union members benefit from union presence in a shop, and should thus be required to pay dues for receipt of those benefits.

What I *do* have a problem with, is when the Governor publicly declares that she is "going to work on behalf of Boeing to keep the unions out". And then appoints a lawyer with a history of union busting to head the state Department of Labor. Do you think either of these officials gives a rats ass about the people of this state who only want decent wages and safe working conditions in exchange for the millions of tax dollars they've fed to this particular corporation? We're being asked to dig our own graves before being summarily executed.

As a large corporation, Boeing already has tremendous power. The citizens of this state don't need two powerful behemoths working against them, especially when one of those two is [[in theory) supposed to represent their interests. Gov. Tea Party has made it clear that our state government exists primarily for the benefit of wealthy corporations, and that the people are only here to feed our tax dollars upward to out-of-state corporate boardrooms.

Couldnt be more eloquently put. So many of these companies have been on life support or at least dependant on govt monies to exist that they have a culture of arrogance and dismissal well ingrained.
They surf on the capitalist notion of free enterprise, yet they are completely at the mercy of federal sustenance. Canada has a lot of these companies run by bigwigs with a heart of gold when it comes to their salaries and benefits, but will abandon a city or region wholesale for short term profit.

**ghettopalmetto** · May-11-11, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

Couldnt be more eloquently put. So many of these companies have been on life support or at least dependant on govt monies to exist that they have a culture of arrogance and dismissal well ingrained.
They surf on the capitalist notion of free enterprise, yet they are completely at the mercy of federal sustenance. Canada has a lot of these companies run by bigwigs with a heart of gold when it comes to their salaries and benefits, but will abandon a city or region wholesale for short term profit.

Correct. It's especially insulting when taxes pale in comparision to the other costs of running a business, such as payroll, insurance, physical plant, inventory, and any vendor contracts.

Bringing this full-circle back to the topic of the thread, I don't feel the least bit sorry for Hoffmann Estates, Illinois. They may have thought they hit a gravy train by suckering Sears out of Chicago, but it's clear the local geniuses never had a plan for the end game that now approaches.

**wolverine** · May-11-11, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by ghettopalmetto

Bringing this full-circle back to the topic of the thread, I don't feel the least bit sorry for Hoffmann Estates, Illinois. They may have thought they hit a gravy train by suckering Sears out of Chicago, but it's clear the local geniuses never had a plan for the end game that now approaches.

Agree 100%

**1KielsonDrive** · May-11-11, 11:03 PM

Musical chairs for 'business friendly' [[read; tax breaks) communities. One day you're welcomed with 'incentives' and the next, you're gone on to the next best thing.

**ghettopalmetto** · May-11-11, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by 1KielsonDrive

Musical chairs for 'business friendly' [[read; tax breaks) communities. One day you're welcomed with 'incentives' and the next, you're gone on to the next best thing.

In other words, it's not a sustainable form of economic development [[witness Michigan's film industry). All these tax incentives do is use scarce public funds to buy jobs for a short period of time.

And when you buy people for a short period of time, that's just prostitution.

Instead of spending millions to lure one ginormous company to a particular place [[who will leave upon expiration of the tax credits), why not invest that same amount of money in existing home-grown small businesses in the form of low-interest loans for startup, capital improvements and expansion?

**tkelly1986** · June-20-11, 11:52 AM

Just an FYI on this topic; apperently Sears has narrowed down the potential states for their relocation. Michigan, as expected, is absent.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...ton-d-c-report

**DetroitPlanner** · June-20-11, 12:03 PM

Interesting. Sears already has/had an iconic building in DC.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/3767368268/

**bailey** · June-20-11, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by tkelly1986

Just an FYI on this topic; apperently Sears has narrowed down the potential states for their relocation. Michigan, as expected, is absent.

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...ton-d-c-report

From the article:

The Hoffman Estates-based retailer, which has expressed its dissatisfaction with recent Illinois legislation that hiked the corporate tax rate from 4.8% to 7%

Read more: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/artic...#ixzz1Pq5wYopE
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Maybe someone should let Sears know that Michigan just lowered its rate to 6%?