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Quinn: Caterpillar Decision About Port Access
Story date: Thursday, February 09, 2012 from The Associated Press
(With additional reporting from Illinois Public Media)
Gov. Pat Quinn believes Caterpillar Inc.‘s decision to bypass Illinois as it looks to build a new plant and relocate some of its Japanese operations was based almost entirely on Illinois’ lack of ocean access and had little to do with the state’s business climate.
The Peoria-based manufacturer said this week that it decided against the almost one-dozen Illinois locations vying for the plant because of both logistical concerns and the concerns about doing business in the state.
During a stop Thursday at the University of Illinois, Quinn said he spoke with Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman before this week’s decision and was told the plant needed easy access to a deep-sea port.
“I was in Belvidere and the CEO praised the Illinois business climate,” Quinn said. “And we’ve had the same reaction from Ford,too. We’re happy when a business creates jobs. Caterpillar has announced expansion plans in Decatur and East Peoria, so we’re happy about that. You’re never fully satisfied – we’ve got to make sure get more people back to work, and we’re going to do this that year.”
Caterpillar has said it will pick a location for the plant and about 1,400 jobs by April 1.
Meanwhile, Quinn is responding to critics who say the state can’t afford the tax credits he discussed in his recent State of the State address.
That includes the Hiring Veterans Tax Credit, which he touted Thursday at the U of I. The measure would provide up to 5-thousand dollars’ tax credit for employers who hire veterans.
Quinn Thursday also touted his plans for abolishing the natural gas utility tax, saying it would benefit families, businesses, and farmers, instead of a ‘loophole lobby’ that’s been in place for years, helping a select few businesses.
“And so I think that’s a much more targeted approach of tax relief than just giving out loopholes to powerful interests that use politics to get the loophole and not economics,” said Quinn.
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Director Erica Borggren says the Veterans Tax credit will level the playing field for vets when they enter the workforce.
She there’s a lot of work to do, ranging from helping veterans translate their military skills into a civilian workplace, to helping employers and veterans find the right match.
