CAT Says Thanks, but no thanks To Illinois

Caterpillar seems to have gotten the attention of some politicians in its home state of Illinois with its decision to build elsewhere. Bill Albracht, Special Forces Vet and retired from U.S. Secret Service, recently made the following observations regarding the business climate in his home state of Illinois.

“Let’s take a look at the incredibly significant message that Caterpillar, the world’s largest maker of construction and mining equipment, sent the State of Illinois. Thanks, but no thanks.”

“What CAT did says what we all knew and what Springfield has been dancing around and attempting to spin since the tax increase, the credit downgrade and the state’s budget fiasco. The truth was simply put when CAT said, “the business climate and overall fiscal health of the state of Illinois still would have made it unpractical.”

“Our state was not in consideration because of the unholy trinity that drives business out and keeps new business away: regulations, worker’s compensation insurance and taxes. When CAT spokesman Jim Dugan called the Illinois business climate “dysfunctional” and “rudderless”, we can understand why the Governor of Indiana said of Illinois, “It’s like living next door to the Simpsons!”

“We are killing business initiative by over-regulation. The regulations as written and enforced are designed more to punish than to provide a safe environment for our workforce. Our worker’s compensation business liability regulations are written to benefit the trial attorneys of Chicago (who wrote them) rather than the injured party. Our increased taxes on business were supposed to be used to lower our debt, but with the increased revenue came new programs and the expansion of old ones. As is said, it’s not a revenue problem, it’s a spending problem.”

Albracht makes his case very clear and his views mirror many of our members with operations in Illinois.