“It’s Madigan and Cullerton who’ve set up Illinois to fail in these contests for jobs.”

Yesterday, the Chicago Tribune reported electronics manufacturer Foxconn will build a $10 billion factory in southeast Wisconsin – an investment that’s expected to create up to 13,000 jobs over the next 15 years, the largest economic development project in Wisconsin history.

Illinois was one of several state’s being considered for the historic investment, but as the Chicago Tribune noted, economic development of this magnitude is not occurring in Illinois.

Why?

Because career politicians like Mike Madigan and John Cullerton refuse to change – they are blocking reform to protect the Chicago Machine, at the expense of Illinois families and taxpayers.

From the Chicago Tribune’s editorial:

Early this month, when they hit taxpayers with a 32 percent jump in the individual income tax rate, many legislators broke a promise they had made: No more tax hikes without major reforms to help Illinois’ moribund economy. Don’t worry, said Democrats who pushed the tax hike. We’ll get to those reforms soon enough.

But not soon enough, we now see, to keep electronics giant Foxconn from bypassing Illinois to make a jobs-rich investment in southeast Wisconsin. This is a huge win for Scott Walker, the Republican governor of Wisconsin whom Illinois Democrats loathe. Just as this is an embarrassment for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and Senate President John Cullerton.

Once again, the people of Illinois see how Madigan and Cullerton, with their combined 86 years in Springfield, have left Illinois ill-prepared to compete for 21st-century jobs. Their agenda is about raising taxes, not about delivering those reforms. As we wrote a few days ago, every other state on Foxconn’s short list looked better than Illinois by the basic measures of financial stability and pro-growth economies.

…Cranky Springfield apologists for Madigan and Cullerton will say we’re overreaching, that Gov. Bruce Rauner is somehow to blame for losing Foxconn to Wisconsin. Except Rauner has been pushing exactly the kinds of employer-friendly reforms that Madigan and Cullerton have resisted, often to please their allies who lead labor unions.

It’s Madigan and Cullerton who’ve set up Illinois to fail in these contests for jobs. Madigan and Cullerton who haven’t sent Rauner a no-gimmicks property tax freeze to even slightly offset the extra $5 billion their income tax hike will gouge from companies and workers. Madigan and Cullerton who won’t make major fixes to a workers’ compensation system that drives away employers. Madigan and Cullerton who can’t deliver significant pension reforms to Rauner’s desk. Madigan and Cullerton who can’t bring themselves to slash that costly roster of 7,000 local governments.

Early this month we urged Madigan and Cullerton to run for re-election from their districts if they wish, but to step down from their leadership posts. We asked them to emulate former Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno, who in recently announcing her retirement said, “I’ve really tried hard. It’s time for someone else to take the reins.”

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