Posted on 03/25/2011 8:10:52 PM PDT by Islander7
SPRINGFIELD -- The chairman and CEO of Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc. is raising the specter of moving the heavy equipment maker out of Illinois.
In a letter sent March 21 to Gov. Pat Quinn, Caterpillar chief executive officer Doug Oberhelman said officials in at least four other states have approached the company about relocating since Illinois raised its income tax in January.
"I want to stay here. But as the leader of this business, I have to do what's right for Caterpillar when making decisions about where to invest," Oberhelman wrote in the letter obtained Friday by the Lee Enterprises Springfield bureau. "The direction that this state is headed in is not favorable to business and I'd like to work with you to change that."
Oberhelman said he's being actively courted to move.
(Excerpt) Read more at pantagraph.com ...
Thanks.
If either Boeing or Cat want to move to Texas, there is plenty of great space available in the DFW area either for interim use as they custom build, or for permanent relocation. There is probably plenty in Houston as well. Austin is a little tighter on what is available. After AT&T moved from San Antonio to Dallas, there’s probably space available there as well.
After the CAT CEO contradicted Obama when the anointed one tried to use CAT as a prop to pitch his stimulus? jobs plan.
“No. We aren’t really going to be hiring any new people.”
In the 1980’s Cat stood up to the UAW and said NO to pattern bargaining (What the UAW gets in Detroit you rollover and do the same in Peoria). What followed was a long strike and replacement workers crossing the picket line to keep Cat going. After awhile UAW many workers crossed too, resulting in the collapse of the Unions bargaining position. Twenty some years later, the Union is still in Cat, but they don’t hold CAT by the balls. As a result CAT has been extremely successful and profitable. Had GM stood up to the Union 20.yrs ago things could well be different in Detroit. No bailout and bondholders not getting screwed by the Govt in favor of the unions.
If CAT leaves Peoria it will be devastating..
If they do leave, the reason will be the Democraps in Illinois.
Quinn also won with the help of Scott Lee Cohen.
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