OT: Caterpillar threatening to leave Illinois!

[tornado]

another article on the city giving millions and millions of dollars to a private investor/developer...
who has siphoned off a bunch, then failed to come thru with results...and now the city & taxpayers are gonna take a huge loss on this Pere Marquette block project
http://www.pjstar.com/news/20170110/...ty-storefronts.....

another aritcle on how the "developers" of the Pere Marquette project
"siphoned off" $1.6 million form the people of Peoria...
"Pere Marquette developers siphoned $1.6 million off for themselves"

http://www.pjstar.com/news/20180321/city-pere-marquette-developers-siphoned-16-million-off-for-themselves

[tornado]

remember the City of Peoria's effort to buy the whole block and give it to developers as well as handing them
$8 million to renovate the Pere Marquette block?

Of course all that storefront property is still vacant - not one of the storefronts that we were assured would be hot commodities - has ever been rented even to this date!

well, now the news today is exactly as I predicted - the city will lose ALL $8 million of the loans they gave out (after taking that money from taxpayers and jamming their plans down people's throat).

Overall - with all the studies and costs - the city loses well over $8 million on yet another stupid plan to use taxpayers' money to help a private business get rich...picking winners, just like the Firefly Battery fiasco...

https://www.1470wmbd.com/city-likely-to-see-no-money-from-hotel-sale/

[bradleyfan124]

remember the City of Peoria's effort to buy the whole block and give it to developers as well as handing them
$8 million to renovate the Pere Marquette block?

Of course all that storefront property is still vacant - not one of the storefronts that we were assured would be hot commodities - has ever been rented even to this date!

well, now the news today is exactly as I predicted - the city will lose ALL $8 million of the loans they gave out (after taking that money from taxpayers and jamming their plans down people's throat).

Overall - with all the studies and costs - the city loses well over $8 million on yet another stupid plan to use taxpayers' money to help a private business get rich...picking winners, just like the Firefly Battery fiasco...
https://www.1470wmbd.com/city-likely...om-hotel-sale/

My girlfriend and I always laugh when we go to Bradley games. We park right by that row of offices. When you look in the window the floors are nothing but rock. They never did bother to finish them and they have been that way for a couple years

[AZ BU Fan]

The Party's Over

Sadly, the top marketing, business, legal, IS, accounting, , and research/engineering young graduates don't want to live in smaller, mid west communities in general, Peoria in particular. With a global business that is growing in technology, and international challenges, Cat can't attract top talent from US Universities.

Against that background, IL & Peoria disfunction, high personal taxes at the state, county, and City levels, rapidly declining infastructure, and local crime, have sent and will send another chunk of Cat packing.

My guess would be East Peoria Mfg, Foundry, and Morton will most likely stay, but I wouldn't be surprised if everyone else ends up out of here over time.

A sign of the times.

My generation accepted Peoria area for our careers, with possible stops around the US/World thrown in. Current youngsters want Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, Phoenix, KC, etc.

For whatever reason, Peoria area couldn't develop enough attraction for today's college graduate millennials to want to work for Cat and live in the area.

No judgement, just the way it is.

[tornado]

Sadly, the top marketing, business, legal, IS, accounting, , and research/engineering young graduates don't want to live in smaller, mid west communities in general, Peoria in particular. With a global business that is growing in technology, and international challenges, Cat can't attract top talent from US Universities.

Against that background, IL & Peoria disfunction, high personal taxes at the state, county, and City levels, rapidly declining infastructure, and local crime, have sent and will send another chunk of Cat packing.

My guess would be East Peoria Mfg, Foundry, and Morton will most likely stay, but I wouldn't be surprised if everyone else ends up out of here over time.

A sign of the times.

My generation accepted Peoria area for our careers, with possible stops around the US/World thrown in. Current youngsters want Chicago, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte, Phoenix, KC, etc.

For whatever reason, Peoria area couldn't develop enough attraction for today's college graduate millennials to want to work for Cat and live in the area.

No judgement, just the way it is.

Morton, East Peoria and other surrounding cities have thrived and been very successful attracting lots of new businesses WITHOUT always resorting to throwing money down the drain with taxpayer gifts & loans..
(altho I know some shady deals have happened in EP)
..so why does Peoria need to keep giving money to people who find a way to line their own pockets and leave the business & employees high & dry?
Let me guess...because the very people who make these horrible money-wasting decisions also end up with their pockets lined...

anyone else notice the odd coincidence that so many people who serve in the higher levels of city governments and their immediate family members (from Maloof to Bud Grieves to Giebelhausen, etc) also just happen to be millionaires either in the real estate business or in businesses that contract for major jobs with the cities...

[bradleyfan124]

Morton, East Peoria and other surrounding cities have thrived and been very successful attracting lots of new businesses WITHOUT always resorting to throwing money down the drain with taxpayer gifts & loans..
(altho I know some shady deals have happened in EP)
..so why does Peoria need to keep giving money to people who find a way to line their own pockets and leave the business & employees high & dry?
Let me guess...because the very people who make these horrible money-wasting decisions also end up with their pockets lined...

anyone else notice the odd coincidence that so many people who serve in the higher levels of city governments and their immediate family members (from Maloof to Bud Grieves to Giebelhausen, etc) also just happen to be millionaires either in the real estate business or in businesses that contract for major jobs with the cities...

There is corruption at very level. I keep encouraging people elections are coming up. Go vote! Not to vote someone in but to vote whoever is in there out.

[tornado]

well - July 1 and all you folks are gonna notice something....
-first - gas prices just jumped 25 to 30 per gallon instantly overnight
-then I went this morning to renew the license sticker for a truck and that cost has jumped by almost 75%
(certain vehicles will jump even more)
...so be sure to send a thank you note to our governor if you voted for him - and- btw - your income taxes will also be jumping.....(more than doubling at certain income levels)