Illinois & Rahm as a 96 Year Old Illinois Company Announces it's Move to Indiana

So I'm sitting here a bit bummed out watching the news as Modern Drop Forge is announcing that it is moving to Indiana. Modern Drop Forge has been in Illinois since 1906, but it's moving to our next door neighbor. On Tuesday, the governor, Mitch Daniels, of Indiana is announcing the move.

Even the liberal news says that it's the "tax and business environment" that's being blamed for the company's relocation to Indiana. I don't want to make this a which side of the aisle post, but let's be honest, in the last 8 months, Illinois has begged

1. Motorola;
2. Caterpillar
3. Navistar

among others to stay. All of the company's have threatened to leave because of taxation issues. The mayor of Blue Island said that just crossing state lines will save Modern Drop Forge between 30-40% or a few $100,000 per year just in worker's compensation a year!

So what's Rahm going to do?

He said that he's going to sue companies that set up shop outside of Cook County for the purposes of paying less taxes. That'll work really well. All it's going to do is force other companies out of Illinois. I've always liked Illinois, but as a business owner, I have to believe that when a governor (Quinn) and a Mayor (Rahm Emmanuel) don't get it, they need someone in their inner circle to clue them in to tell them that other companies will move to states that do understand business.

When enough businesses leave Illinois, we are really going to feel the pain. With Cook County having the highest sales tax in the nation, what company would want to stay. I hope that having a business of this size leaving Illinois would be enough of a reason for the government to step up and try to protect the business that it does have.