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The Weekend Desk Report"ConAgra Foods wanted to move its headquarters to Chicago so badly that the company took a pass on an estimated $28.5 million in incentives Nebraska would have offered to keep it in Omaha," the Omaha World-Herald reports. "Instead the company accepted Illinois tax credits that are expected to amount to less than half of what Nebraska would have offered. "The disparity in potential tax breaks supports the assertion of ConAgra Chief Executive Sean Connolly that business incentives did not play a big role in the decision to shutter its Omaha headquarters." Me, October 1, 2015: "New ConAgra CEO Sean Connolly lives in Winnetka, according to the Tribune. So, yeah, this move was really about shortening his commute." And just 10 days ago, upon the announcement that Duracell was moving its executive suite here: "I sense a trend of HQs moving here because CEOs who already live here don't want to move to where their companies are actually already located. True? Assignment Desk, activate!" Not that Chicago doesn't have a lot to offer companies, but it's not like they're moving distribution facilities here because of our geography or moving manufacturing plants here because of our workforce. * Back to the World-Herald, which seems to have discovered that noted private sector expert Bruce Rauner got played. When announcing the Chicago move in October 2015, Connolly said, 'The decision to move headquarters was solely based on the strategic needs of our business and was not a city-versus-city exercise.' Good job, Rauny! * "ConAgra's request of Illinois came amid a state budget crisis so severe that organizations serving the poor didn't receive state money and scaled back services, state museums closed, school administrators worried they'd have to close their doors and the state lottery suspended payments to prizewinners. In the wake of the tough times, the governor froze economic incentives used to recruit and retain businesses." Ouch. But wait for it: An Illinois spokeswoman last year told news media in Chicago that the state's offer to ConAgra came before the incentives program was suspended. But documents obtained by The World-Herald show a different timeline. Also, I want to know who this spokeswoman is: "A spokeswoman for the State of Illinois told The World-Herald this month that the state approved ConAgra's incentives because it considered the headquarters request part of the cookie plant project. 'The scope of the project changed,' she said." So they're making cookies at HQ now, too? * "A spokeswoman for Illinois Gov. Rauner didn't respond to a request for comment. A spokeswoman for Jim Schultz, who at the time led Illinois' Department of Commerce - which administers the tax credits - said
 Schultz was not available for comment. Today Schultz leads a new, privatized economic development organization created by Rauner." Nicely played, governor. - Beachwood Photo Booth: Ashland & Pawn Study: Policy Issues Nearly Absent In Presidential Campaign Coverage The Week In Chicago Rock - From the Beachwood sports desk . . . TrackNotes: Road To Breeders' Fantasy Fix: Early Elimination The Beachwood Radio Sports Hour #120: Bears Narratives Have Exhausted Themselves Plus: Bill Freakin' Belichick, Jesus Christ, Really?; What We Have Here Is A Failure To Develop A Quarterback; Cubs Play Cards Right; Derrick Rose Doesn't Understand Consent Or Manhood; Abreu And Frazier Put Up Huge Meaningless Numbers; The Blackhawks Are (Almost) Back; Delle Donne's Got A Thumb Too; Chicago Fire Lost In Time; and Lovie, Wesleyan And Duke. - The Sound Opinions Weekend Listening Report: "Trumpeter Herb Alpert has had a remarkable, multifaceted career. In addition to scoring his own hits with the Tijuana Brass in the '60s, he cofounded A&M Records, signing a diverse roster of artists ranging from The Carpenters to Janet Jackson. Herb Alpert joins Jim and Greg for a conversation. Plus, a review of the new album from legendary band Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds." - Weekend BeachBook - Weekend TweetWood Who didn't do anything wrong, btw.
* Actually, they seem to have learned their lessons quite well. — Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 25, 2016 *
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- The Weekend Desk Tronc Line: Fake it 'til you make it in the land of fakers. Posted on September 25, 2016 |
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