Survival And Prosperity

Motorola CEO: Illinois ‘Asleep At The Switch, And The Day Of Reckoning Will Come’

You know the state of Illinois has real fiscal challenges when a member of the U.S. President’s Management Advisory Board (PMAB) says that’s the case. Greg Brown, President and CEO of Schaumburg-based Motorola Solutions, spoke to Crain’s Chicago Business last week and said the following about his company’s relationship to the Midwestern state:

Illinois remains front and center for us for a variety of reasons: incumbency, skills that are resident, our existing footprint. It’s Illinois’ to lose, but Illinois is on a path to lose it. The state of Illinois is asleep at the switch, and the day of reckoning will come. You can’t have the state’s fiscal house being what it is and be able to attract capital. If Illinois kicks the can and stays in a four-corner offense, then capital will move out of state, including ours. I’ve had governors of Florida and Michigan proactively call me and say: “Would you consider moving a division, opening a plant? Would you consider moving R&D here? Would you deploy a sales division here?” Illinois doesn’t think like that. It needs a complete overhaul. It needs to happen soon.

Judging by the continued inaction in Springfield (seat of Illinois government) on issues of significant fiscal importance to the state and its 12.9 million residents, something tells me that can will keep being kicked down the road until the “day of reckoning” Brown talked about finally arrives.

In the meantime, the State of Illinois continues to languish.

Consider what Ted Dabrowski, Vice President of Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, wrote back on November 28 on the organization’s website:

Today, Illinois still has more than $9 billion in unpaid bills. The Legislature continues to run structural deficits, appropriating more funds than the revenues it receives. The state’s pension systems are more than $200 billion in the hole and facing insolvency. And the state has been downgraded 10 times by the three major rating agencies since Gov. Quinn took office.

I am truly concerned about what lies in store for the “Land of Lincoln” going forward.

Sources:

Pletz, John. “Motorola’s CEO on taxes, tablets and why Illinois is dying.” Crain’s Chicago Business. 24 Dec. 2012. (http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20121222/ISSUE01/312229987/motorolas-ceo-on-taxes-tablets-and-why-illinois-is-dying). 26 Dec. 2012.

Dabrowski, Ted. “Forget reform: Illinois legislators want to borrow $4 billion.” Illinois Policy Institute. 28 Nov. 2012. (http://illinoispolicy.org/blog/blog.asp?ArticleSource=5283). 26 Dec. 2012.

Tags: budget deficits, credit rating agencies, credit ratings, Greg Brown, Illinois, Illinois Policy Institute, Motorola, Pat Quinn, pension crisis, pensions, PMAB, President’s Management Advisory Board, state government, State of Illinois, Ted Dabrowski