Congressmen blame Quinn, legislature

Two Republican congressmen serving the Sauk Valley were quick Wednesday to blame the governor and Illinois lawmakers for Caterpillar deciding not to relocate a factory and 1,400 jobs to the state.

The Peoria-based equipment maker cited both logistical problems and ongoing concerns about Illinois’ business climate.

Congressmen Randy Hultgren, R-Winfield, and Bobby Schilling, R-Colona, both said Caterpillar’s decision should serve as a “wakeup call.”

Hultgren, who serves the 14th District, called on Gov. Pat Quinn to immediately call for the repeal of his “job-crushing [income] tax hike, and work with them to improve Illinois’ business environment.”

Schilling, who serves the 17th District, said that as a small business owner himself, “I understand Caterpillar’s concerns about Illinois’ unfriendly business climate.”

“With nearly 10 percent of Illinoisans searching for work, we simply cannot afford any more missed opportunities,” he said in a news release.

Caterpillar Inc. laid out its decision in an email to Peoria County leaders. The county was one of a handful of Illinois locations trying to win the new plant relocating from Japan.

Quinn has been touting Illinois’ economic conditions, saying he’s made investments that have created jobs.

He was in Belvidere last week as Chrysler announced that it’s hiring 1,800 new workers and increasing production.