Nobody should be surprised by Cat decision

I find it difficult to believe anybody from here to Chicago to Springfield or Galesburg really expected Caterpillar Inc. to build its new factory anywhere in Illinois. That includes Gov. Pat Quinn. For him to say he was disappointed Caterpillar chose the Athens, Ga. area for the factory and its 1,400 is one thing; to act even remotely surprised was another.

Then to say that the only reason Caterpillar made that decision was because Illinois didn't have a seaport was just silly. He knows it was far more than that; Caterpillar was clear — to the governor, to the General Assembly and to the public — that even if East Peoria or Galesburg sat on an oceanfront the business climate in Illinois would have sunk their chances of getting the factory.

This has been an issue between Caterpillar and the governor's office for more than a year, since the state increased the corporate income tax. At that time Caterpillar Chairman Doug Oberhelman blasted the governor for signing the tax increase and called for major reforms to the state tax structure, workers compensation laws and a sustainable state budget that takes pressure off taxpayers.

Last week Quinn said the state has taken action on Caterpillar's concerns, including some workers compensation reforms and a corporate tax break.

Oberhelman — and other CEOs in Illinois — said its still isn't enough. Oberhelman reiterated Caterpillar's concerns not just for the corporation but the pressures put on the state's taxpayers, more than 20,000 of which work for Caterpillar, and how they affect the quality of life for the company's employees.

In reading all the news items the past week about the fallout of Caterpillar's decision, a couple news outlets reminded viewers and readers there was talk last year of Caterpillar pulling out of Illinois altogether. That came from what some perceived as a threat to leave in Oberhelman's letter to Quinn after the corporate tax increase. In that letter Oberhelman said he had to do what was best for the company and that the state's business climate was headed in the wrong direction.

Caterpillar said that was not intended as a threat to leave but rather as a way to open dialogue with the governor and General Assembly. In an op-ed piece in various Illinois newspaper last week Oberhelman reiterated that, as well.

"Let me be clear. Caterpillar is not threatening to leave Illinois. Rather, we want to grow our presence here. For Illinois to really compete for new business investment and growth, the state must address these matters," Oberhelman wrote.

Will that happen? I think it will, eventually. The General Assembly will get it. For the sake of workers here and elsewhere in the state — not just at Caterpillar — I hope it will.

2012 home sales off to good start

The Peoria Area Association of Realtors announced that home sales in January increased nearly 10 percent from the previous year.

The association said 234 homes were sold last month, compared with 213 in January 2011, an increase of 9.9 percent. It was the third consecutive year January sales were higher, it said.

Pending sales were also up, by 15 percent compared with a year ago, indicating that a housing recovery is on its way.

"Peoria is the comeback kid in the housing market," said PAAR President Laura Martin. "We knew when times were not as favorable that this area would rebound in a shorter amount of time. It says a lot about our economy and the people who choose to live here." 

Home prices also showed positive gains, PAAR said. The median sale price increased 11.8 percent to $111,750 in January compared with $100,000 in 2011. The average sale price also increased, by 3.6 percent to $137,771 compared with  $133,025 in 2011.

"Recently, Peoria was listed among the top 10 real estate markets in the country to watch in 2012, according to Inman News," said Martin. "A good local economy goes hand-in-hand with a good housing market. With such positive news on January home sales and sale price, it's obvious that the Peoria market is worth watching."

Non-smoking compliance being checked

Peoria city and county police plan to be making sure public establishments are complying with state anti-smoking laws, says the Peoria City/County Health Department.

That department is providing police with Illinois Tobacco-Free Communities Grant money to conduct the compliance check at places where smoking is prohibited.

The Smoke-Free Illinois Act prohibits smoking in virtually all public places in order to reduce exposure to second hand smoke. "Secondhand smoke is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States," said Greg Chance, Public Health Administrator for the Peoria City/County Health Department, in a news release. "The smoking ban is one example of a public health intervention strategy intended to reduce medical costs and loss of life due to tobacco. I am pleased to have the support of the Peoria County Sheriff's Office and the Peoria Police Department in this health protection effort."

The Peoria County Sheriff's Office worked with Health Department officials in a similar project in 2011. It resulted in 45 citations. Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy said, "The law has been in place for 4 years now; we are pleased to have access to grant dollars to assist local agencies in the assurance that all public places and customers are complying with the smoking ban."

Added Peoria Police Chief Steven Settingsgaard, "This collaborative project helps assure uniform enforcement of the no smoking regulations regardless where the business is located."

Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or editor@thepeorian.com

About the Author

Paul Gordon is the editor of The Peorian after spending 29 years of indentured servitude at the Peoria Journal Star. He’s an award-winning writer, raconteur and song-and-dance man. He also went to a high school whose team name is the Alices (that’s Vincennes Lincoln High School in Indiana; you can look it up).