Trib's front page: Only Chgo Lost Population among 20 largest

[damba]

Originally Posted by BRU67

Also Slats, your argument does not explain why states like Ohio (Honda), Indiana (Subaru), Kentucky (Toyota), and Tennessee (VW) were able to attract major auto plants. The workers in those plants do not make $2 an hour. They make good solid middle-class wages which have really elevated the communities in which those factories are located.

How are you going to make it less costly to build the same vehicles (with similar large required new facilities) in Chicago?

The cost of doing business here won't be turning around anytime soon. There's only so much incentivizing that is humanly possible. You still see the Ford Explorer (and police interceptor) produced here because they can pull the margin very easily, since it's so popular (gets exported globally), and they don't have to spend as much to upgrade the current facilities.

Is VW in Chatanooga really helping people build wealth? What are the real effects of the huge state subsidies in a state with very regressive taxation policies? Will VW ultimately be another Motorola?

Class War by Other Means: Tennessee, Volkswagen and the Future of Labor

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by damba

How are you going to make it less costly to build the same vehicles (with similar large required new facilities) in Chicago?

The cost of doing business here won't be turning around anytime soon. There's only so much incentivizing that is humanly possible. You still see the Ford Explorer (and police interceptor) produced here because they can pull the margin very easily, since it's so popular (gets exported globally), and they don't have to spend as much to upgrade the current facilities.

Is VW in Chatanooga really helping people build wealth? What are the real effects of the huge state subsidies in a state with very regressive taxation policies? Will VW ultimately be another Motorola?

Class War by Other Means: Tennessee, Volkswagen and the Future of Labor

Truth-out.org. Really?? LOL! For as bleak a picture as that liberal rag paints that evil conservative deed of incentives to get an auto factory, how are democratic policies working out on the south side of Chicago? And you don't think the City of Chicago already provides tax incentives? Research what a TIF district is.

As long as the Tennessee's of the world are paying for the $90,000 Mercedes, to pull an analogy from that article, we're going to need to find a way to compete. Otherwise, we are going to have an Emerald City with high paying professional jobs (which may contract as Innovation hits the professional world) and a starkly contrasted giant ghetto in the surrounding area. That is not social justice.

[BRU67]

To put this more simply, if you want to play you gotta pay. We already do that anyway, just not to the right people.

[Slats Grobnick]

Originally Posted by BRU67

Also Slats, your argument does not explain why states like Ohio (Honda), Indiana (Subaru), Kentucky (Toyota), and Tennessee (VW) were able to attract major auto plants. The workers in those plants do not make $2 an hour. They make good solid middle-class wages which have really elevated the communities in which those factories are located.

I've never thought paying someone to hire you was a good plan. Besides, those are Japanese and German companies, whose countries generally have a high standard of living. I don't see a lot of American manufacturing companies moving to Japan or Germany, now Asia is a different story.

Foreign-owned auto plants netted $3.6B in subsidies

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Slats Grobnick

I've never thought paying someone to hire you was a good plan. Besides, those are Japanese and German companies, whose countries generally have a high standard of living. I don't see a lot of American manufacturing companies moving to Japan or Germany, now Asia is a different story.

Foreign-owned auto plants netted $3.6B in subsidies

But we're paying for them not to hire too. Instead of pumping money into entitlements, the criminal justice system, and becoming poorer through decreased property values caused by high taxes, bad school scores, and crime and blight, we should try incentivizing higher paying jobs. We pay one way or other! You need to look at the big picture.

[Slats Grobnick]

For what it's worth, Houston is going to be 90+ degrees everyday for the next 10 days, Phoenix will be 117 next Monday. Chicago is having a couple of days in the 90's, but most of our days will be low to mid 80's.