It's been one of the flashpoints of the 2010 campaign for governor: Is Illinois' business climate friendly enough to bring in new employers and encourage existing ones to expand?
The Republican candidate, state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington, says that to be competitive, Illinois has to cut taxes, reform workers' compensation and slash bureaucratic red tape. Brady's Democratic opponent, Gov. Pat Quinn, says Brady is "bum-rapping" Illinois.
Beyond the political chatter, business leaders and economists agree on one thing: Illinois must stabilize its fiscal house.
It must also fight off the continuing hangover from former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's administration, which was widely viewed as unfriendly to business.
They also agree that targeted incentives don't do much when a business considers Illinois' overall gloomy financial situation.
An uncertain future
"Businesses don't like uncertainty," said Fred Giertz, an economics professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "They're not necessarily worried about higher taxes. It's more a matter of getting the big picture settled. You need to have some certainty as to what to expect."
For more on this story, pick up a print copy of the Tuesday edition of the Daily American.
