Illinois Basher Walker guest of...Illinois Chamber of Commerce? Corporate Power Erases State Lines....

With every breath Gov. Scott Walker takes, he slips in how nightmarish the state of Illinois is. He bashes it unmercifully for its corporate taxes, which is still lower than Wisconsin’s, and ignores the job creation that kicks Wis.’s ass.

So try to imagine what the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce was thinking when they invited Walker to speak at “Employer Action Day.” The teachers union and other groups were so amazed, it drew this reaction, and press release, from Illinois Federation of Teachers President Daniel J. Montgomery:

Illinois created over 30,000 jobs...

State Chamber of Commerce Should Be Ashamed of Invite to Gov. Walker: Today it was revealed that the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce has invited controversial Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker to their “Employer Action Day,” an April 17 lobbying event. Walker, who faces a recall election, may also be the focus of a federal corruption investigation and is responsible for spearheading the Wisconsin effort that destroyed worker rights in the Dairy State.

The Illinois business community should be embarrassed that the state Chamber of Commerce has decided to honor Governor Scott Walker … this man is the dangerous architect of a class warfare battle plan that has torn the state of Wisconsin apart, attacked middle-class families and, still today, pits neighbor against neighbor … With the help of wealthy corporate backers throughout the nation…

Illinoisans must pull together in tough times, not praise someone who is focused on tearing people apart. Governor Quinn and Senate President Cullerton were both right to say we won’t let Illinois become another Wisconsin. So, on April 17, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce is ultimately paying tribute to a governor whose aides are under federal investigation, is facing a recall effort started by over 1 million Wisconsin voters and, incidentally, wants to steal businesses and job creators away from the Land of Lincoln. All of this begs the question, "Is this what Illinois business leaders want?"  I can’t answer that question. I can say that we in the labor movement won’t sit idly by.