Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner says foreign countries want the same policies in place that he wants.
Rauner asked 10 countries doing business with Illinois what complaints they have about the state. The way Rauner describes the complaints sounds a lot like the way he describes his complaints
“They focused on making sure that our tax rates were competitive,” Rauner said. “They focused on making sure we have a financially stable, fiscally responsible state.”
It reads like a classified document. Rauner had the names of the countries -- and sometimes whole paragraphs -- redacted.
Some of the countries that complained about high taxes also don’t want to see cuts to road and infrastructure projects.
Nation #7 writes, “The state income tax is quite high and REDACTED property taxes are also high”
One country also wrote that the foreign perception of Chicago still focuses on Al Capone and Michael Jordan.
For instance, Nation #3 writes, “Chicago is seen as the crime capital of USA REDACTED. Although I cannot confirm the reason - it is a fair bet that REDACTED media/press reports on crime in Chicago are a contributory factor.”
Some also think the Midwest is inhabited by “buffaloes and bears.”
Rauner wouldn’t reveal the identity of the countries so they could speak freely.