As fate would have it, Governor Bruce Rauner revealed his plan to fork over as much as $1.26 million a year in tax credits to ConAgra Foods at roughly the same time parents were packing a Board of Education hearing room to protest the latest CPS cuts in special education.
This is the same Governor Rauner who says we have to obliterate unions in order to foster free, unfettered markets. I’m not sure how giving one corporation an edge over its competitors is fostering free markets. Unless some markets are freer than others.
Mayor Emanuel’s also cheerleading the deal, though it’s draining the state of money he says he’s counting on to avoid massive school layoffs.
For what it’s worth, ConAgra CEO Sean Connolly already lives in Winnetka—as does Rauner. Give Connolly credit for this: he masterfully played Omaha against the state of Illinois, entertaining offers from both before settling on Chicago. In the end, Omaha mayor Jean Stothert was almost begging him to stay.
Welcome to Chicago, ConAgra. I see you already know the players and how to play the game.
