Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Friday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes

Today’s NSA Briefing:
* Snowden Accuses UK Government Of Leaking Documents About Itself.
* NSA Paid Millions To Cover Prism Compliance Costs For Tech Companies.
* David Miranda And The Preclusion Of Privacy.


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Rittal Me This
Remember the rule that if you have an affair with someone cheating on their spouse, they are just as likely to cheat on you?
Well, I couldn’t help but think about that when I looked into the news that Pat Quinn had personally recruited executives from the Rittal Corporation to move their headquarters from Ohio to Schaumburg.
Why? The Columbus Dispatch explains:

In July 2011, the company was awarded a tax credit estimated then to be worth $6.6 million to add 118 jobs and retain 537 jobs.
It was among the first tax credits awarded after JobsOhio, Gov. John Kasich’s privatized development agency, opened that month.

Rittal also received a tax exemption from the Ohio city of Urbana (which, like its Illinois counterpart, is in the county of Champaign), according to the Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun.
In Illinois, Rittal will get $624,000 in tax credits over the next 10 years, according to Greg Hinz at Crain’s. That’s not huge, but I would be willing to create twice as many jobs for that amount. And we’ll see how events really play out for our new corporate overlords.
At any rate, Quinn claims he personally persuaded Rittal’s executives to move its headquarters here during a trip to Germany (“Pat Quinn went to Germany and all he got was a lousy 40 jobs”). Rittal honchos say the move puts them closer to their customers, but it’s pretty clear that the move actually just puts them closer to O’Hare – and offers the bigwigs a more luxurious lifestyle than the Ohio sticks. A bunch of scrubs will still be stuck back in Urbana (and 10 other locations around the world) actually making Rittal’s products (IT racks, cooling systems and other accessories). And corporate headquarters’ are not what they used to be; Rittal’s will be in the Woodfield Corporate Center (also known as 425-475.com). (Woodfield brags about its sweeping view of the Chicago skyline – this one. Don’t you think execs will be thinking, ‘Gee, I wish we were there. Anybody have Rahm’s phone number?’)
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Look, 40 jobs are welcome but far more than 40 jobs are lost in Illinois every day – the (official) unemployment rate here is 9.2 percent. And I’m not even certain that 40 is a correct number; some reports say that a “handful” of executives and front-office staff will be moved here and those are people who already have jobs. Other reports indicate 40 new jobs will be created. BFD.
And if Rittal is making this move as it says as part of a company-wide expansion, then forget giving them tax credits. Under those conditions, those execs need O’Hare more than O’Hare needs them. Leverage, people! Learn how to negotiate.
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If you play nice, we might let you come here!
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Haven’t you read The Rules? Play hard to get.
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We know you want it bad, Ohio; you’re
discussing high-speed rail to Chicago next month.
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You’re already setting up dry cleaning.
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I also considered Rittal In for the headline to this item but I thought that was approving while Rittal Me This better suited the quizzical tone of the piece.
*
Alternative: Rittal Is In.
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The Civil Rights Game
It’s Saturday at the Cell. Check out MLB.com’s awesome package.
Beachwood Photo Booth
Fluid Power Automation.
The Week In Chicago Rock
Including: Cory Branan, Heavy Times, the Allman Brothers, the Reverend Horton Heat, One Steel Wound, 10 Years, Daniel Wade, and Journey.
The [Thursday] Papers
ICYMI because it was pretty late in the day: CPS’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Plus: Chicago Beer Run.
I Will Wash Your Car
If you buy the right package.
Chicago Firestorm
I don’t know if I can take credit for this, but I’m pretty sure I was the first to spot it (note the day and time on the tweet) and I also sent the tip to Deadspin. Just sayin’.


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The Beachwood Tip Line: Riddlin’.

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Posted on August 23, 2013