Other States are Watching

This morning’s blog on our governor’s new business tax has already generated a number of phone calls and emails. Here is part of an email from a good friend in OK, where I’ve given almost a dozen talks.

On another issue, I saw your piece this morning on the GRT proposed by Governor Blagojevich. We saw the Quincy story last week and have been pricing ads in business pages from Springfield to Chicago. No one feels good about poaching but if the businesses flee, our view is that we would like some of them to flee here. Our working ad copy is something along the lines of “Our Governor likes business,” subject to change and professionalism of course.

Let him know other states are watching. I’d rather grow Oklahoma businesses than steal Illinois businesses but if they need to move…

Doesn’t our governor realize that companies are just like people? If you tax them to death and make them feel that you are ungrateful for the jobs they are creating, they will vote with their feet.