DuPage candidates split over Navistar project
SPRINGFIELD - A Lisle business project has created division between two prominent DuPage County Republicans running for governor.
On Friday, county board Chairman Bob Schillerstrom reiterated his support for locating Navistar's international headquarters in Lisle, a project that would bring hundreds of jobs to Illinois from other states.
"I have personally worked with Navistar and local governments in the area for many months to make this relocation a reality, and bring 1,000 good, out-of-state jobs to our region. The project would be the biggest influx of new employees to the state in years and shows what is possible when government works with the private sector to create new jobs," Schillerstrom said in a news release.
His continued support for Navistar comes as the Daily Herald reported that fellow DuPage Republican Kirk Dillard, a state senator from Hinsdale, now opposes the project, citing environmental concerns raised by a nearby autistic school where he's an honorary board member.
"You can't, in your quest for jobs, jeopardize people's health," Dillard told the Daily Herald.
Dillard, who's also running for governor, had only weeks earlier blasted Democrats for leaving the Navistar plan out of a tax incentive package for major manufacturers and urged them to quickly help Navistar when lawmakers return to session next month.
Now, Dillard says he'll take his name off Navistar's tax credit legislation and vote against it if environmental concerns regarding the testing of diesel engines aren't addressed.
This comes as all seven Republicans running for governor are touting their job creation plans as the solution to the state's economic woes.
Schillerstrom said Dillard is "playing politics with thousands of jobs, and illustrating why employers steer clear of Illinois in the process."
In explaining his new stance, Dillard said the Navistar project is a local development and that local and county officials should have asked more questions.
"What's changed is we've started to fact find and gather information that probably the county of DuPage and the village of Lisle should have been asking since it's their _ not the state of Illinois' _ approval that's necessary," he said.
Navistar's plans remain under local review and a company spokesman told the Daily Herald there's been misinformation that would be cleared up with revised plans to be filed next month.