b'CHAIRMANS MESSAGEA Message From the ChairmanRecently, I attended a Suburbanstill are the Illinois Chamber of Com-Chamber event that featured areamerce, and we are proud to call the legislators. The time for questionsLand of Lincoln home to our 3,000 and answers arrived, and a REAL- plus members. It is imperative that TOR from the audience asked thewe continue to promote the six Rs of legislators why Illinois fiscal policiesIllinois that are critical to economic are so bad that her number one clientdevelopment: rails, runways, roads, is those people selling their homesrivers, routers, and research, as well and moving out of Illinois? Imme- as all the water we have underground diately, the legislators started citingand in Lake Michigan, plus we are wonderful statistics: Illinois haslocated right in the middle of the the fifth largest economy in the US,largest economy in the world.home to 36 Fortune 500 companies,Yet we still have the reality of DAN WAGNER etc., yet 2020-2024 Cumulative Outpeople like that REALTOR sitting in CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Migration in Illinois has been ap- that Suburban Chamber audience proximately 404,000 (US Census).questioning what our leaders are Facts are facts; the legislatorsdoing to solve the issues she sees as were right, and the REALTOR wasdetrimental to her long-term busi-right too. While the Chamberness prospects. recognizes we have major challengesThats where the collective re-facing Illinois: Workers Compensa- sources of all our Chamber members tion Costs, High Property Taxes, andcome into play because the Chamber too much regulation coupled withhas an amazing delta force of Gov-the RTA Fiscal Cliff and Chicagosernment Relations Professionals who impending budget storm cloudswemanage and review over 6,500 pieces of legislation and keep track of more than 1,100 that could impact on our The legitimate object of government is to domembers. Individually, we are un-able to have an impact, but together, for a community of people whatever they needour membership operationalizes resources to provide our President to have done but cannot doin their separateand CEO Lou Sandoval the ability to and individual capacities. have the best team of professionals anywhere.Abraham Lincoln said this in a speech where he reflected thatOne of the best quotes I likegovernment exists to support, not hinder, individual enterprise. to give that highlights why people should join our Chamber comes from Kipling, The strength of the Pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the Pack. There is noth-ing we cant accomplish while work-ing together as a Chamber PACK! 4ILLINOIS BUSINESS LEADER'