Sears to leave People's Republic of Illinois to Michigan over high taxes

And it will take 5,000 jobs out of Illinois and bring them to Michigan. Over at MLive over the weekend: Report: Two Metro Detroit cities possible locations for new Sears headquarters, 5,000 jobs

One of the nation’s largest retailers could start calling Metro Detroit its new home.

Sears Holdings Corp. – headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Ill. – is considering a move, and two cities in southeast Michigan - Dearborn and Southfield - are possible locations, according to reports.

June 24, The Detroit Free Press: "A package of incentives worth at least $50 million is being offered to Sears to relocate its headquarters and some 5,000 jobs to metro Detroit, two sources familiar with the talks said Friday.

"Two potential sites in Metro Detroit are being offered to Sears. One is Regent Court, a Ford Motor office building on Ford Road in Dearborn. The other is the former Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan complex on West 11 Mile Road in Southfield, which is on the market as BCBSM moves employees to downtown Detroit."

The newspaper, citing unnamed sources familiar with the issue, said both Wayne and Oakland counties, as well as the Michigan Economic Development Corp., are participating in the attempt to lure Sears.

Just a few months before this: Caterpillar threatens to leave People's Republic of Illinois over high taxes. And that followed the suicidal tax increase: Illinois Democrats raise income tax 67%, business taxes 46% to protect union pensions, benefits. It cost a lot of business, but the unions got what they wanted: