Illinois spending heavily to retain companies

The Chicago Tribune reports on how some businesses are taking advantage of the bad business environment in Illinois:

Illinois in 2011 is on pace to provide much more money in financial incentive programs to businesses to retain and add jobs, with the total through early May exceeding $230 million pledged to 27 companies.

That is nearly the amount pledged all of last year by Illinois to keep corporations from leaving the state or to attract businesses to relocate or expand here, the Tribune has learned.