Ever since the I & M Canal connected Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River,
Will County has been a transportation hub. The largest railroads in the U.S.
travel through Will County and move a great deal of freight each year. Two
intermodal centers in Elwood and Joliet constitute the largest inland port in
North America. Each day hundreds of semis travel to these intermodal centers
to pick up containers and deliver them to warehouses where goods are sorted
and distributed.
Large corporations such as WalMart, Home Depot, and Amazon have
constructed warehouses in Will County in recent years. With new proposals for
intermodal centers and warehouse projects in Crete and Elwood, I believe it is
time for us all to examine all aspects of these intermodal centers and the system
of globalism that they are a part of. For example, many goods made in China
arrive in California, are shipped by rail to Will County, and end up in warehouses.
Groups such as Warehouse Workers for Justice have documented that these
warehouses utilize temp labor and pay wages that will not support a family.
Does it make sense for us to pave over some of the best farmland in the world
to build warehouses to distribute goods made in China moved by workers
employed on a temporary basis making less than $15 an hour?
Some will argue that any jobs are better than no jobs at all. There is truth in that,
however, we also must consider that while Will County--due to its geography--is
seeing jobs from warehouses, thousands of small towns throughout the
MidWest have lost jobs as factories have closed. In other words, we must
calculate the opportunity cost of moving so much of our manufacturing to
foreign countries.
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Furthermore, what sort of tax breaks are involved with these warehouse
developments? The Chicago Tribune reported that Amazon may receive up to
86 million in tax incentives from Illinois.
Will County is conducting a "Community Friendly Freight Mobility Plan" study to
analyze some of the issues related to the movement of freight. One main focus
of the study is our transportation network. More semis means more wear and
tear on an already strained road system. How many more warehouses can our
roads handle? I encourage all citizens to read the plan and get involved by
contacting your neighbors and elected representatives at all levels of
government.
