A Manteno Story
No Gotion,
No.
The never-ending battle over a battery plant.
The never-ending battle over a battery plant.
"No Gotion, No" is a children's book-style account of the debate that divided, and ultimately united, Manteno, Illinois. A small town that found itself at the center of a national conversation about Chinese battery investment, local jobs, and what communities owe their future.
Written in the tradition of picture books for adults who remember being children, it captures the confusion, the passion, and the stubborn civility that makes democracy messy and worth it.
The Manteno dog appears throughout, watching, wondering, and wearing his green cap. Just like the rest of us.
This book is part of a larger public accountability project documenting the governance dispute in Manteno, Illinois, including the mayor-vs-board lawsuit, a forensic audit, and the ongoing Gotion factory debate that sparked all of it.
Read the full documented record, including primary source documents, legal analysis, and a 39-claim fact check, in the Manteno Record on The Bourbs.
Read the Full Public Record →