Illinois: "Imagine California without the sunshine, New York without the cultural elan"
The Chicago Expulsion Act of 2011
Excerpt:
Chicago pols control almost all seats of power in Illinois. Gov. Pat Quinn, House Speaker Mike Madigan, Senate President John Cullerton, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Secretary of State Jesse White are all Democrats from Chicago. So was former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who this month was sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption, including trying to sell President Obama's vacated seat in the U.S. Senate. Consequently, as Mr. Wooters says, a lot "of the money that we have down here goes up there to bail out Chicago."
In 2008, lawmakers in Springfield cobbled together a $530 million rescue package for Chicago's transit system, which was on the brink of collapse because of sky-high labor and legacy costs. Just this week they pushed through $300 million of tax credits for the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange and Sears to prevent the businesses from fleeing to lower-tax climes. Both Indiana and Ohio have been aggressively poaching Illinois businesses, especially since January, when lawmakers raised the state income tax to a flat 5% from 3% and the corporate tax to 9.5% from 7.3%.
Comment: I basically hate the state. I hate driving in Chicago and avoid it the best I can. There is not one region of the state that I find appealing. You couldn't pay me to live there.
Yes, it is difficult calling Illinois "home." My biggest gripe is with the political scene - specifically with how the decades of corruption have driven taxes sky-high...and no one seems to care. Either that, or they've just become resigned to it.
ReplyDeleteBut roads, services, parks, libraries - everything is better in the Twin Cities area, on FAR less tax income. It's sickening.
Whenever I see what happens due to Chicago politicians, I'm guessing that Blago, Daley, Jackson and the gang are all on Sam Hurd's list.
ReplyDeleteThat said, while I despise their current political climate, I liked the museums in Chicago growing up. And the pizzerias--that's one thing that Minnesocold can't match.
Except when I cook at home. :^)