Voting with their feet

I was born and raised in Illinois...southern Illinois in Franklin County.  My wife was born and raised there too, also in southern Illinois.  We both attended and graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL.

We know Illinois.

Eighty percent of the state is controlled by the other twenty percent. That twenty percent is Cook County and northeastern segment of the state.  Chicago has controlled the state since before Prohibition. It has been and continues to be the most corrupt city in the nation and if you examine the history of the state, Illinois has been and continues to be the most corrupt state in the country.

Illinois has been controlled by the Chicago democrat machine going back to Al Capone and earlier.  In Illinois, the rule of survival is, "Go along to get along."  My father was a small part of the democrat machine first as a United Mine Workers union shop steward and later as an auxiliary deputy sheriff.  In Illinois, if you want something done, like getting the road in front of your house repaired, getting a new culvert along your property to prevent flooding of your fields, if you want the assessment on your property reduced (or that of your enemy's increased), you must have political clout. It's a fact of life in Illinois and Chicago controls the state legislature and the governor's mansion.

Ninety years of corrupt democrat control has ruined the state. The state population is shrinking, the state has the highest taxes in the country, and it cannot service its debt. So what does the state do to fix these problems?  They raised taxes 67%.

Here is the tale of one Illinois resident, a former state senator, and what he has decided to do.

Former State Senator Quits Illinois, Moves to Texas

By publiusforum, March 22, 2011 at 11:07 am

-By Warner Todd Huston

The Wilmette Beacon published a very startling article that reveals so much of what is wrong with the state of Illinois. Roger Keats, a former state senator and a recent candidate for Cook County Board President has announced that he is leaving the state and moving to Texas.

Keats has a long history of fighting corruption in Cook County, but he's realized that there is no longer any political will to continue that fight in the state of Illinois. It is hopelessly corrupt and Roger Keats feels he's done his duty, but that duty is finished.

The full text of the Keats' letter was published in Illinois Review:

GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK

As we leave Illinois for good, I wanted to say goodbye to my friends and wish all of you well. I am a lifelong son of the heartland and proud of it. After 60 years, I leave Illinois with a heavy heart. BUT enough is enough! The leaders of Illinois refuse to see we can't continue going in the direction we are and expect people who have options to stay here. I remember when Illinois had 25 congressmen. In 2012 we will have 18. Compared to the rest of the country we have lost 1/3rd of our population. Don't blame the weather, because I love 4 seasons. Illinois just sold still more bonds and our credit rating is so bad we pay higher interest rates than junk bonds! Junk Bonds! Illinois is ranked 50th for fiscal policy; 47th in job creation; 1st in unfunded pension liabilities; 2nd largest budget deficit; 1st in failing schools; 1st in bonded indebtedness; highest sales tax in the nation; most judges indicted (Operations Greylord and Gambat); and 5 of our last 9 elected governors have been indicted. That is more than the other 49 states added together! Then add 32 Chicago Aldermen and (according to the Chicago Tribune) over 1000 state and municipal employees indicted. The corruption tax is a real cost of doing business. We are the butt of jokes for stand up comics.

We live in the most corrupt big city, in the most corrupt big county in the most corrupt state in America. I am sick and tired of subsidizing crooks. A day rarely passes without an article about the corruption and incompetence. Chicago even got caught rigging the tests to hire police and fire! Our Crook County CORPORATE property tax system is intentionally corrupt. The Democrat State Chairman who is also the Speaker of the Illinois House and the most senior alderman in Chicago each make well over a million dollars a year putting the fix in for their client's tax assessments.

We are moving to Texas where there is no income tax while Illinois' just went up 67%. Texas' sales tax is 1/2 of ours, which is the highest in the nation. Southern states are supportive of job producers, taxpayers and folks who offer opportunities to their residents. Illinois shakes them down for every penny that can be extorted from them.

In The Hill Country of Texas (near Austin and San Antonio) we bought a gracious home on almost 2 acres with a swimming pool. It is new, will cost us around 40% of what our home in Wilmette just sold for and the property taxes are 1/3rd of what they are here. Crook County's property tax system is a disaster: Wilmette homes near ours sell for 50% more and their property taxes are 1/2 of ours. Our assessed home value was 50% higher than the sales price. The system is unfair and incompetent.

Our home value is down 40%, our property taxes are up 20% and our local schools have still another referendum on the ballot to increase taxes over 20% in one year. I could go on, but enough is enough. I feel as if we are standing on the deck of the Titanic and I can see the icebergs right in front of us. I will miss our friends a great deal. I have called Illinois home for essentially my entire life. But it is time to go where there is honest, competent and cost effective government. We have chosen to vote with our feet and our wallets. My best to all of you and Good luck!

It is a stinging indictment of the state.  When Illinois raised taxes 67%, the surrounding states invited businesses to relocate from Illinois and promised lower taxes, additional tax incentives and state governments more friendly to business.  Many businesses moved. More are considering moving.

Illinois is controlled by an oligarchy of Chicago democrat politicians, Rahm Emmanuel being the latest. Until that political power is broken, Illinois will continue to slide into political barbarism.

My wife and I still have family members living in Illinois. All live in the lower half of the state. Many are our age and it's too late for them to leave the state.  We also have many nieces, nephews and younger cousins there and I hope they will understand their predicament and leave the state.

As much as I hope otherwise, I believe there is no hope for Illinois until the state collapses.  The damage done by the democrat machine is too severe to be fixed as it is.  It all must come done and then, then it can be rebuilt with political power in the hands of the people instead of in the hands of a corrupt democrat machine.