Illinois is at the point of no return

I'd move but to be honest, I love the community in which I live even though the liberal / commies here sometimes drive me crazy. Also, it would be much harder to move with small children and careers. I think we'd be giving up too much in regards to education and other cultural / intangible things by moving away at this point.

That was our biggest fear. The weird thing, after we moved, our opinion of Illinois was completely different. While you live there you drink the kool aid, you have to, so you don't go crazy. We paid huge taxes in Illinois, yet every school my children went to in other states (with very low taxes) were absolutely better in every regard. I'm not exaggerating at all. Better teachers, better materials, better technology, better facilities, pretty much better everything. I was livid, Illinois is selling a lie.
As for as those intangible things, you really have to weigh the pros and cons. I have yet to meet a single person that left Illinois and regretted in. In fact almost everyone wishes they would have done it sooner. I know we did.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

I'd move but to be honest, I love the community in which I live even though the liberal / commies here sometimes drive me crazy. Also, it would be much harder to move with small children and careers. I think we'd be giving up too much in regards to education and other cultural / intangible things by moving away at this point.

That was our biggest fear. The weird thing, after we moved, our opinion of Illinois was completely different. While you live there you drink the kool aid, you have to, so you don't go crazy. We paid huge taxes in Illinois, yet every school my children went to in other states (with very low taxes) were absolutely better in every regard. I'm not exaggerating at all. Better teachers, better materials, better technology, better facilities, pretty much better everything. I was livid, Illinois is selling a lie.
As for as those intangible things, you really have to weigh the pros and cons. I have yet to meet a single person that left Illinois and regretted in. In fact almost everyone wishes they would have done it sooner. I know we did.

Unfortunately, it is more complicated as we have in laws living in downtown Chicago. My wife is a pretty high up executive now, so it is hard for her to find equitable positions on a whim just anywhere. I am also basically self-employed and have built a business here locally.

I'd pack up and move if we didn't have the kids. Our local schools are great and the diversity of the community in which we live simply cannot be duplicated anywhere else.

Believe me, I'd move out into a more rural area or much smaller city if I had my druthers. We might be able to retire or significantly cut back in 10-15 years, so we may decide to move then or at least set up where we will be moving. We've looked at houses in other states, a $1 to $1.5 million house has taxes that are like 50% of my $500k house.

I know a lot of the empty nesters in my community move because they simply cannot afford the taxes on their home. Some of the houses have tax bills approaching $30k+ year. We thought about buying a larger house, but the taxes are kind of scaring us from doing so given our plan to cut back on expenses as we get closer to retirement.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Thank God at least all the thuggy-thug gang bangers in Chicago are well funded by welfare, probably have their homes paid for and definitely have their food paid for. Makes no sense to force real Americans to fund these criminal scum bags.

Starve 'em out. If more people continue to leave IL, there won't be anyone left to fund this garbage that IL's liberal government has permissively/cowardly allowed to fester.

Heck it isn't just IL. I think it is safe to say the whole country is past the point of no return, generally speaking. Amicable separation is looking like the lesser of two evils.

Sorry for the OT rant there JAGStorm, I am happy to see you are able to keep more of your hard earned money! Your family deserves to reap those benefits, instead of a person that some do-gooder politicians think your money belongs to

a reply to: JAGStorm

Where do I see this going, long-term? State government continually raise taxes to try to cover basic expenses (don't even THINK about the unfunded liabilities... good luck with those!), and you see a mass exodus out of these states just like you and your family left.

Then what happens? State government defaults? States get bailed out by corporations? I really don't know... but you know what they say: 'You reap what you sow'

a reply to: FamCore

Well the raising taxes is happening right now, but it's not enough.

I also don't see corporations bailing them out!!
I see Illinois asking the government to bail them out, we'll see if that happens.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I own my home, it's all paid off.. I live in Illinois house values just over 50k I paid $842 in property taxes last year. Depends on where you live in Illinois. We do have seriously corrupt politicians in Illinois tho. 4 if the last 7 governors went to prison

Just an anecdote.

North Dallas is absolutely overrun with Illinois license plates, or was last year when I was there on business. A major insurer just moved their national HQ to a Dallas suburb. They burb built a light rail line from the airport to downtown, and then to this skyscraper complex that is the size of a literal mountain. Surrounded by hotels and dining.

The city built it, specifically so that you can fly into DFW, rail to the corporate complex, walk to hotel and a movie, then fly out without ever renting a car.

Somebody told me that like 2000 workers from Illinois emigrated to Dallas to work at that complex.

So just what I saw the last time I was there, the Econmic pressure was real

a reply to: JAGStorm

Incredible I didn't know it was that bad.

Apathy is not a good thing these days, perhaps people will wake up soon.

Born and raised in Mattoon. Got out as quick as I could! I still travel back yearly for family get togethers though. It is very depressing to see how it is falling more and more. The factories have moved out, the farms are being bought up by corporations, and the buildings are falling into disrepair. It is still home in my heart, but something has to give for the people of Illinois who don’t live near Chicago.

a reply to: jjkenobi

There is an Illinois Separation movement gaining ground that would remove Chicago from Illinois. This would be a step in the right direction as most of the socialist laws being voted in are driven by the Chicago dems.
I live in Illinois only because that's where my grandkids are and I want to watch them grow up.
It's going to get even rougher because there's a new Governor (democrat) starting next year.
I can foresee a mileage tax being implemented plus continual increases in the onerous property taxes.
We need to get rid of Chicago and we'll have a chance at surviving.

originally posted by: carewemust
In 2015, Illinois voters took the extraordinary step of electing a REPUBULICAN governor (Bruce Rauner). He implemented measures that started to make the state more fiscally responsible. (No new taxes. Lower spending)

In 2018, Illinois voters kicked Bruce Rauner out, because he implemented measures that started to make the state more fiscally responsible. (Lower spending)

We (not me though!) replaced Republican Bruce Rauner with Democrat J.B. Pritzker.
chicago.suntimes.com...

You can't say they don't deserve it. By the way, those property taxes are ludicrous.

Ultimately, Congress will need to pass a law creating a state-wide equivalent of a bankruptcy process. There's really no alternative: even if they manage to bail out Illinois (they won't; too many in Congress would be voted out in the next election), there's several other states that will follow soon after, the largest being California. I doubt that Congress could ever find the money to bail out California, even if the political will was somehow there.

originally posted by: carewemust
In 2015, Illinois voters took the extraordinary step of electing a REPUBULICAN governor (Bruce Rauner). He implemented measures that started to make the state more fiscally responsible. (No new taxes. Lower spending)

In 2018, Illinois voters kicked Bruce Rauner out, because he implemented measures that started to make the state more fiscally responsible. (Lower spending)

We (not me though!) replaced Republican Bruce Rauner with Democrat J.B. Pritzker.
chicago.suntimes.com...

The legislature is solidly controlled by Democrats. Even though Rauner was governer, he didn't have any real control over the legislature beyond threatening vetoes. Mike Madigan, the Speaker of the House, has pretty much run the state for the past 40 years. He is very powerful and all the Democrats basically are beholden to him. He is solely responsible for running the state into the ground.

The sad thing, this man has run the state and essentially gets elected by less than 15,000 people in his gerry mandered, paid off district.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I live in Illinois and they loving giving it to me with no lube, let me tell you that it hurts. 5.8K a year just on property tax on home that's maybe valued 50k.

I keep seeing the word "my".. Get it right... "I am trying to sell the bank's house."

one of your major problems is the pension programs

wait till after the next correction they will be put on the chopping block.

Wonder how quickly we will be seeing a Yellow Jacket style protest in states?

The end of the property tax write-offs will only hasten a process that should have been happening a long time ago.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Get rid of democrats and Illinios might be saved.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I would tell them to shove it up their patriots unless you at the border with armed thugs to take my money as I leave ain't no way in he'll you would get me paying any state a leaving tax.

I live there and everyone complains about the taxs inna broke state. So much corruption.

a reply to: fltcui

I'd say legalization of pot might help, but they'll find a way to "mismanage" those taxes too. If the state goes bankrupt, I think all politicians should be fired. Clean house.