Yes, that's right the Land of Lincoln, once a proud and prosperous territory on the edge of the known frontier is now a perfect model of big, liberal, failing government and the nanny state. I live in Illinois and have all my life but I can tell you I won't be here forever for a number of reasons.
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For those fellow Illinoisans reading, you are well aware of the cultural and political divide between Cook county (Chicago) and the rest of the state. The corrupt Chicago machine rules and governs all of us "down-staters" as we call ourselves, from Rockford to Peoria to Springfield to the extreme south, which more identifies with bordering Kentucky than anything else. The Chicago machine produces the most corrupt of politicians, proudly forcing Illinois to stake its claim as the most corrupt state in the nation. A few prominent "public servants" our state/Chicago has produced: Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Richard Daley, Rod Blagojevich, George Ryan, Lennington Small, etc. We have a reputation for governors ending up in jail.
Some of the notable results of this corrupt, Democrat government:
-2nd in the nation in public debt
-Worst credit rating in the nation
-Higher than average taxes in every category
Voting in this state usually goes something like this...
This is the voting result in the state for governor in 2010 between Democrat Pat Quinn and Republican Bill Brady. Pat Quinn won.
Businesses hate this state, as one of our largest corporations, Caterpillar, will tell you. Earlier this year, they chose to move their new mega plant, and all of its accompanying jobs to a more business friendly climate in Georgia, instead of here in liberal utopia Illinois.
But let's not dwell on the obvious shortfalls here that everyone is well aware of. I'd like to offer a more personal perspective on other things that those living in conservative states might take for granted.
Roads and speed limits: Our roads flat out suck. Take a drive on I-55 up to Chicago or I-74 east to Indy. Just pray your vehicle survives the potholes. You might be able to get 20 miles with your vehicle remaining intact. You'll notice the difference the moment you cross the Illinois/Indiana border when the freeway instantly smooths out and the speed limit increases from 65mph to 70.
Gun Laws: The liberal gun control advocacy group Brady Campaign names Illinois one of the "best" states for "life saving" gun control laws. Illinois is the ONLY state in the nation that does not allow concealed carry.
Violent Crime: The state is one of the highest ranked for violent crime per capita and Illinois cities are warzones. South Chicago is an obvious one but other smaller cities boast a worse per capita murder rate than Chicago, such as Peoria and Rockford.
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Fireworks: Want to display your patriotic pride on the 4th of July? Don't try it in Illinois unless you want to enjoy some sparklers or sissy fountains. No black cats, bottle rockets, Roman candles, or aerial fireworks here! Most of us flock to neighboring Indiana or Missouri to buy the good stuff, where there are many fireworks warehouses right across the border. Go to any one of these and you'll see more cars with Illinois plates in the lot than anyone else.
Sports: Our teams have had their share of victories. We had Micheal Jordan and the Bulls in the 90s. But we also have the Cubs, who haven't won anything since 1908, the Bears who haven't won since 1985, and the White Sox, who, well, no one really cares much about them except Dear Leader. Being a Chicago sports fan is painful. (could be worse I guess...)
What do you think is the best state to live in? I'd love to hear your comments and thanks for hearing out my rant!
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For those fellow Illinoisans reading, you are well aware of the cultural and political divide between Cook county (Chicago) and the rest of the state. The corrupt Chicago machine rules and governs all of us "down-staters" as we call ourselves, from Rockford to Peoria to Springfield to the extreme south, which more identifies with bordering Kentucky than anything else. The Chicago machine produces the most corrupt of politicians, proudly forcing Illinois to stake its claim as the most corrupt state in the nation. A few prominent "public servants" our state/Chicago has produced: Barack Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Richard Daley, Rod Blagojevich, George Ryan, Lennington Small, etc. We have a reputation for governors ending up in jail.Some of the notable results of this corrupt, Democrat government:
-2nd in the nation in public debt
-Worst credit rating in the nation
-Higher than average taxes in every category
Voting in this state usually goes something like this...
Businesses hate this state, as one of our largest corporations, Caterpillar, will tell you. Earlier this year, they chose to move their new mega plant, and all of its accompanying jobs to a more business friendly climate in Georgia, instead of here in liberal utopia Illinois.
But let's not dwell on the obvious shortfalls here that everyone is well aware of. I'd like to offer a more personal perspective on other things that those living in conservative states might take for granted.
Roads and speed limits: Our roads flat out suck. Take a drive on I-55 up to Chicago or I-74 east to Indy. Just pray your vehicle survives the potholes. You might be able to get 20 miles with your vehicle remaining intact. You'll notice the difference the moment you cross the Illinois/Indiana border when the freeway instantly smooths out and the speed limit increases from 65mph to 70.
Gun Laws: The liberal gun control advocacy group Brady Campaign names Illinois one of the "best" states for "life saving" gun control laws. Illinois is the ONLY state in the nation that does not allow concealed carry.
Violent Crime: The state is one of the highest ranked for violent crime per capita and Illinois cities are warzones. South Chicago is an obvious one but other smaller cities boast a worse per capita murder rate than Chicago, such as Peoria and Rockford.
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Sports: Our teams have had their share of victories. We had Micheal Jordan and the Bulls in the 90s. But we also have the Cubs, who haven't won anything since 1908, the Bears who haven't won since 1985, and the White Sox, who, well, no one really cares much about them except Dear Leader. Being a Chicago sports fan is painful. (could be worse I guess...)
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| The mountains of Illinois |
But aside from all this, what I really wanted to get to in this post, aside from the political bullcrap and it's accompanying nanny state laws, is the fact that Illinois has virtually no natural scenery to enjoy. We have no pristine mountains, lush forests, sparkling lakes, or relaxing beaches. At least in other liberal utopias like California and New York there are beautiful natural wonders to enjoy. In Illinois we have corn fields and more corn fields, and soy bean fields, and corn fields...oh there's a cow!
What do you think is the best state to live in? I'd love to hear your comments and thanks for hearing out my rant!
Q: What did one past Illinois governor say to the other past Illinois governor?
ReplyDeleteA: This prison food was a lot better when I was in office.
It really is a tragedy. I was born there, left and would never in any state of dementia consider going back to live there. And you do tell it right. Downstate people are honest, hard-working folks who live mostly in small towns where people cooperate to get things done.
First I would like to say as someone who has lived in Illinois their entire life you are correct in almost all your points. I agree that between the laws, the governing, and debt we have to be the worst state in the nation. But I am a person that loves the outdoors although we do not have mountains or beaches, we have places like garden of the gods in the Shawnee national forest, located just outside of Carbondale. Its an amazing place to get out and explore. There is also a place called the Starved rock state park, in Utica, Illinois that I suggest you check out because it is a truly beautiful place.
ReplyDeleteIts just to bad the state is ran by idiots and are backed by liberal people who complain about everything being wrong but are not willing to get up and do anything about it. We also have many dead beat people that have spent their whole lives living off the government and don't have any idea how to work and be a productive piece of our population.
And what pisses me off most...EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF CHICAGO IS NOT SOUTHERN ILLINOIS!!!!! CHICAGO ISN'T ITS OWN STATE!...