scstocks: I've been gone from Illinois for almost 11 years now. I saw the writing on the wall back then and things have only gotten worse. The state is run by Michael Madigan the Speaker of the Illinois House. He's been there forever and virtually controls what gets passed, what gets voted on, etc. Columnist John Kass calls the state Madiganistan. The state has more independent taxing entities than California. More overpaid state government employees than you can count. They're $128 BILLION in arrears on pension promises at a time when the stock market it as all time bubble highs. A 40-50% crash and that deficit could easily top $300 Billion. It is simply unpayable. Either the Federal Government passes legislation allowing States to declare bankruptcy or massive, disorderly defaults are going to happen by the state. They already have a backlog of bill approaching $10 Billion. The Democrats want several tax increases. The Republican governor won't sign on until sensible reforms are enacted. I don't think the stalemate ends while he's in office. The Dems will keep the status quo and hope one of the Dems running for governor will unseat him. But they are beyond help at this point. Tax increases will only incentivise more of the actual taxpayers to flee to better low tax states, leaving nothing but state employees, state retirees, and the huge free shit army cadre that calls Illinois home. Illinois is without a single doubt the most corrupt, badly run state in the Union. It's even worse than California if that's possible. Most of my extended family have either left or plan to as soon as they retire. There is no reason at all to live there any longer. Winters suck. The crime is rising. Taxes are out of control. Their only hop dies when the Hildabeast lost the election. Only she could have gotten laws passed to bail out state pensions with Federal government money. Trump won't do it, thank God. Avoid the place.
