Illinois is broke:) (Chicago, Naperville: living, prices, moving)

[breer23]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

I am pretty sure most people that post on this site in the Illinois forums did not vote for that prick.

Then again, considering who was leaving the office, it was hard to imagine a that Blago would become a much worse situation...lesser of two evils?

[60-minutes-II]

Originally Posted by Drover

Care to explain to us what it means to be "well off racially" . . .

I mean that many socialogists(?) say Illinois is like Alabama when it comes to racial equality. And if you have many of the same colored people who are commiting the crime then they still believe in segregation and that the white man is racist against them. Many public officials play the race card and these people always fall for it.

[Drover]

"Colored" people? Jesus... What year is it on your calendar?

[60-minutes-II]

Originally Posted by Drover

"Colored" people? Jesus... What year is it on your calendar?

1647? What the hell does it matter what I refer to them? The point still stands that many people here vote for color or would you prefer race?

[PBrenda51]

Folks....we moved from Iowa where property taxes were much less and we had GREAT city services, including city garbage pickup. When it snowed, our side street was plowed within 12 hours ALWAYS!!! No services here in Springfield to speak of or that I can see. I spoke to Rep. Bomke last week as the fund match for the Extension offices is not being paid to them as our "beloved" governor is blackmailing the legislature for that. He has added it into a bill of 530 million dollars so he can get the expansions he wants. And get this, he "found" $150,000 in a general fund and expanded medicaid to include a family of 4 making $85,000 a year. I'm sorry, but they can manage.....budget but live just fine. We did it with 3 children, braces, activities, college, etc. and even on less. I do not work for the extension, however, I am a Master Gardener and donate time to help the extension.....they help the farmers, 4-H, community programs, horticulture and gardening, nutrition programs, etc. They are already on a shoestring budget, and our "esteemed" governor cuts them off, but expands other programs that suits his needs. I hope that Fitzgerald gets Blago's butt and/or that we can recall him. It was not central and southern Illinois that got him re-elected.....it was his cronies in Chicago that he gets jobs for, gives contracts to, oh, and the people he gets all of these expanded programs for.....can you say "buying votes"? Then Todd Strojer in Chicago is now having his employees sign off not to ever discuss anything that goes on/went on in his office and dealings. Sounds like Communists, doesn't it? When we are done here in Springfield, we will be back in good old Iowa and away from this train wreck. The taxes are only going to go higher to get out of this mess. I guess Blago's mama never taught him that if you don't have the money, you don't spend it! If we all ran our households the way he runs the state, we would all be bankrupt. I told Bomke that maybe that $150,000 that Blago "found", should have been spent towards paying bills already owed to nursing homes, hospitals, veterans medical, doctors, etc. He did agree and he was quite frustrated also, I might add, as he is Republican and in the minority here in Illinois.

[Havasu]

Originally Posted by PBrenda51

Folks....we moved from Iowa where property taxes were much less and we had GREAT city services, including city garbage pickup. When it snowed, our side street was plowed within 12 hours ALWAYS!!! No services here in Springfield to speak of or that I can see. I spoke to Rep. Bomke last week as the fund match for the Extension offices is not being paid to them as our "beloved" governor is blackmailing the legislature for that. He has added it into a bill of 530 million dollars so he can get the expansions he wants. And get this, he "found" $150,000 in a general fund and expanded medicaid to include a family of 4 making $85,000 a year. I'm sorry, but they can manage.....budget but live just fine. We did it with 3 children, braces, activities, college, etc. and even on less. I do not work for the extension, however, I am a Master Gardener and donate time to help the extension.....they help the farmers, 4-H, community programs, horticulture and gardening, nutrition programs, etc. They are already on a shoestring budget, and our "esteemed" governor cuts them off, but expands other programs that suits his needs. I hope that Fitzgerald gets Blago's butt and/or that we can recall him. It was not central and southern Illinois that got him re-elected.....it was his cronies in Chicago that he gets jobs for, gives contracts to, oh, and the people he gets all of these expanded programs for.....can you say "buying votes"? Then Todd Strojer in Chicago is now having his employees sign off not to ever discuss anything that goes on/went on in his office and dealings. Sounds like Communists, doesn't it? When we are done here in Springfield, we will be back in good old Iowa and away from this train wreck. The taxes are only going to go higher to get out of this mess. I guess Blago's mama never taught him that if you don't have the money, you don't spend it! If we all ran our households the way he runs the state, we would all be bankrupt. I told Bomke that maybe that $150,000 that Blago "found", should have been spent towards paying bills already owed to nursing homes, hospitals, veterans medical, doctors, etc. He did agree and he was quite frustrated also, I might add, as he is Republican and in the minority here in Illinois.

Great post
The reason it is so tough to make it in Illinois is the State STEALS alot of your income one way or another by TAXES.
Iowa is a less Taxed State and a great one also. Keep voting for Democrats and you will keep seeing higher Taxes. Enjoy!!!

[computerguysd]

"It was not central and southern Illinois that got him re-elected.....it was his cronies in Chicago that he gets jobs for, gives contracts to, oh, and the people he gets all of these expanded programs for.....can you say "buying votes"?"

The sheer population of Chicago and it's suburbs allows it to dominate the state's politics. That's why it's not totally unreasonable for people in the rest of the state to feel like an Illinois without "Chicagoland" would be in better shape. Chicago may indeed provide most of the revenue, arts, diversity, etc, for the state but it's political dominance and the extent of corruption in Illinois politics creates a lot of the alienation between Chicagoland and Central / Southern Illinois.

That's not uncommon in most parts of the country that the dominant city and the rest of a state are frequently alienated.

[Anita Clark]

That's the main secondary reason I left Illinois last year, too much 'fat', too much politicking, older established areas with older and deteriorating blighted housing. I am in AZ number one for my health and the opportunities, which BTW are here for workers. My only tie to Illinois is a piece of property in one of those chronically economically repressed areas STILL for sale-Kankakee County. Too many layers upon layers of taxation self-voting themselves part-timers raises and retirement funds, taxes still going up. Didn't want all those services, too many there got 'accustomed' to them. So the property may sit unsold for years to come. Last month more drops in sales-Realtors lie. Read the reports yourself on the nation's, the State of Illinois in particular(the Midwest) and you will know. The sun states go down last, pick up first, but this time it will be years before edging up in the sun states. The central part of the nation is always last. And areas bad before several years later.

[Avengerfire]

The Chicago area is booming and has been for about 15 years.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

The Chicago area is booming and has been for about 15 years.

I think you forgot the zero after "15."