What if Chicago could be part of Wisconsin? (Champaign, Orland Park: universities, taxes)

[chikid]

Being that I have been born and raised in Chicago, I have always noticed a huge disconnect from the Chicago metro to the rest of the state of Illinois. People in Chicago actually are more fond of and prefer Wisconsin as a place to visit than the rest of the state of Illinois. From my experience in living in Champaign for a couple of years, many natives there dislike how Chicago takes complete control and all the money from the state leaving the rest of Illinois with issues.

Now let's say there was a vote presented for the state line of Wisconin to move just south of the Chicago metro, how would you vote? Would you welcome the change or would you oppose it? I would love to have it that way. For me this is how I would break it down:

Pros:
-Much better balance in terms of power and money. Having cities like Milwaukee, Madison and to a certain extent Green Bay as part of a state would decrease the chances of Chicago becoming so dominant in state politics.

-We would actually be part of a much much more interesting state, imo.

-We could bring lots of money into the state of Wisconsin, which might help Milwaukee become revitalized.

-Wisconsin is not as corrupt and bipartisan as Illinois is.

-Think about the sports! Having instate rivalries Bears-Packers, Cubs-Brewers, Bulls-Bucks, would just make things more intense!

Cons:
-Universities. A metro of 9 million is a big chunk of people that would be added to any state. In terms of universities, the University of Wisconsin could only handle so much. The University of Illinois would lose out big time seeing as how most students are from the Chicago metro.

Can't really think of any other cons which is why I think we should move the state line down south of Chicago!

[Orangeish]

Really, you can't think of any other cons that would result from an unprecendented (in modern times in this country) move of state boundries taking away the 3rd largest city in the country away from one state and giving it to another?

[fearnofish]

Why would you want to ruin the great state Wisconsin by adding Chicago to it like that??

[OhAcid]

Originally Posted by chikid

Being that I have been born and raised in Chicago, I have always noticed a huge disconnect from the Chicago metro to the rest of the state of Illinois. People in Chicago actually are more fond of and prefer Wisconsin as a place to visit than the rest of the state of Illinois. From my experience in living in Champaign for a couple of years, many natives there dislike how Chicago takes complete control and all the money from the state leaving the rest of Illinois with issues.

Now let's say there was a vote presented for the state line of Wisconin to move just south of the Chicago metro, how would you vote? Would you welcome the change or would you oppose it? I would love to have it that way. For me this is how I would break it down:

Pros:
-Much better balance in terms of power and money. Having cities like Milwaukee, Madison and to a certain extent Green Bay as part of a state would decrease the chances of Chicago becoming so dominant in state politics.

-We would actually be part of a much much more interesting state, imo.

-We could bring lots of money into the state of Wisconsin, which might help Milwaukee become revitalized.

-Wisconsin is not as corrupt and bipartisan as Illinois is.

-Think about the sports! Having instate rivalries Bears-Packers, Cubs-Brewers, Bulls-Bucks, would just make things more intense!

Cons:
-Universities. A metro of 9 million is a big chunk of people that would be added to any state. In terms of universities, the University of Wisconsin could only handle so much. The University of Illinois would lose out big time seeing as how most students are from the Chicago metro.

Can't really think of any other cons which is why I think we should move the state line down south of Chicago!

You could just wait fifty(+) years until Northern Chicago has actually reached Wisconsin. Moving the state line? Cons? - How about the various dozens of townships that now are no longer a part of the state of Illinois as well, restructuring the entire region. Why is this even being discussed.

[Kansascrip]

Originally Posted by chikid

Being that I have been born and raised in Chicago, I have always noticed a huge disconnect from the Chicago metro to the rest of the state of Illinois. People in Chicago actually are more fond of and prefer Wisconsin as a place to visit than the rest of the state of Illinois. From my experience in living in Champaign for a couple of years, many natives there dislike how Chicago takes complete control and all the money from the state leaving the rest of Illinois with issues.

Now let's say there was a vote presented for the state line of Wisconin to move just south of the Chicago metro, how would you vote? Would you welcome the change or would you oppose it? I would love to have it that way. For me this is how I would break it down:

Pros:
-Much better balance in terms of power and money. Having cities like Milwaukee, Madison and to a certain extent Green Bay as part of a state would decrease the chances of Chicago becoming so dominant in state politics.

-We would actually be part of a much much more interesting state, imo.

-We could bring lots of money into the state of Wisconsin, which might help Milwaukee become revitalized.

-Wisconsin is not as corrupt and bipartisan as Illinois is.

-Think about the sports! Having instate rivalries Bears-Packers, Cubs-Brewers, Bulls-Bucks, would just make things more intense!

Cons:
-Universities. A metro of 9 million is a big chunk of people that would be added to any state. In terms of universities, the University of Wisconsin could only handle so much. The University of Illinois would lose out big time seeing as how most students are from the Chicago metro.

Can't really think of any other cons which is why I think we should move the state line down south of Chicago!

[Drover]

To me it wouldn't be quite sufficient to just redraw the state line, though I would gladly trade Wisconsin's political and fiscal state of affairs for our own. I wish Chicago and Green Bay could physically swap places so that Chicago could be right at the foot of the Northwoods. But then I suppose the Northwoods would be even more overrun than it already is.

[css9450]

Is this a joke?

Visiting Wisconsin is a simple matter of driving across the state line; its not like we need to have our passports checked. Its not Canada.

I visit Indiana quite a lot but never felt the need to swing the state line westward around Chicago to accomodate me.

[emathias]

I would support the U.S. taking a page from a number of other countries and putting the biggest 3-6 metro areas by economic output into their own governmental entities, separate from states and counties. In the U.S. it would make the most sense to do that with the New York area, Los Angeles area, Chicagoland, and then it would probably get a little grayer, but maybe Washington (an expanded D.C., basically), Boston and the entire Bay Area. That would help protect your critical global cities from the whims of disinterested rural interests. While the current political boundaries have their historic charm, they run a real risk of hurting the economic engines of cities (by which I mean metro areas) that are critical to the success of the entire nation. By grouping the cities and suburbs, you also force all those local groups whose interests are fundamentally aligned to actually recognize that fact instead of allowing local political boundaries to create false, counter-productive conflicts.

As far as Chicago in Wisconsin, I suspect that most professionals in the Chicago area would pay a good deal more in taxes as part of Wisconsin. On the other hand, Chicago being in Wisconsin would mean HSR from Chicago to Milwaukee-Madison-Twin Cities would become a much more likely.

[Muppet123]

OP, put the bong down.

[prelude91]

I think the majority of the south side, south west/south suburbs relate more to Indiana that Wisconsin. I grew up in Orland Park and thought of Indiana as our neighbor moreso than Wisconsin.