The editors of the Wall Street Journal have focused their collective gimlet eye on states that were notably poorly run and, of course, Illinois immediately came to mind:
Economists have been surprised by the strength of consumer spending, and one reason may be that income growth has been faster than they thought. The BEA revised personal income growth upward in most states, especially in the West and Midwest. Incomes were revised up 4.2% in Colorado and Washington, 3.9% in Utah and 3.1% in Idaho.
One not so surprising exception is Illinois where growth was revised down 1.2%. Its neighbors Indiana (1.5%), Michigan (2.5%) and Wisconsin (2.6%) experienced modest upward revisions. Illinois incomes have grown faster over the last year (3.7%) than during the late Obama years amid an uptick in manufacturing, but the state still lags in the Great Lakes region.
Manufacturing earnings in Illinois have increased 4% over the last four quarters, but workers and businesses have been fleeing. Last year 80% of Illinois cities lost population, according to the Illinois Policy Institute. Swelling worker pension obligations are driving up property taxes, and some towns are imposing special fees to pay for public-safety pensions. Springfield is still a wholly owned subsidiary of the government-worker unions.
If I am ever at a loss for good things to say about Illinois, I recall that we can always serve as an object lesson.
It’s always puzzled me what the endgame strategy for Illinois is. I suspect it involves politicians boogeying out of Illinois, one step ahead of peasants armed with pitchforks and torches.
When she really gets desperate for funding, Chicago’s mayor could tell the police chief “no more warning tickets”. Extract every nickle in fines and court costs you can from residents. That was rumored to be the policy in Ferguson, Mo. before ignition. (Actually, no, don’t do that.)