The Incredible Shrinking....
- By almost every metric, Illinois' population is sharply declining, largely because residents are fleeing the state. The Tribune surveyed dozens of former residents who've left within the last five years, and each offered their own list of reasons for doing so. Common reasons include high taxes, the state budget stalemate, crime, the unemployment rate and the weather. Census data released Thursday suggest the root of the problem is in the Chicago metropolitan area, which in 2015 saw its first population decline since at least 1990.
Chicago's metropolitan statistical area, defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, includes the city and suburbs and extends into Wisconsin and Indiana.
The Chicago area lost an estimated 6,263 residents in 2015 — the greatest loss of any metropolitan area in the country. That puts the region's population at 9.5 million.
While 6,000 might be a drop in the bucket, it's indicative of a larger trend. And every deluge begins with a trickle. Politicians in Detroit didn't put it together (the regularly high tax increases plus the shrinking population) until it was far too late for any meaningful recovery.
Don't believe us though - here's Chicago Magazine:
Don't believe us though - here's Chicago Magazine:
- We don’t yet have Census Bureau numbers for Chicago itself, but the raw population decline in the metropolitan statistical area (which stretches from Wisconsin to Indiana) and Cook County are dramatic: “Cook, Ill., had the largest numeric decline among counties at 10,488 people,” the Census Bureau reported. “The next largest decline belonged to Wayne, Mich., at 6,673.”
Wayne County is where Detroit is.
And at this point, Wayne County has far less to lose than Cook does, but they're still a strong second place. Chew on that for a while.
Labels: city politics, county
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
73 Comments:
It's not just the number of people that are leaving that's scary. Its the quality. It is probably the working talented wage-earning taxpaying citizen (the contributing segment of society) that is leaving.
It is not just the crime. Or the taxes. Or the weather. It is the political climate. A political climate that panders to a segment of the population that has no self-control, is out of control violent. Is never called out or criticized. Puts forth no effort to educate or improve itself but keeps call for more handouts. And gets them.
Those that are leaving feel that there is no future here for them. And its not just the white middle class. It is also the black middle class that is getting out.
Chicago has a ton of problems that have festered over the years. The political leadership has to idea or interest solving them.
And Chicago should be an easy location for business. Center of the country, excellent transportation access by road, train, air and shipping. Virtually all industries' products move through the Chicago area.
As soon as I can sell, I'm out of here.
Eight months and counting and me and mine are out of here. Far out. Oklahoma is looking good. There is no reason to stay in this corrupt cesspit.
I didn't realize how dysfunctional Chicago and Illinois in general are until I left. It's a shame. I didn't want it to get to the point where I had to leave. I have good friends there, and I love the restaurants in the Chicago area and the plenty of fun things to do....but due to the crazy policies and mismanagement of the state government by the Illinois democratic party machine, I knew I had very little chance of a long-term stable career there...so I did what was best for me and my future. I left. As I said, I miss many things about Chicago.....but I love seeing the Rocky mountains every day from my small town out here in the rural mountain west.
Seeing the lawlessness that happened at the Trump rally only confirmed that I made the right decision.
The tribune didn't interview my wife and I, both retired cpd. We left because of the political corruption thru out the entire state.
Start cutting off the welfare queens and their spawn
Will the last taxpaying citizen turn out the lights?
You count me gone, the day after I retire! This City and State SUCKS! No reason to live here! A whole lot better options to the South and Western United States! Da Pelon
My family will be gone in Three short years.
We are waiting for a graduation.
The problem as we see it is the taxes/fees.
Paying more to get less.
What is this governing body to do when tax paying
people leave ?
Guess it will be a true Sanctuary city and welfare state.
Make America great again !!!
Anyone who stays in Illinois is an idiot. This will not be fixed. The democrats will never give up power, and their voting base outbreeds those who work and contribute. It's mathematically impossible to keep up with them, and as they add illegal aliens to the voting population, it's finished.
Move while you can. You would be surprised how great it is to live in an area not run by corrupt socialist politicians. You'll wonder why you put up with the bullshit for so long.
Even the blind are beginning to see....
2020 is when I am gone. Hello greater Nashville area. I will not vote in local electiions lest I screw up what I believe is a good thing there. Milder weather but seasonal changes, good looking women, guys with guns hanging in their trucks, Hickok45 and no income tax. Oh yeah, so long suckers.
It must be the weather. Everything else is like Paradise.
Remember, they don't count the roughly 500,000 illegal aliens in Chicago. Sancutary city..
I'm done in 11 months. Aint leaving the state, but leaving the city.
I left because of thieving liberal un-American Democrats, High taxes, no jobs, welfare cheaters and murderous black thugs. Other than that, I do miss the antics of Rahm, Prickwinkle, the Madigan/Cullerton cartel, and the communist Teachers Union. They are a lot funnier now I am a Florida resident.
Add me to the list. Two more years and I am out of Illinois.I'm done supporting welfare queens, thugs and worst of all, thieving politicians. Indiana, here I come!
Illinois coddles 2 protected groups: the rich and the poor.
The rich get the benefits and the poor get all the freebies. Who pays?
The middle class, of course. And it keeps getting squeezed harder and harder to fund all of the benefits and freebies. Taxes and "fees" will keep rising faster and faster.
But the middle class doesn't seem to mind, since it keeps voting for all of the politicians who make that happen.
"Thank you, sir. May I have another?"
Self-destructive suckers.
Is CCDT an abbreviation for "City of Chicago Death Throes" or "Cook County Death Throes"?
The migration was predictable. The democratic politicians have pandered to the least contributing members of society to keep their hold on power. It didn't matter if the city and public order were crumbling around them. But is this really power? These politicians have been reduced to groveling, sniveling cowards with absolutely no pride. They let the parasites walk all over them at the expense of the normal citizens in the Chicago area. This points to the fact that they don't trade in their pride for power. It must be the graft that is accessible to them.
who will pay for the pensions?
I looked in the suburbs. All the decent ones have sky high taxes to support their very good schools. My kids are grown. Start thinking of $12,000 a year for starters.
tax payers are leaving is no secret and the liberals have taken over
Southern suburbs here. As soon as we retire, we are out of this God forsaken state. I estimate we over pay $12,000 a year in taxes, fees and general bullshit to live in this shit state. Done paying for corruption. I can make 12k go along way in a southern state.
Will the last taxpaying citizen turn out the lights?
3/28/2016 02:45:00 AM
No worries, they'll be shut off automatically because of non-payment.
It so peaceful else where!
I haven't left yet. Primarily b cause I haven found where I want to go. I have no family left and starting over alone in a strange place isn't easy. Any ideas for a retired widowed LEO that doesn't want to go live in some old lady community in Arizona or Florida?
Retired and on the way out. Question... Do they include the 1,000, 000 plus people here under the radar? Many here non citizen and expired visas too
But remember----none of this matters as long as Madigan is "winning." It's just evidence his master plan to be the first pol in history to destroy both a city and a state is working.
I would submit that the report is skewed: what the Census Bureau is withholding is the fact that literally tens of thousands of undocumented illegals have been brought in to Chicago and the suburbs. Thus, as tax payers flee, tax recipients rise in numbers exponentially higher than reported. The tax death spiral is already out of control in the Windy City. It is just a matter of months until it becomes evident with much deeper deficits and revenue decreases.
If Illinois starts taxing retirees pension there will really be a mass exodus. Then there would be absolutely no reason for a retiree to stay in Illinois. They would move to warmer states that cater to and want the retirees pension dollars. Florida, Nevada that's where you want to spend your pensions and social security if you get it!
If Illinois starts taxing retirees pension there will really be a mass exodus. Then there would be absolutely no reason for a retiree to stay in Illinois. They would move to warmer states that cater to and want the retirees pension dollars. Florida, Nevada that's where you want to spend your pensions and social security if you get it!
Wayne County is kind of a crazy county. It extends 30 miles or so west of Detroit, and the "white flight" that took place in 1969 created a number of high-priced, gated bedroom communities in what was farm country. Those residents are tired of paying outrageous property taxes to support substandard government schools and are equally tired of paying to support Detroit. In addition, the proximity to Dearbornistan is unsettling to a lot of people. Oakland and Macomb counties are probably seeing population increases, as they are home to a lot of high-tech startups and are welcoming to both working class folks and entrepreneurs.
Moving to Tennessee or Florida!!!! Get the fuck out retire early Cooter did
If I'm still alive at 65...Gone next spring !
Tired old man.
"Eight months and counting and me and mine are out of here. Far out. Oklahoma is looking good. There is no reason to stay in this corrupt cesspit.
3/28/2016 01:02:00 AM"
Buy yourself a Soil Farm, look it up future Okie, sounds like you're tailor made for it.
Madigan and his crew of corrupt are destroying this state.
Bleed the state dry.
All of you dopes that leave, make sure you bring your stupid democrat values with you so you can vote for the same thing to happen in the new place. Of course, then, you'll whine about how bad it is in the new place and you fucking helped cause it.
The welfare queen shave been cut off. There is no welfare anymore, there is only un-controlled crime daily and no one wants to stop it. The vacant lots in North Lawndale and other areas should have told anybody with a brain that the people were leaving. Now there is no one to pay taxes..the city is nearly bankrupt...
Don't worry about those tax paying middle class civilized citizens hauling ass out of there. Obama is going to replace each and every one of them with middle eastern Islamic terro....my bad, I mean peace loving muslims and somalis. Just like the ones in that peace & love story "Black Hawk Down". Chicago's new exports will be khat and AK's.
Enjoy your democratically created garden of edan.
As much as possible, stay safe.
J.J.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Eight months and counting and me and mine are out of here. Far out. Oklahoma is looking good. There is no reason to stay in this corrupt cesspit.
3/28/2016 01:02:00 AM
Only two things come out of Oklahoma. Steers and ......
Count me in. In April next year 2017 the house goes up for sale.
@1:11am.....what town in the Rockies?? Dillon?
Seems like half the skels that I stop on my ghetto beat are from Chicago, most of them have appeared within the last 4-5 years.
You guys can have them back, but we'll happily take the taxpayers!
(OT) bohica, rahm oh rahm credit rating cut again 1 step above junk and your still pandering to illegals WTF!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-fitch-rating-chicago-20160328-story.html
What they forgot to mention is that while the poor and uneducated leave the city and state. The educated, professionals and well to do move in. I just met a friend at Roscoe and Southport. All of those huge houses are worth at least 2 million dollars. The condos are from 600K to 1 million dollars. Real estate is booming in the city.
hey ssc you are not kidding even persons who are not the police are fleeing and its wealthy persons with money, be real nice if the good residents of the 11th disreict decided to pack and leave but that is not the case even my aunt n uncle are leaving and fleeing to fountain hills ,az
As long as you keep an old coat in a basement, it doesn't count as moving out of state.
Somebody has to pay for all the welfare dead beats that live in the city and it is only getting worst as the days go by.
I wonder how many of those who left Illinois, and Chicago in particular, relocated to another Democrat controlled city? Not many I am thinking.
I was always proud of the fact that I was a Chicagoan when I was growing up. My wife and son were also proud of our solid middle class life.
Entertainment and dining, sometimes the sports teams, and all the other "bread and circuses" could rival any city in the world.
Fifty plus years of Democrat malfeasance and thievery have made the city nearly uninhabitable for any except the nonproductive and criminal.
I left the city when I retired knowing that it was the best thing for my wife and myself. I found many fine restaurants and places for entertainment as well as places to hunt and fish so the desire to return to Chicago is minimal at best. I hope that those who want to leave will be able to do so. Life is much better with Chicago, Cook County and Illinois in my rear view mirror.
I left in 1994 and headed south. Best decision I have ever made. Good luck to everyone dealing with their little piece of a disintegrating America.
nonymous said...
My family will be gone in Three short years.
We are waiting for a graduation.
The problem as we see it is the taxes/fees.
Paying more to get less.
What is this governing body to do when tax paying
people leave ?
Guess it will be a true Sanctuary city and welfare state.
Make America great again !!!
I am right behind you!
Again Check your property tax bill, these fuckin teacher's all suck!
U all did the right thing, get out and stay out!
While taking a public administration class a few years ago, they used Detroit as the worst case scenario. And now I can tell you we are looking at it happening right in
Chiraq.
Pay close attention to the city infrastructure. Streets not being fixed, street lights
not working, no animal control......garbage picked up every two weeks..
As for police services, get ready for one man cars after dark. And the union will fall
in line with command needs.
By the way city paid for my undergrad and graduate degrees along withmy retirement home.
City is burning through money, that they are borrowing against bonds.
same as Detroit. See anything here.
Leaving for Arizona tomorrow morning to look at houses. Putting our Chicago home up for sale June 01, Retiring in November! Good bye!
Alright now; with a Supt. in place, what are the numbers that will be promoted at Sgt. and Lt. rank and any rumor on detectives. At ISR training there was some talk of Lts in May.
As soon as my kids are done with school, I'm out. Living in Crook county is a catch 22. As a blue collar family, Can't really afford most of the surrounding counties. Working in the west loop, not looking for a two hour commute to work either. Throw in the encroaching crime that spills beyond city limits, the constant b.s. of the political scene. The weather shouldn't even make the list of reasons to leave.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Start cutting off the welfare queens and their spawn
3/28/2016 02:08:00 AM
If that happened the demorats would have no votes.
I too am gone when I hit 50. That will give me 22 on the job, (FD). However folks need to look at the big picture of the states you are looking to retire too. Many of the southern states are struggling too when closely examined. They do not have the population yet to trigger the issues. Just practice your due regard....
Flying.gage
Left last year after 25 years. The wife and I moved to Arizona. We pay a third of what we used to pay in property taxes. Cost of living is half of what it is in Crook County. People here are friendly. Became a regular at the local gun range. Became friends with an old timer here. He couldn't have said it better, Welcome to the real America. No regrets. Get out while you can.
The democratic way... overpromise benefits to buy the votes of various blocs, raise taxes to pay for it, take away freedoms from others, watch the wealthy move away and claim they had the best intentions and were only trying to help the kids, the poor, etc.
No where has socialism succeeded. Europe was supposedly their success story but we now see them imploding. Yeah, great model to follow.
On the other hand, Capitalism provides opportunity to all and created the wealthiest country in the history of the world, saved millions from diseases and poverty.
Trump may only ve one step above a chimpanzee, but even the chimpanzee , or a potted plant, should soundly defeat the lying, cheating, Clinton.
Please call for a cap to pensions at 3x the max social security benefit before its too late and we end up with even less.
Sorry to tell you, but the money is not there to pay for it. People are leaving the state and borrowing costs are rising.
The death spiral is accelerating.
Nevada has NO Income tax, lower taxes overall and better weather, with great entertainment and things to do with your free time!
No wonder conventions are leaving Chicago for Las Vegas!
All this bullshit about the City, its proximity to being the next Detroit has been around for decades. I'm guessing the economic disaster we call Chicago has been bubbling since the city hasn't made their contributions to the pensions. Point being this situation existed before most of us came on the job. Those of you with the option to move can consider yourselves lucky. The rest of us with young kids enrolled in schools and having relationships have to ride it out. So for the rest of us that have to put in another 10 plus years, please shut the fuck up about how terrible things are. How'd you like it if we referred to those of you near retirement are so much closer to dropping dead than the rest of us? None of the bitching about Rahm changes anything. Mayors and politicians have been pilfering since the days of Hinky Dink and Big Bill Thompson. Wise up for Christ sakes.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Left last year after 25 years. The wife and I moved to Arizona. We pay a third of what we used to pay in property taxes. Cost of living is half of what it is in Crook County. People here are friendly. Became a regular at the local gun range. Became friends with an old timer here. He couldn't have said it better, Welcome to the real America. No regrets. Get out while you can.
3/29/2016 12:07:00 AM
I agree many going to AZ,FL,TN the great "taxpayer flight" is rapidly going! But wait they are building and selling multi-million dollar homes north side of the city, huge tax bills no police service what did they do with all the money? Will the doj finally catch the real criminals? Will they call daley,rahm,toni,and the rest of the crews on the carpet? If Trump wins (Hope he does) the gates of hell will open on these scum criminals watching them being marched out in shackles would be the best gift ever tio the city of Chicago just do it soon!
I can't wait to get out of here. I've lived here my entire life, but between Property Taxes, Sales Tax, and the city/state 'feeing' me to death with all the unusual crap. I just can't afford it anymore.
"Nevada has NO Income tax, lower taxes overall and better weather, with great entertainment and things to do with your free time!"
You have Vegas and Reno, the rest of the state is an unpopulated f'ng Desert. Unless your idea of fun is to sit in a casino all day, with a butt in your yapper, playing the slot machines, then have at it.
to 3/28/16 12;18pm not to give it away but where in Arizona are you going me n the wife want to go there in 2 more years.
Arizona places
Anywhere in East Valley or West valley. Just stay out of Phoenix
Gilbert, Chandler, Fountain Hills, Scottsdale, Goodyear, Surprise.
Go visit and drive around. You can easily tell where to live there. Think gated communities.
So for the rest of us that have to put in another 10 plus years, please shut the fuck up about how terrible things are. How'd you like it if we referred to those of you near retirement are so much closer to dropping dead than the rest of us? None of the bitching about Rahm changes anything. Mayors and politicians have been pilfering since the days of Hinky Dink and Big Bill Thompson. Wise up for Christ sakes.
3/29/2016 08:13:00 AM
Floating in denial. Will continue to vote democrat because "you can't fight city hall." This and the savages are all that will be left here. There are always other options out of state, but you need courage to chart unfamiliar waters, and they just lack courage. Socialists love cowardly sheep like this.
Top 50 U.S. cities for conventions in 2013
1. Orlando
2. Chicago
3. Las Vegas
In 2013 alone there were 1,797 meth lab seizures in Indiana—the most in the country. There was even a recent case of a meth lab being discovered in a Wal-Mart bathroom in Indiana.
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