By Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
It’s crazy, considering the facts, but Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot actually thinks she can battle Texas for people and companies.
Chicago is running newspaper ads in Texas to make a case for businesses to move to Illinois. Crain’s reports that Chicago officials are hoping to draw in more Texas companies by contrasting the city’s values – including it’s “inclusivity” – with what officials call “recent controversial state laws and policies” in Texas, namely abortion, election and COVID-response laws.
It’s a silly move considering Texas has been beating Illinois consistently in the competition for people and businesses. In the last decade alone, Texas’ population exploded by 4 million while Illinois’ population shrunk by 18,000.
By all accounts, people like Texas politics and policies. And for all Lightfoot knows, it’s the city’s current extreme politics that will actually drive even more people away.
Not to mention, there’s Chicago’s current crime wave, its economic lockdowns, its junk credit rating, crippling retirement debts, and state and city tax increases.
“Dear Texas, there were always more than 100 reasons why Chicago is a great place for business.” That’s the starting line of the city’s new ad in the Dallas Morning News.
Lightfoot’s team must have not shown her what’s been happening between Illinois and Texas over the last decade. The Lone Star state has taken advantage of every Illinois misstep, and the out-migration numbers from Illinois prove it.
Illinoisans have been fleeing for Texas since at least 2010. In total, Illinois has lost a net 90,000 Illinoisans to the Lone Star state, according to state-to-state migration data from the Internal Revenue Service.
The incomes between those moving in and moving out have also become more pronounced over time. In 2010, both residents moving in and out had incomes of about $50,000. But by 2019, the Illinoisans moving to Texas had an average income of over $103,000 while Texans moving in had incomes of $71,000.
Lightfoot can run any sort of advertisement she wants, but she’s facing an incredible uphill battle. You can imagine Texas is already attracting Illinois companies with a promotion that might look like this:
Illinois and Chicago have all the assets they need to compete with Texas. What they lack are lawmakers willing to enact the policies that can unleash those assets. Until this state’s politicians do that, Illinois will continue to lose the competition for people and businesses.
Read more about what’s wrong with Chicago’s policies and politics:
- Mayor Lightfoot’s Resolution Calling For Critical Race Theory In Schools Is As Shameless As It Is Shameful
- The fiscal insanity in Chicago continues. Despite $22.7 billion pension shortfall, Chicago Public Schools to add 2,000 employees
- Lightfoot’s ‘Whole Of Government’ Approach Won’t Reduce Violent Crime. Two Committed Parents Will
- Nine facts Chicago’s City Council ignored when passing the city’s 2021 budget
For the record, here is Chicago’s ad.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Expect no retraction or apology. This what they do.
Wait till we roll out the abortion mandates … since they are great !!! what company wouldn’t wanna miss taking down pesky family healthcare costs
an ad blitz based on abortion … this is true evil
Sure, come to IL and get your abortion here. Who wants to raise a child in Chicago when they might be shot before the turn 18. Better no children.
And bring your red votes with you.
She needs to solicit New Jersey, maybe Baltimore, California, etc. you know places equally as unattractive school and crime wise. When you are number 49 out of 50 in the pecking order, there are not too many worse places to be recruiting from. So she decides to try to recruit from the number one desirable place to have a business, Texas? What is she nuts?
Ted,
What is the end game? The states finances are so dire, yet thew unions and wine moms send the same cretins back to office every cycle. When will the day of reckoning come? Do you think the constitution will ever be amended? Texas has much more wiggle room with pensions and spending in general.
This is just funny
As far as being a sovereign state, Illinois is FUBAR. Depending on which actuary, Illinois’ unfunded liability is north of $300 Billion, unless you believe the state’s estimate. Regardless, neither the $300 Billion nor the state’s estimate include other than pension benefits such as health care insurance, dental insurance and survivor benefits which the state subsidizes or partially pays. Illinois is amortizing the unfunded liabilities for five state pensions at at 2% whilst the fund is projected to earn 6.75-7.25%, thus increasing the unfunded liabilities of the five funds.
Dang, and I thought it was the low taxes, great schools, low crime, and budget surpluses that would attract companies to Chicago!
Now the national embarrassment on how clueless and woke Chicago Democrats are. Another perfect example of how being a Democrat is belonging to a cult.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. It is good to see she hasn’t lost her sense of humor.
I’m dumbstruck. The “vibe” everybody is in love with is gone.
Been in Texas 4 weeks. Moved from Plainfield IL. We asked how much the school fees are for my kids, they looked at us weird and said there were no fees. My son is playing football, it is free no fees. Between sports and school fees for all my kids I am saving hundreds if not a thousand dollars or more Got my water, sewer, garbage bill today, it is half of what I paid there because I am not required to support another layer of needless government employees aka a village. I will never go back. It just shows… Read more »
These people live in a world where they think that advertising “we murder children here” is a positive brand attribute. To Texans. The bubble these people live in allows absolutely no outside dissent or views.
Busy Lori theatre, recruiting businesses to come to Chicago. Lori probably calls someone and begs them to comment; we’re looking at options! Please don’t scoff and say NFW!
i agree with all of the comments below,but,if any businesses in Texas dont decide to move to Illinois,well,that company MUST be racist,isnt that the leftys go to excuse for pretty much everything,including Lightfoot!?
Texans would go to Nashville before Chicago. And why trade your no-income-tax and high property tax state for an income tax plus even higher property taxes?
Texas already has it’s own version of Chicago – Austin…
What Texas doesn’t have is the rampant *lead poisoning* Chicago has…
More virtue-signaling on part of Lightfoot’s administration. Ad itself is irrelevant, though squandering, again, of taxpayer monies. Bigger question is what company received this contract-award for marketing Chicago to Texans; bet it’s a large contributor to Lightfoot campaign-chest. Always follow the money.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Check & mate…
Good Grief! How dumb does she think people are? Some reasons Beetlejuice think Shi…congo’s great: 1] high property taxes, 2] high sales taxes, 3] at least 10 people murdered each weekend, 4] personal and business protection (riots, breakins, robberies) at least doubled in the last year alone 5] parking meter fees, 6] forced to hire certain ‘privilaged peoples’ 7] unsafe to walk or park on the street anywhere, 8] every politician is corrupt and on the take. and the list can go on and on and on…
Apparently Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Democrats believe the rest of us are as irrational as they are.
She and the rest of Chicago Democrats think that everyone exists in the psychosis that envelops their brains.
The suburban Democrats aren’t any better.