Commentary: Downstate Illinois needs more advocacy, not secession – Chicago Tribune*

"To those in the New Illinois camp, your frustrations are valid, but remember one of Illinois’ most revered sons, Abraham Lincoln. Faced with a country tearing itself at the seams, he didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, he chose to fight for change. Perhaps there’s a lesson there. "
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Wally
1 year ago

It’s easy to understand downstaters frustration. Democrats and Chicago/Cook County are the problem. Almost every state official, except the treasurer, is from Cook. Through the unions, they have gerrymandered the Republicans out of legislative existence. Supposedly, IL is 40+% Republican and the vast majority of counties vote Republican in presidential elections, yet, you’d never know it looking at state and federal congressional offices. Pritzker and his supermajorities pass progressive laws to eliminate Republicans. The majority of Illinoisans do not support late term abortions, yet Pritzker brags about IL being any time abortion central. How you break this stranglehold in the… Read more »

Pensions Paid First
1 year ago

Of course the Republican Party in Illinois want secession. They can’t convince the majority of the state to vote their way so they would rather whine about something that will NEVER happen. Why would the majority ever allow the minority to leave just so the minority could gain 2 senate seats? That would be political malpractice and won’t happen any time soon.

debtsor
1 year ago

Of course it’s about ‘convincing’ LOL. The Bolsheviks convinced about 25% of Tsarist Russia to reform into communism too. There are massive structural hurdles for the IL Republican Party to overcome. Are you aware that the Democrat Party passed a bill in the middle of election season denying Republicans the right to slate candidates for upcoming elections? I bet you weren’t aware of that (/snark!!!). And the gerrymandering; and the mail in voting, and of course, the fact that only 45% of the state is Republican. But these problems aren’t unique to Illinois, our Democrats neighbors to the east in… Read more »

LMAO
1 year ago

TRUMP 2024

debtsor
1 year ago

“Let’s rebuild the state’s Republican Party into a formidable opposition instead of a superminority. And let’s champion statewide candidates who can truly compete across Illinois, win and implement change, not just perform well in local enclaves. ”

Let’s also snort fairy dust and harvest unicorn horns too.

Brian Jones
1 year ago
Reply to  debtsor

That’s just the right attitude to turn it into fantasy. How about not shoving out Republicans who don’t want to join the personality cult?

debtsor
1 year ago
Reply to  Brian Jones

LOL – I don’t heed or listen to any Democrat’s advice on how to reform the Republican Party….

Deb
1 year ago
Reply to  Brian Jones

How about shoving out the Communist Democratic Party who only cares about Black/Brown, LGBTQ+, criminals, and Illegals. They don’t care about working class

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Chicago’s political leadership is floating a pension buyout program as evidence it is seriously addressing the city’s thirty-six-billion-dollar unfunded pension liability, but Mark Glennon, founder of the Illinois policy research organization Wirepoints, said that the proposal moves debt from one column to another rather than reducing it, and that the broader fiscal picture facing the city continues to deteriorate across every measurable dimension. Audio here.

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