By: Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
There’s no denying Gov. J.B. Pritzker should be one of the state’s biggest cheerleaders, consistently accentuating Illinois’ positives. It’s what any good governor should do.
But Pritzker too often corrupts his message with dishonest spin and, in the process, buries the real day-to-day struggles ordinary Illinoisans face. The governor was at it again when he spoke to Crain’s recently about the state of Illinois’ economy. Watch his talk here.
His comments to Crain’s were particularly dishonest when it comes to employment and crime. Jobs up, he says, crime down. It’s all part of the governor’s refusal to acknowledge Illinois’ extreme outlier status on the problems of high taxes, spiraling crime, poor economic growth, massive pension debts, dismal education results, and much more.
Below we show how Pritzker’s jobs and crime rhetoric doesn’t match the facts on the ground – the facts that Illinoisans and Chicagoans must deal with every day.
1. Illinois employment growth lags entire nation under Pritzker
Gov. Pritzker had a lot to say about Illinois’ jobs climate, telling Crain’s the state is attracting new employers and jobs and that it’s in the best position in many years to boost its economy. He also told Crain’s: “Companies are coming to us. They want to do business in Illinois…we’re now in discussions with 25 companies, big companies with billions to invest and up to 4,000 jobs.”
Pritzker’s 4,000 jobs claim may sound impressive until you look at just how behind Illinois has fallen on employment during his tenure.
Nearly 125,000 fewer Illinoisans were employed in October 2023 than when Pritzker took office in Jan. 2019 – a decline of 2 percent.
Not only is that equivalent to the entire population of Springfield losing a job, but it’s the 2nd-worst employment growth performance in the entire county, behind only Massachusetts.
All of Illinois’ neighbors performed better. Kentucky and Iowa’s declines were far smaller than Illinois, while every other neighbor saw their employment numbers grow. Missouri’s was up by 2.5 percent, adding 73,000 more people to its employment rolls.
On a percentage basis, Utah and Arizona were the nation’s big winners, with employment growing 13 percent and 11 percent respectively. And Texas and Florida each grew their employment numbers by over 1 million during the same period.
Illinois’ manufacturing numbers are even worse, with total manufacturing jobs down by 4.7 percent – nearly 28,000 – since Pritzker took office. That’s the worst decline in factory jobs across all of Illinois’ neighbors except Michigan.
2. Chicago violent crime continues to grow, not shrink
Gov. Pritzker also said addressing crime is an “ongoing issue” but that “violent crime in the City of Chicago…has been coming down for three years, in particular, over the last year.” He even encouraged residents to “track it for themselves” by “looking at the statistics that the CPD publishes.”
Wirepoints did. And the data shows the exact opposite of his claim.
Yes, homicides and shootings are down. But those aren’t the only violent crimes Chicagoans suffer.
There are four violent crimes found in the CPD Compstat report: murder, criminal sexual assault, robbery and aggravated battery.
Add those crimes up as of YTD, November 26, and you’ll find that, collectively, violent crimes are growing. They’re actually up by nearly 20 percent compared to 2019 and 14 percent over last year.
We also looked at the City of Chicago’s Violence Reduction Dashboard and the number of victims of violent crimes has grown every year since 2019. More than 31,600 Chicagoans have been victims of violent crimes so far this year, up 26 percent compared to 2019 and 13 percent higher than in 2022.
The count of all major crimes in Chicago is also set to hit a post-covid high this year. In all, major crimes are up nearly 60 percent compared to 2019 and 18 percent higher than in 2022.
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Pritzker’s pitch was seemingly another step forward for his presidential ambitions. He’s “pushing a message that might play well with a national audience,” Crain’s said.
The governor can spin his record all he wants, but he’s not being honest. The reality is Illinoisans are still suffering when it comes to both employment and crime.
Read more from Wirepoints:
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.
So when will Illinois wake up and stop voting democrat, democrat party is the party of racism and fascism; will Illinois finally wake up and vote Trump in 2024 along with other Republican candidates who will actually look out for the best interests of the people of Illinois or will they keep voting in the racist virtue signaling moron democrat politicians who hate the people of Illinois? Democrat part is the party of slavery, racism, fascism and evil, it has never changed. People need to grow a brain and wake up.
Oh look a dislike, lol, probably a triggered crybaby loser moron, hilarious how stupid some people are lol and probably wears a mask when driving in their car alone, the level of stupidity of the left is mind boggling lol
and how many Illinois jobs are being propped up with taxpayer subsidies? JB’s still not disclosing what taxpayer subsidies are being given away in Stellantis /Belvidere deal?
Thats because JB Pigster is a fascist racist pig who hates the people of Illinois, is dumb as a brick, and is only there because he inherited his money, he never earned it; just another entitled trust fund moron who has done zero in his life and just has sucked off the hard work of what his grandfather built. I’m sure his grandfather is spinning in his grave seeing what a stupid moron loser JB is and is a complete embarrassment to his ancestors.
Oh look a dislike, lol, probably a triggered crybaby loser moron, hilarious how stupid some people are lol and probably wears a mask when driving in their car alone, the level of stupidity of the left is mind boggling lol
Fat Fredo’s mouth only opens for two reasons: to lie, and to eat. He does both with reckless abandon.
Of course he’s a liar, he’s a democrat. If you’re a democrat you’re a liar and dumb as a brick to keep voting these idiots into office because you yourself are an idiot and a complete failure and pathetic loser in life. Thats the democrat manifesto. I hope Texas keeps flooding these blue cities with even more record amounts of illegals too; which will happen. I think its hilarious watching moron mayor low IQ BJ cry waycism for all the illegals coming. Typical democrat, be a crybaby moron when you get exactly what you vote for. Vote Red in 2024.… Read more »
Oh look a dislike, lol, probably a triggered crybaby loser moron, hilarious how stupid some people are lol and probably wears a mask when driving in their car alone, the level of stupidity of the left is mind boggling lol
I never had any respect for Pritzker. My opinion of Illinois residents reaches a new low each day, whether you voted for him or not. If you pay your state taxes, you are supporting him and what he stands for.
Agreed, they vote democrat, not sure you an get any dumber than someone who lives in Illinois or Chicago and votes democrat. The democrat party hates the people they represent, the democrat party is the party of racism, fascism, communism and are out to completely destroy the state and country. If it weren’t for the federal government bailing out Chicago during the plandemic fraud of 2020 with federal taxpayer dollars, Chicago would be completely bankrupt. Thats how big of a failure Chicago is under democrat politicians, because democrat politicians are the worst form of scum that could ever represent a… Read more »
And those statistics reflect only REPORTED crime where a CRIME REPORT was completed. A fair number of people aren’t reporting the broken car windows, the catalytic converter theft, the thefts from front porch and vandalized cars, the stolen I-phone and/or wallet/purse. One friend-couple have confronted a carjacker in their backyard, found stolen property dumped in their trash-cans, lost a purse-wallet-phone-briefcase in a mugging, then lost laptop-briefcase again in car break-in, witnessed dead shooting victim found parked in car next to their car, chased another mugger during another mugging, had their catalytic converter stolen, had same car damaged by a hit-and-run,… Read more »
100% correct. Crime does not get reported and also when it does get reported, moron fascist, racist, communist Kim Foxx who hates the people of Illinois and Chicago always does plea deals dealing them down from serious felonies to misdemeanors so their crime statistics look good on paper and the criminals get let out to terrorize the law biding citizens even more; but in fact crime is probably triple what is actually being reported here. Democrats of Illinois and Chicago are you sick and tired of being played by fascist racist communists that hate you; those are the politicians who… Read more »
Oh look a dislike, lol, probably a triggered crybaby loser moron, hilarious how stupid some people are ha
Granite City Steel plant laying off 1,000 people indefinitely, closing plant.
https://www.kmov.com/2023/11/28/layoffs-expected-after-us-steel-indefinitely-idles-primary-operations-granite-city-facility/
Of course layoffs are happening and even more will happen. Who in the world would want to open a business or work in a state that is pro criminal that puts the criminals interests over the law biding citizens interests. Well this is what you voted for Illinois, democrats, more and more businesses will leave, more jobs lost, crime skyrocketing even further, the politicians playing you for idiots who virtue signal and you eat it up like the complete naïve morons you are. Stop being such idiots, vote Republican in 2024 otherwise you have no one else to blame but… Read more »
Oh look a dislike, lol, probably a triggered crybaby loser moron, hilarious how stupid some people are lol and probably wears a mask when driving in their car alone, the level of stupidity of the left is mind boggling lol
Pritzker doesn’t bother with the truth very often, and he certainly isn’t going to bother with it when it reveals him to be an awful leader.
Captain Toilet Seat, like his trusty sidekick Comrade Bedhead Johnson tries to spin yarns that, when revealed to be total BS, then switches to the tired “ Trump- White Supremacy “ narrative. This clown and the others of his ilk are getting old and people are finally getting tired of it.
Exactly correct 100%. But the funny thing is, low IQ mayor moron BJ is the racist, fascist, communist himself along with Pigster and the other brainless democrat politicians; they project what they are, they are the real racists, the democrat party has always been the party of racism/fascism and they hate the people they represent, thats why any democrat run place gets ran into the ground because thats what the democrat party is and the idiot lemmings who follow these idiots is completely unreal. The Chicago democrat machine is absolutely terrified of Republicans getting elected. Grow a brain Chicago, grow… Read more »