Wirepoints President Ted Dabrowski and Jeanne Ives joined Scott Slocum’s morning show on WJOL. They discussed why Illinois is bleeding people and how the state’s border communities are suffering thanks to the state’s uncompetitive policies.
Note to readers re: Ukraine
May 5, 2026
No Comments
Everybody needs a side hustle these days, and mine is Ukraine.
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.
I sometimes wonder if some of the out-migration is due to the electoral college system.
The left is constantly pointing to the fact that they win the popular vote, but elections are much closer because of the electoral college. Are progressives leaving states they already win by large margins, and moving to states that are considered “purple”, and they think they can swing?
Is some of this a voluntary redistribution of progressives? I hope not, but I fear it might be.
“Are progressives leaving states they already win by large margins, and moving to states that are considered “purple”, and they think they can swing?” My understanding of the data is that it is the red residents of blue states are moving to red and purple states, or blue cities in red states overall. As for blue states winning the popular vote, I remember in the 2016 election, that Trump won the popular vote of 49 states but then the California’s millions of voters voted at a roughly 2:1 D to R ratio, giving Hillary her several millions popular vote win.… Read more »
May I add another unmentioned reason for Illinois’ depopulation? It’s aversion to enforcing the Second Amendment through its restrictive gun laws. As a Chicagoan-in-Exile who lives in Ohio, with a CHL[concealed handgun license] valid in at least 35+ states, I’ve heard conversations and read articles about avoiding Illinois, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, and the few other states with onerous gun laws where reciprocity with other states is denied. It’s a curiosity, is it not, that criminals pay no attention to gun laws. However, according to this Wirepoints edition, Lightfoot employs a phalanx of cops. Security for me but not… Read more »
Good to hear from a former lawmaker Jeanne Ives. I am not in total agreement with the notion that so many people are moving out. By that I mean that those who move out are not abandoning their homes. They are selling those homes to other people otherwise you would see a lot of empty homes. It is possible that the people moving out may have a few younger kids and the purchasers are new to the housing market and do not have kids yet. Homes are still selling fast due to a low inventory and not many new homes… Read more »
The migration would slow but not stop if real estate taxes were cut in half. The problem with Illinois is the people. 75% of the residents of Cook County, which comprises nearly half the state’s population, voted for Biden. Joe Biden also won 57% of Dupage County to Trumps 40%. 61% of Lake County voters voted for Biden compared to 37% Trump. Illinois is a state filled with low information virtue signaling voters. They think it’s OK to teach CRT in schools. They think its OK for local libraries to promote transgenderism to 11 year olds. They believe the incompetency… Read more »
Re believing the incompetence of Joe Biden is better than Trump, that is absolutely the case for many. However, significant Biden corruption problems are looming. The problem is that a corrupt and incompetent Biden is likely better than Harris, with a level of incompetence that is frightening.
Biden is super corrupt but it’s largely been ignored by main stream media because it’s ‘their guy’. I love to give the example of Jimmy Carter in 1980. It’s commonly accepted that Jimmy was the worst prez of the 1900’s. Very similar time to now: high inflation, slow economic growth, hostages in Iran, oil embargoes, just a complete disaster. And yet still, 40% of the country surveyed the political landscape and said “Gimme more of Jimmy Carter”. Interestingly enough, the same happened to Pres Hoover(R)in 1932 vs. FDR (D). Hoover lost big time, 472 electoral votes to 59, but Hoover… Read more »