It looks like Illinois may be in trouble.

[Deleted]

This is a nice fantasy land. Nice and heartless and sociopathic.

Kudos for being honest, at least.

Also absolutely workable. I'm not supporting it or saying it should be done but it is absolutely a workable solution to the existing problems.

As for increasing taxes. You cannot tax what does not exist. If simply raising the taxes would solve all such problems Venezuela could easily pull itself out of it's current crisis by doing so. You eventually reach a point of not just diminishing returns but where you begin to burn down the tiny bit of wealth you have. The poorer a place is, the sooner this happens.

[Thoughtful Trolli]

I wonder when they're going to ask the American tax payer so they keep they dole going? Tax payer is about to be on the hook. Figure that's okay for people who don't work, though.

There's only one way to figure out if a state is good or bad in fiscal terms (which are the only terms that matter,)

check their state sponsored lottery payouts. If they're paying state lottery winners, they're good. If they're in trouble, they don't pay winners, even if they won the $500-a-week for the rest of life card.

[Doctor Amadeus]

The state is run pretty poorly, IMO.

I live in Chicago and volunteer regularly. However, over the last 3-4 years I have not volunteered politically as often as in the past due to my frustration with the local government.

Nepotism, partisan-ism and bald face ignorance dominate Chicago/Illinois politics.

THREE YEARS without a sensible budget. Goddamn ridiculous.

You ever consider that they are doing exactly what people want, regardless to what some keep telling them. People hate each other, and don't want to work with one another. Maybe it's time to actually deal with that.

- - - Updated - - -

I wonder when they're going to ask the American tax payer so they keep they dole going? Tax payer is about to be on the hook. Figure that's okay for people who don't work, though.

Or people that cling to a economic system that no longer works, so much so they default on the state lottery, the state lottery FFS!

The problem is too many wealthy not paying their fair share and too many stupid people jumping up and yelling they shouldn't because they think they are the wealthy.

[Flubberjax]

The state is run pretty poorly, IMO.

I live in Chicago and volunteer regularly. However, over the last 3-4 years I have not volunteered politically as often as in the past due to my frustration with the local government.

Nepotism, partisan-ism and bald face ignorance dominate Chicago/Illinois politics.

THREE YEARS without a sensible budget. Goddamn ridiculous.

Well what would expect from having the same party run the city since the 1930's?

Nothing is going to change when you have the same people doing the same thing over and over and over again.

[Logwyn]

By all means, we can stop giving support to states that are faltering. We can start with pretty much the entirety of the deep south Republican territory.

https://www.multistate.us/blog/insid...han-youd-think

What?

[Legevia]

The issue with Illinois is that we have a balanced budget amendment in our State Constitution that says that they cannot spend more than they bring but they do it constantly, Yes it has been done by both sides for many many years. Also while the state may not have the highest income tax we have the 2nd highest property taxes in the nation and they are talking about wanting to increase our property taxes also. Additionally one of the other issues is how the Illinois pensions are setup where government workers switch around into several different positions and take multiple pensions out from the state. Illinois is losing population you can't just tax tax tax and expect people are going to stay here and pay for it. I live on the border with another state houses are barely selling in Illinois because people don't want to live here, property just across the border though is going quickly and usually for a higher then asking price for them because people are getting out of the state and the constant tax increases (its not just income tax increases).

[Rudkobing]

[hakujinbakasama]

Yup. Once again we're having another comparison to the federal version of events. Where Obama kept caving in and in and in and in on things and Republicans refusing to budge an inch.

People bitch and whine about Democrats in Illinois to a hilarious degree (Especially when its clear they have no fucking idea what they're talking about), but Rauner has done absolutely nothing to come to the middle on this issue. He's folded his hands, knocked over the table, and then blamed everybody else.

What did he honestly need to move on? They do need to end public collective bargaining. That's the one issue in which the Democrats refused to budge and what he campaigned on.

While he is a douchebag, it wasn't 30 years of bad spending by the Republicans which created the billions in debt.

[Coffeh]

Thanks, Obama.

You say that, but his Chief of Staff is the mayor of Chicago.

[Hiricine]

The only way Illinois is getting out of the trash heap it is in is to amend its Constitution so that it doesn't have to pay the pensions it owes, from a purely mathematical standpoint (so regardless of your ethics or politics, its still the only way out of the situation). Once the state is able to start negotiating on the pension payments it already owes it will be in a better situation to reduce the insane costs its incurring.

[Fauxpaws]

Illinois is not some outlier. More and more states are dealing with budget shortfalls, and are cutting state programs to make ends meet. It's likely the result of bad planning. Take a state like, Louisiana. It was once a wealthy state due to its oil income. Many of those funds were used and abused by greedy politicians, all too willing to boost state spending to unsustainable levels.

What happened in Louisiana is the demand for oil was outpaced by the production. Vast quantities of oil were pumped into distribution by other states and foreign countries as well. The discovery of vast oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico and the advances in deep sea drilling made it easy for foreign countries to essentially bypass the monopoly LA had on oil production just off their shores.

I mention Louisiana because it's important to note that it's not just Illinois dealing with mismanagement by politicians. What's happening in Illinois WILL happen in other states.

It's not fun to be responsible and a good steward of funds for future generations, but it's time that people realized that just because there's a big pile of cash on the table, it won't be there forever.

[Osmeric]

What is needed is a federal law for bankruptcy of states. Currently there's no mechanism for this.

The prospect of such bankruptcies will make it harder for states to borrow money, and make public employees less willing to take retirement in the form of pensions. These would both be good things.

[Amalaric]

Sell Illinois to China... ka-ching!

[KrazyK923]

What did he honestly need to move on? They do need to end public collective bargaining.

lol, no, they don't. Its hilariously ignorant to somehow pretend collective bargaining is why Illinois is in the state that it is.

Republicans, as usual, just want to take advantage of a crisis to fuck over political groups they disagree with.

[Poopymonster]

While he is a douchebag, it wasn't 30 years of bad spending by the Republicans which created the billions in debt.

You're right, it only takes 5 years of Republican bad spending to trash a state.

[Spectral]

Or people that cling to a economic system that no longer works, so much so they default on the state lottery, the state lottery FFS!

The problem is too many wealthy not paying their fair share and too many stupid people jumping up and yelling they shouldn't because they think they are the wealthy.

It takes an absolutely shocking determination to ignore facts to claim that the driver of Illinois's fiscal problems are insufficient taxes. Illinois has the highest cumulative tax burden in the country.

[Shadoweye]

At this point... IL is fucked... they are going to get junked. What needs to happen right now is massive cuts to spending and dropping or serious renegotiation of state pension obligations. Increasing taxes on a state that is hemorrhaging residents will do nothing to help the state.

$251 billion in pension deficit...

[hakujinbakasama]

lol, no, they don't. Its hilariously ignorant to somehow pretend collective bargaining is why Illinois is in the state that it is.

Republicans, as usual, just want to take advantage of a crisis to fuck over political groups they disagree with.

1) Public collective bargaining is 1 facet which has contributed. No where did I claim it was the unique cause.

2) The State Pension crisis does have a large contribution in the debt. This architecture was widely supported and constructed by the long standing Democrats of past years.

3) Illinois has a great reputation of shitting on manufacturing as well as state levied costs to employees. The history of Komatsu, Catapiller, and Keystone are pillars of historical evidence and context.

State employees are not easily a political group unless your claim is that the state employment system is undeniably identified as left and in such a case it explains why we have the most bloated bullshit state government system in the USA (fact not opinion).

[Logwyn]

At this point... IL is fucked... they are going to get junked. What needs to happen right now is massive cuts to spending and dropping or serious renegotiation of state pension obligations. Increasing taxes on a state that is hemorrhaging residents will do nothing to help the state.

$251 billion in pension deficit...

They should lower taxes! Because it will spur growth!!!!! Or that's what I've always heard!

Seriously. I think on of the main reasons right now things are icky is that the older population of babyboomers is getting to the age they won't be in the work force anymore. There are less of the working class of the population of 16-65 to pay the bloat of their retirement and pensions.

I'd like to think America's "Greatest Generation" of WW2 for creating the issues caused by the generation behind them are causing. Maybe if they'd taught their kids better their grand kids wouldn't be burdened with the situation now.

[hakujinbakasama]

They should lower taxes! Because it will spur growth!!!!! Or that's what I've always heard!

Seriously. I think on of the main reasons right now things are icky is that the older population of babyboomers is getting to the age they won't be in the work force anymore. There are less of the working class of the population of 16-65 to pay the bloat of their retirement and pensions.

I'd like to think America's "Greatest Generation" of WW2 for creating the issues caused by the generation behind them are causing. Maybe if they'd taught their kids better their grand kids wouldn't be burdened with the situation now.

Illinois cannot lower it's taxes because they wouldn't be able to afford all the subsidies, payroll, and pension costs. That's the crux of it. Our numbers are beyond stupid in each direction.