Sunday, March 30, 2014

The state of distress

I read with some interest in today’s Chicago Tribune editorial page an editorial in regards to the state of this state.  Sub-headed “A State of Distress.”  The report card is not especially good. Illinois ranks nearly on the bottom of virtually every economic category listed.  We are tied for the second worst unemployment rate in the country with Nevada. 48th in job creation. Illinois ranks dead last in overall economic performance. And household income has dropped since 2010. Illinois is moving closer in annual  household income to Mississippi according to the Census Bureau than leader Maryland.

The Tribune writes:

Is Illinois better off in 2014 than it was four years ago? In 2010 we pored over a virtual library of statistics to assess where Illinois stood relative to other states and produced a chart much like this one. Today we replicate that exercise as closely as the data permit, with comparisons to Illinois' national stature in 2010. By economic and jobs measures, Illinois has fallen further.

I will highlight one point and link to the editorial article in our blog.

States for business: Worse (now 48th, was 46th in 2010): Illinois is among the worst states for business, says Chief Executive magazine. The Wall Street Journal on March 20 listed Illinois "near the top of any fair survey" for worst-run state in America.

Illinois has always been a tough state to do business in.  Without being accused of stating the obvious it is only getting harder.

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