How Bad Are Things in Illinois?

Over the last number of years, Illinois has certainly taken more than its share of slings and arrows. Last in jobs, worst place in the Midwest to raise kids, more people wanting to move elsewhere, etc, etc. Every week (sometimes every day) more bad news, more unenviable numbers.

Caitlin Wilson at Reboot Illinois has a piece up today entitled "Illinois Wall of Shame, The State's Worst Designations." I've gotta say, after reading it, Lincoln would be shaking his head.

Some of Caitlin's examples:

• Worst state to raise kids
• Most violent neighborhoods
• Dirtiest beaches
• Worst post-recession job growth
• Most expensive weddings
• Third highest foreclosure rate
• Worst state to raise kids
• Worst state to reside in

More from the Reboot Illinois piece:

Chief Executive‘s annual survey of more than 500 CEOs nationwide found that Illinois was considered the third-worst state for business. California was considered the absolute worst, and Texas was considered the best.

 

Bloomberg Business weighs in with these gems:

• Tenth-highest number of drunks
• Number one most underfunded pension systems since 2012
• Fifth-highest decline in homeownership since 2004
• Third-least growth in technology jobs
• Chicagoans have the second-longest commutes of any city

An April Gallup poll found that Illinois residents were one of the most likely to say that their state is the “worst possible” state to live in. A quarter of Illinoisans said they would not live here, given the choice. People from Montana and Arkansas felt their states were the best to live in.