Rants and Raves of Mac McIntyre
Author’s disclosure note: In some circles I am considered a conservative, libertarian, tea bagger or at least a Republican. Some of the aforementioned folks might even agree but they would be as wrong as the Democrats. Independent. I do my due diligence and vote on performance, plan or hope.
Here’s hoping all the chronic slacker voters out there listen to that English comedian, actor, radio host, author, and activist, Russell Brand, and unplug from the voting booth. Voting the same way the same people making their living off of you tell you to vote time and time again and expecting different results is insanity.
That lame tradition has resulted in our state of Illinois ranked among the most corrupt, most broke, most in debt, and as a most grievous insult to injury, most taxed states in the nation.
In a December 2013 Gallup poll one in four Illinoisans believed our state is the worst to live in. Only 19% of our residents thought Illinois was the best to live. We finished second-to-last on the bright side of the poll.
From Gallup:
One in Four Illinois Residents Say Their State Is the Worst Place to Live
Illinois has the unfortunate distinction of being the state with the highest percentage of residents who say it is the worst possible place to live. One in four Illinois residents (25%) say the state is the worst place to live, followed by 17% each in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Throughout its history, Illinois has been rocked by high-profile scandals, investigations, and resignations from Chicago to Springfield and elsewhere throughout the state. Such scandals may explain why Illinois residents have the least trust in their state government across all 50 states. Additionally, they are among the most resentful about the amount they pay in state taxes. These factors may contribute to an overall low morale for the state’s residents.
According to the poll, those living in Midwestern states generally tend to rate their states more positively. But in Illinois, just 19 percent of residents polled describe their state as the best or one of the best possible states to live.
“High-profile scandals, investigations, and resignations from Chicago to Springfield and elsewhere throughout the state” could be one reason why Illinoisans are least likely to have a positive opinion of their state, wrote Gallup’s Justin McCarthy. Previous gallup surveys also showed that Illinois residents “have the least trust in their state government” and “are among the most resentful about the amount they pay in state taxes,” McCarthy noted.
McCarthy’s quote regarding scandals was a huge understatement. Illinois had one of our own elected POTUS and our Governor tried to sell the President-Elect’s vacated seat in the U.S. Senate. Blagojevich followed Ryan (who sold licenses to operate semi-trucks) to prison.
Coincidentally, one more no-ship-for-Sherlock statement from Gallup’s Justin McCarthy:
Residents with the most pride in their state as a place to live generally boast a greater standard of living, higher trust in state government, and less resentment toward the amount they pay in state taxes.
If you’re running for office in Illinois start there. Godspeed in rebuilding our pride, boosting our standard of living and building higher trust in government. Illinoisans resent less what we can afford.
Yes the midterm elections are critical. The more local the races the more critical the midterms become. Here’s another common sense trend. The further you are behind the longer the race to catch up. Illinois needs to change its culture in government and its course in direction.
Based on the statistics, polls and the economy the old adage that it’s better to dance with the devil you know than the devil you don’t know is blatantly false.
When in doubt vote change.
Click Here To Submit A News Tip Or Story