PING Kerman: Time to Dissolve Illinois, The Venezuela of the Midwest?

[bruce2...@gmail.com]

On Thu, 22 Jun 2017 12:09:00 -0700, anim8rfsk <anim...@cox.net> wrote:

>In article <iP2dnUJjVL1GidHE...@giganews.com>,
> BTR1701 <no_e...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>> Illinois is like Venezuela now, a fiscally broken state that has lost its
>> will to live, although for the moment, we still have enough toilet paper.
>>
>> But before we run out of the essentials, let's finally admit that after
>> decade upon decade of taxing and spending and borrowing, Illinois has
>> finally run out of other people's money.
>>
>> Those "other people" include taxpayers who've abandoned the state. And now
>> Illinois faces doomsday.
>>
>> So as the politicians meet in Springfield this week for another round of
>> posturing and gesturing and blaming, we need a plan.
>>
>> And here it is:
>>
>> Dissolve Illinois. Decommission the state, tear up the charter, whatever
>> the legal mumbo-jumbo, just end the whole dang thing.
>>
>> We just disappear. With no pain. That's right. You heard me.
>>
>> The best thing to do is to break Illinois into pieces right now. Just wipe
>> us off the map. Cut us out of America's heartland and let neighboring
>> states carve us up and take the best chunks for themselves.
>>
>> The group that will scream the loudest is the state's political class, who
>> did this to us, and the big bond creditors, who are whispering talk of
>> bankruptcy and asset forfeiture to save their own skins.
>>
>> But our beloved Illinois has proved that it just doesn't deserve to
>> survive.
>>
>> So why not let our friendly neighbors like Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa,
>> Missouri and Kentucky just take the parts they want?
>>
>> As you can see by the excellent "Kevorkian Illinois" map that accompanies
>> this column, this plan is visionary.
>>
>> The alternative is hell. Illinois hasn't had a state budget for years. The
>> state continues to spend money it doesn't have, and the state's credit
>> ratings have dropped, increasing the cost of borrowing more money we don't
>> have to keep the rotten shebang going.
>>
>> Bills pile up; Moody's Investor Service says taxpayers are on the hook for
>> $251 billion in unfunded public union pension liabilities.
>>
>> Boss Mike Madigan, king of the Democrats who control things, wants tax
>> increases but no real structural reform to bring stability to The Venezuela
>> of the Midwest.
>>
>> And the whispers of bankruptcy won't help the average (remaining) taxpaying
>> chumbolones like you and me who don't want to leave our homes but who'll
>> get stuck with the bills.
>>
>> Since our neighboring states are doing better, taking Illinois jobs and
>> businesses and Illinois workers and taxpaying families, they might as well
>> just take the rest of Illinois, too, dammit.
>>
>> Wisconsin can have Chicago and begin calling it "South Milwaukee."
>
>Can we just build a wall around Chicago, Snake Plisken style?

No, that wouls be mean. Plus Chicago has the third largest gross metropolitan product in the United States.

I know you think that just means throw-up or something, but it also has the second largest central business district in the U.S., one of the world's top ten Global Financial hubs and second most sports bars (173) after New York (204) in the U.S.
Chicago has the third biggest fiber optic capacity of any metro area in the country, behind New York and its the third-most populous city in the United States (with over 2.7 million residents).