Chicago City Wire

Republican political strategist Chris Robling views the state's growing outmigration rate as a sign of the troubled times.

"I think what it says is people are acutely aware of the extent they've been betrayed by the Illinois establishment," Robling told Chicago City Wire. "They simply can't afford to be taken forever. Family by family of Illinoisans make the decision that's thrust on them by cowardly officeholders who decided long ago to put their interests ahead of the state economy and residents."

With the state ranked among the most heavily taxed, Illinois also is one of the places where residents are heading for the exits as swiftly as possible and not bothering to look back.

Chris Robling | Courtesy Photo

Two of the largest moving companies reported recently that in 2020 approximately three out of five interstate moves handled in Illinois were for residents leaving the state, the Illinois Policy Institute said.

A main reason residents leave the state is for job opportunities. U-Haul researchers also found that the state now ranks second-to-last in the country for inbound moves. Finally, the state's level of outmigration in 2020 represents the most in Illinois since World War 11.

It all leaves Robling wondering what comes next for the cash-strapped state, especially given what he sees as the lackadaisical attitude taken by far too many Democratic leaders when it comes to reducing some of the tax burdens on stressed-out residents.

"It seems they couldn't care less," he said. "If things were any different, they wouldn't have gotten us here in the first place. Making all these unkeepable promises has changed everything except our ability to keep those promises, and thus Illinois now has a rendezvous with catastrophe."