What will happen to Illinois?

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

So, I saw last week that Ilinois can't pay big lottery winners due to its ongoing long term budget crisis.  It has had it's last two governors jailed for corruption (Republican and Democrat respectively).  Now a writer for the Chicago Tribune has a "modest proposal" delete the State from existence and divide it between all of its boardering States:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/kass/ct-dissolving-illinois-kass-met-20170620-column.html

From the article:

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.

 

 

 

Discuss.

[Dr. Pepper]

Are we going to do this to all the failing states?  Is Kansas up next?  

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

10 minutes ago, Dr. Pepper said:

Are we going to do this to all the failing states?  Is Kansas up next?  

Perhaps.  I saw this and thought it was amusing.  I'm game with opening this up to general discussion.  Could Kansas and Illinois become "Federal Territory" where the Federal Government has plenary powers over those locales like it does in DC?

[Quoth]

Oooh! New Jersey, too! Although that may be a tougher sell. The amount of corrupt politicians needed to be satisfied would probably be a deal breaker, though. But, we do have some decent shorelines left, and casinos and a million acres of Pine Barrens.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

This can actually be solved fairly easily if ideologies didn't get in the way. Federalize the debt in exchange for a tax increase, a balanced budget amendment and significant political reforms. When the debt is paid the tax increases and budget amendment can go away.

[The Wedge]

I have lived in the Land of Lincoln for over half my life now and I'll be damned if I move back to Missouri any time soon.

That said, John Kass, the Trib columnist who is getting all the viral attention for this, is a complete jackass. His page 2 column is red meat to anyone who likes to blame Chicago for any and all problems within a 500 mile radius.  I'm with him on one thing, though: Nothing will happen in Illinois to address our self-inflicted budget woes until State Emperor Mike Madigan is either run out of office or dies.

Governor Rauner has played his term so far as an immovable object to Madigan's unstoppable force.  It's ugly because neither will budge.  And it matters not a whit to either because they are rich beyond belief.

Nothing is getting done. People are moving away. Folks with real needs (e.g. developmentally disabled folks) are being left to wither on the vine because no state budget means nobody is getting paid to take care of them. 

Chopping up the state solves nothing. I'd love to hear real solutions, painful as they might be.