Illinois Held Hostage. No, not by Packer Fans

Not that, a level playing field. Real competition and fair play.

This. Who's in jail? Ha. Ha. Ha.
Chicago Tribune Letters to the Editor:

Illinois holding citizens hostage

The state of Illinois is holding us hostage.

We are paying the highest gas prices in the nation.

Our state income taxes just went up, negating the tax decrease the Obama administration gave us for a year.

Our homes have dropped in value, but our property taxes have gone up.

Our employers will say they can't afford to give us raises now because their corporate taxes just went up.

We can't find jobs in another state because the market is so tight. Even if we did, we wouldn't be able to sell our houses and walk away with any money because we have to sell for less than what's owed.

We are just middle-class working people whose combined salaries are well under $100,000. So we stay put. We have no choice.

But certainly others might be able to move out. And not just individuals but companies.

How will decreasing the number of taxpayers increase the flow of income? You can only squeeze so much before there's nothing left but a shell.

I don't get it. Who's going to pay our ransom?

— Pam Petersen, Fox Lake

Illinois Signs its Death Warrant. This is one smart woman. Who voted for these jailers? Calling Out Collar County Women.Previous post: Illinois the Model Again

More. Bizarre taxes. Reason

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President Barack Obama’s hometown of Chicago has it even worse: Its total public pension liability adds up to roughly $42,000 per household. This all should give some pause to the relentless hoopla about the country’s supposed “urban renaissance.” The roots of the current economic crisis lie deep in urban economies, where employment growth that has lagged even in good times.