I hear you guys. When you know it's time to leave, you just know.
Illinois is crushing the working class and business community with regulations and high taxes. On day one, of our new billionaire governor's day in office, he was on the news, already positioning himself to raise taxes. This cycle will never end in Illinois as long as politicians value the non-working class over the working class, and continue to promote themselves as our "savior" with a promise to make changes, especially when speaking to their base.
Job are plentiful in the Chicagoland area, including high paying union jobs which have a strong foothold in this state, which is a good thing because the higher wages provide families a comfortable life, and enable them to contribute money back to their community. But for the majority of the population that are not part of a Local or have access to one, they are being squeezed out of this state, in the form of the high taxes that are being imposed.
This has been going on so long, our State officials can not, or will not, recognize this is actually a problem, and just expect Illinoisans to foot the bill and keep on paying for all kinds government sponsored programs or services they will never use, or do not "qualify" to use because they actually work, and earn a living. It's an insane thought process to me, but not for the majority of the population in this state, since the majority of voters in Illinois keep electing politian's that keep dishing out the same ole ****.
Keep in mind, I didn't grow up here. I moved to Illinois in 1984 because I believed there were more opportunities here than my old state of Ohio.
I adapted to a faster way of life, have made a decent living, met my wife and raised a family. But now, I recognize I won't retire here, and will be planning my exodus.
I too, know quite a few people who are planning or preparing to vacate this state, me included. Most in part because of the high cost of living. I truly like Illinois, the availability and access to all types of interests to do and see here, but because of the cost of living, and with getting somewhat nearer to a retirement date, I know I do not intend returning my retirement savings right back to this state in the form of high taxes. I've already paid enough.
The second reason most important reason I will be leaving Illinois, is because of the weather. I never liked winter, and plan to relocate to a warmer climate. Besides, I'll be able to drive any one of my cars more than just 4 to 5 months out of the year.
The other states listed in this article are experiencing the same problems as in Illinois. Luckily, none of them are on my list of states to relocate to:
Tax Exodus: 5 States That Residents Are Fleeing