The TRUTH Behind the Illinois MASS EXODUS

[@ChrisHarden]

Illinois Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLkAKbwTlGHeKoOBxconpFSyUSO32NKREy USA Small Towns Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLkAKbwTlGHeILqWIwMkMLAV7t7UeD7E8J Help me grow my other channels! KZbin.com/@NostalgiaToursRadio KZbin.com/@ChrisHardenArchives ==================================================================== EVERYTHING THAT I USE IN THE FIELD: Main Camera: amzn.to/3iS4vvF Side Cameras: amzn.to/2WuCYIs Media Mod for Camera: amzn.to/3j7CMGF Lav Mic: amzn.to/3lsMkz9 Drone: amzn.to/3ITcKBV SD Cards: amzn.to/3C2co9O Camera Mounts: amzn.to/2UXVR6p Cables Required for Longer Recordings: amzn.to/3BYnr3Q Computer: amzn.to/3787b2j External Hard Drive: amzn.to/3lb23Tf WHAT I USE AT HOME: Computer: amzn.to/3rKIdiN Sound Mixer: amzn.to/3C15Ubx Microphone: amzn.to/2VaCjvo Microphone Accessories: amzn.to/3v7A35Z INTERACTIVE MAP that shows you all of the places that I've made videos on: (Doesn't always work on mobile devices. Will always work on PC.) www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?hl=en&mid=1Lhzf04ocimPu-ROkg4cfXEYEvKMNnlI5&ll=35.2437531716631%2C-91.53765609999999&z=5 SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTACT INFO: Email: [e-mail] On Twitter: twitter.com/Chris_Harden55 On Instagram: instagram.com/c_harden7 On Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisHardenYT DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. As always, thank you for supporting my channel!

[@Ryan-xq3kl]

Lol you didnt even touch on our straight up unconstitutional citizen disarmament laws being passed by fat cat pritzker and brandon johnson, even though gun crime is at an ALL TIME HIGH, they focus on disarming law abiding citizens.

[@JimMoylan]

ha chris the cost of living in west virginia is way way less than what it is in new york city. the same house in west virginia would cost 4 times as much as new york city the taxes on the house in new your city would be 5 times what they are in west virginia. You would be wealthier living in west virginia making 15.00 hour than you would ever be in new york city. making 30 dollars a hour. A lot of the yuppies living in those yuppie towns in boston chicago new york chicago spend 60% of what they make on rent a 23 year old woman bachelor degree working as a customer service rep in a corporate headquarters in say chicago make 52000 a year would spend 60% of her after tax income on rent in chicago a 1 bedroom apartment in yuppie town cost 2000 a month or 24000 a year.

[@nighthiker8872]

Wow! hit-it!

[@RealDeepDiveYT]

😂😂

[@Dr.Snooze-gt5yg]

You could have so many more cows and so many people making money mowing their lawns You throw away 590 billion a year in unrealized dairy products and could have 37,500,00 jobs making $60k a year modem lawns during mowing season. You even send trucks to pick up grass and throw it away And that's just at 10x your dairy cows. The US is 2 billion acres and if you mow say 750 million acres 16x + a year we'll that's maybe 50 times more cows could feed than the 93 million acres of corn, so maybe you're talking 59 Billion dollars times 50, or 29.5Trillion dollars in dairy a year? But it'll take time to get them to breed that fast, eventually we could pay people 100,00k per year just to mow half the year Grass needs to go through a chewer to tear it up before it gets sprayed with water and put in coolers for cows. Also Grass could be made humanely digestible with unpasteurized cow protein, and cow enzymes, maybe needs lemon and cane sugar then fermented and pasteurized and lawns we mow 16x a year can feed the world in a soup salad, or grass smoothies. Grass have everything you need for a cow to make a calf that becomes a bull. : ) You mow the entire world and throw away the grass, you need mow human and cow food, but you already do, the world's biggest crop : ) Might have to blend it with milk before it freezes slowly for more cell rupture and makes crystals maybe We mow the world's 16x a year and throw away all that dairy cow food, give her a bowl of ice cream at the end of each feeding session and maybe she'll make super milk where your teeth last until you're 85 and you're bones never break You can hire people who reverence cows and love cows to take care of them. Webbed she doesn't want to be a cow anymore she can have a bowl of ice cream with fentynal and they can sing songs and put flowers on her 3 billion people don't even want to be here At the end of the world in a hot dry aired environment they're would be opium poppies everyone would eat when they're was no food. Why make people go to war when maybe 3,000,000,000 people are waiting to leave instead, that'd be as much depopulation as 60 world wars at 50 million, except they actually wanted to be here while they forced those suffering to remain in "healthcare," fed enough pain meds in 10 years to put 50 others to sleep who just wanted to be gone. They'd rather make less money and bill you for a wheelchair bullets and band aids. Keep your legs on your boys and you'll have enough food on the planet Best of luck to you all They don't let the people go that just want to die, rather take away the food from their children so they can make money off of somene suffering, meanwhile the grandchildren are starving so send them to war to k.ill 1/1000th of those who don't want to be here, in the name of depop.ulation, and if that come back with their arms and legs missing, at least they tried, sell them a wheelchair 45-65 percent of the world would say thanks for a take home fentynal drink with a micro serial number in it and the world wouldn't have to do WW3, 4, 5, 6. The world would double its available resources to a world only full of those that want to be here, about half, and the average poor person would have 2 houses, 2 cars, 2 cows, ice cream, cheese and oil and clean water to last the planet. Take fresh lawnmower clippings to be sprayed with water and put in a flash freezer and you might double your cattle production. All the head every week fresh cut from lawns and fields across America Save 3200 on your property taxes, how somene to more your lawn on the day before pickup, fresh coupons and you qualify, bad nasty bags of grass go to a divided back part of the truck and you lose a little credit. Save 3200 and buy a t-bone and cheese and ice cream and milk while somene has a job mowing lawns! The grass gets taken and sprayed with water and frozen and sent to cattle ranches. As it thaws it picks up more mistrust and the cattle have food and water. On the ranch there is an indoor feeding area where grass comes out of the cooler on a conveyer, or is fresh and cool and ready to eat, and moist. As it comes out of the cooler on the conveyor so a little cool air and it is cooler where the cows eat with a plastic strip door keeping the cooler air inside. After awhile the conveyor takes The grass back into the cooler so it won't spoil and fresh grass comes out at the other end of the cooler conveyer Do this asap They made a crisis out of the cure They made a mess out of it. If people had a 2 day supply not to be sold, with 3 virgin laser inscribed needles, resterilized and recycled to the person, it would be cleaner than the rest of healthcare standards where sterilized instruments are recirculating. The problem is this: they just dunmped fentynal on the streets in needless so you have dirty needles going around and people trying to get wasted teenagers hooked on it at parties because as with coke, if somene can get 12 people to get hooked on it their stuff is free. So there's smash and grabs and home invasions to support their $400/day addiction. Or, there's prescriptions, no more crack house but a regional business with a license. No one is selling any because they will run out, and others can get a prescription. Heroin addictions will burn out, instead the way they dumped it or in the streets they spread it. Who wants to start a heroin addiction? You can go get a prescription if you're addicted and the party pyramid structure stops from spreading. It would cost less and ends the crimes people commit while people would be in business with a license. You can afford that plant. 🌿 Start a government non official fentynal factory with hippie dealers that will make sure grandma doesn't have to suffer. Wow, dad didn't even come in for 1.5 million in state aid or uncle Sam us mint back door funded private insurance company money. UncleSam give them a $900K insurable company money they didn't sign up or ask for, they pay off the house, go to college, and if they get a job pouring coffee they'll make it. Now they get $875K for a pill given for free and make a SpaceX job. Only the best in health care working 20hrs a week and making Twice as much. You turned a quarter back into a dollar. Someone isn't stuck in a wheel chair for ten years, now somene is playing violin at not an uncle Sam bookstore making twice as much because changing diapers for people who don't want to be here isn't a dream job anymore. Why blow up your children in war when 60x as many people don't even want to be here? People have to pull out 5 of their own teeth after building people free housing and dentist offices when they lose their home their families in free housing buy them for 50 cents on the dollar. Pulling more teeth with pliers today. As a kid they took a metal pick and pressed really hard straight into the sides of teeth at the gum line for more customers Instead of making lieral mile after mile after mile of car dealerships and paying 20x more for eggs and fish, and 4x more for rent and orange juice and gas while we waste not only that but materials and labor, let's make air conditioned hen houses and inspire dairy farms. Let's have online car dealership apps, one big parking lot where Joe sold 20 cars, Donnie sold 24, Jimmy sold 24 etc... You can deliver the Caddilac or have one guest house for puerile that bought their car online even from a remote worker car Salesman not pulling out his own teeth and paying gas and tools to drive 2 1/2 hrs a day. Make a dollar worth 200 even 2,000x more in making so much food. Nice first preserve, but it would be better service to this country if it was a poppy field. No more pain, some people party or just have a poppy seed tea game the most nicest time and sleep awesome. And if puerile don't want to be here that can leave, when they want, and more for those who want to be here. Why the government owns a field to grow neither food nor pain reliever a way out of here is idiocy in slow motion A robot can change and x ready ever rail car wheel that goes in regularly for service and wheels are dirge melted down or refurbished and they're no more derailment. Somene can get paid to pay in a Rock band or on a sports team don't what he loves, Dad has another sponsor. Instead of driving 2 1/2 hrs a day to go to a stinky dump and run over garbage and coming home hot and Snelling like garbage, you could only work 8 hrs instead of 10 1/2 and be in an air conditioned living room that smells great, and since you don't have to have air conditioning in the trash smasher truck is cheaper in your living room which smells great, your wife might enjoy watching you work : ) My you smell like lilacs ! Churches air conditioned all week for 20 people to show up one day a week could sell their buildings to be air conditioned hen houses, dairy farms, and churches could share the same building in 2hr time slots 24/7 all week. Look how many churches there are in the phone book. They could watch from home or go to a church that can hold 200 people and now there's 100 churches going there all week and 99 air conditioned hen houses bought by a private company which pays taxes and sells eggs for cheep.

[@Ghostlodes]

Paying more getting less should be the state motto.

[@Squatch_Rider66]

The motto should be BOHICA. Bend over, here it comes again

[@Ribbit-g3z]

Keep voting the Tax & Spend dimocrats where there is never enough , they have corruption down pat

[@giddysmiles2901]

"Welcome to Illinois" should be "Welcome to Massive Taxes"

[@PeaceToAll-sl1db]

this is why I am voting for Trump

[@frankd.506]

​@@PeaceToAll-sl1dbYes because more tax donations to the wealthy will help us and his tariffs will raise the prices.

[@bradvincet1848]

You can always pull the toilets out of your house and declare it uninhabitable for cheaper property taxes.

[@KurtOnoIR]

Did jabba the fudd really do that? I heard he took toilets out to say he had less bathrooms, to pay less taxes.

[@recklessfable8292]

And then run successfully for Governor.

[@leeinwis]

@@recklessfable8292 Then shit on the public .

[@SunDooky]

House ? You means Mansions ....plural

[@anthonythomas6977]

Gas Bag Pritzker was elected based on lower Property Taxes no? That worked out well.

[@DeborahFosen-hx3hv]

Our grandson left Illinois for Tennessee a few years ago, and our daughter and son-in-law are currently building their new home in Tennessee also leaving Illinois and our son, my husband and I are planning to follow behind them. Illinois is hopelessly corrupt and fiscally irresponsible.

[@Marryjanesbud]

I’m 27 & all of my friends who left the state of Illinois now have their own home. All of my friends who still live in Illinois are still broke & stuck in their parents basement. Take that for what u will🤷🏽

[@brett3140]

Just make sure they vote red going forward. Illinois sucks because it is blue like cali and ny

[@jasonwilkins1969]

You just have to be careful. Every state has its way of extracting money. For instance, Tennessee has a 4% state grocery tax plus the applicable local tax. For a dead bang average annual grocery bill for a family of four, that is an extra $461 annually compared to Illinois currently with Illinois one percent grocery tax and this will increase to a difference of $614 extra when Illinois eliminates state grocery tax in 2026. There are more intangible elements such as access to freshwater. I guess what I’m saying is people should be very careful about choosing states simply based upon the most visible elements of state taxation and cost-of-living. Illinois is far more obvious in how it extracts money but most states get their money one way or the other.

[@RT-qd8yl]

@@jasonwilkins1969 Less of a chance of getting exterminated by Tiffany Henyard's D-squads in Tennessee

[@JdeC1994]

Tennessee: the 19th-best deal from D.C. Illinois: the 46th-best deal from D.C. Wow, must be nice.😡

[@brett8532]

In 2023, I moved from a 250k home in Illinois, to a 250k home in Arizona. My property taxes when from 6k to 1k.

[@NWSCS]

I am one of those people who left Illinois not that long ago. It's amazing how much larger my paycheck is when you don't have to pay Illinois income taxes.

[@bucktwentyseven]

@@NWSCS are you kidding? It’s 5%. What, your check is $20 more?

[@Apolloson]

So you’re saying $5,000/year on a $100K salary for example is not a lot of money? For most of us that’s the reason we might need a second income.

[@bucktwentyseven]

@@Apolloson Honestly, no. If you're making 100K a year, 5k a year is not that much money. At least it shouldn't be. Not enough to warrant moving to another state. But, that's not what I was saying. NWSCS said his paycheck got much bigger without Illinois income tax. Lets assume they kept the same job or make a similar salary, otherwise their comparison is obviously flawed. I don't know what state they moved to but the majority of states actually have HIGHER income tax rates than Illinois. There are 8 other states with rates within 1% of Illinois. There are two states at 2.5% and 8 that are at 0%. At US median income of $80,610 a year, moving from 5% to 2.5% is a difference of $38 a week. Is that the amazing difference? Or did they move to 0% for a difference of $77? Yes, it's a difference. An amazing difference? I call BS. Look, here's the deal. I've lived in Illinois my whole life. I know people that have left Illinois. NONE of them left for anything to do with money. Why do people leave illinois? Because the CAN afford to. And people DONT leave Alabama because they cant.

[@jrhaven]

As an Illinoisan, this was a pretty good analysis on what's going on. I'm a student in an Iowa college currently and I don't anticipate returning to Illinois when I'm done.

[@ChrisHarden]

I feel bad for the people who want to live at “home” but can’t afford to, or they can’t make themselves because the current climate disgusts them so much.

[@302Mustang13]

Illinoisan here and I like some of the changes in my area for infrastructure, but I'd definitely leave if I didn't have family here.

[@sandiamericafirst5030]

Smart choice.

[@dc76384]

And with your liberal indoctrination you'll vote for the same democratic policies that you've left in illinois.

[@clintonm2357]

When I got out of the Army, my wife picked IL because her parents and sister's family are here. I live near the Mississippi... SO close to making it into Iowa!

[@S8ER]

I left Illinois and will never go back. Taxes and being a “downstate” resident just isn’t worth it.

[@anthonythomas6977]

Love the people in Illinois especially Western and Down State. Had to leave depressing Carlyle after 2 years. Love Tennessee never going back.

[@10tenman10]

Illinois is pricing itself out of existence

[@Likeafartinthewind]

So true now their building 2 new prisons to soon fill with more victims of the war on drugs to collect more money

[@leeinwis]

More room for "migrants"

[@JaredMerlin]

So isn't Florida

[@10tenman10]

@JaredMerlin Yes, agree. Crazy expensive insurance, high prices (coming down though). My personal experience with Chicago was property tax costing me $5,500 in 2012 rising to judt under $12,000 in 2019 (the year I sold).

[@jimbelanger7582]

Schools take 60% of the Property Tax money ...... Pensions are Bankrupting Illinois

[@mtc8858]

Lifetime resident and left Illinois in 2022. Life in Missouri is so much better. Everything feels more hopeful, more full of life, more energetic. It's weird being in a state that doesn't smell its own death approaching.

[@dasbubba841]

I took a trip from Missouri to Tennessee in the spring. Crossing from Missouri into Illinois was pretty depressing. Everything on the Missouri side of the river was green or flowering, and in Illinois it was gray and run down. Even the nature in Illinois is depressing.

[@earthwormjim91]

Ayy welcome. MO has a lot of charm gotta say I do love living in a red state, never been happier in my life after I fled Cali, never voting blue again either

[@vanillacrash2584]

Ayyy! Lifelong KC resident here, and we’re happy to have you! Missouri seems to never get talked about, and there’s something charming about that

[@corycarlson8712]

Well one reason I know of is illinois gun laws. I have a family member who has the exact same firearms as me and he is now a felon if he's caught because of the gun law. The leaders refuse to go after criminals who post them shooting full auto illegal pistols on KZbin with their faces and where they live.. Yet absolutely nothing gets done. I have sent 20 videos to the police and authorities yet the same gangsters keep posting videos of themselves shooting into the air towards other houses or into "abandoned" houses. Those are the guns killing people, not my family members rifle that sits in his safe 364 days out of the year. But they would arrest him in a second goodness forbid if he wanted to bring his firearms to go shooting here in Wisconsin. If he gets pulled over while driving his guns up here he gets 10 YEARS in prison. Illinois is completely insane. They go after the good guys while the bad guys kill society. There is absolutely zero common sense in govt in Illinois. I'm not telling you anything you don't already know... But you guys have let it get that bad. You've let the total corruption run unchecked. Please don't come here though and bring that insane mindset and ideology with you. If you are fleeing your state.. don't ruin the state you are going to.

[@jonjacobjingleheimerschmid3798]

Humm... As a free man you should own way more! Take this as permission to buy another AR .....suppressed... Course ...if we actually were free we'd have the selector switch....

[@samiam5557]

well said.....

[@manifestationofgod1379]

Illinois has a depressing vibe over it.... I never wanted to live in Illinois again.... The greed is sickening.....

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

Sorry to say but the state is shit, Yes, but that "Depressive Vibe" exists primarily in Chicago city-proper or the nasty ass south suburbs. Much of Illinois is beautiful and not invested with big city-types. Have you ever visited such a place such as Starved Rock State Park or Matthiessen State Park? Unfortunately most of us grew up in a very nasty part of northwest Indiana or northeast Illinois, simply because that is where all of the "Good Jobs" (manufacturing, steel, or oil) existed 60+ years ago.

[@manifestationofgod1379]

@Guillotines_For_Globalists no, I've never heard of those areas.

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

@@manifestationofgod1379 If you're from the Chicago Area they are not far. That would be near Utica, IL.

[@manifestationofgod1379]

@Guillotines_For_Globalists I'll check them out. Thank you!

[@Gen_X_Joey]

@@Guillotines_For_Globalists Starved Rock is ghetto and full of graffiti when I went there last a few years ago. I wont go again. I'll Check out Savannah IL state parks next time. Its further away from the city and prolly less hooligans there.

[@dithmart17]

They didn't spare us during covid. My electric bill, water, home insurance and vehicle registration went up 50%

[@FantasyZoneGaming]

Vehicle registration yep i was looking at mine it went up at least like 20% just in the past year.

[@g.manifestomsnifesto4338]

Don't forget Bluto Pritzker told us to stay in our houses at all costs while his family traveled to FL and WI....funny, since those states were much more less restrictive than Illinois at the time.

[@ItzzzBeamo]

Yep. Car reg went up $50 in 2020. Its now $151

[@RABENWAFFEN1888]

As an Illinoisan, at the age of 23. I have an over arching belief that our State government just hates its citizens. As a young Illinoisan, it seams impossible to escape the corrupt suction of a State seemingly desperately trying to hold its own citizens back from prospering. For years, I have been trying to save my meager paycheck, just for the sole purpose of leaving. But, that is impossible thanks to this State of decay. One day I will finally escape, and flip the bird to the State that I have had the inconvenience of being born in.

[@GrantWaller.-hf6jn]

Til I retired I would flip off at the state line. The looks I got from others weirdly was not of confusion but of understanding.

[@SharonMalone-w8v]

I’m 39 and was born Springfield, a lot changed in the early mid 90s

[@vrooooooooooooooooooom]

Stop voting for Democrats.

[@whydyougoanddothat4269]

youre probably white

[@MCOlangotang]

​@@whydyougoanddothat4269 I'm white, that's not the problem. They are uneducated.

[@ricg2011]

I left Illinois for Tennessee 4 years ago...and will never go back. Cook and DuPage counties are among the most corrupt in the country, and taxes are criminally high.

[@austinperezgk1]

Do you like TN

[@ricg2011]

@austinperezgk1 love it..better weather, beautiful scenery, lower fuel prices, No state income tax.

[@charleshocqii4301]

@@ricg2011Tennessee is a shit hole do not believe this guy . I have relatives who moved there and have since moved back to IL

[@larserik8899]

I’m from Chicago and I miss it everyday. But leaving to go the Iowa, one of the actual best housing markets, made such a difference.

[@jimagent1826]

I moved back to Illinois 4 years ago since my wife's Mother had dementia. She is now deceased. I plan on moving hopefully next year. My property taxes have gone up more in 4 years here than my 25 years in Wisconsin. Everything costs more here. The most corrupt politicians in the country.

[@Mr_Clean]

Heeey now come on man we got public sector union pensions to pay for 🤣

[@mnoliberal7335]

My old home town in IL has a commissioner who is also the Mayor of another town. This Super Mayor is in big trouble now, but has already done a lot of damage.

[@raybod1775]

Double the corruption and you have California

[@stevenphillips3466]

democrats ... Bad for America

[@anthonythomas6977]

Kudos to you for suffering to help a family member. Now get out!

[@TL-wy1nk]

Illinois is in a doom loop. So many will leave in the future because of incompetence.

[@wmason1961]

I pray they go south or east. I really hope they decide they don't like Missouri. We suck. They should stay out. We don't need any more people here.

[@stormbreaker170]

And if they vote the same the rest of us surrounding states don’t want them. Stay in your shit hole if you are gonna vote blue till you are dead or broke

[@USMC-CAR]

Corruption

[@sandiamericafirst5030]

I left Illinois shortly after the 2020 election. Between Herr Pritzker and Biden, I read the writing on the wall. I was paying almost $12,000 in taxes on a townhouse with no land. Now I have a home nestled on a 10-acre wooded lot in Northern Wisconsin and pay $4800. No regrets.

[@anderander5662]

@@sandiamericafirst5030 👍

[@BoratWanksta]

Are the property taxes in Wisconsin as bad as some say? I know its better than IL property taxes, but I've heard certain people complain about WI property taxes. Not sure if their property taxes aren't as bad, as some allege?

[@sandiamericafirst5030]

@BoratWanksta There could be a couple of reasons for that; they live close to the Illinois border, or, more likely, they have NO idea what high taxes really are. ;-) My property taxes were cut by at least HALF and I am currently paying $2.67 for gas. My friends in Illinois are paying $3.89.

[@moverabc]

thats a lot of money too. way too high for rural land.

[@sandiamericafirst5030]

@moverabc True. Housing market is insane. However, property further away from town with no improvements is much cheaper. I have natural gas heating...most areas outside of city limits don't.

[@janszoke]

And isn’t the Illinois governor working on increasing taxes as we speak? Unfortunately I live here.

[@molaeri]

He didn’t say that “they” go after poor people specifically. He said that all people’s property taxes are high in Illinois, but only richer places fight them by hiring attorneys to do property taxes re-assessments

[@EliyahuNeiman]

Oh that's fine then

[@samurai90x]

@@EliyahuNeiman lol, imagine it's like saying 'just get more money so you can skirt the law'

[@jcman240]

I know a retired IL teacher collecting 120k pension. I’m all for modest pensions, but that just a slap in the face of taxpayers

[@DaddySafety]

The retired school librarian up the street on my makes that

[@bibibachmd9995]

My CPA tells me that one of his clients, a retired Chicago Public School Principal, is getting 270K pension and his retired librarian wife is getting 90K. Outrageous.

[@drewmorrison]

They’ll retire, collect that pension and then go work at a private school and make another $100k.

[@philospeakNOW]

My sister-in-law in IL will get that or more once she retires as a teacher. My brother is high-up in tech, and she earns MORE than him now and isn't even in administration! I don't begrudge her, but how is that sustainable for the state?

[@kcmaldonado3948]

There are over 120,000 people in the six figure retirement club

[@bjayscanlon]

I'm sorry I came back to Illinois after my military service. I love the State but hate the high cost of living and the liberal politics.

[@anthonyhansel9175]

I thank you whole heartedly for your service.

[@anthonythomas6977]

Thank you for your service, get out of that cesspool!

[@mlitz90]

I should have never come back either. Had the chance to restart anywhere. I'm ready to leave. Got a small fire dept pension at 10 years. Then on to the next place. Live and learn.

[@Podzhagitel]

use the IL veteran’s grant and get out, that’s my plan

[@polaroctoct7429]

Being retired military in Illinois is good, especially if you have 70% or greater military disability. You pay 0 property tax

[@ericschneider8524]

It's not only Illinois. The entire country is in decline. The public school system has handicapped the generation born after 1972.

[@ChrisHarden]

Illinois more-so than most other decline states for the reasons I described.

[@SamMeis-u4v]

Go be Hoosier! Check the crime out in indianapolis metro area!

[@Trumpetjoe40]

There’s no way you’re paying the amount in damn property taxes in Illinois that you are in ANY state that borders it.

[@stevenphillips3466]

Illinois, New York, California , Conneticut , Every democrat run city

[@QBL11104]

Only Democrat controlled areas

[@RB2013-jj7kq]

This video made me depressed because it reminded me that I'm stuck here until I can afford to leave 😢 hate this crap state

[@bottomgear4028]

Look for jobs outside of the state and just leave. Tomorrow may never come

[@Alex38369]

You could get a loan or something to move. Just look for jobs out of state

[@shvkejunt]

Lol you can leave with a little bit of money if you leave you can afford more instantaneously

[@jill3n]

My family and I left Illinois almost 12 years ago for Florida. The taxes we're killing us. Our property taxes we're $12K a YEAR!

[@barbaraorze2035]

Yeah, but the cost of housing in FL, the cost of house insurance (if you can get it), and the ever increasing property taxes don't make FL a good choice, either. Not to mention the hurricanes......and lousy salaries.

[@Trumpetjoe40]

My taxes in Will County are ridiculous. I am stuck here due to family obligations and career, but holy hell is Illinois the biggest rip off in the US.

[@juliagooliagiulia723]

SAme here, stuck here in Du Page county because of my husbands family obligations.. we pay over 12,000 in property taxes a year and 8,000 of it goes to school board wasting money on law suits instead of teaching kids!!!! a once beautiful place!!!

[@RandyDeGolyer]

Get out just not worth it .

[@marblox9300]

@@juliagooliagiulia723 I'm 65 and in HINDSIGHT - Public Schools 1-8 and 9-12 were COMPLETELY useless. The only thing I ever used from those years was Drivers Ed.

[@spiritualhammer392]

And Will County is super-cheap! Wow how times have changed. I grew up south side of Chicago, our taxes have always been high.

[@tomk.3428]

I left Illinois in 1981 after growing up there. Springfield was already out of control and people were worried about the future. Now, 44 years later, the idiots are still voting for the same people or “family” of the same people. Nothing has changed. The officials are all rich now while the state continues to fall apart.

[@SanFelipeCreek]

I still got family and friends in St Clair County and Madison County they still look the same way over and over and over. I was born and raised in Illinois Cahokia and Belleville Now I'm in Missouri hundreds of miles away from St Louis

[@SanFelipeCreek]

Vote the same

[@morewi]

So you know that Chicago dumped it's drug addicts downstate during that time then

[@saltylandscaper7193]

"Voted" for this. 😂

[@VineyardGaden]

Before you noted people's voting habits, I had suspect that was the problem. Many voters suffer from political learning disability.

[@marknotestine424]

We left IL over two years ago for a neighboring state and very happy we left. The property taxes and the unfunded future pension costs was a top reason.

[@jsd354]

Unfunded pensions in Illinois are not exclusive to Illinois. This happens all over the country. All levels of government, federal,state and local need to move in the direction of private enterprise which only pay to the worker while he/she works. If people don’t save to supplement their social security with a 401 or just an old fashioned retirement investment program or both they would be SOL.

[@stormbreaker170]

Now just don’t vote blue or we will kick you out because us surrounding states hate when Illinois trash spills over into us and then they all vote the same way and try to ruin our states. Blue states suck

[@j.pershing2197]

Yeah. Like the gambling was supposed to help schools but they paid state pensions with it

[@jacobhugo6964]

Did you come over here to Missouri?

[@Nando_2020]

Downtown Chicago’s high vacancy rates have little to do with taxes. Vacancy rates are elevated in nearly all major cities because employees don’t want to return to the office, and many companies, like mine, have realized that remote work improves efficiency and reduces costs. It’s a nationwide trend, not a uniquely Chicago problem. As for Ken Griffin moving part of Citadel out of Chicago, his decision seemed more personal than practical. He cited concerns about rising crime, yet he was living comfortably in a $58.75 million condo at the time. Let’s not forget that Griffin was also publicly feuding with Governor Pritzker, which likely played a significant role in his decision. The reality? Griffin is from Florida, and it’s hard not to suspect that his move had more to do with personal preference and politics than public safety. High profile moves like his oversimplify complex issues, but they don’t reflect why most companies choose to stay or leave.

[@xbmpr]

Maybe it’s because Illinois doesn’t want you to feel welcomed, they want you to have the privilege of living here by paying them. I realized how bad it got when I bought a video game and was hit with the IL online tax, and when I started selling guitars and Illinois feels like they should get a good chunk of that sale price. If you are buying online you are paying the same sales tax as everyone else, plus a ridiculous IL sales tax. They legitimately tax every single thing you do here and where does that money go? Certainty not to anyone living here.

[@severinjohn]

The south suburbs of Cook County were reassessed and got slammed with massive property tax increases in 2024. The Cook County Assessor, Cook County Treasurer, a representative of the Board of Review, and the Cook County Clerk all appeared on local news at various times over the course of a couple days. They all pointed fingers at each other, and also advised residents to complain to the local taxing agencies (such as Mosquito Abatement Districts-how the hell do you do that?) as well as state representatives in Springfield "to change the law." Zero accountability. Their disdain and indifference towards homeowners was palpable. The exodus from Illinois will only accelerate.

[@paulherbert5548]

I was paying $10K per year property tax in Tinley Park before I moved in 2019. Couldn't afford to retire in that state.

[@petebrown3715]

Crime, corruption and taxes... Welcome to Illinois 😂

[@johnmeyer5496]

@@petebrown3715 it’s hellinois not illinois

[@petebrown3715]

@johnmeyer5496 🤣

[@stormbreaker170]

Lmao a democrat paradise. The only thing we hate more than Illinois in Indiana is the Illinois plates that flood our streets because they refuse to move but come here for everything else because it’s cheaper. They bring their crime with them too. 🤮🤢

[@stephenfletcher1579]

@@petebrown3715 That's pronounced Hellinois, and it lives up to name. Our county borders Kentucky, also close to Mo., and Tenn. People hardly ever buy gas in IL because it's usually 60 to 70 cents higher a gallon.Thats just one of many things. Illinois is not growing it's stagnated, high taxes, fees on everything, over the top on rules and regulations, license fees, and workman's comp is about the highest in the country. Why would businesses want to deal with a stacked deck? The thing to do is for the counties that want to pull away from Crook, be allowed to do so, and let Crook govern itself.

[@jbdragon3295]

Sounds like CA!

[@rickterese8272]

I just moved my business from Illinois to Indiana and saved 47 k in tax

[@joeychildz5732]

Any opportunities??? 👀👀👀

[@TacoCat-eo3sh]

How far into indiana from Illinois?

[@vulkeg]

@@TacoCat-eo3sh Probably NWI like everyone else fleeing Chicago

[@aimxdy8680]

@@TacoCat-eo3shguessing to the Indianapolis area, the Indy metro has grown over 40% since 2000, fastest growing metro area in the midwest

[@skurinski]

Indiana is red

[@ScottM436]

In April, I'm finally getting the hell out of Illinois. I've lived in several states and been "stuck" in this one for 15 years and I'm done. The type of house I can get in AR compared to Illinois is crazy. I can get a 4 bedroom 3 bath newer built house for less than $200k. That's more space and nicer than what I have now for the same amount. The weather is nicer too so that's a plus.

[@Octopootie1]

I will soon be on the list of IL residents who have left the state. The writing is on the wall, this state is in a death spiral, and they will continue to tax the ones who can't or won't leave to death.

[@10forthebigguy753]

There is nothing fancy about the house I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. The property taxes are $12,700.

[@jameschristiansson3137]

Our tiny former house in Hinsdale is now worth $300K. It's a small shoebox. The interior walls are thin and made of plywood. That's nuts.

[@ChrisHarden]

That's absurd!

[@underground9260]

I live in downstate Illinois. I have a 3 bed 1 bath home on a small lot, luckily, my last property tax bill was about $1,100. And my home is worth 107K. I paid 51K for it back in 2021. It’s a nice home and not a dump. And the neighborhood is older but it looks nice. Chicago definitely pays for a lot of services for downstate. I’ve also came here from Mississippi about four years ago. Only things that are high here are property taxes and gas. But everything else here is relatively affordable. Insurance rates are cheaper. And I also make double then what I did when I was living in Mississippi so in reality, the move here was more of a win.

[@kellybrandon1179]

I'd rather sleep in a van

[@Mr_Clean]

Southeast McLean county here. 700 ft² two bedroom, 1500 ft² detached garage, $608/yr 💪

[@UserName-ts3sp]

I stayed in Lake County for a couple of months while interning across the border in Wisconsin. Even with just those two months, I was glad to get out of there. Gas was up to $1.20 cheaper just crossing the state line at some points. I never thought I'd miss living in Ohio, but two months in Illinois did that.

[@artbylauri]

When the Governor thinks Chicago is the ONLY city in Illinois it's a HUGE problem.

[@VikVektor]

Right! What about Naperville?!

[@robertgallagher5285]

This country at the worst Governor situation I've ever seen!!!

[@bayyinahzhaxx7620]

He's out next.

[@JdeC1994]

Stop your whining!🙄🙄 Last I checked, Central Illinois is getting almost two dollars from Springfield for every dollar that it pays (and Southern Illinois is getting almost THREE for one from Springfield). Meanwhile, for generation after generation, Chicago is the dumping ground for housing projects, Section 8, homeless shelters, SROs, cheap houses, and cheap apartments. Are you from a rural area, or a N.I.M.B.Y. suburb?

[@diddykangable]

@@JdeC1994 delusional ahh comment

[@JosephSivits]

Fixing the Illinois economy would require such a huge change, we need to see mass reforms in the Illinois govn't, nobody wants to do the obvious (limited spend on the problematic pensions in the state) -- because its political suicide. J.B. should honestly do it in his last term to finally fix the budget deficit. Arguably JB has done great for the Illinois economy--taking Illinois from a "BBB-" to an 'A-' with a stable outlook. If a Law could be passed which limited the states ability to payout pensions, like a Sovreign Pension Fund, (which is adjusted at special elections), the state's budget to payout pensions could be only $6 billion per year, saving $4 billion directly in property taxes per year for the taxpayer. No more $$$ to this political machine--its controlled by the people at elections then.

[@JC-dc7eb]

JB pritzker has never worked a day in his life. Him and these other corrupt democrats will run this state into the ground until the end of time.

[@TheFezzik]

I agree with this and I am a trustee on a township. What is strange is that the amount we can charge in road taxes is set by the state, so our roads need some help, can't change the rates. We also have taxes we must collect to help low income families, but they only qualify if they don't qualify anywhere else.... so that fund basically never gets used. Also, we cut major roles out of our local government (tax collector, assistant to the tax collector) that didn't actually do anything but take a check to the bank when things didn't work electronically. 40k/yr job! Lastly if we don't earmark all of our taxes into specific funds, the state will come take anything they consider "extra". We need to attract businesses, but everyone is so excited about moving to Texas that it is difficult, because tax rates there are so favorable for business.

[@kevin10144]

IL is a shit hole, I hate it here, taxes are so high...

[@davidwicklin9943]

I was born and raised in Chicago living there from 1972 to 2007 and south suburban Homewood from 2007 to 2014. Moved to Wisconsin in 2014 after life fell apart there as the state was beginning to fall apart especially in Crook County. It's unsustainable without a high income and even with good income it gets to the point of what's the point of living there? See also what Tiffany Henyard has done to Dolton the past few years - a culmination of past microcosms with cumulative corruptions and expenses. Staying in Illinois gets one soaked. I can only imagine how airtightly bad the financial suffocation has become.

[@noliftraceway8772]

Stop voting drmocrsp

[@davidwicklin9943]

​@@noliftraceway8772I don't vote Democrat - haven't in many years!

[@noliftraceway8772]

@davidwicklin9943 same

[@nickgironda8932]

Very well done, Chris! I left ILLinois 8 years ago not because of weather! Everything you point out in this excellent video is why!

[@cosnowable]

I live in Indiana. An hour away from Chicago. My home value is 210k. I paid $444 dollars for the year on my property tax

[@charlienewton3215]

The problem in IL is self inflicted by the citizens, they consistently vote Democrat almost as though they are asking for the mistreatment.

[@JC-dc7eb]

I really don’t get it bro. So many of our neighbors will “vote blue not matter who” and then will act surprised when it gets worse and worse every year.

[@roaringthunder8069]

The only area in Illinois consistently voting Democrat is Chicago and cook county.

[@hexicalcat4937]

@@roaringthunder8069you’d be suprised ! Cook county has turned more red in the past election!

[@charlienewton3215]

@@roaringthunder8069 yeah and chicago has enough democrat morons to ruin it for the rest of the state.

[@toasterowens8916]

fail to see the correlation when Minnesota is doing fine

[@shadowsoze]

Lived in Illinois for 36 years, finally moved out to Indiana last year, and I do not regret the decision at all. Hell taxes alone have justified moving out.

[@ChrisHarden]

Crazy isn’t it?

[@gregcripps7291]

I disagree with property taxes being the main issue. The problem is Marxist policies and a general disregard for the Constitution. In Illinois the “govment” seems to think rights are privileges that can be ignored when the “govment” feels like it. The only state I am aware of where I need their permission (FOID) to exercise my Constitutional right. Slavery was not ended in the 1800’s they just changed it to part time slavery in the form of fees, taxes and assessments.

[@GiacomoRavioli]

Property taxes are a joke anywhere. I dont even have children going to school in this state. To hell with public education. Theyre indoc centers.

[@cosmictraveler1146]

Stopped reading after “Marxist policies”. Word salad.

[@Mr_Clean]

Downstate sick of being controlled by five counties

[@vladboy1]

Uh well property taxes are an issue in the last 4 years property values went down prices went up and property taxes are up a lot mine almost doubled as well as home insurance taxes in Illinois are the 2and highest only New Jersey is higher

[@frankd.506]

​@@Mr_CleanLike the red states who take more from the feds then they put in the northern part of Illinois pays for the slackers down south.

[@10tenman10]

The unionized municipal workers are quite happy with high taxes because of their gold plated overgenerous pensiond.

[@frankiesayrelax100]

Public Educators know how to game the system to ensure their own kids are in the Full Ride Scholarship programs. Honors Colleges at Public Universities. So they almost never pay for their own kids college . When most of the same Educators flee the state by early retirement age, paying insane property taxes isn't a bad deal.

[@hot89103]

Property taxes were $12k a year, 1,100 Sq ft in McHenry. The Community Safety Act (banning semi auto firearms) was the last straw for me.

[@anonimous2451]

That is an illegal ban. See Amendment #2.

[@lhead7226]

@@anonimous2451 It doesn't stop them from trying.

[@gmooney77]

@@lhead7226 the ban has successfully obstructed our rights for multiple years, meanwhile teenagers in chicago go full-auto lol. Mission accomplished by the governor

[@sboeke91]

I love living in Illinois for my community. Because of this, I won’t ever leave… and that kinda sucks. I also don’t understand how our government can get out of this mess. I don’t think it matters who’s in office. My property taxes went up again this year. Super frustrating.

[@justchilling704]

Get politically active.

[@Daennytargary2024]

And the mayor of Chicago just announced a increase in property taxes after spending over 50,000 of tax dollars to redo his wife office

[@Damn-h4e]

Someone has to pay for all the immigrants. Illinois has become a complete dump. I hate even driving through there when i go see relatives in Indiana.

[@economicdevelopmentplannin8715]

It's the pensions. $142 billion. Over hired school and police over the last 30 years

[@jgringo5516]

Yes, and the govt wants the immigrants in order to repopulate the state. Think of annual Fed subsidy money based on population. Politics is the root of it all.

[@maggielandow2686]

Illegals.

[@danielbliss1988]

@@jgringo5516 the only way we're going to get out of this is with more people. Immigrants or otherwise. And immigrants are why Chicago didn't turn into Detroit, at least not yet.

[@danielbliss1988]

@@economicdevelopmentplannin8715 not overhired so much as over-promised. Edgar, Pate Philip, Daley, Ryan, Blagojevich etc made big contract promises on pensions and then didn't fund the contributions or stop the double-dipping. Finally in 2011, after all the above were retired or in jail, they repealed everything and went back to a sensible level. But everyone who was a state or city employee during 1997 to 2010 is contracted on that higher pension, and until they die off, that in a nutshell is why we're where we are.

[@mikem5113]

Thanks Chris Harden for this good and informative video. I’d lived in the Chicago suburbs all of my life, until now. Earlier this year I moved from Chicagoland to the Indianapolis suburbs, and I’m not looking back. It’s sad, but I felt like was being punished for living in Illinois. The taxes, the corruption, the regulation, the crime, etc. My only regret is that I couldn’t leave Illinois sooner.

[@ChrisHarden]

Interesting. Indy metro area has been one of the main spots for Illinoisans to relocate too.

[@craignovy2090]

Yes indeed! I grew up in Chicagoland but now live in a suburb of Indy. You are spot on.

[@MQuinn-bp7vm]

Your retirement gets taxed in Indiana and you have to come back to Illinois for descent medical. No MMAI if needed as well

[@SamMeis-u4v]

Indiana is just the Mississippi of the Midwest.!

[@MQuinn-bp7vm]

@@ChrisHarden yeah and we have noticed is that they come back with if 5 to 10 years! Medical care for one! Then some we have found are SOI workers who took a pay cut to live there and once again came back and wanted their jobs and medical insurance. Indiana being a Republican state will not except all of Medicaid and Medicare because a lot of the policies like Obamacare I brought about by the Democrats so they play politics and short, their residents of medical care and please don’t forget that they also tax Social Security for peoples retirement the state of Illinois does not do that.

[@marcmelvin3010]

I live in deep southern Illinois, over six fast hours south of Chicago, and even that is not far enough away. I worked in Chicago, and have been all over the state, and I could not help but notice that in demographics and culture the state is strongly divided. Chicago is almost like some foreign country - and being born and raised abroad, I know what that means - in its differences from the rest of the state. But go south of I-64 and it is much like a different state from that north of it, and then south of Anna, and suddenly it’s if you are in northern Kentucky. When I worked in Chicago, people would laugh at my southern accent - I didn’t know I had one - and when I told them I was from southern Illinois, they’d ask if that was Danville or Peoria? We don’t need Chicago, nor do we want it, where they have more city employees who never show up and yet are paid than we have in a score or more of our county governments put together, and crime is so pervasive that it is accepted as the norm. Whatever the democrat machine in Chicago wants, the legislature votes for and then Pritzger signs into law, and no one south of Chicago has any say in it at all. So let them join Minnesota, or Canada, just so they leave us alone.

[@vladboy1]

I agree I live in in what is considered southern Illinois but I am near st Louis and taxes suck so does chico-land

[@stephenfletcher1579]

Amen brother! Tell it like it is! We have a lot on common. The over weight, over spending, over paid, over rated governor, is way in over his head. Democrat and Chicago, that says it all.

[@mcsegeek1]

It's not gonna change. Chicago is a cesspool. Move out of Illinois if you value sanity.

[@ChicagoJ351]

I’ve lived in the Chicago area and southern Illinois. Chicago is the modern world. The rest of the state is small town America (except in the urban areas like Champaign). You may prefer the boonies and that’s fine. But downstate is not the modern world. It’s small towns with depressed economies.

[@vladboy1]

@@ChicagoJ351 key word lived so you moved wonder why because Chicago sucks and is a cesspool pool I will admit it used to rock but not any more and by the way modern world wtf are you smoking Chicago is so bad that Afghanistan has a lower kill count you think only big cities have amenities and modern stuff your nutz

[@user-eq8mq6zw3e]

wealthy people paying lower relative property taxes is a problem almost everywhere and has been for over a century.

[@michaelschiemer3]

I’m in Ohio and the housing market here over the last 7-8 years is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Homes that were bought for $130K in 2015 are now being sold for $590k. I’m talking about tiny, disgusting, poorly built 950 square foot shit boxes in quiet mediocre neighborhood. Then you’ve got Better, average sized homes in nicer neighborhood that were $300K+ 10 years ago selling for $750k+ now. Wild times.

[@Rachadrian]

Home prices will come down eventually, but for now; get your money (as much as you can) out of the housing market and get into the financial markets or gold. The new mortgage rates are crazy, add to that the recession and the fact that mortgage guidelines are getting more difficult. Home prices will need to fall by a minimum of 40% (more like 50%) before the market normalize.If you are in cross roads or need sincere advise on the best moves to take now its best you seek an independent advisor who knows about the financial markets.

[@Pconradsmith]

consider moving your money from the housing market to financial markets or gold due to high mortgage rates and tough guidelines. Home prices may need to drop significantly before things stabilize. Seeking advice from a financial advisor who understands the market could be helpful in making the right decisions.

[@Aarrenrhonda3]

@@Pconradsmith this sounds considerable! think you know any advisors i can get on the phone with? i'm in dire need of proper portfolio allocation

[@Pconradsmith]

There are a handful of experts in the field. I've experimented with a few over the past years, but I've stuck with ‘’Annette Christine Conte ” for about five years now, and her performance has been consistently impressive. She’s quite known in her field, look-her up.

[@Aarrenrhonda3]

She appears to be well-educated and well-read. I ran a Google search on her name and came across her website; thank you for sharing.

[@shelbyz1974]

The only reason my husband and I stay in Chicagoland area is our elderly parents are still alive. We plan to retire in another state nearby but haven't decided which one yet. Taxes really started to skyrocket in the early 90's. It started out a couple hundred dollars and that was bad, but then they started jumping $3k. WTF! Insane! Thanks for the video Chris!

[@ChrisHarden]

Can’t blame you for staying! That’s what’s keeping a lot of ppl there id imagine

[@302Mustang13]

Same here Chris. Only thing keeping me in Illinois is family. I just wish the crazy governor would pull his head out of his fat a$$ but he's too worried national politics.

[@waltercasas3124]

We moved to to Tennessee from Tinley Park. That should tell you something.

[@302Mustang13]

@@waltercasas3124 my cousin lives in TP. I'm betting you are loving Tennessee much better.

[@WorldsOkayestBusDriver]

We just want to know where all the DRUG MONEY is? The state of Illinois started selling marijuana claiming it would be a GOOD thing 🤷‍♂️

[@vladboy1]

Where do you think in prezel prizer pocket he doesn’t even live in Illinois he lives in Florida now

[@marblox9300]

True, but remember when all the Lottery Money was going to make things better. And how about the White Sox Stadium that was going to keep that cash cow in Illinois. It's all a lie as the more money they have coming in the more they keep raising the taxes.

[@Comm0ut]

Legalization was SUPPOSED to be about personal freedom (which Americans don't really believe in for anyone but their own preferences) but the government want money and are convinced your body AND wallet belong to them.

[@matthewshannon6946]

Yeah, and the lotteries were going to fund the schools, too, remember??😂😂😂😂😂

[@trumpshare]

I left Illinois over 20 years ago now for the following reasons 1) Corruption 2) Property taxes 3) Toll roads 4) weather 5) traffic 6) South and West siders. The food was great though...miss the pizza and Italian beefs!

[@harjimbaugh4234]

what is wrong with the south and west siders?

[@raybod1775]

Weather isn’t so cold like 20 years ago.

[@thomastherriault8632]

And Illegal immigrants.

[@anthonyhansel9175]

You ever get around Springfield for the Horseshoe sandwich? Perhaps the greatest thing ever from this State.

[@firstlast-pq1tx]

​@@harjimbaugh4234hes reffering to the criminals from chicago that infest the other cities in illinois

[@butchsill4192]

We left Naperville and never looked back living easy in Florida 🌴

[@Tessitura9]

Taxing groceries is just plain evil.

[@giddysmiles2901]

Know of a retired suburban Chicago area HS Graphics Arts teacher making $142,623/year. She gets an automatic 3% increase per year by law. Knew of a HS music that retired in 2003 @ $175,000/yr. The education/public unions run Springfield. So much corruption and disappearing tax money in Illionois!

[@economicdevelopmentplannin8715]

Required to work 180 days x 6 hours daily. 1000 hours facing students basically. 170k is $170 hourly. Obscene. 3x above normal

[@marblox9300]

I'm 65 and in HINDSIGHT - Public Schools 1-8 and 9-12 were COMPLETELY useless. The only thing I ever used from those years was Drivers Ed.

[@economicdevelopmentplannin8715]

@marblox9300 from k12 I definitely use reading writing and math, daily. I use algebra, statistics, calculus daily in my work. But I didn't need 1000 classroom hours yearly for more than a decade to learn this stuff. 12000 classroom hours... Probably could have learned it in under 3000 hours...

[@henriettavanderfloof8104]

I’m not mad about those teachers I am mad at all the money lining the politicians pockets.

[@marblox9300]

@@economicdevelopmentplannin8715 Without ever stepping into grade school you would have learned that stuff. You were speaking and understanding English before kindergarden. I was an Assembler Programmer and only figured on a calculator - never used what I learned in public schools so nice try. LOL. Algebra and calculous - sound's like some bull shit - what exactly did you do for a job. Tell me.

[@Latrodectus_vv_]

So, I just moved away from Illinois. I lived in Lakeview in Chicago. My apartment was really expesnsive for what it was. Chicago taxes, speed cameras, and red light cameras are insane. The issue that really did it was this summer. The city was a mess. Traffic was worse that it had even been. There were too many events going on at once and it created chaos. Then, there is the crime.... In lakeview people were getting car jacked, shot, and robbed. Less than other parts of the city BUT people pay a premium to live there. And there is still those issues. There are so many other examples of why it was a mess it would take forever to type.

[@bibibachmd9995]

Left 15 years ago. So many problems but to name a few outrageous property taxes, crime, traffic, bureaucratic red tape, taxes on everything, etc. Chicago and IL are doomed and not coming back anytime soon. I was held up near East Bank Club.

[@brucehartman23]

one question did you still vote democrat?

[@brianflynn5491]

Quit your complaining. You get paid enough. Although your not worth it😅

[@shappuden6608]

​@@brucehartman23exactly. Like this isn't even just a chicago issue. Its a policy and national issue of America being run into the dirt. This guys video is interesting but for people who live and work at major corps in the city.... none of these little suburb towns or cities are on our mind. I'd rather be taxed to hell living in a huge city like ny, chicago, places in California or anywhere along the coast -- but it's the funneling and miss-management of our tax money being wasted on things like migrants when we could be improving the city we all are technically supposed to be paying for. This is what leads to civil unrest because we dont want to move out of a city, so we won't, but the government continues to ruin our home and so everyone starts getting violent and fighting for change.

[@philospeakNOW]

Ah yes, my Lakeview days were great. I checked out my old apartment there and the rent is INSANE and it looks the same. Sad to think I will never move back after visiting a few times over the last decade, given what has become of it.

[@breezybmetal8646]

I live in Illinois- I hate Illinois!!!!!

[@ArethaRenee]

Same!

[@anderander5662]

@breezybmetal8646 At this point I think ANY neighboring state would be an improvement. Peace, quiet and affordability mean a lot.

[@dans3294]

Surrounding states will welcome you if you don’t vote like most Illinois residents do. If you gonna keep voting the same way, please stay in the mess you made .

[@greenspiraldragon]

Get your exit plan ready.

[@HurtsMyAss]

Sure Vlad, sure.

[@pr0t0typ38]

As someone who moved from florida to illinois nearly a year ago, yes, Illinois is taxing the hell out of me, but I'm still making more money even after taxes for the same exact job and have a better quality of life than what I had in florida, so... so far, I'm not complaining

[@ChrisHarden]

Hope things continue to go well for you. Florida has its own lists of problems no doubt

[@Laguero]

I love my home state of Illinois, but we are so poorly governed.

[@Machine6180]

2:20, It's the people's fault! The People in Illinois have forgotten they have the power! Think most people across the U.S. have forgotten. Or their afraid to stand up. But let them take our firearms so we can't defend ourselves. There is a second Amendment and it was made to protect the 1st Amendment!

[@Mr_Clean]

Google image search a map of how Illinois votes. You'll notice of the 102 counties about 90% are red. Yet we're controlled by the Northeast corner

[@johndough1703]

@@Mr_Clean the commenter also doesn't understand what the 2nd Am. is for. IT'S NOT FOR DEFENSE. Only when it's used in it's proper capacity, as intended for revolution, it will only get worse.

[@mcsegeek1]

They haven't forgotten they have power. Chicago gets exactly what it voted for. And I have ZERO sympathy.

[@wingding7822]

@@Mr_Cleanif you had a brain you would know that most people live in Chicagoland

[@BobDobbs681]

I didn't know how screwed up Illinois government was until I left the state. Didn't know about Illinois Policy and am glad to learn of them. That was a good interview. There's a group I've followed some -- Edgar County Watchdogs -- that does similar investigative reporting on a smaller scale. I like the people of Illinois and hope it gets turned around.

[@Mr_Clean]

I know several people who left the state when we lost a big chunk of our second amendment rights under PICA

[@sammyg.7317]

Which is illegal under the constitution, PICA is illegal under federal law.

[@everydayvacaytaj]

I've been wanting to buy a house somewhere in or near Chicago and had no idea about the taxes so thanks for the info.

[@matthewshannon6946]

I was a Union Carpenter for 22 of my 37 years living in Illinois. I finally moved my whole family to Texas 16 months ago-I just couldn't take what the dems have done to this formerly beautiful state anymore. Pissker, his unconstitutional edicts, and illegal "laws" are to the point of being unbearable!!! We love it in Texas! Nice people and we feel free!!!

[@brianfischer149]

Are you now retired ? And where did you live in Illinois ?

[@Troklie]

Enjoy burning in the sun as it gets hotter and hotter every year and constantly breaks new heat records while all your air conditioning fails. I’d move to the south too if it wasn’t for how hot it is and how much it continues to get hotter year after year

[@tonywestvirginia]

I own my home here in West Virginia (I am a Michigan native) I have a homestead exemption on my 2 acres and 3 bed 2 bath home. Property tax- $150 a year. Thanks Chris. I enjoy all of you videos.

[@johndough1703]

No one is laughing at you now

[@montana_patriot]

I am a native Illinoisan with roots in Illinois back to the days of UGG. (a really long time). Obvious by my screen name, I no longer reside there. I only visit once a year at x-mas time to see the remaining family I have there. When I left several years ago, the town I grew up in was in fair shape. Population 1300. Bedroom community to 2 central Illinois cities. Most services you could want. Today there is only 1 gas station, the local grocery closed, the large apartment/business complex downtown was torn down, and the cancer Dollar General made it's mark conveniently outside town limits as not to pay pesky taxes. The local businesses have been decimated to the local tap and the bowling alley and a couple odds and ends. The people work in the nearby cities. It is just another story of many towns in Central Illinois.

[@sitka49]

I'm surprised that they torn down the apartment they could've bused in a bunch immigrants -and made a killing on gov subsides housing them?

[@touger9759]

Somewhere between peoria and Champaign?

[@mllrdnl]

Northern IL is doing very good! New businesses are up everywhere. My hometown has an industrial park that was a ghost town for most of my life till recently. New businesses everywhere. My stocks are going great too! Cost of living sucks but is still wayyy better than NY or California. There is nothing down south because no one lives down south and so there is less money to move around.

[@abrahamcain440]

I moved out of that state 4 years ago and haven't looked back.and when I go back to see family I try not to spend money in that state

[@JoeLewis14]

Taxes on something you already own is insanity.

[@coolnatkat]

How do you propose to pay for police, streets, and schools?

[@DaleGribble1]

​@@coolnatkatsales tax, income tax, liquor tax, wheel tax, car registration, toll roads, gas tax, etc

[@coolnatkat]

@DaleGribble1 that way wealthy person, like trust fund baby, pays almost nothing relative to their net worth. Perfect! You would really need a net worth tax. Except you are defending the statement that it is insanity to tax something you already own, and that would also be net worth (which wheel tax and car registration fall into as well, no?)

[@infotrex]

Education get just shy of the 80% of property taxes - Texas cities has the same problem as the Chicago region. Sales taxes get you higher in Texas than all counties except Cook

[@TrampConnoisseur]

I lived in Illinois my whole life, but I’m going to school in Wisconsin. I’m leaving cause I’m sick of paying into the welfare state and seeing none of that money going back to our communities. The roads are horrible. Crime is pretty bad. Our communities and districts are horribly gerrymandered and gentrified. On my drive to work there’s always someone fented out or begging for money. I can say definitively that most of those moving out of state are middle class. We get taxed to shit and have our money sent to worthless state aid and SNAP programs that have done very little to actually help lift people out of poverty. I’ve seen it my entire life yet nothing has changed. The state is just ghetto af

[@finddeniro]

The ghetto Theme is Spreading...Seattle's..

[@coriemulvey2580]

It’s not a welfare state. Snap is federal. You don’t pay for snap with your taxes in Illinois. I would have less of a problem paying higher taxes if it were feeding people, but instead it’s going to retirements.. it’s going towards upper class, professional people and schools. Did you even watch the video? I love how you rambled off without any understanding of how anything actually works. Wisconsin is more of a welfare state than Illinois .Get mad at the rich who are robbing the working class.. and the poor. Don’t fall for the lie that poor people are taking it all away from you. That’s what the rich wants. They are actively trying to divide us while they rob us blind. How can you tell someone’s a hillbilly? They rant about things like snap. They rant about welfare and immigrants while ignoring the real problems.. billionaires and the military industrial complex.

[@freedomdude5420]

Two words, public unions.

[@josephbalinski]

I have started my forays into Indiana looking for a new home. I can save 140K on similar house prices and 7-10K in property taxes. I have to move if I truly want to retire

[@markp8950]

Just don't move to IN1(if you are from IN you know what I am talking about) it is as bad as IL

[@boyd-u9t]

I was raised in Chicago and have family thru out the state. I moved to Mississippi 45 years ago. I have a 3 BR 1 1/2 bath ranch house with central AC/ heat and metal roof on an acre of land. My house is assessed at just over 70K. Shocking huh? I'm over 65 and i pay no property tax. Chicago and crooked city and state politicians have destroyed the state.

[@stevehannah]

Ohio & Indiana not playing this bs. Vote

[@nancywolf3786]

chiraq and crook county elections have been rigged for as far back as i can remember

[@frankiesayrelax100]

Ohio Property taxes are as high as Illinois. Especially in the Cities and Suburbs. Suburbs of Dayton are now as high as Suburbs of Cleveland.

[@rudymontana4515]

Vote for what ? You can't vote the Mafia out .

[@DaleGribble1]

​@@frankiesayrelax100is sales tax 10% as well? How about the gas and liquor taxes?

[@PH28538]

As an Illinoisan TAXES, TAXES, and MORE FUGGING TAXES from years Of Dummy-crats at the Helm!!!! . The end.

[@Gamerdade78]

We left Chicagoland last year October 2023. Property taxes and sales tax, income tax everything that Can be taxed caused us to move. We did not see a bright future for our three kids. Chicago is great but I fear that it will become trash in the next decade.

[@jasoncarr5379]

The only reason I stayed in Illinois because a family after they're gone I go to!

[@craignovy2090]

Absolutely brilliant! It is one thing to note bad stats and blighted areas. It is quite another to know the why behind it. This channel is second to none in that quality. How can you really fix something if you don't know what the problems are? Keep up the great work!!!

[@ChrisHarden]

Will do, thanks!

[@tedross2424]

I have an old ass farm house (1880) and 2 acres of rough land 50 miles south of the city. They say it's worth 225,000 and raised my taxes again this year. I say they're out of their freaking mind. over taxed, denying our constitutional rights, This state sucks.

[@donnafeather6792]

Small business owners & home owners should get together & bring class action lawsuits.

[@awilson8521]

My family is from Illinois (great grandparents to me). Its so depressing there. We left when I was fourteen. Praise God.

[@jeffsmystic]

I live here and you nailed it. Can't wait to exit. Terrible run state and thieving politicians..

[@joshawafoster1477]

Illinois is trash. Been here 41 years and it hasn't changed a bit. A few more years and myself and family are off to Missouri

[@SharonMalone-w8v]

Same. I’m 39 and soon will be gone to Tennessee! Good luck and happy life to you…

[@SLHJR0390]

Missouri is just a half a percent cheaper to live in and has almost none of the services offered in Illinois. Also lower pay. Illinois has the highest pay in the Midwest folks.

[@whydyougoanddothat4269]

cause youre broke...thats why

[@dominicconway2761]

Live in Missouri, been to Illinois many times over the decades. I dont mind visiting Illinois but would never live there.

[@joeMW284]

Missouri is a sh*thole

[@GuthixsRealm]

Ive been born and raised in Illinois my whole life. Most of my family lives in this state. Almost everyone i know always complains how much they hate it here but most of them stay regardless. I actually like Illinois for its rich history and importance to the united states and the development of the midwest. Its a shame we let our local government run things so far into the ground that we cant keep our own people from leaving.

[@ChrisHarden]

I can respect that response. Michigan is my home state and I love it but it certainly has flaws.

[@maggielandow2686]

@@GuthixsRealm I agree. We were destroyed when all our factories were moved out to either M I o or cheaper tax states. I loved growing up there and I love the countryside of Illinois. My family came there in late 1800s. None of us live there now. The long term democrat stronghold of corruption has destroyed a lovely state. I hope the people have finally woken up and take their state back for the citizens.

[@alexpalmer8846]

Lived in Illinois when I was a kid, my family moved to Iowa when I was 10. My dad grew up in Illinois but said he “saw the writing on the wall” back then. Best decision they’ve made. My sister moved back to Illinois since her husband is from there. I honestly hate going there to visit her. I can’t bring my concealed carry firearm with me or I’m a felon, gas and diesel are always roughly 50 cents more, the roads are junk, and everything just looks run down. And the property taxes are ridiculous. My house in Iowa is assessed at $250,000 and my taxes are $3,900 a year. My sisters house in Illinois is assessed at $130,000 and the taxes are $4,400 a year…

[@jamespurdie1519]

I live in Indiana in a house we got for 120k and is now worth 180k. We pay less than 6200 annually for p&i and taxes. Not just taxes.

[@Dannywebb1967]

I own a home in South Cook County. My property taxes are why I'm selling my home and moving to Northwest Indiana

[@dollia7]

Great! Don’t work here.

[@keysautorepair6038]

You can drive 2 hours and buy gas cigarettes and still come out hundreds of dollars cheaper than buying in Illinois absolutely ridiculous.

[@alvinjohnson9531]

In a few years I believe that the whole state of Illinois wiil become one big FORD HEIGHTS!!!😮😮😮

[@thomastherriault8632]

Ford Heights! 🙆

[@21frfghter]

People leave Illinois for Indiana because it’s cheaper to live in Indiana and they’re not going to be taxed out of their mind for owning a home. But those same people that leave Illinois for Indiana still vote the same way thinking it’s gonna work in Indiana when it doesn’t work in Illinois. Then they talk shit about Indiana politics when a majority of the state doesn’t agree with them.

[@OHYEAH-km3md]

hard to stay when your paycheck can't keep it with rent

[@dylanput]

My girlfriend and I left Illinois just under 2 years ago and bought a home in Crown Point, Indiana. The property taxes that we pay on our place is under $2,000 annually. The same home in Illinois would be AT LEAST $7,000-$9,000. BUHHH BYE!!!!

[@ChrisHarden]

Right. It would be a no brainer if you ask me!

[@timr31908]

They're going to put Haitians in there to make up for it. . Hahaha there goes your social security. .😊

[@mybrainhurts646]

Was this before or after the KKK incident in Crown Point years ago?

[@dtraw9573]

Ya but you live in indiana lmfao. Lower wages zero worker rights, zero services. Your state cant even clear roads days after snow storms. Blizzard happens in chicago and by the next morning before work the roads are cleared. Indiana is trash and you get what you (dont) pay for

[@302Mustang13]

​@@mybrainhurts646should be mybraindamage.

[@UnderAttack-x1s]

I also went to Illinois to teach. They cry and cry they need Teachers. But they had so many high fees and then they had one crappy law that really kept me from teaching.

[@UnderAttack-x1s]

If they want to attract Teachers, maybe make it so they can be processed and actually TEACH

[@FantasyZoneGaming]

I've been in a group on Facebook called "escaping illinois" most people posting how they got out and where they moved to. A light at the end of the tunnel. We gotta get out.

[@noliftraceway8772]

No we need to stop voting democrap and throw putsger in jail

[@prizm63]

Wow Its not easy to escape. Those who had a licence profession COULD NOT TRANSFER, no matter how many times I attempted payed the fees and somehow The dept did not send. So decades later. I chose freedom NEVER TO RENEW MY NURSING NUMBER . So saving little hoping by 10 years I can finally escape IL. So if you are planning to be going to NURSING school DO NOT USE IL ( Its a trap ) if you planning to leave the state of ILLINOIS

[@noliftraceway8772]

@prizm63 we need to stop voting in people like prickster or what ever fat boys name is.

[@slalomking]

@@noliftraceway8772it’s JB

[@RyfusFox]

As a Illinois local, there has been multiple attempts to separate Chicago from the rest of the state. There's nothing here but a bunch of farmers. Yet the rest of the state gets taxed like we live in luxury.