A weak economy should bring political change. But not In Illinois. Republicans here don’t know how to fight the information war. President Donald Trump won Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa because of the economy. He showed Republicans how to do it — yet the idiots here in Illinois run from Trump.
The Illinois Policy Institute continues to lay out the ugly facts regarding the Illinois state budget and its economy. With so many facts on our side — you’d think Republicans here — who now have tens of millions of dollars to use — would figure out how to communicate.
Here is IPI’s Michael Lucci:
Illinois saw a 0.23 percent increase in jobs in the first quarter of 2017, the third-worst growth rate in the region.
Illinois lost 8,900 jobs in March and still has fewer jobs than in the year 2000, while businesses are creating more opportunities in neighboring states. A new economic releasefrom the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that surrounding states continue to outpace Illinois on the road to economic recovery and prosperity.
Illinois’ economic weakness is a long-term problem that exacerbates the state’s near-term financial crisis. The Land of Lincoln is increasingly falling behind, as neighboring states have less debt, lower taxes, smarter regulations and pro-growth approaches that allow their economies to prosper and residents to find rewarding jobs.
Employers created 14,000 jobs in Illinois in the first quarter of 2017. This jobs count compares well with those in neighboring states, but it doesn’t compare well when adjusted for the size of each state’s economy. For example, Illinois’ labor force is twice the size of Indiana’s, and therefore requires twice as many jobs just to keep up in terms of relative employment opportunities. That means it’s more important to measure Illinois’ performance in terms of percentages, as opposed to the total number of jobs created.
Read more: Illinois Policy Institute
Image credit: www.illinoispolicy.org.
