Please follow us on Truth Social, X, YouTube, Minds, Telegram, Rumble, GETTR, Gab, Instagram

Guest post by Bill Broderick

Citizens have basic expectations of state government, such as public safety, schools that actually educate children and prepare them for daily life, living conditions in a community that allow for safety and quality of life and more. The one issue that citizens rarely talk about but matters just as much or more than the basics is a state economy that allows families and businesses to thrive and prosper.

The core duty of state government is responsible stewardship of the public trust in all matters of the state, especially the economy. Some states are doing a great job, while others have really underperformed. Exhibit A for failure to perform and provide leadership for positive growth of an economy is Illinois. (All data cited in this report can be fact-checked on Grok)

Highlights Of The Illinois Economy

• GDP: IL ranks fifth in the nation for GDP
• Population: IL lost 900,000+ people in the last ten years — on pace to lose one or two seats in Congress after the 2030 census
• Job Growth: IL ranks 44th in the nation for job growth; the nation added 12 million+ jobs in the last five years, IL added about 383,000
• Unemployment: IL unemployment is always higher than the national average (4.2% for 6/26), currently at 5.1% — 45th in the nation
• Commercial Real Estate: IL has office vacancy rates in the range of 30%, illustrating weak demand by the business community
• Employer Losses: Over the past decade, IL has experienced a net loss of an estimated 1,300–1,400 companies and tens of thousands of jobs
• State Taxes: IL ranks in the top three states for state-level taxes — pick any state tax, IL is first, second or third
• Pritzker Tax Increases: Under the JB Pritzker regime, IL has added 57 tax and fee increases, placing a new financial burden of an estimated $1,400 per year per household
• Pension Debt: IL spends 20% of the state budget on pension funding, compared to the national average of 5%
• Regulations: IL ranks fourth in the nation for sheer volume of regulatory oversight of the private sector
• Business Climate: In national surveys of employers regarding desirable corporate locations, IL ranks 48 out of 50 states
• State Governance: IL holds first place in the nation in total number of state government units — every other state fulfills services with fewer government resources

Peer Analysis: IL vs. TX, FL, CA, NY

A comparison of Illinois with its peer group (CA, NY, TX, FL) provides greater insight. From 1997 to 2025, GDP growth ranked by percent rate of growth for the five largest GDP states, not adjusted for inflation:

• TX: from $611B to $2,904B — 376% growth
• FL: from $402B to $1,835B — 357% growth
• CA: from $1.068T to $4.251T — 298% growth
• NY: from $716B to $2,468B — 245% growth
• IL: from $416B to $1,202B — 189% growth

The growth rate in GDP for IL lags its four peer states by significant margins. Key factors driving TX and FL success include:

• Population Growth: Both TX and FL added millions of people — often at the expense of Midwest states like IL
• Industry Mix: TX is focused on energy and high tech; FL on tourism — while IL remains concentrated in manufacturing, services, logistics and finance
• Taxes: TX and FL are known for low taxes and low regulations; IL is known for the opposite
• Governance: TX and FL maintain a collaborative style of governance, working with the private sector to enable growth and prosperity

As the chart indicates, except for a few years, IL has not matched or exceeded national GDP growth. All of the factors cited bear directly on the performance of the IL economy.

Conclusion

Think of the economy of a state as the equivalent of a top-of-the-line, expensive ten-speed bike, with the political class of the state in charge of riding the bike.

A few states such as Texas and Florida know how to hit the bike trails every day, put the bike through its paces, and get back to the starting point at day’s end confident that high-performance goals were met.

A few states such as California and New York are competent at taking the bike for a ride around the block a few times a day, put some mileage on the speedometer, and call it a wrap.

Then there’s Illinois. On a good day, Illinois politicians will at best commit to doing figure eights in the driveway — if we can get them on the bike at all.

Political leadership of a state economy requires diligent focus on creating an environment of taxes and regulations that support growth and prosperity. Can Illinois fulfill its stewardship responsibilities, reverse direction on a broad front of policies, and enable the state to achieve its economic potential?

Without major reforms to the governance of IL, the economy will continue to be stuck on stupid.

‘NO AD’ subscription for CDM! Sign up here and support real investigative journalism and help save the republic!