By Daniel Nardini
Recently, 45 counties in southern Illinois voted on a non-binding resolution to either create a separate state or join another state. And as you might have guessed, these were all Republican counties. No Democrats in their right minds would go for creating a rump state out of Illinois. Let us look at what creating a small state from Illinois would mean. This new (Republican) state would be cut-off from Chicago, the Chicago area, and the northern part of the state which produces most of the revenue. Hence, a separate state apart from the rest of Illinois would be as poor if not more poor than the current state of Mississippi.
Whatever revenue the southern part of southern Illinois gives to the whole state eventually comes back with interest for the southern towns and cities in the state. It is not a one-way street. If the southern part of Illinois tries to join with, for example, Indiana, it is doubtful that state will accept these Illinois counties. Indiana at this time is having a budget crisis of its own, and how can it take in counties that will be equally flat broke when their links to northern Illinois are gone? Kentucky would be no better a choice. Any way I look at this, the solution to break away from the rest of Illinois is asinine. If some of these Republicans complain that they are poor now, they should consider how much worse off they will be if they lose the Chicago area and all of northern Illinois.
But I doubt this will ever happen. As the midterm election has shown, we now have a resurgent Democratic Party. The Democratic Party of Illinois thankfully has pretty solid control over the Illinois State Assembly. Further, the Democrats now have complete control of the U.S. Congress. For any part of any state to become a new separate entity it would have to be approved by a state legislature and then the U.S. Congress. THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN! It is a Republican fantasy which should belong in the dustbin of history just like the rest of the Republican Party that just got annihilated in the midterm election on November 3rd. Illinois has gone from being a blue to being a deep blue state, and this tide of history cannot be changed. For all of the people in those 45 counties in southern Illinois, please consider that such a measure will lead to nothing but ruin. Illinois is all our home, so let us keep it a whole state.
Republican Loonies in Southern Illinois
By Daniel Nardini
Whatever revenue the southern part of southern Illinois gives to the whole state eventually comes back with interest for the southern towns and cities in the state. It is not a one-way street. If the southern part of Illinois tries to join with, for example, Indiana, it is doubtful that state will accept these Illinois counties. Indiana at this time is having a budget crisis of its own, and how can it take in counties that will be equally flat broke when their links to northern Illinois are gone? Kentucky would be no better a choice. Any way I look at this, the solution to break away from the rest of Illinois is asinine. If some of these Republicans complain that they are poor now, they should consider how much worse off they will be if they lose the Chicago area and all of northern Illinois.
But I doubt this will ever happen. As the midterm election has shown, we now have a resurgent Democratic Party. The Democratic Party of Illinois thankfully has pretty solid control over the Illinois State Assembly. Further, the Democrats now have complete control of the U.S. Congress. For any part of any state to become a new separate entity it would have to be approved by a state legislature and then the U.S. Congress. THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN! It is a Republican fantasy which should belong in the dustbin of history just like the rest of the Republican Party that just got annihilated in the midterm election on November 3rd. Illinois has gone from being a blue to being a deep blue state, and this tide of history cannot be changed. For all of the people in those 45 counties in southern Illinois, please consider that such a measure will lead to nothing but ruin. Illinois is all our home, so let us keep it a whole state.