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* Shelbyville Daily Union…
State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville, has filed a resolution appealing to the United States Congress to separate Chicago from Illinois and making it a new state.
The resolution, filed Feb. 7, is co-sponsored by State Reps. Darren Bailey, R-Louisville, and Chris Miller, R-Robinson. Halbrook said Monday that the he filed the resolution to bring attention to the disconnect between the Chicago area and the rest of the state.
“The purpose of this resolution is to show the disconnect between the northeast corner of the state and downstate Illinois. They make financial decisions and policies that don’t follow what the rest of the state wants,” Halbrook said. […]
Halbrook said he has heard that some people from the northeast corner of the state say that Illinois could not survive without Chicago, and because of that sentiment, Halbrook said those from that area should be the “first in line” to advocate for the separation.
Um, I don’t get it. If you’re an Illinoisan and believe that pulling Chicago out of Illinois would hurt Illinois, why would you ever be for that?
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:12 pm
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Wait in line behind Puerto Rico and Washington D.C.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:18 pm
Do they think we don’t know the difference between activity and productivity? They don’t need supermajority Democrats to make them irrelevant, they can do the job themselves just fine thank you very much.
Comment by Ducky LaMoore Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:22 pm
Brad is gonna be in for a rude awakening when all the tax revenue from Chicago dries up. “Unclear” is an understatement…..
Comment by Galena Guy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:23 pm
I know that having to pass tests, etc to vote is repressive, reducing the number of people able to vote. Extrapolating, we can’t require tests when determining who can get elected. But, can we please make our legislators learn basic math, budgeting, and what representing people means? Maybe that week where they learn where the tunnels and the bathrooms are?
Emoji - face palm.
As much as I get annoyed because our downstate vote is the minority, I do understand basic math. We get net dollars from Chicago.
Comment by thoughts matter Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:24 pm
I think I lost a few IQ points reading that reasoning.
Comment by Iggy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:24 pm
They are buffoons, they would like to be Mississippi or Alabama, or Arkansas.
If they understood their districts get more because Chicago pays more…
They are an embarrassing lot.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:24 pm
Congress has more important things to do than splitting up the State of Illinois.
And people wonder why the IGOP is irrelevant.
This idea is so stupid that only an intellectual would think of it.
Comment by Huh? Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:25 pm
=Um, I don’t get it. If you’re an Illinoisan and believe that pulling Chicago out of Illinois would hurt Illinois, why would you ever be for that?=
State Rep. Brad Halbrook, R-Shelbyville is for party and politics First, state and nation Last.
Comment by Deadbeat Conservative Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:25 pm
===only an intellectual would think of it===
Or the exact opposite.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:27 pm
Wow, interesting concept on helping your community and constituents.
Comment by Barrington Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:27 pm
Rich:
Your breaking news section has an item about a New York assemblyman with a similar idea. FYI
Comment by thoughts matter Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:31 pm
My father is constantly Chicago-bashing. However, to him the City if Chicago includes the suburbs. He also refuses to listen to reason when I bring up where the state’s revenue comes from. He insists that all his state tax dollars go towards wasteful “Chicago” problems.
Comment by Not It Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:31 pm
which “policies and financial decisions”is the magoo referencin’ Please enumerate (that means show us your list). Why do the GOPies keep sending their most valued think tankers to the GA?
Comment by annonin' Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:32 pm
This is what is left of the GOP. There is nothing left to get voted from like Madigan old MO.The dems just have to govern because these guys are not interested. I can see why the CA will be the only game in town.
Comment by Not a Billionaire Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:33 pm
As a Chicago resident, I would love it, except for the fact that downstate would then get two U.S. Senators.
It is unfortunate, but I’m sort of tired of people from downstate claiming that everyone is out to get them. I don’t feel any connection to them. Chicago I identify as home. IL? No, not really. If those areas were not part of my state, I wouldn’t care, except for control of the U.S. Senate.
Comment by Gooner Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:38 pm
==If they understood their districts get more because Chicago pays more…==
I think it’s just laziness. Instead of doing the hard work and heavy lifting of helping their constituents with problems they do this.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:38 pm
Oswego:
They don’t know and don’t want to know.
They have been almost brainwashed by their representatives and places like the IPI to think that Chicago is the cause of all of Illinois problems.
Comment by btowntruthfromforgottonia Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:40 pm
Where are the Republican leaders? Covering their mouth and ears somewhere?
Comment by Lincoln Lad Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:42 pm
The concept is to improve representation in our representative form of government.
In the 2016 presidential election, 7 of the 18 congressional districts were won by the gop candidate. Adding, if the Chicago/Cook 2,000,000 votes for the dem candidate are set aside, the gop candidate carried the rest of the state. Downstate is not represented.
Regarding mo’ money comes from Chicago, that doesn’t matter if you spend less. You don’t need more of other people’s money.
Comment by two cents, maybe three Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:42 pm
===They don’t know and don’t want to know.===
The shame of it all is that… they don’t want to know.
===They have been almost brainwashed by their representatives and places like the IPI to think that Chicago is the cause of all of Illinois problems.===
There is also a “diversity” undercurrent that gets embraced by some willing to go after “She-Caw-Go”. This seems to be more simple minded lunacy.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:45 pm
C’mon Brad, go all in. Build a wall and make Chicago pay for it.
Comment by Henry Francis Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:45 pm
==Regarding mo’ money comes from Chicago, that doesn’t matter if you spend less. You don’t need more of other people’s money.==
Who is spending less? Downstate is spending more. Not that I have a problem with that.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:47 pm
===There is also a “diversity” undercurrent===
I’m not sure it’s an “under”current. May just be the current.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:47 pm
Hey, 2 cents–
Downstate spends MORE state money than it sends. That extra is made up with taxpayer money from Metro Chicago. Come on, this isn’t hard.
Comment by Ray del Camino Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:48 pm
===In the 2016 presidential election, 7 of the 18 congressional districts were won by the gop candidate===
… and yet, in 2018, the GOP delegation is now 5, not 7
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:48 pm
He also fails to mention that a lot of Chicago is in Indiana, so his proposal wouldn’t create a state of Chicago.
Comment by 62656 Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:48 pm
===I’m not sure it’s an “under”current. May just be the current.===
I’m trying to be fair, but your assessment is most right.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:50 pm
But you’re right about the presidential election. The Electoral College system doesn’t allow people to be represented as well as a direct election. Making Illinois two states isn’t going to fix that nationwide.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:50 pm
==Um, I don’t get it. If you’re an Illinoisan and believe that pulling Chicago out of Illinois would hurt Illinois, why would you ever be for that?==
This question presupposes that said Illinoisan cares even a little bit about Illinois as a whole, and not just the small pockets of Illinois that are dominated by partisan conservative voters. It’s sometimes referred to as the “Ives fallacy”
Comment by Lester Holt’s Mustache Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:51 pm
Even if demonizing people of color has somehow become ok with the core base, is it ok with your family? Your parents? Your children? Your pastor?
Comment by Lincoln Lad Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:58 pm
Too bad you cannot pass a bill that says your district cannot get back more in state money than you send to the state
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 1:59 pm
I Grew up in Chicago. I then spent the next 25+ years in Central Illinois. Feel like I know the terrain pretty well. I vote R more than D but have voted for plenty D’s. I will never understand anyone who thinks we are better off NOT having Chicago be a part of Illinois. Makes no sense.
Comment by Eire17 Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:04 pm
Sigh. I know Rep. Halbrook. He’s actually a pretty good guy. I just wish he wouldn’t tilt at this windmill. It serves no purpose other than to further divide Chicago and downstate. If Chicago is successful, doesn’t that redound to the benefit of Shelby County. And if the farmers are successful in Shelby County, doesn’t that help all of the state too?
Comment by Steve Rogers Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:09 pm
It’s sad that people from Chicago don’t connect to downstate and vice versa.
I grew up in Michigan and while there was some tension between Detroit and the rest of the state, most people identified as Michiganders. People from southeast Michigan spent their weekends and summers in northern Michigan and took pride in their state.
People in northeastern Illinois go to Wisconsin and Michigan for fun and have no connection to downstate Il, especially deep southern Illinois.
People from downstate feel ignored and resent Chicago.
Imagine if Chicago was in southern Illinois and northern Illinois was like northern Michigan. Maybe feelings would change and all Illinoisans would be proud of their state.
Comment by Sir Reel Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:21 pm
Is this a waste of time? YES
Does this create the same press pop as countless other Legislators create for goofy “ideas” that have no earthly chance of passing and are filed for the purpose of the press pop only? YES
LaShawn Ford filed a bill last year that was actually heard on the floor that would make any unit of local government responsible for finding squatters a home if squatters camped out for a few days on the unit of governments parking lot. Is that nutty on its’ face? YES
There is a long, unsophisticated history of this kind of nonsense and the truth is that the Democrats take second place to few in terms of lunacy volume.
Comment by Truthseeker Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:26 pm
Every rural region in the country has a feud with “big cities”, if they have any. Why does geographic location matter? Why not vote for your neighbor to be forced to move out of state?
I get it’s going nowhere, I get it’s not meant to go anywhere, but this is just silly.
Comment by Perrid Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:29 pm
Good luck Peoria, Decatur and Springfield you got this. Those 3 cities economies can handle the outlay of money needed to keep the rest of the state, sans NE Illinois, afloat.
Comment by Dupage Bard Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:30 pm
I agree with Halbrook. Let’s have Chicago Dems put forward a bill to remove Chicago and form two states. Have the Speaker call it and put votes on it. How many of these whiners would put pedal to the metal if they actually thought the economic engine of this state was about to up and drive away?
We send more money to Springfield than we get back, and have to listen to the beneficiaries talk about how terribly “urban” Chicago is and how resentful the are about it all. Massive, massive eye-roll every time someone does this.
Comment by lakeside Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:38 pm
Once again, here we have the broad brush of the thought police, attempting to convince everyone that racial prejudice is behind any and every non-supportive Chicago comment. Give it up, already.
Chicago is a pit of corruption that has nothing to do with skin color. Have you read the headlines, stories, and indictments lately? Historically?
Comment by two more cents Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:38 pm
Draw up a bill and put it to the voters.
Supposedly this would be for all counties except Cook.
If the voters approve, let it happen. If not, it settles that issue.
Cook County should not care since so many seem to think that they are a net contributor to the state coffers. Thus they would be better off.
Won’t happen because Democratic GA will not approve such a referendum.
Comment by Nonbeleiver Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:43 pm
This is what 102nd re-election campaigns look like. Vote No for Madigan and No for Chicago and elections are on auto-pilot.
Comment by Midstate Indy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:46 pm
Nonbeleiver, making it just Cook County would be insane. Most of Chicagoland, by land area, is not in Cook County & much of Chicagoland is not in Illinois. There are also places so tied to Chicago, even if not suburbs of Chicago, you could not accurately call something a state of Chicago without places such as Boubonnais & Galena, IL and Grand Beach, MI.
Comment by 62656 Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:49 pm
Hey two more, why not move to the Steve King district in Iowa? I’ll bet there are hardly any “urban” folks there.
Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:49 pm
This is a silly idea. I am reminded a little, however, in terms of some of the posts here of a very funny op-ed piece that I read last week about the New York Knicks and their hypothesis that surely every NBA free agent wants to play in NYC:
“The people of New York coalesce around the notion that every person not living in NYC secretly wants to live there.”
LOL . . . . if the shoe fits . . . .
Comment by Jingy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:51 pm
Holbrook speaks about northeastern Illinois and the Chicago area, both of which are far bigger than the City, which is all his resolution addresses. Bill Mitchell’s bill in 2011 would’ve booted all of the county of Cook.
Comment by anon2 Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:55 pm
=== My father is constantly Chicago-bashing. He also refuses to listen to reason when I bring up where the state’s revenue comes from. He insists that all his state tax dollars go towards wasteful “Chicago” problems. ===
When there’s a conflict between the plain evidence and political ideology, the ideology wins.
Comment by anon2 Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:56 pm
===Too bad you cannot pass a bill that says your district cannot get back more in state money than you send to the state ===
I wish a Chicago rep would introduce that bill. Then see if Halbrook and his Southern IL pals would sign on.
=== Chicago is a pit of corruption that has nothing to do with skin color. Have you read the headlines, stories, and indictments lately? Historically?===
Paul “shoeboxes” Powell wasn’t from Chicago. Neither were George Ryan and Len Small, two of the most corrupt governors in state history. While we’re at it, how about Orville Hodge from Granite City? Chicago has never had a monopoly on corruption.
Comment by anon2 Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:11 pm
-@ 62656 - Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 2:49 pm:
Nonbeleiver, making it just Cook County would be insane. Most of Chicagoland, by land area, is not in Cook County & much of Chicagoland is not in Illinois. There are also places so tied to Chicago, even if not suburbs of Chicago, you could not accurately call something a state of Chicago without places such as Boubonnais & Galena, IL and Grand Beach, MI.
Well that is your opinion. It may or may not have validity. In any case a bill could be written to separate out certain “Chicagoland” (as you would define) counties for them to vote as to whether to stay with Cook County or join the rest of ‘downstate.’
Comment by Nonbeleiver Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:20 pm
===Won’t happen because Democratic GA will not approve such a referendum.===
It won’t happen because it’s utterly ridiculous and we’re all saving downstate ignorance from those harboring it.
Also, popularity is not a measure of good policy.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:24 pm
===how about Orville Hodge from Granite City?===
You don’t have to go back that far. Rita Crundwell springs to mind.
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:24 pm
===the broad brush of the thought police===
cc: @RacismDog
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:25 pm
=== Chicago is a pit of corruption that has nothing to do with skin color. Have you read the headlines, stories, and indictments lately? Historically?===
Nobody tops Small, Hodges, Powell and Crundwell.
For those defending Holbrook on this — you know he’s playing you for a fool, correct? That he’s not serious about this, and will not make the slightest effort to engage the Constitutional process?
If you don’t know that, I guess he has you pegged correctly.
Comment by wordslinger Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:37 pm
@Oswego
Also, popularity is not a measure of good policy.
I agree. But I bet we often disagree with each other on when that occurs.
Comment by Nonbeleiver Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:43 pm
===But I bet we often disagree with each other on when that occurs.===
No.
Popularity is never the matrix of good policy.
If it’s popular, it can make it easier to implement, but it doesn’t change the policy.
Same as an unpopular policy can be good policy.
The soundness of the policy doesn’t hinder or help its worth by popularity only its implementation.
So, no, I doubt we’d agree, as I measure the policy on its worth, the popularity to it, or unpopularity, doesn’t change the value of it on its face.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:48 pm
==Once again, here we have the broad brush of the thought police, attempting to convince everyone that racial prejudice is behind any and every non-supportive Chicago comment. Give it up, already.==
Only one person brought up race. That is half as many cents as you have.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 3:56 pm
===“The purpose of this resolution is to show the disconnect between the northeast corner of the state and downstate Illinois. They make financial decisions and policies that don’t follow what the rest of the state wants,” Halbrook said. […]===
Authentic downstate gibberish.
Comment by 47th Ward Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 4:35 pm
==They make financial decisions and policies that don’t follow what the rest of the state wants,==
Should states who aren’t carried by the winning candidate for President secede from the union because they didn’t get what they wanted? Because that’s the equivalent of what he’s saying here.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Feb 11, 19 @ 4:44 pm