ic red states didn't like getting called out for leeching the most so had to go dig for some hit piece.
Chicago Tribune December 30, 2019 Illinois loses population for 6th straight year — and it lost more residents than any state this decade Illinois’ population decreased in 2019 by an estimated 51,250 people, or 0.4%, marking the sixth consecutive year the state has lost residents, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Since the turn of the decade, Illinois has lost more residents than any other state, with a drop of about 159,700 people, or 1.2% of its population. Only three other states have shrunk since 2010: Connecticut, Vermont and West Virginia — with West Virginia losing the largest share of its residents, a 3.3% decline. Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, has lost an estimated 532,463 people since 2010, or 14.3% of its population. Population losses in Illinois have been compounding since 2014, when the state began a steady, though not precipitous, decline. Illinois is the sixth-most-populous state in the nation, after California, Texas, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania, which passed Illinois in 2017. Ohio is seventh, followed by Georgia and North Carolina. As Illinois’ population has eroded, potentially weakening its political and economic power, the trend has become a frequent topic of political discussion. Contacted for comment about the new census numbers, the administration of Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker released a statement ticking off various measures intended to help keep and attract Illinois residents. “Illinois’ unemployment rate is at a historic low and we are continuing to create jobs in every region of the state,” the statement said. "Illinois is back and the Pritzker administration is proving that when you build relationships, work together and focus on solutions you can create positive change.” Bryce Hill, a policy analyst at the conservative Illinois Policy Institute, said he hoped the heightened attention to the state’s population decline will motivate more Illinoisans to stay and push for change. “It’s not too late," Hill said. "Illinois is not doomed, but we need some serious policy decisions and reform.”
In what universe is $100,000 a year some outrageous salary that should be utterly verboten for any public employee? Heck, that's a starting salary for a bunch of fields. Most military officers cross $100K at just past the 10 year mark unless they're living in govt housing, and yet pretty much every one of us got a major pay raise when we got out indicating that we were underpaid relative to our skill level...should we all be outraged that we're paying military folks that much despite the fact that apparently the market thinks they're worth more? Get real people, it's not the 1950s any more! Over 14 million Americans make over $100K a year, it's not some outrageous salary that should lead to this kind of outrage. And no, the benefits of working for the government aren't worth nearly what you're all making them out to be, most could be replicated for not a lot. And honestly, how many of you getting apoplectic about this also complain about all public service employees being stupid and worthless? Do you honestly expect that you should be able to pay a group of people crap and then somehow expect the best and brightest to go take those jobs? Certainly there are some issues with public sector benefits, specifically the practice that is still ensconced in many union contracts of basing retirement on high 1, 2, or 3 and including overtime in those high years. But arbitrarily deciding that $100K a year is an outrage...is itself a bit of an outrage.
The less real, actual WORK someone does, in the public sector, the more they get paid. Park administrators getting paid multiple 6-figure salaries to write e-mails behind their desk. GUFFAW! Meanwhile, people who do real, actual, physical WORK get paid shit in the private sector. This is why we have the class divide. The people who WORK and bleed and sweat earn shit, while the people who sit behind their desk and play solitaire for 3 hours per day get, take 2 hours lunches and BS in meetings are paid huge salaries. I saw it in the railroad. You clock into work...If you have only 2 hours of work to do that day, you clocked in and out for those 2 hours...But you still got paid for the full 8-hour day. And that was a private union! I can't imagine the public unions! Great racket if you can get in on it.
Not sure why you compare public sector white collar work to private sector blue collar work. Just as many worthless paper pushers in the private sector and white collar work often pays better no matter your sector. Heck I sit behind a desk, send emails and meetings all day. It's my job running the company I built from nothing. I kind of bristle at the Maoist idea that because I'm not sweating my work is worth less.