North Cook News

Illinois’ economic problems have caused what some consider to be an even worse problem: the outward migration of its residents.

The state has seen its workforce shrink, its prime working age adults leave, and its Millennials depart elsewhere. Jessica Tucker, a Republican running for the state House seat in District 18, believes that while it is regrettable that the state is experiencing such a crisis she understands their predicament.

 

“They’re just finding better opportunities and lower cost of living elsewhere,” Tucker said to North Cook News. “That’s unfortunate for our state because the outward migration with 2015 has been the 10th consecutive year of a net population decrease.”

 

Tucker explains that this outward migration is a shift to what the state has experienced in the past few years. She asserts that the state had slowly been increasing in population when births, deaths, immigration and everything else is factored in and it is only recently that the state has seen a net population decrease.

 

Many have attributed the state’s high cost of living and bad business policies as reasons for the migration. People are finding it better in other states, Tucker asserts.

 

“We have friends who moved to Indiana,” Tucker said. “They have good schools. Their garbage gets picked up. Their lights come on. They have services. They have public safety. Sometimes you hear, ‘Oh, you’re moving somewhere else but it’ll awful conditions or you don’t get as much or you don’t make as much.’ I think that is just fear mongering that it’s not so great in another state. Well, if that were the case, then why do we have this outward migration that is getting worse?”

 

Adding to the high cost of living and property taxes are the uncertainties of higher education in Illinois. Tucker has heard from many families who are hesitant to send their children to colleges in the state because of the unpredictability, instability, lack of budget, and debt that has strangled the state. She questions what it will cost the taxpayers to have to dig the state out of its crushing debt because she is uncertain that students who have left the state will return to start careers and families.

 

“They are looking for jobs and living elsewhere. That is unfortunate,” Tucker said.

 

This is why she believes in term limits: to usher in fresh faces with fresh policies that will curb the outward migration and retain the new generation. She concludes by admonishing career politicians and believes that term limits should be implemented not only to state legislators but to their leaders.

 

“I think we need term limits,” Tucker said. “Career politicians…I don’t that was the point of service in government. My thought is that somewhere in that eight to 10 to 12 years time frame is enough time to effectuate change and serve your community, your state or your district but not become so entrenched that you lose touch with your voters or your constituents.”