North Cook News

Cook County Board Commissioner Sean Morrison has always feared what Illinois would experience as businesses leave and the population drops.

“Illinois has witnessed outmigration for over a decade. In many post interviews former residents point to excessive, multi-ranging and burdensome taxes,” Morrison told the North Cook News. “Many business owners report leaving due to burdensome and strangling regulations. And finally, the fundamental understanding and awareness that Illinois, Cook County and Chicago are in extreme debt and that no amount of additional taxes can ever hope to fix this without serious committed and sustained cuts to government.”

Morrison insists he’s not surprised to see the state forced to pay a price that seems to swell by the day, with new U.S. Census Bureau data finding that Illinois is now one of just four states across the country to have lost population over the last decade.

While researchers peg the losses at nearly 170,000 residents, 93 of the state’s 102 counties have also seen decline. Cook County losses topped the region with almost 49,000 people having bolted. Finally, at least 10 counties have suffered losses of more than 5,000 people. Morrison fears things could get worse before they get better.

“There are many things that can be done to reduce and eliminate legacy debt, if politicians had the political will to do so,” Morrison said. “Sadly the majority of them at every level do not. Keeping our residents in-state starts with removing the burdensome regulation and barriers to private sector businesses.”

Deeper analysis shows that downstate counties have particularly been hard hit, with the region losing 144,000 residents, or 3.2%, of its 2010 population over the same time period. Additional data shows that the losses in Cook County represent the second worst loss of residents in any county across the country, with only Wayne County in Michigan having lost more people.

Without drastic change in the state, Morrison fears this exodus will only continue, especially by those with the ability to leave.

“The alternative makes no sense; it is not pragmatic to stay if you have the ability to relocate. Why would you stay and be the healthy host body, when your only purpose here is to feed the tax and regulation parasite,” he said.