Why is Chicago losing population? (Champaign, Danville: to rent, crime rate, unemployment)

[frattura30]

There are several reasons why people are moving out of Chicago. One reason is Chicago politics and the very very stupid people who vote these crooks in. In Illinois, Democrats have been in charge for many many years and we now have the highest murder rate in the country. We have public school children shot dead in their classrooms. I think the death count is higher in Chicago than Iraq at times. Smart people move away from this type of stupidity, and the ones that can't stay to keep paying taxes. Our recent governor was kicked out and Gov Quinn is in. In these times of recession Quinn is now suggesting raising taxes. This is going to cause more people to leave Illinois. President Stroger of Cook county nationally known as crook county inherited 550 million dollars in cuts from his father and he closed very important clinics and jobs. If his father couldn't manage Crook county, what makes us think his son can, yet stupid people continue to vote these people in. The state of Illinois has the highest sales tax in the country. Chicago taxes 23 cents for every gallon of gas where as neighboring towns gas prices are much lower. The second reason is Illinois politicians refuse to create a friendly environment for business. Businesses leave, jobs leave, people leave... its actually that simple...people will go where they can afford to live. Unfortunately, the very very stupid people of Illinois will continue to vote these selfish greedy bastards into office. Chicago could be like Detroit in a few decades, maybe less.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by frattura30

I think the death count is higher in Chicago than Iraq at times.

No. It's not. It's not even vaguely close.

[emathias]

.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by frattura30

...and we now have the highest murder rate in the country.

No we don't. Not even close. We have the highest muder tally, but our murder rate, which is adjusted for population, is nowhere near the top. Chicago's murder rate is higher than New York's or Los Angeles's, however.

Originally Posted by frattura30

We have public school children shot dead in their classrooms.

This does not happen in Chicago. Maybe on their way home from school, but to say it happens in classrooms is really silly.

Originally Posted by frattura30

I think the death count is higher in Chicago than Iraq at times.

Nope.

Originally Posted by frattura30

The state of Illinois has the highest sales tax in the country.

Wrong again. It's only Cook County, not the entire state. And that could change today. Keep your fingers crossed. We'll find out in about half an hour:

Stroger deadline today on vetoing tax repeal - Chicago Breaking News

Originally Posted by frattura30

Chicago could be like Detroit in a few decades, maybe less.

Doubtful.


And by the way, WE STILL DON'T KNOW IF CHICAGO IS ACTUALLY LOSING POPULATION!!! The Census Bureau estimates for 2000 were that the city would lose population, but the actual count showed a gain of more than 100,000 people between 1990 and 2000. The Census Bureau estimates are kind of a joke.

[NYrules]

I just see it as more people are choosing to wait on having families and couples are having fewer kids these days. It's kind of a simple equation, fewer babies delivered than people dying off for the day will lead to a drop in population. When was the last time you heard of someone (other than for Ms. 14 baby nutcase in CA or wherever she is from)or knew of someone that had more than 4 kids? Think back to your grandparents or for some, parents... Not all that uncommon back then was it? (1930s and 40s) and that was for a white family. Whites are just not having the huge families that much anymore it seems, huge families are just not the trend, so that said, the population here will be rather stagnant now if anything, unless people keep migrating in which has seemed to slow some with the poor economy, so I see Chicago pretty much staying status quo for the time being and maybe even dropping a little which has apparently happened.

[simulcra]

Tacking on to what other people have said here, there are several things at work:

- this is an estimate with a significant margin of error (though I don't know well enough about their methodology to accurately comment on it, though I hear it has a tendency to underreport minority/immigrant groups, of which chicago has in spades)

- there's a lot of gentrification, sure, but alot of this gentrificaiton tends to involve reduced density (when a 6 flat gets converted to a 3 flat, for example), or the new families tend to be smaller than the families they displace

- if trends from 1990->2000 were any indication, middle-class black neighborhoods are still suffering from extensive black flight (more so than many white neighborhoods), as systemic disinvestment and problems with inner city poor black residents means that relatively affluent blacks benefit greatly if they bolt out of their neighborhoods for suburban/northern neighborhoods.

- there's still probably significant suburbanization of chicago residents going on - strictly speaking, suburbs are still way cheaper (with better schools) than huge swaths of chicago.

[simulcra]

also,

The second reason is Illinois politicians refuse to create a friendly environment for business. Businesses leave, jobs leave, people leave...

you could not be more wrong. you could try, but you would fail. read some modern literature on this - california has almost (if not the) most unfriendly business environment, highest cost of labor in the entire nation, but still attracts the most talent, most money, most people. business friendliness is almost irrelevant compared to talent pool agglomeration and cultural amenities when it comes to the new economy.

[mas23]

Originally Posted by simulcra

Tacking on to what other people have said here, there are several things at work:

- this is an estimate with a significant margin of error (though I don't know well enough about their methodology to accurately comment on it, though I hear it has a tendency to underreport minority/immigrant groups, of which chicago has in spades)

- there's a lot of gentrification, sure, but alot of this gentrificaiton tends to involve reduced density (when a 6 flat gets converted to a 3 flat, for example), or the new families tend to be smaller than the families they displace

- if trends from 1990->2000 were any indication, middle-class black neighborhoods are still suffering from extensive black flight (more so than many white neighborhoods), as systemic disinvestment and problems with inner city poor black residents means that relatively affluent blacks benefit greatly if they bolt out of their neighborhoods for suburban/northern neighborhoods.

- there's still probably significant suburbanization of chicago residents going on - strictly speaking, suburbs are still way cheaper (with better schools) than huge swaths of chicago.

on point. nice
btw welcome to the forum!

[otters21]

Make it LOUD and CLEAR: WHITE and / or MIDDLE CLASS FLIGHT!!!!! Once that EVIL gets curtailed or stopped , Chicago is sure to make a comeback.

[John55]

Originally Posted by fine_where_I_am

Are there any large urban areas in the USA that don't have rampant corruption, budget shortages, high taxes, rampant gangs, bad schools, underfunded hospitals, and a huge number of illegal aliens?
I mean this seriously. I cannot think of any.
If you want top class urban areas, go to western Europe. Otherwise, you just have to keep things in perspective. Ask yourself how much those negatives personally affect you, and keep you from enjoying life in the city.

Your right all the big cities have corruption, but Chicago, with Mayor Daley is like the poster boy for political corruption.

How many mayors do you know that have had a ACTIVE airport runway bulldozed at midnight, with no notice to the FAA???
His excuse for this act of "terrorism" was that the airfield could have been used as a base for a "terrorist act".

UNfrickinbelievable!!

Heres a Cut & Paste about more:

CHICAGO, Oct. 25 — With the Chicago Police Department mired in accusations of misconduct, a majority of aldermen took the unusual step on Thursday of asking a federal judge for access to the names of officers who were the subjects of the most complaints.
Mayor Richard M. Daley, who opposes releasing the information, accused the elected officials of grandstanding and disloyalty to the police force.

Two civil juries have recently awarded multimillion-dollar settlements to men who said the police had abused them. The department will pay $4 million to one, Coprez Coffie, who testified that he was sodomized with a screwdriver. A jury awarded the other man, Timothy Finwall, $2 million for being framed and falsely arrested.

Jon Loevy, whose law firm represented the men, said the Police Department had shown no interest in dealing with the problem, noting that internal reviews had found no wrongdoing or need for disciplinary action in either case.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/us/26chicago.html



Yeah Chicago is pretty much over the top......