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View Poll Results: Which One Stands On Top?
New Jersey 62 65.96%
Connecticut 14 14.89%
Illinois 18 19.15%
Voters: 94. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 10-16-2017, 06:00 PM
 
Location: Maryland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaDoo342 View Post
A lot of the CT/NJ economy is NYC based, which is thriving... I don't think IL can compete with that.
But the IL economy is bigger than either NJ or CT, it’s nearly the size of both CT and NJ combined, and grew faster than either (and NY) as of Q1 2017, so IL seems to be competing just fine.
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Old 10-16-2017, 06:43 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maintainschaos View Post
But the IL economy is bigger than either NJ or CT, it’s nearly the size of both CT and NJ combined, and grew faster than either (and NY) as of Q1 2017, so IL seems to be competing just fine.
Bigger isn't always better..... means more spread out, difficult getting resources to and from metro areas, etc. NJ and CT are smack in the center of the Bos/Wash corridor.. close to local and regional mass transit, many major airports, the coast, a ton of ivy league universities to utilize...

NJ and CT are small states where at least half of their populations live in NYC metro, so it's hard to compare to a state like IL. Job creation lists in NJ and CT aren't really relevant because they rely mostly on NYC job creation, which is high (and local to them). That being said.. IL has the highest unemployment rate of the 3.

If you look at Human Development Index (health, wealth and education of residents) .... CT is tied at 1, and NJ ranks 3. IL ranks 16. That says a LOT on how states are doing overall and definitely contributes to their outlook for the future...

Anyway, I like Chicago...have high hopes for it. But I think IL is having a very difficult time keeping up right now...
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Old 10-16-2017, 07:12 PM
 
Location: Maryland
4,675 posts, read 7,401,948 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaDoo342 View Post
Bigger isn't always better..... means more spread out, difficult getting resources to and from metro areas, etc. NJ and CT are smack in the center of the Bos/Wash corridor.. close to local and regional mass transit, many major airports, the coast, a ton of ivy league universities to utilize...

NJ and CT are small states where at least half of their populations live in NYC metro, so it's hard to compare to a state like IL. Job creation lists in NJ and CT aren't really relevant because they rely mostly on NYC job creation, which is high (and local to them). That being said.. IL has the highest unemployment rate of the 3.
This response is somewhat confusing, as IL has virtually all of this too in spades (e.g., regional transit, mass transit, major airports, ports via rivers and Lake Michigan, some of the best universities in the U.S. (and as competitive as the Ivies), over half of its population livng in the Chicago metro). Unemployment rates differ by no more than half a percentage point among all three states. And then neither CT nor NJ can match IL’s agricultural output. Seems to me that IL isn’t getting a fair shake when you get down to brass tacks.
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Old 10-16-2017, 08:36 PM
 
21,618 posts, read 31,193,827 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maintainschaos View Post
This response is somewhat confusing, as IL has virtually all of this too in spades (e.g., regional transit, mass transit, major airports, ports via rivers and Lake Michigan, some of the best universities in the U.S. (and as competitive as the Ivies), over half of its population livng in the Chicago metro). Unemployment rates differ by no more than half a percentage point among all three states. And then neither CT nor NJ can match IL’s agricultural output. Seems to me that IL isn’t getting a fair shake when you get down to brass tacks.
I don't disagree. And one thing IL has (even in Chicago) is a cost of living that's a fraction of the NYC metro.
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Old 10-16-2017, 08:56 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kidyankee764 View Post
I don't disagree. And one thing IL has (even in Chicago) is a cost of living that's a fraction of the NYC metro.
Absolutely. Some say that Chicago has a Lower COL than Denver which is freaking insane (if true).

The big problem with Chicago is obviously crime, but that shouldn't scare large businesses away.

Corruption? Doesn't matter Hudson County, NJ and Cook County, IL are like crooked cousins. Both are hellishly corrupted.
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Old 10-17-2017, 07:47 AM
 
2,005 posts, read 2,087,583 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maintainschaos View Post
This response is somewhat confusing, as IL has virtually all of this too in spades (e.g., regional transit, mass transit, major airports, ports via rivers and Lake Michigan, some of the best universities in the U.S. (and as competitive as the Ivies), over half of its population livng in the Chicago metro). Unemployment rates differ by no more than half a percentage point among all three states. And then neither CT nor NJ can match IL’s agricultural output. Seems to me that IL isn’t getting a fair shake when you get down to brass tacks.
IL doesn't have all of that....

CT and NJ have DC, Philly, NYC and Boston (not to mention smaller cities like Baltimore, Newark, New Haven, Hartford, Providence) that can be reached in a few hours. It is basically one big connected metro and is the powerhouse of the US economy. Ports are profitable when it comes to international trade ---- IL does not have that.

In 2016, Chicago was the only major US city to lose population... the northeast gained. And while I know this is about NJ and CT, they are so small and each is part of 2 separate metro areas so they all rely on each other and their economies are intertwined. This means that as long as NYC/Boston/Philadelphia economies are booming, NJ and CT will hold up just fine. IL relies solely on Chicago, which is struggling both financially and when it comes to crime.

And regarding unemployment... a half percentage is huge when there isn't much of a gap to begin with... lowest is around 3%, highest around 5%.
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Old 10-17-2017, 07:59 AM
 
Location: Maryland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaDoo342 View Post
IL doesn't have all of that....

CT and NJ have DC, Philly, NYC and Boston (not to mention smaller cities like Baltimore, Newark, New Haven, Hartford, Providence) that can be reached in a few hours. It is basically one big connected metro and is the powerhouse of the US economy. Ports are profitable when it comes to international trade ---- IL does not have that.

In 2016, Chicago was the only major US city to lose population... the northeast gained. And while I know this is about NJ and CT, they are so small and each is part of 2 separate metro areas so they all rely on each other and their economies are intertwined. This means that as long as NYC/Boston/Philadelphia economies are booming, NJ and CT will hold up just fine. IL relies solely on Chicago, which is struggling both financially and when it comes to crime.

And regarding unemployment... a half percentage is huge when there isn't much of a gap to begin with... lowest is around 3%, highest around 5%.
Yes, IL does have all of what was originally quoted (from mass transit to local transit to busy airports to academic powerhouses). It doesn't seem like you know the state very well. And yes, Illinois even has trade ports, despite its Midwestern location...

Furthermore, you don't really make a cogent argument when you jump back and forth between comparing IL and the whole of Bos-Wash (not the original topic) or comparing the population loss of Chicago to the gain of the whole Northeast (not the original topic)...but at least you admit it, I guess...?
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Old 10-17-2017, 08:25 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maintainschaos View Post
Yes, IL does have all of what was originally quoted (from mass transit to local transit to busy airports to academic powerhouses). It doesn't seem like you know the state very well. And yes, Illinois even has trade ports, despite its Midwestern location...

Furthermore, you don't really make a cogent argument when you jump back and forth between comparing IL and the whole of Bos-Wash (not the original topic) or comparing the population loss of Chicago to the gain of the whole Northeast (not the original topic)...but at least you admit it, I guess...?
That's because IL's size is the size of the entire Bos/Wash corridor.... and a comparison to a small state like CT or NJ isn't really much of a comparison at all, especially when the small states are a part of the economy of the greater region... as said, a significant portion of the residents in NJ and CT get their paychecks from NYC/Philly/Boson... hell I know one woman who lives in Stamford CT and takes the Acela to DC on Wednesdays..

You can't compare the trade ports in the lake to the trade ports off the Atlantic... Chicago's port ranks 38 in the nation..NYC area ports rank 3 with 8 times more trade than Chicago and IL.

Doesn't matter what the original topic is or not. I'm giving reasons as to why IL can't compare to NJ and CT's home city which fuels each state's economy
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Old 10-17-2017, 11:55 AM
 
21,618 posts, read 31,193,827 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaDoo342 View Post
That's because IL's size is the size of the entire Bos/Wash corridor.... and a comparison to a small state like CT or NJ isn't really much of a comparison at all, especially when the small states are a part of the economy of the greater region... as said, a significant portion of the residents in NJ and CT get their paychecks from NYC/Philly/Boson... hell I know one woman who lives in Stamford CT and takes the Acela to DC on Wednesdays..

You can't compare the trade ports in the lake to the trade ports off the Atlantic... Chicago's port ranks 38 in the nation..NYC area ports rank 3 with 8 times more trade than Chicago and IL.

Doesn't matter what the original topic is or not. I'm giving reasons as to why IL can't compare to NJ and CT's home city which fuels each state's economy
This is all true, but almost puts CT and NJ at a disadvantage because of fierce competition in the region. IL doesn't have that neighborly competition.
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Old 10-17-2017, 01:08 PM
 
Location: Brooklyn, New York
5,462 posts, read 5,706,736 times
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I would rank them as follows:


1. NJ - not as troubled as the other 2 states. NJ is 1 election away from fixing at least their short term problems. Long term problems of high taxes would never be fixed, since it involves actually restructuring the whole state and consolidating all of the small incorporated micro-fiefdoms. However, NJ doesn't need to solve these long term issues EVER, since it is blessed with a good geography, where the state outsources all the hard choices to Philly and NYC and expects them to do all the heavy lifting.


2. IL - short to medium term it is unquestionably in the worse position compared to the other two states, however at least the residents of the state fully acknowledge the problem and are not in denial. Despite the pension obligations, Chicago is still managing to attract corporate jobs and young educated workforce. If there is a nationwide recession again, IL is in DEEP trouble and probably will go bankrupt. If the economy continues to do well, I believe Chicago will start seeing growth that will outweigh the negative impact of southside and the rest of the state.


3. CT - I put CT last because I think a lot of residents are in complete denial and don't realize in how much trouble their state is in. On the surface CT is a very prosperous state (I call it "Montclair prosperous"), stat wise most billionaires driving Bugatti's-per-capita, with hedge funds and upscale NYC suburbs. As long as CT continues to host that 1% wealth, there will be no reforms for the rest of the state. It will get A LOT worse until there will be widespread realization that the state is in trouble like there exists in IL. It will be a slow multi-decade stagnation for CT.
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