Why the strong hatred towards Illinois? (Milwaukee, Green Bay: for sale, real estate, renting)

[rainbird]

It's true, Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard. Guess he had better things to do!

[kuJhawksfan]

Hi there,

I just recently started reading the Illinois/Wisconsin forum. It has been interesting to read the different theories as to why Wisconsinites hate Illinois people so much. I have lived in the Green Bay area for five years now, and have been shocked at how people in Wisconsin react to people who reside in other states. People in northern Wisconsin are the ones that have the biggest problem with "out-a-staters". Let me tell you, it isn't just Illinois. It's Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida too. When I moved here from Nebraska, people someone even told me to stop eating their cheese and start eating our corn again...give me a break!

[azloafer]

Originally Posted by kuJhawksfan

Hi there,

I just recently started reading the Illinois/Wisconsin forum. It has been interesting to read the different theories as to why Wisconsinites hate Illinois people so much. I have lived in the Green Bay area for five years now, and have been shocked at how people in Wisconsin react to people who reside in other states. People in northern Wisconsin are the ones that have the biggest problem with "out-a-staters". Let me tell you, it isn't just Illinois. It's Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida too. When I moved here from Nebraska, people someone even told me to stop eating their cheese and start eating our corn again...give me a break!

I am sorry that I said that my Dad hated Illinois people. [This was 50 years ago] What he hated was the fact that much of the lake front property up north was purchased by Illinois people and there wasn't any reasonably priced land left for him. I guess he really didn't hate the Illinois people specifically, although he did say that. What he hated was the fact that he loved the northern part of the state and couldn't afford to live there. Illinois people are not bad; they just had more purchase power than my Dad did. That's just life. So, they are nice people but "living in my Dad's cottage." That's tongue in cheek, so no one gets all wired about it.

[nemaroller]

I was born and raised in Illinois until I was 15, then got moved to Eau Claire area of Wisconsin until I finished high school. The lived in Milwaukee for a short 3 months, then moved back North. Then moved to Schaumburg for 2 years.

I am now 32, and have moved between Wisconsin and Illinois at least 4 times. I also lived in Milwaukee again for 6 years, even in Racine for a short while (which is smack in the middle of Milwaukee and Chicago metros).

So I have seen people react on both sides (although mostly it is Wisconsinites who react badly - but perhaps not without reason)
Here are some occasions:

• The end of the July 4TH weekend brings many Illinois people onto I-90 heading south from the Dells that do drive dangerously. For a Wisconsin native, its one thing if an Illini wants to haul a 20ft boot at 80 mph with a Honda minivan on I90 in Illinois, but don't dare do that when driving amongst my family and I in my State. Illinois drivers are obviously in a rush to get back home - but they unconciously put the locals ' lives at risk. Believe me this is a BIG source of hatred. I myself have seen far too many accidents during this one weekend caused by out of state drivers in a rush.

• An Illinois couple forgot to completely extinguish their firepit when they left a Wisconsin State Forest. That's like a big middle finger to a Wisconsin outdoorsmen, especially when the perpetrator is from Illinois.

• Yes, some Illinois people do retire to Wisconsin and buy up property. My parents were amonst those Illinois people - they have since moved back to Illinois (not related to hostile behavior or cold shoulders - mother was simply bored).
  This at times does invoke envy hatred amongst poorer Wisconsin locals who cannot afford acreage. But this really has nothing to do with a geographic fued, but more ties to socialeconomic factors.

• Many Wisconsinites DON'T visit Illinois. So therefore, they can only generalize and make assumptions from the people who visit.

When I first moved to Wisconsin - I was warmly welcomed. To be honest, I didn't even know what a FIB was until I moved to Wisconsin. Once I was told however, it was always a source of laughter for my friends and I.

Mostly, its your attitude - there are people in both Illinois and Wisconsin that could be moved to a different State, and they would feel at home together. There are of course those that could not.

[Georgia]

I have no idea about any hatred towards Illinois.
Lived in Crystal Lake, IL for 3 years. Always heard the FIB comments etc., but never experienced it.
I loved traveling north of the Cheeseline. Biked in Madison, loved Fon Du Lacky and everyplace I went in Wisconsin I was always greeted with the upmost kindess from folks. Seemed all they wanted to do was feed me and fill me with beer Heck in Fondi, a buddy mine and me walked into a bar, it was filled. Two young guys in their 20's acutally jumped up off their chairs and let us sit and order.

I have lived in many places, nothing beats the people of the MidWest.
If it was not for the booger freezing weather that my wife hated with a passion, I would still be there.

[politikally]

My two cents...

Having been born and raised in Wisconsin, and spent many summers in Northern Wisconsin I've seen a ton of the Illinois hatred. In fact I have a hatred for FIBs.

Normally the hatred of people from Illinois comes from a few things I've seen and personally experienced:

1. Drivers. Illinois drivers treat Wisconsin frankly, like sh*t. I've seen and heard about countless littering, speeding, and just odd complaints. Primarily and I can relate to other posters here - Illinois drivers on their way home really don't care about the locals and will drive 20-30 miles in excess of the posted speed limits to get home. And the sad part is, on more than one occasion I'll see a really bad accident on a Northern Highway and it always involves someone from FIBland.

2. Hunters. Every hunter I've ever met from Illinois is a jacka**. Sorry, but they have no respect for the woods, and their idea of hunting is "if it's brown it's down" as I heard a FIB tell his kid once. They shoot at everything. The other problem I've seen is they really eat up public hunting lands. There's been more than one occasion when I would go out to my hunting stand which I had built earlier in the year and some SOB from Illinois was sitting in it, acting like it was his, leaving his garbage on the ground after I kicked him out. It's very upsetting.

3. Boaters. FIB's generally come up north for the summer with ultra expensive boats, whilst ignoring wake rules in areas. Their kids run wild and are just very disrespectful.


All in all I know these are isolated incidents involving lone persons, but as you can see they all have one thing in common - the perpetrator is from Illinois.

As for experiencing this for yourself - goto a few bars/restaraunts in Minocqua. In a few they card everyone as a joke and give you different menu's depending on what state your from. The "FIB" menu has the same stuff as the Wisconsin menu but everyone is priced double for the FIBs [I think this is where the FIB lingo comes from]


Anyway, I don't hate people from Illinois, I just hate how most of the people from Illinois that I've seen, treat my state. And I will admit Wisconsin has its fair share of idiots as well, but oddly, I never seem to run into them

I hope that helps IMISSNY... I'd also like to add... the hatred will quickly leave you if you put Wisconsin plates on your car and stop mentioning that you're an Illiant (Illiant is the term of art for a permantly migrating person from Illinois to Wisconsin)

[LML]

People who live year round in northern Wisconsin do NOT make a ton of money. They put up with the harrowing cold, long distance drives to shop, and many other inconviencies all year round simply because they love the place. It is a hard pill to swallow that more and more of these people can no longer afford to live in their "native land" because folks who only want to spend a few weekends and a few weeks in the summer have bought up all the land, at such a high price, that those who live there year round and earn north country wages are priced out of the market. In addition, to add insult to injury, those who have bought up all the lake front...and only show up a small part of the year.. have posted their land as private and people who live there year around can no longer fish the lakes that their families have fished for generations.

[katt]

I see Illinois people as an asset to the state of Wi.. I live in a small town of just over 500 people with MANY small area lakes. Many Illinois people own week end/retirement property on these lakes and contribute greatly to the economy here. These same Illinois people hire the "locals" and pay them very well to both clean and maintain their properties as they are here to enjoy themselves and not work in the small amount of time they spend here on any given week end. I have worked for these Illinois people cleaning their cabins/houses and have been treated very well and paid very well. They contribute greatly to our economy as well as supporting many of us that need that little extra income. They pay better than any of the local people care to pay and treat you very nicely.

[azloafer]

"to both clean and maintain THEIR properties"
See, that's the kicker right there!

[katt]

I guess I don't have any hard feelings towards these Illinois people because I also moved here from a larger city and I also live on a lake. There isn't much in this area for jobs in industry so we have to more or less rely on tourism. Between cleaning and maintaining for them and working as a bartender I don't have to work a 9-5 job and these Illinois people support me in both lines of work. The pay is good, the tips are good and it allows me lots of free time I wouldn't have if I was forced to work elsewhere. I do appreciate these people who allow me to live the life I'm living.