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Many of even my most conservative friends who hold a negative view of Chicago (likely due to it being used as a poster child for politics; specifically violence and being a Democratic city), would still admit that downtown Chicago is beautiful. Many of those people (leaning conservative) have told me it's one of their favorite downtowns.
Although, this has changed post-George Floyd riots/COVID. The "feel" of downtown has definitely changed. And even a tourist was killed visiting. The rioting across downtown. The bank teller murdered. The car jackings. The incident on film with the crowd and the guy getting beat up. All happening DOWNTOWN. The once saving grace of Chicago; it's beautiful downtown, has lost a lot of luster due to negative press and crime. Businesses closing and moving out; residents/aldermen fed up with the violence....it's appeal as a great place to live and work has been tarnished a lot in the last year and a half IMO.
I am so sorry to hear that, it really saddens me to hear that. I've walked all over downtown without a single problem when I was living there. I loved walking State street, Michigan Ave, and LaSalle Streets. There used to be a little bar at State Street and VAN Buren, that I loved to stop by. I loved exploring all the little nooks and crannies of Downtown Chicago.
There is no official data on this. I'm guessing he's generalizing that more native Chicagoans who grew up here and have lived here longer are likely to be more disgruntled than many of the newer transplants who have just recently moved here (and who in many of the popular Chicago neighborhoods tend to be more liberal and yuppie/young professionals).
It's a broad generalization, so obviously no hard information on this, but that's what I'm guessing he's getting at.
As an area native and as someone who has lived, gone to school, and worked in Chicago for over 25 years, my perception is that Chicago natives tend to be more conservative and politically frustrated than those that have come to the area from elsewhere. It's anecdotal, but aside from immigrants, the transplants I tend to meet typically have a similar profile in that they came to Chicago from either smaller towns or smaller Midwestern metropolises after graduating from college.
In my experience, these people often seem to be fueled by a desire to differentiate themselves as better, and often more "progressive" than the people from wherever they left. I've been in both work and personal situations where I have watched transplants become frustrated with locals when locals don't live up to their expectations of how "progressive" Chicagoans should be. I am actually in a long-term relationship with someone who fits this profile in most regards, and it is an occasional matter of annoyance. Getting frustrated with locals for being themselves is a good way to burn bridges as a newcomer and I see it all the time.
I just had to respond with laughter to @compactspace's mischaracterization of who is on this forum complaining about Chicago. Because, as a fairly longtime poster, I know that a majority of the people that are chronically negative on this forum are older native Chicagoans who are either still here or have moved away. It is absolutely not true that most of them are transplants who couldn't hang in the big city. That was really what I was getting at.
As an area native and as someone who has lived, gone to school, and worked in Chicago for over 25 years, my perception is that Chicago natives tend to be more conservative and politically frustrated than those that have come to the area from elsewhere. It's anecdotal, but aside from immigrants, the transplants I tend to meet typically have a similar profile in that they came to Chicago from either smaller towns or smaller Midwestern metropolises after graduating from college.
In my experience, these people often seem to be fueled by a desire to differentiate themselves as better, and often more "progressive" than the people from wherever they left. I've been in both work and personal situations where I have watched transplants become frustrated with locals when locals don't live up to their expectations of how "progressive" Chicagoans should be. I am actually in a long-term relationship with someone who fits this profile in most regards, and it is an occasional matter of annoyance. Getting frustrated with locals for being themselves is a good way to burn bridges as a newcomer and I see it all the time.
I just had to respond with laughter to @compactspace's mischaracterization of who is on this forum complaining about Chicago. Because, as a fairly longtime poster, I know that a majority of the people that are chronically negative on this forum are older native Chicagoans who are either still here or have moved away. It is absolutely not true that most of them are transplants who couldn't hang in the big city. That was really what I was getting at.
I think the issue with the transplants (I am one- NOT from a small town in the Midwest) is that they have some frame of reference. The issue with the natives who go on and on is that they seem to act like other places are panaceas. The last place I lived was Jacksonville, and although the most current mayor is R and the governor is R, it has many of the same issues as Chicago- huge pension debt, the pockets of the city that tend to be more segregated/violent, etc. That just shows me that the issue is not something that is going to be solved by adding term limits and voting R, because Florida is just as corrupt (if not more corrupt) than IL because people in state office just start to do whatever they need to do to line their pockets when they are termed out.
I think the issue with the transplants (I am one- NOT from a small town in the Midwest) is that they have some frame of reference. The issue with the natives who go on and on is that they seem to act like other places are panaceas. The last place I lived was Jacksonville, and although the most current mayor is R and the governor is R, it has many of the same issues as Chicago- huge pension debt, the pockets of the city that tend to be more segregated/violent, etc. That just shows me that the issue is not something that is going to be solved by adding term limits and voting R, because Florida is just as corrupt (if not more corrupt) than IL because people in state office just start to do whatever they need to do to line their pockets when they are termed out.
Many older people have a frame of reference for when the entire state was more politically balanced and had an economy that was the envy of the nation. It wasn't until 1969/70 that Illinois even had an income tax at all. Many of these economic and fiscal issues we frequently discuss now were not present here in the past.
HPD: 35% increase in homicides in 2021 compared to 2020
CRIME
HPD: 35% increase in homicides in 2021 compared to 2020
HOUSTON — Does it seem like there have been more homicides in the city of Houston so far this year? Well, there have been, according to the Houston Police Department.
HPD said there had been 199 homicides within the city limits through Wednesday, June 10, 2021. Through the same time period in 2020, there had been 148 homicides. That's a 35% increase.
Crime Stoppers of Houston has been studying the issue and claims a major factor in the increase is a result of felony bond reform that allows people charged with felonies back on the streets on personal recognizance bonds. They don't have to pay any money as they await their trial. Some say that when they get back out on the streets, they're committing more crimes, including murders.
According to Crime Stoppers of Houston, a study showed that in the last 18 months, 119 murder suspects in the city were facing multiple felony charges and were out on PR bonds. There are other factors. Felony suspects were released to the streets due to Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those policies may find a lot more support if Texas elects a governor like Beta O'Rourke...
I think the issue with the transplants (I am one- NOT from a small town in the Midwest) is that they have some frame of reference. The issue with the natives who go on and on is that they seem to act like other places are panaceas. The last place I lived was Jacksonville, and although the most current mayor is R and the governor is R, it has many of the same issues as Chicago- huge pension debt, the pockets of the city that tend to be more segregated/violent, etc. That just shows me that the issue is not something that is going to be solved by adding term limits and voting R, because Florida is just as corrupt (if not more corrupt) than IL because people in state office just start to do whatever they need to do to line their pockets when they are termed out.
I think it goes both ways. People who grew up in Chicago and think the city is great have never experienced anything else and don't realize that a lot of the things that go on in Chicago aren't normal in most of the country. My former boss was born and raised in Chicago. One day we were eating in a restaurant in Chinatown and a homeless person came in and screamed at the top of his lungs, then ran outside. I was in total shock because nothing like that had happened before but my boss acted like this was totally normal behavior and just said "life in the big city".
But I think there are a lot of disgruntled natives. Most people I worked with in Chicago grew up there and don't have a positive attitude about the outlook of the city or Illinois. Most told me they are sticking around until the kids go to college or until they retire, then they are gone. This is quite a different attitude than people from my home state (NC) have. Most people there will tell you that they plan on living in NC their entire lives and love the state.
There are also people who move to Chicago from smaller towns in the Midwest who are fed up with the narrow minded behaviors and appreciate Chicago for being more open minded. They are willing to put up with some BS in exchange for being around open minded people.
However, I've noticed that many of these people become incredibly defensive when you start talking about things like crime. I'm wondering if they are just trying to self-validate their decision to move to Chicago. Perhaps deep down inside they know many things aren't normal but just want to self-validate their move.
They are all elected officials who are responsible for drafting laws, running a city, or maintaining order.
My neighbor in Bridgeport was carjacked and robbed by a man who had multiple priors and was out on probation for another carjacking just a few months before. That's 100% the fault of Kim Foxx and elected judges. It affected him far more than a governor or senator could. Here in Texas, the guy would have been behind bars for at least 10yr for armed carjacking and robbery.
States attorney have no say when an inmate is granted parole or probation. That is up to the parole board and the judge who hands out sentences. Mayor also has also zero jurisdiction when it comes to probation of offenders. In the US power is separated by different branches of government.
I think it goes both ways. People who grew up in Chicago and think the city is great have never experienced anything else and don't realize that a lot of the things that go on in Chicago aren't normal in most of the country. My former boss was born and raised in Chicago. One day we were eating in a restaurant in Chinatown and a homeless person came in and screamed at the top of his lungs, then ran outside. I was in total shock because nothing like that had happened before but my boss acted like this was totally normal behavior and just said "life in the big city".
But I think there are a lot of disgruntled natives. Most people I worked with in Chicago grew up there and don't have a positive attitude about the outlook of the city or Illinois. Most told me they are sticking around until the kids go to college or until they retire, then they are gone. This is quite a different attitude than people from my home state (NC) have. Most people there will tell you that they plan on living in NC their entire lives and love the state.
There are also people who move to Chicago from smaller towns in the Midwest who are fed up with the narrow minded behaviors and appreciate Chicago for being more open minded. They are willing to put up with some BS in exchange for being around open minded people.
However, I've noticed that many of these people become incredibly defensive when you start talking about things like crime. I'm wondering if they are just trying to self-validate their decision to move to Chicago. Perhaps deep down inside they know many things aren't normal but just want to self-validate their move.
I agree with all of this and I think that the part that I bolded is particularly accurate and observant.
States attorney have no say when an inmate is granted parole or probation. That is up to the parole board and the judge who hands out sentences. Mayor also has also zero jurisdiction when it comes to probation of offenders. In the US power is separated by different branches of government.
These people all work as a system. You don't think the judges, parole board, and prosecutor have a mutual agreement when it comes to certain things?
My point is that the system is broken from pretty much all angles. The prosecutor drops all felony charges to misdemeanors, the judges let people off easy, and the parole boards are probably told to go easy on people.
Go one county next door to DuPage and it's a totally different system. People actually see long time behind bars for committing serious crimes.
I think it goes both ways. People who grew up in Chicago and think the city is great have never experienced anything else and don't realize that a lot of the things that go on in Chicago aren't normal in most of the country. My former boss was born and raised in Chicago. One day we were eating in a restaurant in Chinatown and a homeless person came in and screamed at the top of his lungs, then ran outside. I was in total shock because nothing like that had happened before but my boss acted like this was totally normal behavior and just said "life in the big city".
But I think there are a lot of disgruntled natives. Most people I worked with in Chicago grew up there and don't have a positive attitude about the outlook of the city or Illinois. Most told me they are sticking around until the kids go to college or until they retire, then they are gone. This is quite a different attitude than people from my home state (NC) have. Most people there will tell you that they plan on living in NC their entire lives and love the state.
There are also people who move to Chicago from smaller towns in the Midwest who are fed up with the narrow minded behaviors and appreciate Chicago for being more open minded. They are willing to put up with some BS in exchange for being around open minded people.
However, I've noticed that many of these people become incredibly defensive when you start talking about things like crime. I'm wondering if they are just trying to self-validate their decision to move to Chicago. Perhaps deep down inside they know many things aren't normal but just want to self-validate their move.
The homeless person was probably mentally ill. You will see that more in cities. It's a complicated issue. Crime is also going to be an issue in large cities. What's inexcusable and new is the way the police, who are forced to deal with it, have been demonized by the left, as though they're the cause of it, along with a nebulous concept dubbed "systemic racism." We seem to be getting further away from actual solutions.
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