Why does most of downstate Illinois not care for Chicago? (Champaign: school, universities)

[Windy City Polak]

Because the rednecks downstate foolishly consider the blacks and immigrants in Chicago to be the enemy, rather than fellow victims of the corrupt politicians that run the state.


Signed, a broke Polish boy from Chicago.

[Sunbiz1]

Originally Posted by Windy City Polak

Because the rednecks downstate foolishly consider the blacks and immigrants in Chicago to be the enemy, rather than fellow victims of the corrupt politicians that run the state.

Such as Madigan, whom only 25,000 voters keep in office longer than the Pope.

[Frank DeForrest]

Originally Posted by Windy City Polak

Because the rednecks downstate foolishly consider the blacks and immigrants in Chicago to be the enemy, rather than fellow victims of the corrupt politicians that run the state.


Signed, a broke Polish boy from Chicago.

and yet you refer to downstaters as bigoted rednecks. hmm think maybe there is a some correlation to the animosity?

[doodlemagic]

Couple things, first off why even ask the question "why does most of downstate IL not care for Chicago" when in the body of your post you basically tell why and are pretty agressive towards "chicago".?

The other thing, i almost wouldn't even consider you downstate, your still close enough to Chicago to be able to take advantage of what Chicago offers ie 40 minutes your pretty much as close to Chicago as someone on Naperville. If you want to take a flight out of ohare, go to a ball game, get a job in the city your close enough to do that.

I think the real downstate people are hours south of Chicago where they dont even really benefit from chicago yet the laws and rules in the state are shaped by chicago. look at gun laws you have people in southern illinois who live a rural lifestyle but their gun laws are shaped with big city chicago in mind. same thing with a lot of other social issues and thigns as well. You also have cultural differences where liberal chicago is like another world from some areas downstate

[PerseusVeil]

I'm originally from southern Illinois, and I think people forget that a large number of southern Illinois residents actually live in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Metro East is actually the second largest urban area in the state after Chicagoland. People in counties like Madison and St. Clair are going to be focusing on their own communities and popping over to St. Louis for big city amenities. They don't need to rely on Chicago in that way.

[doodlemagic]

Originally Posted by PerseusVeil

I'm originally from southern Illinois, and I think people forget that a large number of southern Illinois residents actually live in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Metro East is actually the second largest urban area in the state after Chicagoland. People in counties like Madison and St. Clair are going to be focusing on their own communities and popping over to St. Louis for big city amenities. They don't need to rely on Chicago in that way.

What's kind of interesting about that is the people of St. Louis could potentially have the same complaints of you guys that you guys have of Chicago. I think many people downstate feel like they pay money for Chicago and don't get to take advantage of it. With St. Louis they could say you guys get to take advantage of their city without paying taxes there.

[PerseusVeil]

Originally Posted by doodlemagic

What's kind of interesting about that is the people of St. Louis could potentially have the same complaints of you guys that you guys have of Chicago. I think many people downstate feel like they pay money for Chicago and don't get to take advantage of it. With St. Louis they could say you guys get to take advantage of their city without paying taxes there.

It happens in bi-state (or more) metros a lot. Chicago can say the same thing about northwest Indiana, for example.

St. Louis is in an odd position tax wise though because it's not in St. Louis County, so its tax base is already limited to only city residents.

There are limited arrangements though for certain institutions and services. St. Louis City and County pay the taxes that make the St. Louis Art Museum, Science Center, Zoo, etc, free to all outside of special exhibits. The Metro bus and MetroLink lightrail system is also operated on both sides of the river and St. Louis County, so St. Clair County, IL is involved in that.

Your issue was a big complaint when St. Louis was trying to finance new NFL and MLS stadiums though. The city residents argued that they shouldn't be on the hook for costly stadiums that would primarily be used by non-city residents.

[EddieOlSkool]

The same reason people from Upstate New York don't like "The City" (NYC). Just a rural vs urban divide that exists in every single state. Nothing unique to Illinois.

That and most of them down there are Cardinals fans.

[BaptistFundie]

Originally Posted by Windy City Polak

Because the rednecks downstate foolishly consider the blacks and immigrants in Chicago to be the enemy, rather than fellow victims of the corrupt politicians that run the state.


Signed, a broke Polish boy from Chicago.

Complete nonsense. Downright offensive, actually. No--we have no issues with black people, but rather we understand that not everyone wants to live exactly as we do, and we're tolerant of others. Not everyone wants to live in a concrete jungle in a police state.

[Frank the Tank]

Originally Posted by doodlemagic

What's kind of interesting about that is the people of St. Louis could potentially have the same complaints of you guys that you guys have of Chicago. I think many people downstate feel like they pay money for Chicago and don't get to take advantage of it. With St. Louis they could say you guys get to take advantage of their city without paying taxes there.

Here’s the thing: this notion that Downstate Illinois is sending money to Chicago is *competely* false. The Chicago area sends disproportionately more money with its higher incomes downstate than the other way around. I went to college in Champaign and have a lot of affinity for that area, but those outside of the Chicago area really need to disabuse themselves of the wrong-headed thinking that Chicago is somehow taking their tax dollars. To the contrary, without the Chicago area, Downstate Illinois would have even fewer dollars than they do today. Rural Kentucky and West Virginia would look wealthy by comparison if the Chicago area wasn’t subsidizing the rest of the state.