I'm all in favor of the Bears going to NW Indiana. If that's what gets the deal done, do it. The better business decision is NW Indiana.
Telling me how stable this state is....is ridiculous. This state, notably Cook County and drilling down further and most notably Chicago, is an absolute dumpster fire. They literally diverted a government shutdown because Brandon Johnson is bent of a head tax on corporations. They know it would cripple the economy, causing businesses to leave. It's common sense.
The issues that this state has (high debt, policy concerns (taxation/regulation), and slow population growth) all contribute to low rankings in economic performance/outlook (46th-48th) by some analyses.
I'll let you(or anyone) to dispute the numbers or issues. Pritzger is business savvy, but does nothing but play politics and blame the federal government, as he positions himself to run in 2028. He'll never challenge the Chicago machine because he'll lose in every way.
To be fair(and keep on track with Bears discussion), he's in absolutely no position to take any stance to aid a billion dollar operation from a taxpayer standpoint. The Bears need to build their own stadium and they are. They still owe money on the current dumpster fire on the lake that they lazily put together 25+ years ago because they couldn't deal with the city or state. Do you realize that their business dealings are SO bad that the Chicago Park District gets a cut of ticket sales and concession sales? Who gets into that kind of a BS deal other than the McCaskey's and their unwillingness to push.
Kevin Warren is in an almost impossible situation here. Even if Pritzger were to agree to put money forth for infrastructure, how much? That parcel of land in Arlington Heights needs more than $1B to be stadium ready. That will be a 10 year, $6B to $8B infrastructure project that he will NEVER be able to get through because:
Illinois is significantly in debt, facing one of the nation's largest fiscal challenges primarily due to massive unfunded
state pension liabilities, with reports showing over $200 billion in total retirement debt and high per-capita taxpayer burdens, though the state has seen some recent positive trends in reducing overall long-term debt principal and improving short-term cash flow.
Key Aspects of Illinois' Debt:
- Massive Pension Debt:
The state has over $140 billion in unfunded pension obligations, the largest of any state, with total state and local retirement debt exceeding $200 billion.
- High Taxpayer Burden:
This debt translates to a substantial financial obligation for each resident, with figures showing each taxpayer effectively owes tens of thousands of dollars.
- Lowest Credit Rating:
Illinois holds the lowest credit rating of any state, leading to higher borrowing costs.
- Long-Term Fiscal Issues:
Chronic budget deficits, spending more than revenue, and a lack of fundamental pension reform have contributed to the crisis.
