Mickey Straub thinks the state of Illinois is at a crossroads in the wake of a new IRS report that found more than 86,000 people left the state and nearly $5 billion in adjusted gross income was lost over a yearlong period.
"The numbers don’t lie,” Straub said in a Facebook post. “IRS data from 2015 shows record numbers of families moving out of Illinois, a trend that’s sure to continue after (state Rep.) Jim Durkin's leadership team ensured the passage of the massive 32 percent income tax hike this summer.”
In addition to the IRS report, a recent Paul Simon Public Policy Institute survey found that nearly 50 percent of all Illinois residents now want to leave the state, with runaway taxes being cited as the top reason to exit.
Overall, the IRS data concluded that Illinois experienced a loss of nearly 42,000 tax returns to other states over 2015-16, equating to an all-time high in lost exemptions.
Perhaps making matters even worse is the fact millennials are leading the charge in bolting the state. The top 10 states to which Illinois lost people were Florida (12,800 exemptions gained from Illinois on net), Texas (9,400), Indiana (8,200), California (7,600), Arizona (6,400), Wisconsin (6,000), Colorado (4,700), Georgia (4,200), Tennessee (3,600) and North Carolina (2,700).
“Illinois future is at stake now more than ever,” Straub added on Facebook. “The tens of thousands of people leaving Illinois are being led by millennials. They don’t see a future here and are leaving for more welcoming and responsible states, including many of our neighbor states like Indiana and Wisconsin.”
Straub added it’s not just millennials that are deciding or being forced to walk away.
“Retirees are being priced out of their homes by exorbitant property taxes that are forcing them to uproot their lives and abandon the communities they know and love,” he added.
The Burr Ridge mayor, who is poised to face off against Durkin (R-Western Springs) in the 2018 Republican primary in the 82nd District, added that his mission is clear.
"I’m going to Springfield to reverse course and make Illinois a Destination State again,” he said. “I’m running to represent the people, not a law firm.”
The 82nd House District includes parts or all of Burr Ridge, Homer Glen, Western Springs and Lemont.
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