State pride and the Turnaround Agenda
An Illinois comeback demands transformational change.
Years of dysfunctional state government have landed Illinois on the wrong end of all kinds of benchmark lists. For example, in 2014 Chief Executive Magazine ranked Illinois 48th in the nation among “top states for business.”
These negative factors have left most Illinoisans with a severe lack of state pride. An infamous 2013 Gallup poll proved as much, finding that 1 in 4 Illinoisans think their state is the worst place to live.
Not all hope should be lost, however, as Illinois voters made a bold move last November in electing a reform-minded governor. Gov. Bruce Rauner then developed a plan for recovery with his “Turnaround Agenda.” It contains real solutions to problems that have been ignored for decades.
The Turnaround Agenda addresses those areas of state government that have lead to a sputtering economy and a shrinking population. The major components of the plan include:
- Transforming Illinois’ workers’ compensation system to bring costs in line with other states
- Reforming the state’s judicial climate to rein in frivolous lawsuits
- Adopting common-sense changes to unemployment insurance
- Empowering voters to choose if workers should be forced to pay money to a union as a condition of an employment
State pride cannot come via mandate, it can only grow organically through responsible public service. Rushing bills through the legislative process on a partisan basis is not what voters overwhelmingly demanded by electing Rauner.
Illinois is ripe for the Turnaround Agenda, and for the promises it holds. If these issues can be addressed and solutions enacted, one will struggle to hold back the pride that will follow, and which Illinoisans crave.