This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Why do some of our state's most fortunate citizens hate Illinois?

The April 26th post from "Reboot Illinois" titled, "Is Illinois the 'Worst Possible State to Live In?'" caused me to ask some different questions. Why do some of the wealthiest and most fortunate citizens of our state hate Illinois? Why do those who have benefited from the opportunities this state has given them seize every opportunity to trash that same state? Why is one of their number, Bruce Rauner, running for Governor of a state he so clearly loathes? And why do these whiny billionaires continue to live in Illinois, when they can afford to live anywhere they'd like?

It is no secret that Reboot Illinois is a mouthpiece for several Chicago billionaires. Just run a Google search for "Who funds Reboot Illinois." Reboot Illinois spends most of its money scolding Governor Quinn and other Democratic politicians and the rest promoting the candidacy of Bruce Rauner. Rauner, who made $53 million in 2013 and who owns nine homes, shares the hostility of Reboot Illinois for almost everything about Illinois.

Here's the irony. Rauner and the people who fund Reboot Illinois could afford to live anywhere. They could live in Indiana, Wisconsin, Hawaii, or Paris. But they choose to live in Illinois. I guess Illinois isn't such a bad place to live if you're a billionaire.

The story cites a poll saying that 25 percent of Illinoisans said their state was the worst. I don't know who those people are, but I suspect a lot of them have been watching Rauner's dishonest commercials. Why do they stay here? Maybe it's because Illinois is a diverse state which provides opportunity to people up and down the economic scale. Maybe it's because they like the amenities Illinois offers, from major sports teams to great universities and cultural institutions.

Pat Quinn loves Illinois. He has devoted his life to giving ordinary people a fighting chance. His life, public and private, has been free of scandal. Pat Quinn is proud to lead a state that legalized marriage equality, that protects a woman's right to choose, that respects the rights of working people and minorities, and that passes legislation to ensure that every vote counts (not to disenfranchise poor and minority voters). He's proud to have cut our budget deficit in half, and he had the courage to raise taxes to do so. And I'm proud of Pat Quinn and Illinois.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?