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 Kentucky isn’t the first state, and likely won’t be the last,
to highlight Illinois’ high taxes, throttling regulations and harsh business
climate to encourage businesses to join the Illinois exodus.
A series of billboards along Interstate 57 show chunks of letters from Illinois’
name falling to complete five phrases such as “Illinois isn’t pro-business,
Kentucky IS” and “Illinois has an ILL tax system.” The messages sponsored by the
Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development then encourage Illinois businesses to
“Think Kentucky.”
The campaign is expected to last six months and cost $87,000 for nine billboards
and creative costs, according to the Chicago Tribune. The idea came from
Illinois business inquiries.
“We have had a number of Illinois businesses inquire about doing business in the
state,” Vivek Sarin, Kentucky’s economic development interim secretary, told the
Tribune. “It’s enough to catch our attention and justify this campaign that we
are launching.”
 The campaign highlights Kentucky’s right-to-work law, lower taxes, less
regulation and better weather.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s spokesman responded by saying Pritzker is a
businessman who understands the importance of infrastructure and education
spending in creating a healthy environment for business.
Neighboring states’ efforts to capitalize on Illinois’ fiscal woes is far from
new.
Wisconsin in January 2018 tried to lure millennials from Chicagoland with
promises that their state was a better fit. Lower taxes, shorter commute times
and the ability to create change were all part of their “Wisconsin is ‘more
you’” pitch.
Former Gov. Bruce Rauner in a 2017 campaign ad famously featured governors of
Wisconsin, Indiana and Missouri thanking Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan for
creating a climate that was driving jobs to their states.
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Indiana in 2014 created the “STILLINNOYED? No
wonder” billboard campaign in the Chicago area. Indiana state
leaders said they were “hunting” Illinois businesses that don’t like
the “unpredictable nature” of the state.
Things since then have gotten more unpredictable in Illinois as
Pritzker has increased spending in his effort to “create an
environment where businesses thrive,” as his spokesman said.
Illinois passed 20 new or increased taxes and fees,
including a doubled gasoline tax, to fund a record $40 billion state
budget and $45 billion infrastructure plan. Despite increasing state
pension spending by 501% since 2000 to top the nation, Illinois’
retirement systems are $137 billion in the red by the state’s
accounting or $241 billion according to Moody’s Investors Service.
Pritzker is trying to convince voters ahead of the November 2020
election the state can solve the pension crisis by scrapping
Illinois’ constitutional flat tax protection and giving state
lawmakers greater taxing authority. He wants a progressive state
income tax, a system that seriously damaged the economy, hurt the
poor and increased taxes on the middle class in Connecticut, the
only state to adopt the system in the past 30 years.
Rather than dumping more taxes into the pension hole, state leaders
should allow voters to amend the Illinois Constitution to protect
earned pension benefits while allowing for changes in the growth of
future, unearned benefits.
Illinoisans aren’t sold on the idea that a different tax system
would fix Illinois’ pension problems or fiscal crises. Nearly half
of those polled in June said a progressive tax would be “just a
blank check for Springfield politicians to spend more and will hurt
Illinois’ economy and force businesses to leave the state.”
By force or by choice, Illinois businesses choosing to move are all
too welcome in neighboring states.
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