Dan Ugaste isn’t the least bit surprised by news that Illinois has slipped from the list of the country's five most populous states, dropping to sixth behind Pennsylvania.
“People go where they see jobs and the best place to build a future,” Ugaste told the McHenry Times. “Unfortunately, Illinois appears to have bleaker prospects than many other states, including our neighboring states. As long as our state refuses to address its problems (pension liabilities, past due bills, overspending) and will not stop looking to additional taxes as a way to try to solve its problems, people will continue to leave.”
From July 2016 to July 2017, Illinois’ population shrank by 33,700 people, the worst decline of any state in the U.S. in raw terms. In terms of percentage, Illinois’ dip represents the third-worst population decline in the country, dropping the state’s overall population estimate down to 12,802,023.
The 2017 dip in population marks the fourth straight year of decline for Illinois and comes at a time when its neighbors experienced growth spurts.
Overall, government data shows from July 2016 to July 2017, some 115,000 people left Illinois on net for other states and since 2010 that number is 643,000.
“The people of this state are smart enough to know that the current system, as well as the culture of our state government, is impossible to sustain,” Ugaste said of the reason so many are simply deciding to just walk away. “Whatever opportunities currently exist will cease to exist in the future as more businesses and people move to other states with pro-growth climates, states where once an individual finds a good job they can keep what they earned and not have it taken from them by a state government that is mismanaged.”
Ugaste, a Geneva Republican, said he hopes to be part of the solution by winning the seat of retiring Rep. Steve Andersson (R-Geneva) in the 65th House District.
Once in Springfield, he said he plans to make stemming the state’s rising out-migration one of his first orders of business.
“I know of a family in the far northern suburbs of Chicago that told me they will be moving to far southern Wisconsin as soon as their children graduate high school,” he said. “When I asked what they will do for work in their new state, they told me they will keep their jobs in Illinois but will commute every day. They are done paying Illinois’ taxes.”
Ugaste holds out hope that residents across the state will soon be able to say the same thing.
“The trend can be reversed with a lot of hard work, difficult financial decisions and a change in the current culture in state government,” he said. “I will find ways to reduce spending, reduce units of local government, stop unfunded mandates and reform workers’ compensation laws.”
The 65th House District includes Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Pingree Grove, Hampshire and Huntley.
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