I’ve spent decades in law enforcement and security—training personnel, protecting the vulnerable, designing systems for institutions. For years, Chicago was a pleasure—it boasted incredible restaurants, the Taste of Chicago, world-class music and theater, vibrant nightlife, summer beaches, and the Magnificent Mile shopping experience. I’d stay in fine hotels, wander safely at night, and soak in a city alive with culture and energy.

Not anymore. I rarely visit unless for work or to catch a Cubs game—with my loyalty running deep since 1968. The last time, I walked downtown and was stunned: shuttered businesses like Mike Ditka’s and the Tremont Hotel, desolate buildings lining the Mag Mile, a once-bustling core now hollowed out.

No wonder corporations like Citadel, Boeing, Caterpillar, Tyson Foods—and even McDonald’s—are pulling out or closing downtown locations. Their reasons? Rising high crime, employee safety fears, crushing taxes, and unsustainably high operating costs.

• Citadel relocated to Miami for a safer, more pro-business environment.
• Boeing moved to Arlington, VA, seeking strategic positioning and stability.
• Caterpillar chose Dallas for lower taxes and reduced cost burdens.
• Tyson Foods consolidated operations elsewhere amid broader economic strains.
• McDonald’s closed multiple downtown branches citing theft and declining sales.

What’s driving this exodus?

• Exorbitant taxes—Chicago and Illinois top the nation in state and local tax burdens.
• Soaring cost of living makes hiring and retaining staff nearly impossible.
• Persistent safety concerns—violent crime still plagues neighborhoods, even as headlines tout improvements.

Recent data tell a complicated story. On the one hand, there are encouraging crime reductions: 2025 so far sees homicides down ~32% from 2024, shooting incidents down ~37%, and total violent crime down ~23%. But tell that to the families who continue to lose sons, grandsons, fathers, daughters, mothers, and even babies in this violent city.

But that’s only part of the picture. In 2024, Chicago recorded 28,443 violent crimes—aggravated assaults hit a 20-year high at 8,039. Over a decade, violent crime rose 18%, while arrest rates plunged 43%. Even with falling homicide rates, aggravated batteries and robberies continue to climb—especially on the South and West sides.

So, it’s no surprise businesses, taxpayers, and families are fleeing the once-great city.

Yet officials don’t seem to get it. Instead of addressing the safety crisis, Governor Pritzker and Mayor Johnson dismiss the problems—and refuse even federal help. When presented with Donald Trump’s offer to deploy the National Guard, they balked, defending ideology over community security.

Look, if tax hikes worked, California and Illinois would be booming powerhouses. But both share ballooning pensions, staggering debt, and poor financial health. California faces over $500 billion in funded liabilities; Illinois’ state and local liabilities totaled $247 billion in 2022, with an unfunded pension liability surpassing $211 billion as of 2024. Their only solution? Raise more taxes. Meanwhile, residents and businesses keep getting squeezed.

The bottom line: Chicago must face its problems head-on.

• Elect leadership that prioritizes public safety, not politics.
• Support pro-business policies that foster growth—not stifle it under red tape.
• Stand up to tax-and-spend politicians who blame everyone else for the city’s decline.

Americans downstate shouldn’t be dragged under by Chicago’s failure to govern. It’s time for Illinois to get serious: balance the books, cut burdensome spending, and let responsible leadership restore safety, prosperity, and pride to the city. Anything less is just politics at the expense of real people.