Chicago Is Committing Suicide As Residents Flee And Voter Turnout Plummets

The migration of people has been the primary driver of how cities rise and fall. For example, in the 1940s, Detroit was the fourth largest city in the US with a population of around 1.8 million, but when the automotive industry left the city, the middle class followed and the city began its decline. In Chicago, however, some contend that the city has chosen to self-destruct.

After failing to win re-election in February, Mayor Lori Lightfoot became the first Chicago mayor in four decades to lose. A runoff election between Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson ensued after the former ran on a platform of curtailing crime, supporting police, and implementing fiscal responsibility, while the latter pushed for taxing the wealthy, reducing fares on public transport, and increasing transfer taxes on the sales of multi-million-dollar homes. Johnson also once called for defunding the police.

Despite Johnson running on a far-left platform, winning less than 40% of the voter turnout spurred by union support, he became Chicago’s mayor on April 4th. Some feel that Johnson’s tax plan could result in the exodus of more of the city’s residents and corporations.

Chicago has already lost several companies such as Tyson Foods, Boeing, Citadel, and Caterpillar. Walmart has also declared that it is closing half of its stores in Chicago. High crime and taxes have made the cost of living unaffordable to Chicagoans, citing them as the main reasons to leave. The most highly-educated, highest-potential residents are the ones leaving, whereas the poor cannot afford to leave, and the super-rich are not impacted by rising crime rates and taxes. They can hire numerous attorneys and tax accountants to manage their tax exposure, leaving the tax burden on those who can least afford it.

Mayor-elect Johnson’s proposed taxes will mount an additional $800 million on Chicago residents, which critics argue against as it will lead to another exodus of Chicago residents. Jim Nelles, an economist based in the city, advises Johnson to reconsider his tax plans to avoid losing more of the city’s population.