Illinois on Fire: How J.B. Pritzker’s Excuses Fuel a State in Decline

FROM FAIR TAX TO FAILED STATE: PRITZKER’S LEGACY OF EXCUSES

September 29, 2025•9 min read

Pritzker’s Favorite Hobby: Passing the Buck While Illinois Burns

When everything is someone else’s fault, nothing ever gets fixed.

By Staff Writer
September 28, 2025

On the surface, Illinois looks like a state with every advantage: fertile farmland, global cities, a diverse economy, and a proud history of resilience. But dig a little deeper and a darker story emerges—one of flight, failure, and finger-pointing. At the center of that story is Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a billionaire governor who has turned excuses into an art form.

Where most leaders face problems head-on, Pritzker seems to face the cameras instead, offering a familiar refrain. The villain shifts—from Donald Trump to Republicans in Springfield to the global economy—but the script remains unchanged. If Illinois is bleeding jobs, drowning in debt, or losing residents by the thousands, it is, somehow, never his fault.

“We’re working harder and paying more, but nothing improves,” said Karen, a small business owner in Springfield. Her voice, weary and matter-of-fact, echoes across a state where the cost of living climbs while opportunities shrink.

The Pritzker Recession

Pritzker’s latest deflection came when he announced 4% cuts for state agencies, blaming “Trump’s economic policies” for Illinois’ struggles. But the numbers tell another story. Moody’s Analytics has already placed Illinois in the “high risk” category for recession—the only large state besides Georgia to earn that distinction.

Texas and Florida continue to expand. Even California, weighed down by its own big-city challenges, is faring better. Illinois alone seems to stumble with every step, dragged down not by outside forces, but by decades of mismanagement accelerated under Pritzker’s watch.

“Pritzker’s answer is always the same: raise taxes and blame Trump. That’s not leadership—it’s laziness.” — Mark, Republican voter from Bloomington

The Phantom 4% Cuts

And now, the governor has rolled out a new act in his blame game playbook: ordering state agencies to identify 4% cuts. On the surface, it sounds like fiscal prudence. In reality, it’s another piece of political theater.

Illinois Policy Institute reports show the truth: lawmakers just passed a record $55.2 billion budget featuring over $394 million in tax hikes, $237 million in fund sweeps, and $216 million in delayed payments. The budget still managed to grow by another $2 billion over last year, part of the staggering $16 billion increase since Pritzker took office.

If belt-tightening was so important, why wait until 2025—after years of runaway spending—to suddenly sound the alarm?

The answer is as simple as it is damning: Pritzker isn’t trying to fix Illinois. He’s trying to polish his résumé. The 4% mandate is less a policy shift than a campaign prop—proof he can “make tough decisions” just in time for the 2028 conversation.

As one financial observer put it, “He’s a day late and a dollar short—literally—on addressing problems he helped create.”

Campaign Promises, Broken in Record Time

In 2018, candidate Pritzker stood before Illinois voters and promised relief: lower property taxes, balanced budgets, economic growth, restored trust. His signature pitch—the “Fair Tax”—was supposed to usher in equity and prosperity.

Instead, property taxes remain some of the highest in the nation, the state budget ballooned by $16 billion, and the “Fair Tax” went down in flames, rejected by a public tired of empty slogans. Trust, far from restored, has cratered further.

“The only thing fair about the fair tax was how fairly fast it failed,” said a farmer in Effingham, his tone caught somewhere between bitterness and disbelief.

Crime Without Consequences

Nowhere is the gulf between Pritzker’s words and reality more stark than on Illinois’ streets. The governor’s SAFE-T Act was hailed by progressives as groundbreaking reform. For residents of Chicago, Rockford, and Peoria, it has meant more fear, fewer police resources, and a revolving door for repeat offenders.

“My daughter was carjacked outside her apartment,” said Jerome, a father in Chicago. “Pritzker can blame whoever he wants, but it doesn’t change the fact that we don’t feel safe here anymore.”

For the governor, crime statistics are abstractions. For families like Jerome’s, they are life-shattering realities.

Sanctuary for Some, Silence for Others

At the same time, Pritzker has opened the state’s wallet wide for undocumented immigrants, allocating hundreds of millions for housing, healthcare, and assistance programs. For some Illinoisans, the gesture feels less like compassion and more like betrayal.

“I’ve lived here my whole life and paid taxes my whole life,” said Diane, a retired teacher from Rockford. “When I asked for help with energy bills, I was told the program was underfunded. But I keep seeing new benefits for people who aren’t even citizens. It’s like we don’t matter.”

Pritzker insists Illinois is a “welcoming state.” But for struggling taxpayers, the welcome mat seems rolled out for everyone but them.

Housing Dreams, Tax Nightmares

Illinois housing is a cruel paradox. Property taxes smother new buyers, while rents in Chicago soar to levels rivaling coastal cities. Pritzker touts “affordable housing initiatives,” yet families continue to be priced out of their neighborhoods.

“We thought about buying a house here,” said Luis, a young father in Aurora. “Then we saw the property taxes. It’s cheaper to move to Indiana and commute. That’s what a lot of my friends are doing.”

“I’m not a Republican or a Democrat. I just want a governor who owns mistakes instead of making excuses. That’s not what we’ve got right now.” — Stephanie, Independent voter from Naperville

Exodus, By Foot and by Fortune

The U.S. Census Bureau reports more than 100,000 Illinoisans have fled in recent years, making Illinois a leader in outmigration. Families are choosing Tennessee, Florida, and Texas—states with lower taxes, safer communities, and brighter futures.

“We love our neighborhood, but we can’t afford it anymore,” said Marcus, who moved his family to Tennessee. “Between the taxes, the crime, and the cost of everything, Illinois just isn’t worth it.”

But Illinois isn’t just losing residents. It’s losing employers too. Boeing, Caterpillar, Citadel, Tyson Foods—all have left, taking jobs, tax dollars, and prestige with them.

“If Fortune 500 companies are running for the exits, what chance does a mom-and-pop store in Decatur have?” asked Tom, a manufacturing manager left jobless when his plant closed.

Other states don’t just survive—they thrive. Florida throws welcome parties for new residents. Tennessee lures businesses with no income tax. Texas is booming so quickly it can barely keep up with growth. Meanwhile, Illinois pretends a recession is a national inevitability.

“Funny how the recession only seems to visit Illinois while Florida throws a welcome party for our fleeing taxpayers,” one analyst remarked.

The Pension Bomb That Never Stops Ticking

Illinois holds the nation’s largest unfunded pension liability—over $140 billion. Every year, the burden grows heavier, crowding out investment in schools, infrastructure, and public safety.

Pritzker calls it “decades in the making.” He’s right. But what has he done? Raised taxes, shuffled funds, and kicked the can further down the road. Reform never comes. Relief never arrives.

“Apparently ‘decades of mismanagement’ don’t count the last six years he’s been in charge,” an analyst observed dryly.

And here lies the final absurdity of his “4% cuts”: when pensions devour nearly a quarter of every tax dollar, shaving 4% off agency budgets is like throwing a bucket of water at a five-alarm fire. The structure is already burning. The governor just wants credit for holding the hose.

Hypocrisy in a Pandemic

Then came COVID. Pritzker ordered small businesses shut, schools closed, families confined. He wagged his finger on TV and told Illinoisans to do their part. Meanwhile, his family’s horse estate in Wisconsin kept operating, untouched by his own rules.

“Do as I say, not as I stable my horses,” was the unspoken motto of 2020. Barbershops shuttered. Restaurants folded. Neighborhood gyms never reopened. But the Pritzkers’ horses never missed a bale of hay.

Voices from Every Corner

From downstate farmers to South Side families, the story repeats itself.

“We can’t afford to farm the way we used to, and nobody in Springfield cares,” said Bill, a farmer in Macoupin County.
“We just want safety and a chance to build a future, but every year it gets harder,” said Latrice, a mother of two from Chicago’s South Side.

📢 “I’ve voted Democrat my whole life, but I can’t do it again. Next time, I’m voting Darren Bailey. Pritzker’s excuses don’t put food on the table.” — Robert, lifelong Democrat from Joliet

Different voices. Different lives. But one shared frustration: a governor who governs by excuse.

Eyes on 2028

None of this has dimmed Pritzker’s ambition. His eyes are fixed firmly on Washington, where whispers of a 2028 presidential run grow louder. His speeches now sound less like policy briefings and more like campaign rallies for a national audience.

He blames Trump not because Illinoisans care, but because Democratic donors do. He pours money into immigration programs not because families demanded it, but because it polishes his credentials.

The irony? The very problems hollowing out Illinois—high costs, rising crime, endless excuses—are exactly what he would scale up to the national stage.

“If he runs for president, the rest of the country better look at what he did here,” said Angela, a mother of four in Decatur. “Because if Illinois is the model, we’re all in trouble.”

The Governor of Excuses

At the end of the day, Pritzker’s story is a simple one. He promised reform but delivered excuses. He promised stability but delivered chaos. He promised leadership but delivered finger-pointing.

Illinois didn’t elect a problem-solver. It elected a professional blamer. And now, as Pritzker dreams of higher office, the people he was supposed to serve are stuck with the bill.

“If you can’t fix Illinois, how can you fix America?” That’s the question voters here—and eventually voters nationwide—will need to ask.

Because when the history books are written, Pritzker won’t be remembered as the man who fixed Illinois. He’ll be remembered as the governor who explained, deflected, and excused Illinois straight into decline.

And maybe that’s his true legacy: not a builder, not a reformer, but the master of the political shrug.

“Not my fault.”

Unfortunately for Illinois, it is.

Sources: