Roger Keats Says Good-Bye to Crook County, Illinois

Former State Rep., State Senator and GOP candidate for the Cook County Board Presidency last year has decided enough is enough in Illinois.

He is moving to Texas. Here is his good-bye letter:

GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK

As we leave Illinois for good, I wanted to say goodbye to my friends and wish all of you well. I am a lifelong son of the heartland and proud of it. After 60 years, I leave Illinois with a heavy heart.

BUT enough is enough!

The leaders of Illinois refuse to see we can’t continue going in the direction we are and expect people who have options to stay here. I remember when Illinois had 25 congressmen. In 2012 we will have 18. Compared to the rest of the country we have lost 1/4rd of our population. Don’t blame the weather, because I love 4 seasons.

Illinois just sold still more bonds and our credit rating is so bad we pay higher interest rates than junk bonds! Junk Bonds!

Roger Keats

Illinois is ranked

  • 50th for fiscal policy;
  • 47th in job creation;
  • 1st in unfunded pension liabilities;
  • 2nd largest budget deficit;
  • 1st in failing schools;
  • 1st in bonded indebtedness;
  • highest sales tax in the nation;
  • most judges indicted (Operations Greylord and Gambat); and
  • 5 of our last 9 elected governors have been indicted. That is more than the other 49 states added together!

Then add 32 Chicago Aldermen and (according to the Chicago Tribune) over 1000 state and municipal employees indicted.

The corruption tax is a real cost of doing business.

Blue Ribbon Winner at the Crook County Fair

We are the butt of jokes for stand up comics.

 

We live in the most corrupt big city, in the most corrupt big county in the most corrupt state in America.

I am sick and tired of subsidizing crooks.

A day rarely passes without an article about the corruption and incompetence.

Chicago even got caught rigging the tests to hire police and fire!

Our Crook County CORPORATE property tax system is intentionally corrupt.

The Democrat State Chairman who is also the Speaker of the Illinois House and the most senior alderman in Chicago each make well over a million dollars a year putting the fix in for their client’s tax assessments.

Another Blue Ribbon winner at the Crook County Fair.

We are moving to Texas where there is no income tax while Illinois’ just went up 67%.

 

Texas’ sales tax is ½ of ours, which is the highest in the nation.

Southern states are supportive of job producers, tax payers and folks who offer opportunities to their residents.

Illinois shakes them down for every penny that can be extorted from them.

In The Hill Country of Texas (near Austin and San Antonio) we bought a gracious home on almost 2 acres with a swimming pool. It is new, will cost us around 40% of what our home in Wilmette just sold for and the property taxes are 1/3rd of what they are here.

Crook County’s property tax system is a disaster: Wilmette homes near ours sell for 50% more and their property taxes are ½ of ours. Our assessed home value was 50% higher than the sales price. The system is unfair and incompetent.

Our home value is down 40%, our property taxes are up 20% and our local schools have still another referendum on the ballot to increase taxes over 20% in one year.

I could go on, but enough is enough.

I feel as if we are standing on the deck of the Titanic and I can see the icebergs right in front of us.

I will miss our friends a great deal.

I have called Illinois home for essentially my entire life.

But it is time to go where there is honest, competent and cost effective government.

We have chosen to vote with our feet and our wallets.

My best to all of you and Good Luck!


Comments

Roger Keats Says Good-Bye to Crook County, Illinois — 39 Comments

  1. Good riddance. Wasn’t this buffoon part of a big scandal when he was in the state senate?

  2. People who benefit from all of the local and state corruption taxes frequently support public union abuses.

    The corruption taxes in Illinois make everyone pay so teachers can have only 6 hour work days, 170 days a year in Chicago. This deprives tens of thousands of kids from getting a decent education.

    Democrats and teachers unions want to spread nationally this 6 hour work day abuse. And have higher corruption taxes pay for the “hard-working” teachers. At 6 hours in Chicago it is hardly-working teachers.

  3. What a sore loser. Unfortunately there are many of these types in Texas.

    Texas is a great place if you are (1) white; (2) affluent; (3) do not have children in public schools; (4) are not in need of public assistance with your medical bills; (5) live on 2 acres in the Hill country and not in an economically depressed area dominated by refineries and toxic waste disposal sites; (6) do not appear Hispanic; and (7) left you brain in Illinois.

  4. Sally and J Ray resemble Titanic passengers squabbling over deck chairs to use as life rafts and blaming the passengers who left in life boats.

  5. The best Sally and J.Ray call him a buffoon and sore loser and the best response you come back with is “good riddance”. Is it too much effort for you to try and respond to Mr. Keats facts and figures? Or is that information too much for your tiny brains? Oh wait – I understand now, you too are part of the problem and don’t see a need for a solution. You two are on the dole – you are the leeches, the parasites of the state. You prefer the status quo and would like to see more of it. Yes a parasite feels the same about it’s host all the way to the very end.

    I left Illinois decades ago and I applaud Mr. Keats intelligence and courage to move on to better horizons as Illinois no longer has a horizon. Illinois is so far in debt and in a such a huge hole there is no view, except that of a very big wall – on all four sides.
    Good luck you, you are going to need it.

  6. “You can all go to Hell. I’m going to Texas.” Davy Crockett

    Texas isn’t a great place if you are (1) a minority with a chip on your shoulder (2) envious of other’s wealth (3) on board the sinking ship that is Illinois public schools but oblivious to it (4) a loser who feels entitled to be taken care of at the expense of others (5) prone to generalize out of ignorance (6) a minority with a chip on your shoulder (7) a stupid liberal

  7. Who would want to support a bunch of corrupt psychos? I’d move too.

  8. It’s like Reagan said, we can talk with our feet. Keats has the right idea. “Who is John Galt?”

  9. I have to agree with Mr. Keats – I was born and raised in the northwest suburbs. I never thought I would leave. I accepted the high taxes, insane gas prices, and a tax system that could make you vomit, because I loved Chicago.

    My median income would not allow for me to buy a house in (or even close to) the city, so I moved to the FAR northwest suburbs – that’s okay, because I was in the area I loved. Once the housing bubble burst, and pay cuts became commonplace, I was left with a house I couldn’t afford or sell; and I still had the hour-plus commute.

    One of my relatives gave up and moved to Texas years before; I told him he was crazy. He would miss the many things that make Chicago unique. Then he showed me his tax bill; I couldn’t believe it. Then he showed me his vehicle registration bill – at least half of what I paid in Illinois for the privilege of displaying a sticker, with a program to get the driving death traps (most of which I’ve seen on Lawrence Ave way too often) off the streets. Still wasn’t enough.

    Fate took a weird turn, and I had a job offer in Texas – I took it. Now I’m making 30% more than I was in Illinois, I’m paying less in taxes and real estate – I’m renting now because of the debacle in Illinois, but the rent is less than my Illinois mortgage, and the house is BIGGER!!! Even better, I’m on the edge of a major city – no more driving a half hour to the store because the only place you can afford to live is halfway to Wisconsin.

    The education system (at least mine) is much more impressive than the one in Illinois. With a child with autism, I have always been concerned about the quality of service for my child’s needs. In Illinois, though they meant well, they didn’t have the necessary resources (even though I’m paying even more to the school system). In Texas, not only do they have the resources, they also have the training my son needs to help him adapt to a normal life. He’s improved 100% over his time in Illinois schools.

    Sure I miss pizza, Portillo’s, Navy Pier, and opening day at Wrigley. I miss going to Oak St Beach, or the Sears Tower (it will never be the Willis Tower), or Great America. However, my family’s quality of life is much better now that we are out of the skyrocketing costs of living in Illinois.

    As a side note, anyone who insists Texans are inbred rednecks who love beating up minorities and branding cattle all day have been watching too many Dukes of Hazzard reruns (which were in Georgia, by the way), and have never stepped foot in this state. I would recommend this state to anyone who would listen.

  10. Do you notice that the people who are saying nasty things about Mr. Keats don’t challenge any of his facts? The reason is his facts are correct. You will enjoy Texas, Mr. Keats. Let Illinois rot.

    Now who do I know in the White House that is from Chicago???

  11. Born and raised in Buffalo, but left the city I loved for the same reasons; corruption, waste, unions, taxes and other such things that go hand in hand with liberal politics.

    This is happening all over the country, and the recent census figures prove it.

    I now live in NH near the VT border.

    There was a recent article in our newspaper about census figures showing all the nearby towns on the VT side losing population, while the NH towns gained 9-30%.

    The liberal newspaper was perplexed.

    DUH. Can anyone say TAXES?

  12. Sally, J. Ray:

    You’re being sheared like sheep, and you think Keats is stupid?

    Hahahahahahahahahahaha……

  13. Ref:”j. ray says:

    03/29/2011 at 3:10 pm

    What a sore loser. Unfortunately there are many of these types in Texas.

    Texas is a great place if you are (1) white; (2) affluent; (3) do not have children in public schools; (4) are not in need of public assistance with your medical bills; (5) live on 2 acres in the Hill country and not in an economically depressed area dominated by refineries and toxic waste disposal sites; (6) do not appear Hispanic; and (7) left you brain in Illinois. ”

    Items 1 thru 4 describes most of illinois and item 5 means you don’t live in downtown Chicago…so you must speak from experience.

  14. CITIZENS OF ILLINOIS – I have known Roger Keats as a classmate from Evanston High School days in the 60’s to the time he entered state politics in the 1970’s in the northern suburbs as a very bright, personable ‘red headed’ go getter that wanted to change Illinois for the better.

    It was impossible not like Roger Keats! You all know the definition of insanity coined by Albert Einstein….’doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

    When applied to Illinois politics some of us have seen this insanity sooner…some later, and Roger Keats has finally got it right.

    He tired to make Illinois better, wanted to make Illinois better, and like so many in Illinois still wants you all to wake, smell the coffee and work to get it better. (Don’t think for a second Roger doesn’t want it better for you!….he does!)

    Now, I lived in Evanston and Wilmette for over 40 years before moving to Florida in 1990 to start a business.

    While living in the idyllic Chicago suburbs at that time, I focused on my career, earning a living, and raising a family.

    Then the extras – the Cubs, Blackhawks, Michael Jordans Bulls, beautiful lakefront, Art Institute, museums, Bears, Northwestern, Malnati’s Pizza, Portillos, etc.

    At the time, I loved Illinois, the rich diversity of its people, the upstate/downstate mentality, its rich place in history and thought the state generally well run, taxes high, but not as high as New York, and very colorful.

    Back then there was always work in Chicago for everyone who wanted to work. The new state income tax at 4% was going to put the entire state on an even stronger footing.

    We winked and grinned along with Mike Royko as he watched and told us humorously about all the Chicago political shenanigans from ‘Da Mayor’ to Washington, to Bilandic, to Jayne Byrne, to ‘Da Mayor’s son again, the park district, the sanitary district, toll way authority, cook county, etc..

    Back then, all that seemed in order, normal, the way it was, everything trucking along just as it should. We then tuned in our floppy eared black and white TV for Fahey Flynn at 10 pm for more soothing, tongue in check Chicago updates.

    Pie getting bigger all the time….Illinois getting smarter and stronger all the time.

    After moving to Florida and returning often to the Chicago area over the past 20 years, I have gotten new perspectives each time on the “City that used to Work’ and the State that surely “Doesn’t Work.”

    Roger Keats list of problems are the top ones that have manifested themselves in the past decade to save a political system that ‘Doesn’t Work.’

    You citizens of Illinois have been subjected to the worst political system outside New York’s infamous Tammany Hall and allowed those that serve you do the greatest disservice and harm to the future of Illinois and its people imaginable.

    You all have been in this…winking all along the way!

    Roger Keats has just listed the results above. Wake up before you turn into Michigan!

    Roger’s sacrifice by leaving is Illinois, believe it or not, YOUR gain, if you understand the message he is politely trying to convey to you.

    If you will do something about it. (I wish he’d moved to Florida. He would fit right in here and Can make a difference.)

    Most of you in Illinois are still brain washed into thinking everything is normal and AOK, and you in good hands, like Allstate, but look around.

    Take a good look.

    This economy since 2006 has exposed everything that is bad in our society.

    What works and what doesn’t work.

    What needs to be changed and what needs to be fixed.

    But how?

    The score card is the state UNEMPLOYMENT RATE, the PRICE OF A GALLON OF GAS, AND THE POPULATION.

    Take a good look at the score.

    The problems you have are all identified.

    Changing the mess you are in will take decades of men and woman’s effort a lot smarter than me to fix your stew.

    It’s about changing habits.

    About changing your attitude.

    It’s about changing a Illinois political system that has rolled Abe Lincoln over in his Springfield grave so many times he is in a perpetual spin as we speak.

    Carl Sandburg, if alive today, could probably find a ‘painted lady’ in Chicago, but no broad shoulders and not one hog exists probably in the whole state.

    Where did the business go that drove the engine?

    Where are the mighty corporations of Illinois’s birth?

    The Illinois Central Railroad-Now owned by the Canadians.

    The International Stockyards – moved to Omaha.

    International Harvester – Now owned by Fiat in Italy.

    Montgomery Ward, Carsons, Marshall Field, Goldblatt’s, Weiboldts, south side steel mills, Old Chicago Beer, and many more all gone all together.

    Caterpillar would like to move out of Illinois today, as you are putting the tax squeeze on them, but they have just swallowed the Governors’ ‘chill pill’ fix on their taxes. (Quinn is not that dumb to let them slide away!)

    However, that won’t keep them from moving from Illinois.

    Probably to Texas!

    It’s just a Band Aid on the problem of Illinois government. Just wait!

    Now, if you still believe your elected officials have done a great job for the State of Illinois in its totality to date, your are part of the problem…continually fostering the illusion that you can afford the political mess you are paying for. The mess these guys and gals have put you in in the last decades.

    The dividend of HHD (Hopelessness, Helplessness and Despair) foisted on you Citizens of Illinois.

    Are you waiting for the next big political fix to make everything right?

    The political silver bullet?

    The ghost of Paul Powell and his ‘shoebox’ is what you are worshiping.

    Can the kool aid cocktail solution be far behind? One sip and you won’t have to worry about Illinois’s problems anymore.

    To start with, adopt this as the new state motto: ‘ACTUALLY NOBODY OWES YOU JACK CRAP’.

    All it takes is a first step you Citizens of Illinois!

  15. “If you aren’t part of the solutions, you’re part of the problem.” Given Keats’ 16 years in public office, it’s interesting that he takes no responsibility for the failures he sites in his obnoxious “Dear John” letter. “The rats are the first to abandon a sinking ship.” And he has the audacity to say he’ll miss his friends?!? Keats – Don’t let the door hit you in the a** on your way out!

  16. CAN I GET AN AMEN!!!!! Keats’ is right on the money!!! Can’t wait to get out of this state!!!!! 🙂

  17. Good bye Illiois. Will miss your politicians like Id miss a hemoroid!

    Like Roger, I left Illinois for good this spring. Took my small business with me to Florida.

    Fired 5 Illinois employees and hired 2 in Florida to replace them.

    That’s five less jobs for Illinois and two less taxpayers.

    I have a friend with 60 employees closing their business in Aurora and moving it to Texas.

    Another friend in Naperville closing their 4 employee business and moving to Canada after their daughter graduates high school in December. (They put her into accelerated classes so they don’t have to wait until next June to get out.)

    The leeches that suck the taxpayers of illinois are going to find the blood running a little thin as more and more business owners vote with their feet.

    Keep your union jobs and idiotic ideas and watch Chicago turn into another Detroit where the oly people left are the pimps, the ho’s, the politicians, and the lawyers!

  18. I gotta tell you, he’s an idiot! He’s moving to TEXAS! He moving for “taxes” — funny, the happiest people on Earth pay the highest taxes — Finland and Norway.

    Life is so much more than just paying taxes.

    I moved to Chicago from Texas.

    I pay more taxes, but it’s worth it! Texas is so ugly and hot and mean.

    All that fundamental religion and killing and atttitude about a place that anyone from anywhere else would say “seriously?”

    Good thing he’s old and doesn’t have kids to put into to Texas public schools where the teach anti-science and celebrate ignorance.

    The weather is MUCH better here, the people are MUCH more friendly, there’s culture here and we take care of each other here.

    I doubt that selfish, self-centered, cry baby will be missed.

  19. Mr. Keats really gets it, as a small business owner in ILL. I too can no longer make it work.

    I was born and raised in this state and it’s now impossible to continue.

    I watched as The Quad Cities went down the tubes when it lost it’s title as farm implement capital of the world, now the entire state is going. I’m out of here, but I can’t help but wonder where the hell there going to get all those tax dollars when no one lives in the state any longer?.

  20. I did this in June. Born and raised in Peoria. Have loved every minute of Texas. Not as many race baiters or looters. I cna actually let my kids play outside and the public schools are awesome.

    No more will the corrupt Illinois political machine buy the poor and ignorant with the sweat off my back.

  21. Welcome to Texas, Mr. and Mrs. Keats. You’ve made a wise decision and will love living here. I’ve been here for more than twenty years and I’m still considered something of a johnny-come-lately, damnyankee (yes, that’s one word) but I wouldn’t consider living anywhere else.

    Our population density here makes Illinois look like it’s SRO but I’d still rather you not have penned that letter telling the world how great it is in Texas. We really don’t need a whole lot more people.

    But since you let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, I’d like to add a warning to any and all who would follow you to Texas: We pretty much like Texas the way it is. If you come here with the intention of remaking Texas in the image of the place you left, we will more or less politely remind you that the interstate highway that brought you here is a two-way street.

  22. I agree 100% with Mr. Keats…and all those who are bad mouthing him on here either make their living as part of the machine that causes the problems or like our clown the governor live in fantasy land.

    The figures cannot be disputed…but why let the facts get in the way…lol Typical Chicago voters who continue to vote idiots into office…why?

    If you’re on the take…that’s great…but if you’re not which applies to most…you suffer.

    My wife and I are also planning to leave…not only Chicago…but Illinois.

  23. Try living in southern Illinois.

    It is truly like we don’t exist yet we still get screwed daily by the government.

    My husband opened a small business in 2006 and there is always something that the state of Illinois does to make it extremely difficult to operate the business.

    I keep telling him we just need to go back to normal jobs back in Missouri and say screwing having a business.

  24. I have to agree. After sixty years in Illinois I got smart and moved to Texas!

    Texas is a wonderful state and I love it!

    I’m so glad I’m a Texan now.

    Illinois can continue to rot as it has for the last 100 years.

  25. Well stated. Too bad the politicians of Illinois, and the Federal Gov’t do not share these views.

    The whole american system is corrupt, and I feel sorry for my children as well as my future geandchildren.

    I COMMEND YOU ROGER KEATS!!!!!!!!!!

    Too bad the system is shutting down free speech.

    I as well will be moving out of the State of Illinois as soon as the opportunity presents itself!!

  26. Every word he spoke was true….after 46 years in Illinois my family and I are also leaving.

    My property tax is over $9000 per year and raising rapidly.

    I live in a modest home.

    Illinois income tax is 5%.

    Chicago is corrupt.

    The state government is corrupt.

    It’s impossible to retire in Illinois.

    I don’t care what state you move to, any other is better, in every way you want to measure.

    Those are the plain facts.

    It can’t be argued.

  27. Hey Roger….

    When you were a Sophomore tearing down the pool on the anchor leg of our freestyle relay team, you were “smokin’ “Ralph Todd-of- Hunter” and were well on your way to securing the SL title for the school…until you “oopsed the flip turn!”

    In the end though, everything turned out well – Ralph had jumped, and was DQ’d…and we secured the league title.

    You’ve certainly executed the PERFECT FLIP TURN out of Crook County…and you’re carrying your integrity, hard work and good will to the state that will remain free…whatever the cost. Illinois’ loss…Texas gain…GO BIG FELLA!

  28. I am also getting ready to move to Texas.

    I have lived in Illinois all my life but I’m sick and tired of what the mafia liberals have done to MY state.

    Rahm Emanuel, (who thinks he owns Illinois), Pat Quinn, a joke of a governor, Mike Madigan, IL Speaker of the House and a lifelong politician, and Barrack Obama, the fake President with birth ties to Kenya (yeah he was born in Kenya) are all reasons enough to send me packing to Texas.

    There are thousands of like minded residents who are also leaving Illinois by the droves.

    It’s gonna be amusing when there is not enough wealth to redistribute to the non working liberals with their hands out in Illinois.

    Hey, LET THEM EAT CAKE!!!

    Let Pat Quinn and Rahm Emanuel figure out a way to hand them money.

    Ha!!

    As the mass exodus of Illinois continues, the redistribution of wealth will dry up.

    Well, Governor Pat Quinn , lets see where the money comes from now.

  29. To j. ray: Apparently you don’t know that we have a huge Hispanic population in this state. Apparently you also don’t know that most are Conservative. Also, you might not know that they are also affluent because they work hard.

    As for our schools systems….. they are bad mostly in the inner cities because we have illegals and others that refuse to learn English before attending schools. They also don’t fully believe education is beneficial to them, so they just send their children to school as a form of Daycare.

    As for the rest…. I moved here from Washington State because of high taxes, property taxes and business taxes. I was able to hire 2 more employees and have been doing a lot better here than in liberal Washington State where it’s fashionable for the liberal elites to spend my money as fast as I make it.

  30. I don’t know about Mr Keats and what he stood for in pol.

    but I do know everything he said is the truth just wish he would of did something about the problem befor it got this far now we are in the pay back side of it and all the pol.

    want to take there pensions and run I know Il. is not a state to retire in but not all of us have the lux. of just packing up and leaveing

  31. if keats was a democrat or republican, he should be made to stay here, as he help drill holes in this now sinking ship. glad he can go live a life of leisure now.

    that aside, he’s 100% correct (if his facts are correct), and makes me want to take part in these protests.

  32. Anyone who stays in Illinois (or California) is insane, has cognitive dissidence or is a crony in the flailing, failing government. Or all three.

    When there is no one left to tax, what will the unionists, crony corporatists, male and female generational welfare whores and criminals in Illinois do?

    Fairly soon, Obama will be out of office. Whose going to finance your federal taxpayer bailouts then?

    Sign me, Long Gone from Illinois. Good riddance to the state of liars, thieves and murderers. Go Galt.

  33. It’s funny how people will make personal attacks on the man but don’t address the issues he brought up in the letter.

    The real issue is about what a corrupt state Illinois is and how the democrat run state is in such a financial mess.

  34. Mr. Keats:

    Welcome to the Fire there in the Hill Country… Talk about the Pot calling the Kettle Black. If you have done some research on the activities involved in getting your fantastic new home at a fraction of similar property here. It is that Illinois still has a mere semblance of a union culture that not only helps control quality, but ensures that workers are paid a fair wage and that they are not taking that wage out of the country.

    While I agree that Unions are as corrupt as the Government in Cook County, I have to question the construction industry as a whole in Texas that has to compete literally by cheating long established tax law that I for one follow here in Illinois. Yes, my company has used immigrant labor, but at our place of business, we treat them all as employees of our company and not as independent contractors that supposedly pay taxes for themselves. I can tell you tat from the news lately, the largest commercial contractors in Texas are struggling because they follow the law while many small commercial operators and supposedly every residential builder does not pay taxes on the pay of their own employees. I cannot even begin to think what they do when one of these workers become injured or worse, killed.

    Shame on you for writing this farewell and turning a blind eye to the construction of YOUR OWN NEW HOME… You may not be the first to cast stones, but my Grandmother (Who also retired to Texas 30 years ago) always said: If you have nothing good to say about someone… Keep your mouth shut.

    My advice to you is simple. If you want to point fingers, point it at number one first and report on that. If you can honestly say that your business dealings and those that you have dealt with are perfectly clean, then fire away… Otherwise report on yourself first, find a way to fix the mess you’ve bought into and then start in on Illinois.

    Personally, if you can find a way to extricate you hands from the business of crawling out of the muck onto the back of hard working American and Mexican workers that are regularly cheated out of fair pay and benefits for their hard labor, Then I suspect by then, you will find worse problems there in Texas literally bleeding over the borders there.

    Good luck to you pal

    Matt

  35. Mr. and Mrs. Keats,

    I will see you in Texas.

    I live in Colorado…. But not for long.

    As of 5/15/13, my house will be on the market.

    I can no longer stand the candy a$$, liberal, Democrats that run my state.

    We use to be much like Texas, Conservative and governed by representatives that honestly cared about the people, but no more. My 2nd amendment rights are being stomped on, my property taxes are out of sight.

    Mr. Hickenlooper ( I won’t call him Governor any more than I’d put President and Obama in the same sentence.) and my state Reps. do whatever is PC.

    Not a single one of the have a back bone.

    Now they are going to give ILLEGAL ALIENS in state college tuition, while both my wife and I scrimp, save and work two jobs each, to keep my daughter in college as tuition sky rockets!

    SCREW THIS.

    Let the liberal dope smokers run the state into the ground.

    I’m not having any of it!

    I’m gone to TEXAS, near Clarksville. Stop by! We’ll have cocktails on the deck.

    Todd Smith
    Castle Rock, CO……. but not for long

  36. I think there is a hidden agenda here; first, Mr. Keats is 60 + years old and like many Midwesterners decided to retire where it was a warmer climate.

    He says “after 60 years I leave Illinois with a heavy heart,” I believe he may have lived in Ohio before moving to Illinois.

    I think he still may have some ties to the Chicago area that he does not want people to know.

    I’m sure if reporters looked into it, they may uncover some of that information.

    Also, that Illinois pension he is criticizing about, he is collecting.

    He wrote that ‘Goodbye’ exit letter to draw attention to his name as a precursor to his recent book ‘Chicago Confidential.’

    Let’s face it, Mr. Keats is a politician!!!

  37. I enjoyed the book, especially his connection of a Mexican drug cartel to Chicago politicians.

  38. I too left and live in Indiana.

    I grew up in Illinois and taught briefly in the Chicago Public Schools which are a joke and teach nothing.

    I have been teaching at the University of Florida for 25 years and decided to move to Indiana to be closer to my family in Illinois.

    I am trying to get all of them to leave.

    Illinois is just another Detroit waiting to happen.

  39. Roger ,

    You left too soon !

    Your timing was off !

    The time is NOW !

    And I am some-what alone in the trenches But not entirely as you were !

    I have blown the whistle on the corruption here & need guards around me night and day as attempts have been made upon my life ! ./

    Larry Suffredin Land will need a new name !

    His AA has disappeared – dead – alive – left the country with data or is he in the custody of the feds !?!

    SBS buildings here in Evanston & people are full of cancer and respiratory issues that cause respiratory arrest !
    They have been keeping a lid on it ! But it is ready to blow now !

    Taxes – system stupid – got mine down to $0.00 & even got money back

    Game it !

    I do the annual appeal as A rite of spring !

    Computer supposedly secured now !

    AS is the phone now so they say !

    Use PO Box 7020 Evanston

    The Dems will be doing the big dance shortly !!

    Angry bird says :

    Its about time ! Its about time! Its about time !!!

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