Thirty-some counties have voted in advisory referendums to leave Illinois and join another state.
McHenry County is out-of-touch with the rest of the Chicago metropolitan area politically,
While dissociating itself from Illinois is pretty much impossible, such a discussion and advisory referendum might bring pressure on the Illinois legislature as it decides how to bail out the Chicago Transit Authority and Metra.
I’m still remembering the 1974 RTA referendum during which the Chicago and Northwestn commuter service was more than breaking even andMcHenry County voters sent a 93% “No” message in the referendum.
When Cecil Partee, Senate President, saw me the next day in Chicago, he marveled at the suburban margins.
I told him, “You have your river wards; we have have river counties.”
