A Surreal Year for Illinois
As 2016 wraps up, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary announced their annual
"word of the year." Merriam-Webster is able to do this by tracking
how often a specific word's definition is searched online, and how often search
spikes occur. For 2016, that word is "surreal." Other words that made
the Merriam-Webster's "Top 10 for 2016," include "Bigly,"
"Deplorable," and "Feckless."
Thinking back on this
year surreal perfectly describes the Illinois legislature. The staunch
opposition from Speaker Madigan to support bipartisan reforms is impossible to
rationalize or defend. This feckless nature of how he governs is downright
deplorable. Illinois residents aren't just telling legislators they want
a change in government through letters and phone calls anymore, they're telling
legislators in droves with their feet by taking their talent and money to a
state that can do better for them.
Illinois is the only
state in the Midwest that saw a population decline for 2016. You'd think
after a third consecutive year of losing millennials, families, skilled
workers, and tax dollars to other states Springfield would be energized for
reforms. Instead Illinoisans continue to be caught in a never ending cycle.