In a remarkable turn of events last week, Republicans and Democrats were aligned on supporting police and using fences and walls to keep people outside of spaces where they’re not supposed to be. No, pigs weren’t flying, and the underworld had not frozen over.
Last week, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was hosted in Chicago. When it came to protecting the Democratic elite, no expense or protective measure was spared. The Democratic bigwigs and the locations where they were meeting and staying were guarded like Fort Knox. There was a large presence of police with firearms, and even the National Guard was on standby.
A fence separated the meeting spaces from outsiders. The crowds of people who wanted to exercise their First Amendment rights by protesting at the DNC were forced into a fenced area so they could not breach the perimeter of the United Center and McCormick Place. After all, we can’t have those without the proper credentials intermingling with convention attendees.
When delegates and speakers arrived in Chicago, they were greeted by banners proclaiming that “Illinois Democrats Deliver.” To that, I say, “yes, they sure do.” A look at their policies illustrates just what they have delivered to Illinoisans.
Illinois Democrats deliver high taxes. As Illinois families continue to struggle to make ends meet due to high prices for groceries, childcare, and daily necessities, Democrats delivered a $1 billion tax hike this year. They did this when Illinois had already been dubbed the least tax-friendly state in America. And as family budgets are stretched to their breaking points, Democrats delivered a bloated budget filled with pork to keep Democrat lawmakers popular in their districts. Democrats delivered the largest budget in the state’s history.
Illinois Democrats deliver high unemployment. States nationwide are seeing employment numbers on the rebound, but not Illinois. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Land of Lincoln has the third-highest unemployment rate in America. But rather than help job creators build their businesses to hire more employees, Democrats delivered job-killing tax hikes to businesses across the state. In fact, on a recent scorecard from the National Federation of Independent Business, which advocates for small businesses in Illinois, every Democrat State Legislator received an “F,” with most of their scores ranking in the teens. Democrats deliver, all right. They delivered a gut punch to businesses doing everything they can to stay afloat.
Illinois Democrats deliver high crime. Through catch-and-release policies found in the (UN)SAFE-T Act, crime has surged in Illinois. In Chicago, major crimes increased by nearly 60% since 2019, and domestic violence deaths doubled last year. Over the 4th of July weekend in Chicago, over 100 people were shot. This is according to the Chicago Data Portal that tracks Chicago crime. However, we all know that violent crime is not limited to Illinois’ largest city. Even our communities in Northwest Illinois are experiencing an uptick in crime.
Illinois Democrats deliver Cadillac-level services to migrants and illegal immigrants. Illinois citizens and businesses got hit with $1 billion in new taxes this year so Democrats could fund Cadillac-level services for migrants and illegal immigrants. While the developmentally and intellectually disabled community remained underfunded, Illinois is on pace to eclipse $3 billion in spending for migrants and illegal immigrants over the last three years. In the Fiscal Year 2024 budget, the amount spent on non-citizens is more than three times the entire budget for the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs.
Yes, Democrats sure do deliver. It’s just not in the way they would like people to believe.
