Chicago Shrinking

No, we don't mean Shortshanks and the Ballerino. We mean losing people that they can potentially get tax money from:

• Chicago’s population plunged by more than 200,000 people -- a 6.9 percent decline from 2000, according to the official Census count released Tuesday.

  The drop was significantly more than indicated by previously released census estimates and over the next decade it could cost the city hundreds of millions in federal funds, which are partly distributed on the basis of population counts.

  Chicago’s black population fell the most, nearly 17 percent. Today, blacks make up only 33 percent of the city’s population, down from 36 percent 10 years ago.

• Hispanic population grew 3.3 percent in the city. But since this is less than the birth rate it is likely that Hispanics also are leaving the city for the suburbs.

  Non-white Hispanics now comprise 32 percent of the population, while Hispanics of all races make up 29 percent

  Population also fell in Cook County -- an 182,000 drop. However, the population of suburban Cook grew slightly by 18,000, indicating Chicago’s drop was the major factor in the county’s loss of population.

We'll bet that 200,000 population decline doubles in the next decade. Chicago reached a tipping point a few years back and the view looks all downhill from what we can see. Anyone who can afford to move out, will move out. Anyone who can't afford to move out, will move out anyway to live with friends or relatives. Chicago and Cook County are too expensive to live in for the average family. And as Illinois continues to become a more and more business un-friendly environment, the jobs that make it possible to scrape by will dry up.

Hey? Maybe someone ought to look into reducing the number of aldercreatures again. With less population, there isn't any need for 50 of these leeches sucking up tax money. If only there was someone who could circulate a petition or draft an ordinance to shrink the size of the City Council.