Today’s Local Bad News:

Illinois companies warned in January that they may lay off as many as 1,200 workers in the next two months, according to filings with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

viaChicago Tribune.

The economy sucks and the media doesn’t want to talk about it.  Manufacturing in Illinois is on life support.  It’s questionable if it can be revived.

To this mess we add:

Quinn wants Illinois’ minimum wage to increase from $8.25 to $10 an hour, according to a source familiar with the planned remarks. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, but Illinois’ rate has been higher for years.

via Chicago Tribune.

That will not help growth.  It will not help poor communities.  It will not help high school drop-outs or college professors.  It’s an inflation creator and job killer.  We don’t need the cost of fast food going up.  We don’t need the cost of goods at Target going up.  We’re taxed to death already.  The state is $100+ billion in the red and he’s upset that some kid’s making $8.75/hr making pizza’s.

Illinois is dying.  The Machine is driving full speed off the edge of the cliff.