Top 10 Reasons Why People From Illinois Are Grumpy

Earlier we published this Top 10 list, which extolled the virtues of Illinoisans as a resilient lot. As it turned out, not everyone shared our optimism, least of all our many Facebook friends. This Top 10 is dedicated to the not-so-optimistic commenters who sounded off on our previous list.

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10. Many public employees can retire at 55; you're still slogging it to rebuild your 401K from the Great Recession.

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9. Some public employees can continue to work at 55 and start accruing a second pension; you're still brown bagging lunch to save for your retirement.

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8. Filling up at the pump is still the costliest in the nation, but you still drive 30 miles every day to work.

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7. You pay state income taxes according to the law; corporations pay taxes according to who they know.

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6. Your income taxes went up in 2011; education funding went down.

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5. For every dollar you pay in income tax, nearly $0.25 goes to someone else's pension fund.

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4. You want your kid to be in a better school, but Springfield puts the brakes on more charter schools.

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3. You miss your grandkids on weekends because your kids left Illinois to find a better job elsewhere.

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2. Your local politician has his/her whole family on his/her payroll.

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1. You don't bother voting because you think the system is rigged.