(Glenn Minnis, The Center Square) The city of Chicago ranks near the bottom in the new Best & Worst-run cities in America survey of 148 different locations.
With researchers comparing the operating efficiency of each city, Chicago lands at No. 136 in the WalletHub survey after finishing 102nd in quality of city services and 140th in total budget per capita.
State Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, isn’t shy about voicing his displeasure with Chicago’s dismal showing.
“Chicago has been known as The Second City, but we have dropped quite precipitously down to 136, and that is based on one thing and one thing alone, and that is progressive policies from people who are producing painful results for the residents and for those like my community who are living adjacent to the city,” McLaughlin told The Center Square. “It is no longer the place it was 30 years ago. It is no longer the financial capital of commodities in the world and no longer a place that you will go to and feel safe.”
Researchers weighed “quality of services” metrics that included health, safety and economy rank, measuring each category against the city’s per-capita budget.
As bad as things have gotten, McLaughlin still sees a way out for the city.
“I think Chicago has an opportunity, particularly with those who have recognized that the governor and the mayor have put illegal migrants ahead of citizens and the neighborhoods who have been underserved now recognize that they have been overlooked,” he said. “They just have to change who they’re voting for and they have a chance to do that every two years.”
McLaughlin said he’s long been calling for the kind of change now happening in Washington and he’s convinced it will make all the difference.
“Eight years ago on Facebook before I was in statewide office I called for National Guard troops to come into neighborhoods in Chicago that were being punished by gangs,” he said. “I believe that if it requires that to make sure that a Chicago citizen can send their child to the grocery store and they come home safe and alive we should have done that 10 years ago. There’s no reason that I should be safe in Barrington and someone should not feel just as safe in Pilsen or Englewood.”
The city of Provo, Utah, ranks tops in the survey with San Francisco at the bottom.
