Florida chamber thanks Pritzker for jobs

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(The Center Square) – The Florida Chamber of Commerce has launched a billboard campaign in Illinois, thanking Gov. J.B. Pritzker for his contributions to economic development in the Sunshine State.

Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson said taxable income is leaving Illinois along with people and businesses.

“Florida is the number one recipient. It's over $2 billion of taxable income that has left Illinois just for Florida alone,” Wilson told The Center Square.

Two billboards on Interstate 55 in Chicago thank Gov. J.B. Pritzker for the jobs and name Pritzker runner-up Florida Economic Developer of the Year.

“My hope is that the governor of Illinois gives us a call and says, ‘Hey, we see that Florida is number one or number two in all of these important performance metrics, and we'd like to have a conversation about how Illinois can be like Florida,’” Wilson said.

The billboards on the Stevenson Expressway follow the Free Enterprise Florida campaign launch in New York’s Times Square last month.

The chamber says Florida ranks No. 1 for business relocations while Illinois ranks 48th, and Florida ranks first for business startups while Illinois is sixth.

The campaign also highlights the difference between the two states in taxable income migration.

The Florida chamber says Florida ranks No. 1, with $20.6 billion in net income moving into the state. Illinois ranks No. 49, with a $5.9 billion net loss.

An Illinois Chamber of Commerce spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Center Square’s request for comment.

Wilson said Florida has almost twice the population of Illinois but a smaller state budget and no personal income tax.

“In Florida, the average state budget is about $5,000 a person. But when you live in Illinois, it's over $10,000 a person, so think of the taxes that you all pay there,” Wilson said.

Florida has one of the nation’s lowest debts per capita.

“We have under $1,000 per person of debt. Illinois has three or four times the level of debt per person than Florida has,” Wilson said.

A recent Reason Foundation report said Illinois has a debt ratio of 276%, higher than any other state.

Wilson said Illinois can solve its problems by pushing policies similar to those in states like Florida.

“We've lowered taxes over 50 times in 15 years,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the Florida chamber receives no state taxpayer dollars and is entirely funded by the private sector.

The Illinois chamber also does not accept state taxpayer money. The state budget, however, does include appropriations for numerous community and neighborhood chambers of commerce.