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Chicago’s decline isn’t an abstract talking point anymore — it’s a business decision with real consequences as the Chicago Bears weigh moving a major stadium project across state lines. Indiana lawmakers recently advanced legislation creating a Northwest Indiana stadium authority, a concrete step that signals a serious effort to court the franchise away from Illinois.
Communities in Indiana aren’t just making promises; they’re putting proposals on the table that actually move at the speed of business. Gary and Portage have rolled out detailed, shovel-ready concepts — from waterfront Halas Harbor to multiple Gary sites marketed as “plug-and-play” — offering infrastructure, transit access, and a willingness to partner without the stonewalling we’ve seen from Springfield.
Meanwhile, Illinois’ political class has been stuck in slow motion while taxpayers and fans wait. The stalled Arlington Heights project and ongoing legislative dithering have left the Bears publicly expanding their search after years of false starts and unfulfilled promises from state leaders who treat priorities like campaign talking points instead of commitments.
Indiana didn’t wait for headlines or photo ops — they built a process and moved the bill through committees with urgency, forcing the issue onto the table before the legislative session ended. That kind of pro-growth, results-oriented approach is what businesses and teams respond to; Chicago’s one-party machine, by contrast, prefers grandstanding to getting things done.
If the Bears do leave, don’t let anyone tell you it’s about football first and foremost — it’s about who runs the city and who actually values taxpayers, jobs, and economic common sense. Illinois voters and local leaders should see this as a wake-up call: endless tax promises and failed negotiations have real costs, and hardworking Americans deserve government that protects opportunity instead of chasing headlines.
