Did you know that Betty White was born in Illinois? This, and other tidbits about Illinois' successes, are the subject of a new website. It's intended to counteract some of the negativity that has swirled this election cycle ... and to defend lawmakers' policies.
No, it's not a project born by the state's tourism department.
ILikeIllinois.com is the brainchild of Senate President John Cullerton. He says it's meant to "portray the state accurately as being one of the greatest states in the nation. There's been a lot of reason, for maybe political purposes to tear down the state and make you think that we're the worst and last in everything. And the fact is, we all know that we have a fantastic state. We are the leader in so many areas."
The site boasts about Illinois as the Midwest's leader in high-speed internet access, and that the Chicago region is "#1 for move-ins."
Of course, Cullerton is a Democrat; his party has controlled state government in recent years.
Republicans often paint a picture of Illinois that's less glowing. They point to Illinois' lagging improvements in unemployment, and that the state has the nation's worst credit rating. Republicans say if you put them in charge, you'll really have a reason to "like" Illinois.
There's also an "I Like Illinois" Facebook page, and twitter feed.
