Without property and income tax relief, housing in Illinois will continue to be less attractive, Illinois’ population is likely to continue its decline and housing price appreciation can be expected to continue to lag the rest of the nation.

Earlier this week in a televised White House address President Barack Obama said, “I can’t name a time where I met an American who would rather have an unemployment check than the pride of having a job.” But Obama’s statement is contrary to recent statistics released by the U.S. Department of Labor, which show many...