Many Illinois residents are making a run for the border, which is distressing but not unexpected.

The state's anti-business policies, its high tax rate and its staggering debt make people want to flee, and individuals and businesses closest to a border are in good position to do so. There are other reasons for people leaving, of course, but the sad state of the state is the biggest.

Overall, Illinois is still growing, although much slower than anyone would like. It's no coincidence that the county that lost the most population in 2012, Winnebago County in Northern Illinois, and St. Clair and Madison counties, second and fourth in population losses, border other states.

Expect the exodus to accelerate unless things start changing. When jobs leave, people follow. St. Clair County's unemployment rate in January was 11 percent, and Madison County's 9.8 percent.

What's particularly sad is that Illinois political leaders are standing by and watching rather than doing something about our state's problems. They have the power to enact a plan that would stabilize the state's employee pension programs, fix a broken worker's compensation system and restore public confidence, but choose to do nothing.

Unlike in the federal government, lawmakers can't blame it on political gridlock. Democrats have supermajorities in both houses of the Illinois legislature and control the governor's mansion.

Soon Democrats may have supermajorities over nothing.