AHC/PC: New York state split in two.

[deathscompanion1]

Just talking to an American friend from upstate New York who really hates how much the city dominates his state and says breaking it off from the rest of the state is popular where he lives.

It got me wondering, was that ever proposed? Would it have any effects on other states?

Just an interested non-American.

 

[HeavyWeaponsGuy]

It would pretty much wreck New York's economy to have it happen since the New York Metropolitan Area has been a major American port since colonial times. The divorce would be extremely nasty for everyone involved.

 

[deathscompanion1]

It would pretty much wreck New York's economy to have it happen since the New York Metropolitan Area has been a major American port since colonial times. The divorce would be extremely nasty for everyone involved.

That makes sense, I guess it's just your typical regional issue that has to be lived with.

 

[Baron Bizarre]

There's occasional squawk about Long Island splitting off from New York. Can't see it actually happening, though.

 

[A Random Person]

maybe have a slave/free divide in new york, or have a distinct dutch and a distinct English culture.

 

[Thoresby]

It would pretty much wreck New York's economy to have it happen since the New York Metropolitan Area has been a major American port since colonial times. The divorce would be extremely nasty for everyone involved.

Why would it wreck New York's economy? There are no internal customs boundaries in the US and the Tri-State metropolitan area seems to function well despite being split into three different states. Meanwhile areas like Buffalo are no more linked into New York City's economy than anywhere else in the North-East.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Why would it wreck New York's economy? There are no internal customs boundaries in the US and the Tri-State metropolitan area seems to function well despite being split into three different states. Meanwhile areas like Buffalo are no more linked into New York City's economy than anywhere else in the North-East.

Moreover, nyc is expensive to run. The rest of the state would likely be better off...

Of course, some of us would like to dump Albany, too.

 

[katchen]

It's actually states like Ohio and Pennsylvania with Republican legislatures that are more likely to split in the next few years. The Republicans have noticed that they keep losing presidential elections because of states where they carry rural and some suburban regions but lose urban areas.
The Constitution says that states can split with the permission of their legislatures and the permission of both Houses of Congress. Simple majorities are all that is required and the measures apparently cannot be vetoed either by state governors or by the President. So a state like Ohio could split into two or three states, two of which would be safe Republican. So could Pennsylvania. So for that matter, a bunch of Southern States. Or Alaska. All that it would take now would be for the Republicans to take the Senate in 2014. Then a Republican controlled Senate could eliminate the filibuster so that state splitting measures could go through Congress. Doing so could transform a simple Republican majority in at least the Senate into a 2/3 majority. Possibly if the numbers worked out, in the House as well. And hold off the demographic shifts of the "browning" of America that threaten to given the Democrats a permanent Congressional majority by 2020. How about splitting Texas into 5 states, three of which are almost guaranteed to remain white and Republican for the foreseeable future? And not let the Democrats do the same thing in New York?
It's how the game is being played these days, unfortunately