What if Chicago could be part of Wisconsin? (Orland Park, Sparta: rated, park)

[MassVt]

Moving the WI-IL state border a little south to include Chicago would kill most tourism meant for the state of Illinois, although it would make Wisconsin an even better place to visit..

[Orangeish]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Moving the WI-IL state border a little south to include Chicago would kill most tourism meant for the state of Illinois, although it would make Wisconsin an even better place to visit..

We can just move our state line over on the other end of the state to take over StL. Heck, lets just extend the southern state line all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico, and then we can get New Orleans too! Mardi Gras in IL!!!

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by Muppet123

OP, put the bong down.

Maybe he frequents this place?

Richard Bong State Recreation Area - WDNR (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/bong/index.html - broken link)

[DANNYY]

How about Chicago not join Wisconsin and get Milwaukee to join Illinois? That sounds like a real plan!

[GQpilot3]

How about we just make the Chicago Metro into its own state since it has nothing in common with Wisconsin or the rest of Illinois for that matter.

[Dayton Sux]

For better or worse Chicago is part of Illinois. And Im OK with that.

However, your observation is a good one, but it is too narrow.

Historically speaking, Northern Illinois (which includes but is not limited to Chicago) was settled by the same immigrant stream that settled southern Wisconsin...people moving from Upstate New York and parts of New England (W NY was also settled by New Englanders). So in terms of historic regional cultures and ancestry there is a sharing that crosses the state line....

This is also the case in Jo Daviess County, around Galena, since it was part of the same lead mining region that southwestern Wisconsin was. Somewhat similar landscape, too. Though I dont know the migration history of that part of the state.

[Tiger Beer]

Well, Wisconsin certainly SOUNDS better than Illinois.

I've never liked driving throught flat boring Illinois. Wisconsin on the other hand...

[Muppet123]

Originally Posted by tonythetuna

Maybe he frequents this place?

Richard Bong State Recreation Area - WDNR (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/bong/index.html - broken link)

Heh, that's where I go to play with my snowmobile...

[Chicago'sFinest]

Originally Posted by prelude91

I think the majority of the south side, south west/south suburbs relate more to Indiana that Wisconsin. I grew up in Orland Park and thought of Indiana as our neighbor moreso than Wisconsin.

Cosign, no one from the Southside what's to be from Wisconsin. People from the Southside dont even think about Wisconsin, I rarely if ever think of Wisconsin.

[summer22]

Originally Posted by emathias

I would support the U.S. taking a page from a number of other countries and putting the biggest 3-6 metro areas by economic output into their own governmental entities, separate from states and counties. In the U.S. it would make the most sense to do that with the New York area, Los Angeles area, Chicagoland, and then it would probably get a little grayer, but maybe Washington (an expanded D.C., basically), Boston and the entire Bay Area. That would help protect your critical global cities from the whims of disinterested rural interests. While the current political boundaries have their historic charm, they run a real risk of hurting the economic engines of cities (by which I mean metro areas) that are critical to the success of the entire nation. By grouping the cities and suburbs, you also force all those local groups whose interests are fundamentally aligned to actually recognize that fact instead of allowing local political boundaries to create false, counter-productive conflicts.

I like that concept...