Quote:
Originally Posted by melinuxfool
Sort of inspired by the national spending priorities thread, but I'm asking if you, personally, had $1,000,000,000,000, what would you do with it?
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Buy Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Central & Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington, South Eastern British Columbia, Southern Alberta, Southern Saskatchewan, South Western Manitoba and the Dakotas to form a new country birthed in freedom and open to free trade with North America.That would run perhaps $500 billion, as I am sure Canada and the US would bargain hard.
With the rest, $50b would set up the new government; $50b to set up the system of laws, courts, and governance. $200B to build the necessary infrastructure and ports. $150 billion to seed a system of quality social services.
I would then leave $50b to fund the central bank.
Population:
Eastern Washington: 1.37 million (2004)
Central & Eastern Oregon (11 counties): 325K (2000)
Idaho: 1.52 million (2008)
Montana: 967K (2008)
Wyoming: 533K (2008)
SE British Columbia (8 regional districts): 637K (2005)
Southern Alberta (4 regional districts): 280K (2006)
Southern Saskatchewan (lower 8 regional constituencies): 136K (2001)
North Dakota: 641K (2008)
South Dakota: 808K (2008)
SW Manitoba (3 RHAs): 223K (2008)
Total Population: 7.46 million
This country would be sparsely populated, rural, agricultural, and mountainous with some modest amount of mining, oil, gas, timber, and lots of prairie.
It has a large number of poor. Its major cities would include
Spokane
Bend
Boise
Billings
Coeur d'Alene
Missoula
Medicine Hat
Moose Jaw
Casper
Cheyenne
Cody
Bismarck
Sioux Falls
Rapid City
It would have some great skiing including Banff and Jackson Hole (although getting Banff might be a tad difficult); Great fishing and wildlife; Cold winters and long summer days; great parks; wine country; tons of family farms
It is a region which gets little to no attention from either Ottawa or Washington DC.
It is a friendly region where the majority are self-sufficient people who rich rich on knowing they have earned their day's keep.
It is a region would would contain a large Native American population, a population treated horribly or not dealt with at all.
It is an area that would not be terribly missed 11 months out of 12 and politically not missed 12/12.
It is an area that dos not "need" high taxes as living is modest and pragmatic.
So...hopefully $500 billion would do the trick.
S.
P.S. We would also invite Seattle & W Washington, Portland (Western Oregon), Vancouver BC, and Winnipeg to join. This would enable full access to the Pacific and the Mississippi.
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