Secession of New York City area to form 51st state (Buffalo: house, buying)

[NintendoTogepi]

Are you for or against this?

I'm hearing it a lot recently.

It would probably look like this:



The two areas of the state are very different. Maybe it'd be for the best.

The big problem...who keeps the name of New York, and what does the other half rename itself?

[I'minformed2]

no...NYC takes Albany with it and everything in between. You keep the New York title...we won't miss it. Everything from Broome County (Binghamton) north to Jefferson County (Watertown) and west of that line will be a new state with a nice Native American name. Senece, Niagara, something like that. That would make us a swing state more infulential in national politics, give us some actual say and input in state goverment (Everyone knows Albany is in the pocket of the downstate region), and put an end to the business unfriendly policies that work for downstate but cripple upstate. Maybe we won't have to pay 6k in taxes for a $150k house then either!

[CBaillo]

im for it as well, for all the reasons informed said before me.

[JiminCT]

lol...imagine that. You'd better plan the floor dropping out...because NYC, Westchester, and Long Island are the only thing keeping NY State and its decaying cities from something that looks like a cross between Gary, IN and Flint MI.

Do you really think business executives in this world economy are going back to Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse?? Keep dreaming...there are plenty of business friendly places with much better weather and cheaper labor costs....even without NYC. I'm not a pessimist (I own property in upstate...), but that region's strength is circa 1850-1958. If there is a reniassance up there...it will be in tourism and food production (wines, organic, etc...).

[I'minformed2]

oh yeah....you're totally right...cities with harsh winter weather but that have lower business costs with less regulation (it is true that the tough business regulations that make ustate unfriendly are put in place at the state level to benefit the NYC region) can't prosper at all. Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee......all horribly depressing cities with no future. Give me a break. Rochester and Syracuse both have highly educated populations and diverse and skilled labor pools...in both blue collar AND white collar fields.

[1979]

Nintendo, I'd love to know where you got this map? I've been trying to find these maps on the internet? Seems like the've all been removed since last week.

[NintendoTogepi]

I got it from Wikipedia:

New York City secession - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I can't find others like it, though.

[Jeromeville]

NYC's economy is not so hot now either.

Upstate NY has fresh water (including most of NYC's supply, so I hope you have made arrangements for that), the nation's 2nd leading agricultural industry, wind farms galore, and access to international shipping via the St Lawrence Seaway.

If upstate were cut free from NYC and the labor union regulations from downstate, watch out, upstate would fly again. And would become one of the nation's most politically important swing states.

so, secede away... and take your arrogance with you...

[honeychrome]

I hear a lot of people upstate complain about the local economy and insist the 'government' and 'taxes' are all to blame, and then I see many of these same people head to Wallmart and other 'big box' stores to do ALL of their shopping, choosing to buy cheap goods from China, lumber and other building supplies from China, Canada, Eastern Europe, and food and vegetables from California, Chile, Mexico, etc., willingly sending a large percentage of their money out of state directly and by way of corporations headquartered elsewhere. Meanwhile there are (still a few) small, locally-owned businesses desperately trying to hold on, farm-stands and small-scale farmers struggling to find a local market, or small mills that use locally sourced timber that all get ignored or passed by because they're 'inconvenient' or 'too expensive.' Strong and stable economies are built from the bottom up, not from the top down and every dollar spent on something that comes from out of state, bought at a place owned by an out of state company sucks the blood out of the local economy. Yes, government and taxes are currently an obstacle in many cases, but how about people putting their money where their mouths are and trying to be a part of a solution for a change? Maybe you'll pay a little bit more for something made locally or sold through a locally owned business- but look at it as an investment in the local economy. Maybe you'll actually have to talk to your local business owners about what they have to offer and what you want. Maybe you'll have to realize that instead of buying five cheap made-in-China plastic things from Wallmart, one locally made thing is a better choice. How about instead of going to Florida or the Bahamas or wherever to spend your vacation money choosing to vacation somewhere in-state and keep that money here? Of course one couldn't possibly live by an 'all-local, all-the-time' rule, but the more we can keep our money local, the better the local economy will be.

[JiminCT]

Upstate optimists can remain that way.....but many young people just dont like living in that dreary climate after college. It isnt just the economy that is driving young people away...
There are great schools up there...but a lot of the kids going to Cornell, Colgate, Rochester, RIT, St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Hamilton etc. who came from somewhere else....looked around and really couldnt see themselves living there. Do they want to battle SAD as a byproduct of living up there? New England is the SAME way...many young people are packing up and moving to much friendly and warmer climates.

Upstate NY is a hard sell....NYC or no NYC.