Eastern WA, the 51st state??? (Seattle, Bellingham: rent, tax, live)

[WazzuCoop21]

Yes, we 509ers do feel like we're being ignored by all the rich yuppies in Seattle and Olympia. But, I agree, Balkanizing this country would be anything but productive most likely--despite many states where a lot of people would see it as the best solution.

[madicarus2000]

I came from SoCal where I grew up always hearing the wish to split off the state into two states, North & South. Funny that I've been coming up to WA for years and have always heard the same thing, but East & West. Unfortunately there will always be a wish to split but how low can you go? Hypothetically if you did split, what happens if areas in the new state don't feel they are adequately represented and they want to split? Do you let them or fight them? I've seen this happen a lot at the city level in SoCal. My feeling is that state splits are a thing of the past and we need to work with and get used to what we have.

[compltlyme]

Splitting states?!!!!! I am still trying to recover from splitting area codes so many times when I was in CA...

As it has been said.. ever since I can remember they talked about splitting NO and SO CA... maybe it will happen but I don't see it in my lifetime. So I really hope WA doesn't. Seems that there just aren't enough people in WA to make it worth it. (taxes and such)

[BlackShoe]

Havent you heard?For all practical purposes California has been split.The Southernmost 2/3rds are now part of Mexico,and in the not too distant future may be called The Socialist Peoples State of Mexifornia.Excuse the sarcasm,but the above remarks have quite a bit of truth to them.Trust me on this,I live in Orange County,Ca.

[KidBlue]

BlackShoe. If So. Cal. becomes part of Mexico will Orange Co. become an island? Much of Orange Co. has Placer, El Dorado, and Nevada Cos. values but is way too far south to become part of the great state of Northern California.

[WazzuCoop21]

Originally Posted by BlackShoe

Havent you heard?For all practical purposes California has been split.The Southernmost 2/3rds are now part of Mexico,and in the not too distant future may be called The Socialist Peoples State of Mexifornia.Excuse the sarcasm,but the above remarks have quite a bit of truth to them.Trust me on this,I live in Orange County,Ca.

It's a sad state of affairs we are in today. Unfortunately, what you said doesn't surprise me 1 bit.

[janb]

Originally Posted by RodFarlee

...the states (and the US) have bicameral legislatures. The state senates disproportionally represent the interests of rural counties, balancing the state houses which have proportional representation based on population, requiring compromise. ....

and now if we could only get equalized voter input, especially considering the tax and regulation burden that WA state imposes on self employed and small business owners. (including farmers) It is a fine state if you are a wage earning "employee", but if you are retired, unemployed, or a business owner with capital equip, you are hurting.

BTW, don't forget us '360' folks, tho a few feet from '509' (i wish, I wish...keep moving the county line sign, but so far no improvement, don't ever live in the 'rural' section of an 'urban' county...)

[chocobot18]

Eastern Washington elected Rossi, King County elected Gregoire. Yeah, but isn't Dino Rossi from the west side, King County, and the affluent suburb of Sammamish? Lawmakers don't want to split because they feel they are being treated unfair, they want to split because they're Republicans and they're tired of being in the minority around here. I do believe Northern and Southern Arizona have different climates, Northern and Southern California having very different economies, New York City and upstate New York being very different. You don't see them splitting. Morton should be a legislator for the people, not for his own republican interests.

[ORIGWOLFMAN]

Making Eastern Washington the 51st state, is not only a fantastic idea, but one that is long over due. As a resident of Eastern Washington, I think its time to take whatever action necessary to establish Eastern Washington as the 51st state. We are btired of always coming up on the short end of everything the state does. If it wasn't for Eastern Washinton, the state would have no revenue to operate the state with, as all the wealth, ( minerals, and timber, and hydroelectric ) comes from Eastern Washington.
We are tired of throwing our money away, sending it to the West side to be squandered over there, and get nothing for Eastern Washington.

[larryalewis]

Hah. Ha ha ha ha... hee hee. Right. I'll tell you what: We'll split and the West will get even richer because we won't have to subsidize the East. Eastern Washington is 22 percent of the state's population but generates 18 percent of the taxes. We'd still drink your wine and eat your grain, but without having to put up with your [fertilizer].
I have deep respect for farmers and farming, and rural life in general, but none at all for this decaying old blather. Culturally, I've thought for some time we could just turn the border between Washington and Oregon 90 degrees, down the Cascade crest. The West would be Oregon (the 'Promised Land' all the pioneers yearned for) and the East would be Washington. Waste of time, but if you insist...