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I'm starting to think Long Island should secede & form it's own state. Especially with the shift in power in Albany, the popular Governor, who will probably get re-elected, could care less about Long Island. He has shown it after Sandy by leaving us in the dark for weeks, and then has the nerve to run a campaign ad saying he was there for us, even as many remain homeless left for dead by NY Rising. We were promised lower electric rates, once again, Cuomo lied and our rates are ever higher while reliability is still bad with poles from the 1950's. The latest crisis, an LIRR strike that could start on July 20, would cost our economy dearly and lead to dangerous gridlock on our roads as 300,000 people try & drive to work. Once again Cuomo is nowhere to be found. Our Water Pollution Control Act was left to die in the State Senate, and the state is nowhere to be found as toxic waste is dumped all over Islip. Our transit systems are neglected as well, Suffolk has seen ridership increase 192% on the 10 routes that got Sunday service, and asked the state for money to expand it to other routes & add later evening service, but the state ignored letters from the County Executive & 1500 signatures and said no. Our Pine Barrens are often left for dead by the State parks & DEC, they only care about upstate, we can't even get trail cams to catch illegal dumpers! Don't you see, we are treated like an ATM by NY STATE. They take our money and every year we have to fight in Albany to get our fair share. I think enough is enough! The State of Long Island would compromise Nassau & Suffolk Counties. The Capitol would be Happaugue, as it is already centrally located in the middle of the island. The LIRR, NICE, and Suffolk Transit would be merged into a state owned & run Long Island Transportation Authority. Existing NY State Roads would be LI state roads. County & NY State parkland (including DEC managed lands) would all be State Parks. The electric company will become an electric coopertive, overseen by their shareholders (the ratepayers). Having our own state means no more playing second fiddle to NYC, the taxes we pay STAY HERE ON THE ISLAND instead of subsidizing NYC. Our population is probably already higher than some other states. We would get the attention we deserve, from transit, to our schools, and parks. No more having to fight in Albany to be heard.
Just think of the additional layers of government that will create. We would need our own governor and senator and representatives and budget. Glad I don't have to be there for that mess.
And unless union labor revenue could be used in GDP numbers, Long Island would have one of lowest GDPs of any state.
As a State we would do a better job promoting tourism, which Long Island already brings to NY State. We would do a better job luring new businesses. Run-down areas like Hempstead would be re-invented to house new business HQ's and higher density housing. We can do what was already done in Jersey, as many companies have called Jersey City & Hoboken their home. Many area already bring priced out of NYC, time to capitalize on that opportunity! Cuomo's Start-UP NY has been a joke, in fact, none of the companies in that ad are even on LI, and I dont think we even have any tax free zones. Lets be our own state, create some, woo some companies here and get private sector living wage jobs.
Facts are the current setup isn't working, NYC keeps overshadowing us more & more. People continue to move away due to the lack of legal multi-family housing, poor transit, lack of jobs & high taxes. We keep having to fight in Albany to get even noticed. And a shift in politics could make things even worse, basically a Bi-partisan alliance is no more and it will make it even harder for LI to get its funds as NYC gains more power. http://www.longislandpress.com/2014/...kes-up-albany/
Location: Prince Georges County, MD (formerly Long Island, NY)
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Oh no, no, no-- that would be a mess. Albany had to take over Nassau's budget a few years ago because things got so bad. Not having NYS would make it open season for the local politicians. I realize Albany may not have the sharpest tools in the toolshed, but Long Island politicians are a special brand of stupid.
As a State we would do a better job promoting tourism, which Long Island already brings to NY State. We would do a better job luring new businesses. Run-down areas like Hempstead would be re-invented to house new business HQ's and higher density housing. We can do what was already done in Jersey, as many companies have called Jersey City & Hoboken their home. Many area already bring priced out of NYC, time to capitalize on that opportunity! Cuomo's Start-UP NY has been a joke, in fact, none of the companies in that ad are even on LI, and I dont think we even have any tax free zones. Lets be our own state, create some, woo some companies here and get private sector living wage jobs.
Facts are the current setup isn't working, NYC keeps overshadowing us more & more. People continue to move away due to the lack of legal multi-family housing, poor transit, lack of jobs & high taxes. We keep having to fight in Albany to get even noticed. And a shift in politics could make things even worse, basically a Bi-partisan alliance is no more and it will make it even harder for LI to get its funds as NYC gains more power. NY Senate Power Shift Shakes Up Albany | Long Island News from the Long Island Press
It's time to cut the cord.
Yes, I agree, most of the efforts to re-vitalize NY and LI's economies with Start-UP nonsense has been useless except for the friends of the governor. But tourism and tax-free zones? LI tourism has seen it's peak and tax-free zones would starve the rest of LI without the economic 'heft' of the state.
The only thing I can see happening by separating the island from NYS is the acceleration of the inevitable bankruptcy for the two counties. By then, all of the politicians and union leaders will have looted the coffers and the golden public pensioners will watch the goose that laid the golden pensions fly into the sunset.
You want the same people who tolerate 5 layers of government and pay $10K a year in property taxes, to form their own state? It would be just as bad, or worse [if that's even possible] than NYS!
OP, your whole mind-set is wrong. The problem isn't that NYS pays too little attention to LI (too little gov't); the problem is that NYS pays too much attention (too MUCH gov't), and where NYS stops paying attention, you have county, town and vi9llage gov't to step in and take their cut, and further regulate your lives!
The only thing that would improve LI at all, is a reduction in the amount of government. Just get rid of all the excess local government, and it wouldn't matter as much whether you were a part of NYS or The Long Island People's Republic Of Fleeced Souls.
Less is more. NYS certainly sucks- but just by reigning-in local gov'ts, youse could easily cut your property tax bills in half or better, and regain some freedom and quality of life.
You want the same people who tolerate 5 layers of government and pay $10K a year in property taxes, to form their own state? It would be just as bad, or worse [if that's even possible] than NYS!
OP, your whole mind-set is wrong. The problem isn't that NYS pays too little attention to LI (too little gov't); the problem is that NYS pays too much attention (too MUCH gov't), and where NYS stops paying attention, you have county, town and vi9llage gov't to step in and take their cut, and further regulate your lives!
The only thing that would improve LI at all, is a reduction in the amount of government. Just get rid of all the excess local government, and it wouldn't matter as much whether you were a part of NYS or The Long Island People's Republic Of Fleeced Souls.
Less is more. NYS certainly sucks- but just by reigning-in local gov'ts, youse could easily cut your property tax bills in half or better, and regain some freedom and quality of life.
But I would have less local govt. Do away with the county govts altogether, just have state & township govts. School districts would be consolidated as well. There would be only a State Legislature and a State Police Force. Water, waste, and other services would be consolidated as well.
But just doing away with local govts will not be enough to save LI. We need our own voice.
The State of Long Island's government would be in charge of transport, water, sewers, waste removal, and police. Not all these little seperate town, county, and village govts. Villages would still exist but would not have seperate police, rubbish removal,etc.
Like all the other states, we'd have our own Governor and legislature. But less layers of local govts.
And instead of 60+ school districts we'd have only 20. Most places dont have so many school districts, take Ocean County for instance, schools are usually are separated by township. Toms River schools cover all of Toms River Township including Beachwood. Central Regional is Berkeley Township.
All I'm saying is that NY State does ignore LI's needs, and takes more than it gives. Your point of too many governments is valid as well, which is why our new state needs consolidation. Just as an example one body would be in charge of all transit, buses and RR, not 3 seperate agencies. Same goes for parks. Everything would be managed by the state, except for villages. Imagine not having a dozen different permits for parking at parks, and one medium that can be used on any form of transit. No matter where you live on the island, you can go to Tobay, Jones Beach, etc with the same pass.
But we all know between NY State, our corrupt officials, and NIMBYs who dont want to share anything (we want the schools & parks to ourselves,etc) such ideas will never happen.
I just dont see a bright future for LI without major changes and home rule!
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