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Should NY State Be Split In Two?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 30, 2009
Modified Dec 30, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Dec 30, 2009
Modified Dec 30, 2009
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State Senator Joseph E. Robach has his eye on secession; the Republican proposed legislation that would allow the state's 62 counties to hold a referendum in 2010 asking voters: “Do you support the division of New York into two separate states?” CityRoom takes out the history books, noting that our state's boundaries have been largely unchanged since the Constitution was ratified in 1787. So why now?
The Senator, who represents Rochester, claims “there is a large degree of apparent support for dividing New York into two separate states, so as to separate the distinct social and political concerns between upstate and downstate New York." In fact, he thinks upstate New York has "more in common with Pennsylvania and Ohio than with New York City."
His home city's newspaper says the odds are against him, but takes a look at some possible scenarios if it were to happen. They also take the pulse of local voters, saying they either "love it because they hate New York City or because they think upstate taxpayers send too much money down there." The paper is quick to point out: "New York City subsidizes us." (We actually give Albany $10+ billion more than we get back).
In the past, some noise was made about both Staten Island and Long Island seceding... but for better or worse, nothing ever came of it.
Tagged
downstate
seceding
secession
Senator Robach
upstate
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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