Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Hmmm. Remember my mentioning the idea of splitting up New York State not long ago? Apparently, there’s a separatist movement brewing in the Empire State that wants to do just that:

HOST INTRO: Yet another Brexit deadline was missed today. British lawmakers had to negotiate a plan to leave the European Union. But with tensions high and no resolution in sight, they got a two-week extension to decide for good whether the UK wants in or out. Meanwhile, as Ali Swenson reports, there’s another separatist movement brewing — right here in New York state.

((SOUND: Taking steps in the Albany Bus Terminal.

SWENSON 1: When you arrive at the Albany Bus Terminal, it’s immediately clear: You’re not in Manhattan anymore.

((SOUND: Door opening. Country music playing outside the terminal.

SWENSON 2: At this one-room transit station, country music blasts over the speakers. Down the street, hotel doors welcome guests inside with decals that read “howdy y’all.” Albany’s population would fit inside New York City more than 80 times.

Albany is just three hours north of Manhattan, but it feels like part of a different state entirely. And if a new bill in the state assembly passes, it might as well be.

DIPIETRO 1

It’s been talked about. No one’s ever had the guts to actually put it into a bill and say you know what? This is a law, let’s actually move it. (0:06)

SWENSON 3: Assemblyman David DiPietro is from upstate New York. His bill is the first to propose splitting the state into three independent regions. The five boroughs would keep the name “New York,” downstate suburbs and Long Island would be called “Montauk.” Upstate, where DiPietro lives, would be called “New Amsterdam.”

One of the things I learned from reading that article is that Illinois is not the only state that has the upstate/downstate relationship wrong. A lot of Illinoisans who live downstate, i.e. outside Chicago and its “collar counties” believe that Chicago and its “collar counties” are receiving more than their fair share of state revenues. It’s actually the other way around.

I know little about New York politics but I suspect that a divorce between the New York City area and the rest of the state would initially be disastrous for the rest of the state but over time would benefit it. It would also in all likelihood result in two more Republican senators.