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Today's Poll: Should New Yorkers be given a chance to vote on whether the state should be split into two?

By Howard B. Owens
C. M. Barons

Statehood is determined by the United States Congress- not a statewide poll. Why stir this divisive pot just to see steam rise?! Talk about wasted energy...

Apr 1, 2009, 12:18pm Permalink
Julie A Pappalardo

Dividing the State into 2 means BIGGER government!! It means more Senators, another Govenor and on and on and on.....We need to SHRINK the government, not GROW it! What is WRONG with people??!!

Apr 1, 2009, 12:58pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

I agree with Julie on this point first and foremost of the whole idea of spliting NYS.

You think ur getting the poopy end of the tax burden stick now wait till ur on ur own without any "pull in Albany" or Representation for our "region".
Lets face it before 911 we squacked with no avail to what we have now but it wasnt this bad in our pocketbooks.
What happened to government "keep it simple stupid" policy. dont get me started !

Apr 1, 2009, 1:32pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Splitting the state means smaller government. You're not going to be electing two governors and two senators and two assemblymen for your district -- only one, a smaller district serving fewer people with more accountability.

Apr 1, 2009, 1:36pm Permalink
bud prevost

I posted this the other day on this same sight:

there is a defined difference between downstate and uptate NY. The same holds true for PA, except it's east/west there.Instead of a 51st state(which I pray never happens with puerto rico!), we should realign our state boundaries. Take downsate NY and east PA, and make 1 state, and upstate with western PA, resulting in state #2. Makes perfect sense. Liberal state 1 and moderately conservative state 2. They just can't have the Adirondacks. It's ok, though, for them to keep Albany.....and all the bullshit politicians that hang there! Any one think THIS is a good idea? Senator???

Apr 1, 2009, 3:39pm Permalink
Russ Stresing

Howard,
You are the very definition of a man with a paper ass. You didn't frame the question to ask whether New York should be split. You asked if New Yorkers should be given the chance to vote on it. They already have the right to vote on it. The question should have been more honestly framed; "Do we really need to ask New Yorkers to give a rat's ass about something so inconsequential when we have important things to consider?"

I'm only here to help.

Apr 1, 2009, 8:30pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Russ, I'm not going to take your troll bait. If you want to have a serious discussion about why the question is framed the way it is, let me know.

Apr 1, 2009, 8:24pm Permalink
Russ Stresing

I may be just a simple fisherman, and not the master baiter that you are, but if I'm trying to catch trout, wouldn't I use trout bait?

Apr 1, 2009, 8:55pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

The idea of losing NYC in trade for a bunch of rednecks from Pennsylvania is very attractive. Can't wait to meet all my fellow Newsylvanians and trash-talk the city-folk.

Apr 1, 2009, 11:42pm Permalink
bud prevost

Finally...someone who understands what I'm talking about. We are much more akin to west PA than NYC. Iron city beer and genny light..you don't get no more common than this here up here! LOL

Apr 1, 2009, 11:54pm Permalink
James Renfrew

I can't think of a more useless topic.

Even if this was a widely held idea throughout the state, this would take a minimum of several decades to work through the legislature and the courts. Think of the time, energy and money this would require.

Think of the terrible stereotypes that would be perpetuated about upstate and downstate. It's already bad enough around here that these guys can utter the phrase "downstate politicians" as a euphemism for everything evil, godless and anti-motherhood.

This strikes me as nothing more than whining by those out of power. When Republicans held the governorship and the Senate not one of them came up with this bright idea.

Plus, you've got to love the historical examples of this kind of thinking - Yugoslavia comes to mind, or the partition of India, the Berlin Wall, or the modern "gated community". Pretty soon we'll have the suburbs trying to secede from Monroe County or the towns forming their own enclave around Batavia - because the people on the other side of the boundary are so different that no cooperation will ever be possible.

I can't think of a more useless topic. But on the other hand if some of the "upstate politicians" behind this wacky idea are encouraged to pursue this, maybe they won't do so much damage in other areas that really matter.

Apr 2, 2009, 2:23am Permalink
John Roach

Russ,
You almost had it right.

There should be two polls, the one that asked if a vote should be allowed and a second asking if you agree with a seperation.

We all can bet that a vote will never be allowed, it will never get out of committee. But it would be nice to be allowed the vote just to put this issue to rest.

Apr 2, 2009, 3:31pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

John, I will note, I phrased the question the way I did because that is essentially the point of the bill in committee now: Should there even be a vote. At some point, maybe I'll do a poll asking whether it should happen, but in this case I was just playing off the existing proposal.

Apr 2, 2009, 4:33pm Permalink

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