Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Should NYC secede from NY State?

From Crain's:

Top 10 reasons for NYC to secede from NY State. Here are the bottom 5:

10: STATE LEGISLATORS from the boroughs would have to survive on the $405 in weekly unemployment benefits that they failed to raise for years.

9: SEN. PEDRO ESPADA wouldn't have to pretend to live in the Bronx anymore.

8:THE CITY COULD reinstate the commuter tax—ending free rides for suburbanites (like Mr. Espada).

7: WITH ALBANY IRRELEVANT, plans for high-speed rail service from here to there could be shelved, saving $15 billion.

6: MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG could stop giving cash to Republican senators, freeing up money for still more of his captivating campaign ads.

14 comments:

Lino said...

I agree that NYC should not have it's laws and regulations under the dominance of farmers and two-bit pols who soak us to support their dying hamlets...however.. If that area were cut-off from downstate funding it would become even more impoverished and unstable.

Mafia(s) and other vermin would exert an even greater control than they do now.

There are already insular communities up there that would impose their own realities if left to their own devices.

I recall a story two years ago where a community of muslims up there wanted some portion of sharia law incorporated into local codes.

Anonymous said...

Big problem - now where do we get our water from?

Anonymous said...

And let city council have more power????

The senate is bad but the Council is worse???

We need to get an independent body investigate how public money is spent and get rid of all the waste.

Anonymous said...

Good point on the water!

Anonymous said...

"There are already insular communities up there that would impose their own realities if left to their own devices."

How terrible would that be? Local governance? OMG! Somebody call the thought police!

Anonymous said...

We should definitly cecede from New York State. As for the water, if NYC ceceded from New York State - the only source of income upstate will have is the city paying it for water.

Suzannah B. Troy artist said...

Albany is like "the boyfriend from hell" taking everything and you are left empty, not just your pockets wondering where is the love?

I wish we could secede!
thanks Queens' Crap,
Suzannah B. Troy

Lino (drinks tapwater) said...

"Big problem - now where do we get our water from?"

That is gradually becoming a moot point.

NYC has quietly (and publicly) been buying the land surrounding the watershed in order to prevent more crap houses with their septic systems from being built.

As it stands we may yet have to build that $8 Bn water filtering plant.

Chumley McSnide said...

Albany is like "the boyfriend from hell" taking everything and you are left empty

As always, Suzannahbtroyartist, you have provided us with thoughtful critique - evidence of your powerful and comprehensive thinking about the issue.

Or are you just exposing your personal problems... "Boyfriend from hell"?

CJ said...

Anonymous said

"Big problem - now where do we get our water from?"

Lino Said..

“That is gradually becoming a moot point.

NYC has quietly (and publicly) been buying the land surrounding the watershed in order to prevent more crap houses with their septic systems from being built.”

New York has owned this land for over a hundred and fifty years. Nothing-new here. The watershed in the southern tier counties is part of a larger watershed and NYC only owns 10 percent of it. You will just pay more for it because it will now fall under EPA regulations and you will be responsible for it.

Read: http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/watershed/ny/nycityfi.html

You will also pay more for your power because a substantial amount that is used in NYC comes from the NY State grid. You simply can't keep up with the demand.

"As it stands we may yet have to build that $8 Bn water filtering plant."

Yes, build it. Perhaps Willets Point might be a good location if you can shoehorn it in between the condos. You will also fund it through higher taxes.

"I agree that NYC should not have it's laws and regulations under the dominance of farmers and two-bit pols who soak us to support their dying hamlets...however.. If that area were cut-off from downstate funding it would become even more impoverished and unstable."

As far as I can see you have your two bit pols as well. Many of them dominate state politics and have made life miserable for the rest of us.
You insult the farmers of this state who help feed you, and their "dying hamlets" as if talking about a foreign country.

Why should I give a shit what happens in NYC? I don't live there any longer. The truth is I do. It is where I lived most of my life and I realize what happens to you also affects me and 26 million other residents of New York State. I want NYC to regain its vitality rather than see it run into the ground by a crooked billionaire megalomaniac and his lackeys. That is why this site exists.

Lino, you never cease to disappoint. You give little thought to your statements and care little about how they affect you neighbors. You are a selfish idiocentric and you should be careful what you wish for.

Anonymous said...

where would we ship our prisoners?

Lino said...

"New York has owned this land for over a hundred and fifty years. Nothing-new here. The watershed in the southern tier counties is part of a larger watershed and NYC only owns 10 percent of it. You will just pay more for it because it will now fall under EPA regulations and you will be responsible for it."

"CJ" (I think I know what that stands for..) Did you bother to -read- and -understand- the link you provided?

New York City has been acquiring the land around the watershed areas to -prevent- having to build an expensive filtering plant.

The fact is that upstate developers and private owners don't give a s==t about the quality of downstate water and have been building septic crap houses which threaten to push our water supply over the Federal limits for microbial contamination.

Truth is, the upstaters have long disregarded those who fund their communities. Their tin horn pols have repeatedly meddled in our business and rent regulations and regard this City as "Jew York" etc.

We had a weekend house in Hague and I could have paid it off with a dollar for every time I heard "eww how can you live there", "all those n+++++s", "the people's republic of New York" and such.

The local areas were riddled with drug abuse, drunken drivers and prostitution...but they were oh-so sanctimonious about how sinful and communistic we downstaters were...funny when again WE pay your bills.

As for secession..no such luck. We'll never get that area off our back.

Lino

CJ said...

Lino said:
“Did you bother to -read- and -understand- the link you provided?”

I certainly did. In short, The City of New York received a waver from the EPA in 1993 in order to avoid building an expensive water filtration plant. The stipulation was that they would take aggressive steps to protect the areas around the city’s watershed. The waver was renewed in 2002 for an additional 5 years. That the city is acquiring land publicly or otherwise is not exactly a well-kept secret. No news here. I simply responded to your statement.

"As it stands we may yet have to build that $8 Bn water filtering plant."

You probably will and guess who will pay for it if NYC secedes?

“The fact is that upstate developers and private owners don't give a s==t about the quality of downstate water and have been building septic crap houses which threaten to push our water supply over the Federal limits for microbial contamination.

Are you telling me that city residents do care and don’t pollute? Where do you think all your waste goes when it leaves your treatment plants? And each time there is heavy rainfall, it overflows into the Hudson River and surrounding bays and waterways in an untreated condition. Your landfills are filled to capacity, and you are already paying to export your trash to other states. Gowanus Canal and Newtown Creek are fine examples NY conservationism as well as past sludge dumping in the ocean. Get your own house in order.

“Truth is, the upstaters have long disregarded those who fund their communities.”

What the hell are you talking about? You don’t fund my community or any of the other communities in upstate counties unless you are talking about tourism. Like most people I live in a working class neighborhood and we pay taxes to support ourselves.

“Their tin horn pols have repeatedly meddled in our business and rent regulations and regard this City as Jew York" etc. ”

As far as I can determine, there are 150 seats in the state assembly, and 65 of them are assembly districts in NYC. Who is meddling here? And the current power grab in Albany centers around two Senators that represent districts in NYC. What a disgrace.

“ We had a weekend house in Hague…bla, bla, spew.”

- Hague, NY population 500 small village in Adirondack State Park on the shore of the Lake George. –

Tell me Lino, did you have a septic tank connected to that crap house? And I’m sure you got into the heads of 18 million other New Yorkers by spending your time in Hague, NY

“The local areas were riddled with drug abuse, drunken drivers and prostitution...but they were oh-so sanctimonious about how sinful and communistic we downstaters were...’

Seriously Lino, you have to spend less time in that bookstore on W26Street and get out and see how the other half really lives. You’re getting a persecution complex.

‘funny when again WE pay your bills.”

Simple solution: Get off your ass and secede. I’m sure you can find a few hundred gullible people who will go along with you.

Start supporting yourself and leave us the hell alone.

Lino said...

"CJ" opined: "Start supporting yourself and leave us the hell alone."

-My thoughts exactly.

-----------------------------
"As it stands we may yet have to build that $8 Bn water filtering plant."

-You probably will and guess who will pay for it if NYC secedes?-

Lino: What is the question here? NYC would pay for in any case. having the upstate albatross off our back would be a help.

-----------------------------
“Truth is, the upstaters have long disregarded those who fund their communities.”

-What the hell are you talking about? You don’t fund my community or any of the other communities in upstate counties unless you are talking about tourism. Like most people I live in a working class neighborhood and we pay taxes to support ourselves.-

Lino: Your taxes don't even come close. Remove the lopsided sums that NYC send that area and you won't have a pot to pee in.

The situation will only get worse, IBm, Eastman now have heavy competition from abroad and will probably eliminate most of their presence there over the next decade. Buffalo..here you come...Have they dis-incorporated yet?

The much touted "telecommuting" failed to lure younger workers to the region. Not surprising..it is hard to attract the best and brightest to an area with brutal winters and parched cultural landscape.

-------------------------

I will say this, I loved the area's scenery the fact that I could go swimming and Kayaking every morning just feet from our house in Lake George and out immediate neighbor was a gem..but the greater population made it clear what they thought on downstaters even though I and my folks never mentioned NYC, unless asked.

I do wish the area well, but you need to be realistic, it is a poor dependent region with little prospect for turnaround, and electing stonehead Republicans who play-off your resentment and fears won't help.

Lino