Current Events > Should they split Washington state into two different states?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Washington has the biggest discrepancy of wealth in the nation when you compare Western Washington with Eastern Washington.
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So they're just cut the dead weight and support system for eastern Washington and just have them flounder? That's a terrible idea, imo.
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Is your sole justification to split it up by wealth? I guess then the north can have its own Oklahoma. Doesn't seem ideal.
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Kineth posted...

So they're just cut the dead weight and support system for eastern Washington and just have them flounder? That's a terrible idea, imo.

Eh, another way to look at it, would be that Eastern Washington could actually get proper representation, instead of all the public figures only catering to the west coast where most of the population and money is at.
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Split it and the new states can be Wash and Ington.
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Split all the poor people into their own state. That seems pretty fucked up.

Awful idea.
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solosnake posted...

Kineth posted...

So they're just cut the dead weight and support system for eastern Washington and just have them flounder? That's a terrible idea, imo.

Eh, another way to look at it, would be that Eastern Washington could actually get proper representation, instead of all the public figures only catering to the west coast where most of the population and money is at.

That's a state government issue mostly. If Eastern Washington split off into its own state, it'd be another flyover state with 3 electoral votes that would further underrepresent more populated areas nationally. I imagine the districts are sparse in east Washington, due to the sparse population.

To be fair, Montana, Idaho and the Dakotas could probably stand to get their borders redrawn.

Anyway, still this.

MrDrMan posted...

Split all the poor people into their own state. That seems pretty fucked up.

Awful idea.

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The thing is, its the eastern half of the state that wants to break off, not the other way around. Residents would no longer have to go along with the initiatives of Washingtons larger cities. Eastern Washington residents arent heard in statewide matters because populous King County alone could determine statewide elections. Whereas you have mega corporations claiming home in western washington like microsoft, starbucks, nintendo, ect. In the east its all about farming and fruits, ect.
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MrDrMan posted...

Split all the poor people into their own state. That seems pretty fucked up.

Awful idea.

Not necessarily, depending on how federal support is handled. The state with all the wealth would suddenly get far less federal funding and those resources (and any others needed) could be shifted to the state without the wealth. At leas that's how it would work under a reasonable and well-functioning federal government.
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solosnake posted...

The thing is, its the eastern half of the state that wants to break off, not the other way around. Residents would no longer have to go along with the initiatives of Washingtons larger cities. Eastern Washington residents arent heard in statewide matters because populous King County alone could determine statewide elections.

You see the same thing in Illinois for people south of the Chicago area. It's very rural and they all hate Chicago for the same reasons.
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EndOfDiscOne posted...

You see the same thing in Illinois for people south of the Chicago area. It's very rural and they all hate Chicago for the same reasons.

That old parable of two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.

As far as I'm aware, eastern Washington is represented in the state government
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sopfed posted...

MrDrMan posted...

Split all the poor people into their own state. That seems pretty fucked up.

Awful idea.

Not necessarily, depending on how federal support is handled. The state with all the wealth would suddenly get far less federal funding and those resources (and any others needed) could be shifted to the state without the wealth. At leas that's how it would work under a reasonable and well-functioning federal government.

Too bad we don't have a reasonable or well-functioning government.

Flint has been without water forever.

I can't speak on Washington's government but I doubt it'd work like that. The people in government are wealthy. Why would they knowingly give away their funding and resources? It just wouldn't happen. If the wealthy gave a fuck they wouldn't want to split anyway.
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Western Washington pays the most taxes, I dont even know how Eastern Washing could function on its own unless it merged with Idaho, Idaho would have to give something good in exchange for all the land in exchange though
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in general I support people getting best represented as they can. I'm fine with splitting a number of states. eastern Washington is net welfare though, receiving more than it pays in so they do benefit from western Washington. Also fine with making a number of city states. Cities are different. What works there is different than what works elsewhere.
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