Illinois Republican wants to make Chicago area the 51st state

[Drale]

A state Republican legislator has introduced a bill to the Illinois General Assembly to separate the Chicago's county from the state--effectively making the midwestern city the 51st state in the union.

The bill, filed by State Rep. Bill Mitchell of Decatur Tuesday, would "enact legislation dividing Illinois and Cook County into separate states" because county residents "hold different and firmly seated views" on "politics, society, and economics" from people in the rest of the state. The bill's supporters point to higher tax rates and strict gun laws in the Chicago area and contend that the northern county is out of step with its Illinois neighbors.

"These liberal policies are an insult to the traditional values of downstate families," Mitchell told the Decatur Tribune. "When I talk to constituents, one of the biggest things I hear is 'Chicago should be its own state . . . .Our voters' voices were drowned out by Chicago."

The measure would put the issue up to a vote by state residents through a referendum and then would require approval from the United States Congress and the president. As of this writing, the bill has just one other co-sponsor.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/illinois-republican-wants-chicago-area-51st-state-160924927.html

[louis-t]

1. The secessionists are at it again.

Their hatred knows no bounds.

[Ter]

22. Wouldn't that technically be sorta a parallel to secession?

Like if NC and SC wanted to combine, it wouldn't be secession, but along the same lines.

[KamaAina]

2. The ROI (Rest Of Illinois) would become a Midwestern New Jersey

utterly dependent on the two big cities just beyond its borders (St. Louis is the other) for everything from sports to airports to media.

[VWolf]

7. Wait, St Louis borders New Jersey? Who knew???

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Besides, NJ has its own airport and sports facilities. :evilgrin:

[libinnyandia]

9. Which are dependent on nyc for fans and passengers.

[VWolf]

10. Not so sure about that

Most NYC'ers fly out of Kennedy or LaGuardia, and they tend to support the Rangers/Islanders/Knicks.

Devils fans are pretty much 100% NJ.
Jets/Giants games are packed with NJ suburbanites.

Of course, most of these folk WORK in NYC.

[former9thward]

15. Of course Chicago is dependent on the rest of Illinois to eat.

[KamaAina]

17. All cities are

"Take away our cities and leave the farmlands, and the cities will spring up again overnight. Take away our farmlands, and our cities will wither away to nothing."

[liberal N proud]

3. That is because Chicago overrides the rest of the state with BLUE

The can't gerrymander the state enough to diminish the power of the Blue Chicago.

Ohio has the same situation with the Northeast part of the state.

[Scuba]

4. Bingo.

[Wait Wut]

5. What an insightful idea...

...if you want Illinois to go bankrupt. How does he expect the rest of the state to survive without Chicago? Not only that, you baffoon, there are plenty of other cities in Illinois that aren't as redneck as Decatur that would be clamoring to be a part of the State of Chicago. Many of those cities are more affluent than the redder cities. There goes more of your tit-sucking cashflow. Although, Chicagoless-Illinois could probably make some money off of tourism when Decatur and others become ghost towns.

Keep looking that gift horse in the mouth, bud.

[LeftinOH]

6. "traditional values of downstate families"...Traditional Values ® again. Someone

should seriously encourage Republicans to trademark that term.

[libinnyandia]

8. I'm sure a lot of people in upstate New York would like to do the

same.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

11. Illinois really is two states, though I don't think the line's drawn along the Cook County border.

You get 90 miles away from State & Madison and you might as well be in Mississippi.

[Rincewind]

21. I live in central Illinois,

and it's NOTHING like Mississippi here.

[B Calm]

12. Hell 90% of the state taxes are collected from Cook County residents.

Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!

[Chisox08]

19. Will we be getting a refund for the taxes collected by the state of Illinois?

I would love to see the rest of the state try to fund itself without Cook County and the billions that we send downstate.

[B Calm]

23. Most of those idiots downstate have no clue how many people live

in the Chicagoland area. They think their tax dollars goes to Chicagoland, LOL. . .

[treestar]

13. Ploy to get 2 extra electoral votes for more red areas

This one ignorant of the fact the Constitution does not allow it.

[Chan790]

20. This DC resident will consider it in exchange for statehood.

Of course DC has enough people for two House seats, add in two Senators and that's 4 EC votes where they're gaining two. We throw in NYC/NY sever and still come out ahead because upstate is purple?

[The Genealogist]

14. If you can't win with your message, game the system

The Republican way. Gerrymander, disenfranchise voters, create new states, change how electoral votes are counted. Anything to get that lust for power fulfilled.

[TBF]

16. I wouldn't mind if Chicago were a state - I would move back to the area

and Texas could become it's own country. It's win-win.

[WI_DEM]

18. Go for it! The State of Chicago would have Two Dem US Senators and the rest of IL, Dems

have at least an even shot of winning at least one Senate seat.