Our 51st state: "el bebé México"

[Badgersmilk]

http://news.yahoo.com/51st-state-small-step-forward-long-shot-south-233234624.html

[MikeBjerum]

What is the process for splitting a state?  I can understand why those counties want to flee, but who gets to decide?  I suspect that it will not happen, because they are one of the areas that tint the red ink with black.

[Badgersmilk]

It does bring up a thought though.  If ANYTHING ever did happen to our Fed Government (dream the dream). Say, the kind of thing going on in Greece right now.  And even one state separated from "the union"...  The concept would spread like wild fire!  And you'd NEVER get them to unite again.

Wouldn't THAT be interesting!!! 

[tombogan03884]

It does bring up a thought though.  If ANYTHING ever did happen to our Fed Government (dream the dream). Say, the kind of thing going on in Greece right now.  And even one state separated from "the union"...  The concept would spread like wild fire!  And you'd NEVER get them to unite again.

Wouldn't THAT be interesting!!!  

Leaving the Union completely would probably ignite another Civil war, exactly the same way the last one started, The federal Govt would attempt to force reunification at gun point.
This isn't a totally far fetched idea, off the top of my head I can think of 2 other occurrences besides the example used of West Virginia.
After the Revolution, Western New Hampshire, ( also known as "The NH land grants ) broke off to form an independent country called "Vert Mont", it did not rejoin the Union as the 14th State until passage of the Constitution several years later.
Then there was the 1851 slavery compromise that broke Mass into Mass and Maine.
I doubt it will happen in this case  though . But if parts of Texas wanted to the Feds would have no choice but to let them, it was part of the original annexation agreement.

[Majer]

Tom Said...
But if parts of Texas wanted to the Feds would have no choice but to let them, it was part of the original annexation agreement.

Tom, I believe Texas lost the right to secede after the war of northern aggression when they were re admitted to the Union.

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

Not secede, break into smaller units within the Union, I think they kept that.
The thinking was that in the days before telephone, radio and so forth, communications would be more practical within more smaller units.

[TAB]

I prefer the state of lincoln...

[jnevis]

They mentioned the four or five "ghost" states on History's "How the States Got Thier Shapes."   Lincoln was one along with Franklin (which actually disappeared after fighting)  Long Island has a group that wants to seperate from New York.

[twyacht]

from article:

Republicans account for the majority of registered voters in all but two of the 13 counties – San Bernardino and Imperial. For that reason, the idea has merit, says Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies.

If you can't beat em',.....secede from them,,,,,...

Oh wait,...I'll wager, those counties are probably doing economically better, which means Moonbeam and the other asshat Birkenstock wearing, bong smoking, liberal Berkley types can;t let it go,.....

As companies flee California,...we'll see how this holds up,....either that or just give all but wine country back to Mexico....

[fightingquaker13]

It will depend on the state Constitution first and formost, but there is all sorts of interesting history. Idaho breaking from Montana, the brief life of the state of Jefferson where Colorado is, Texas being trimmed by the feds, thus creating Oklahoma, its a lot less cut and dried than folks would think. Its not just West Virginia and Maine and Vermont that show the fluidity of state borders we take for granted.
FQ13