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[Starver]

I'm on a slow internet link at the moment (and my personal library with a possible useful atlas is elsewhere...  ironically, where I have that faster internet connection), so I can't currently get the images needed to check, so I'm posting this quick question up to you lot regarding:

Rolczynski is now hard at work trying to correct what he says is a second mistake in North Dakota's constitution. He says the constitution states the Red River forms the entire eastern border of the State. However, Rolczynski points out it's actually the Bois De Sioux River that forms the eastern boundary for 41-miles, from Wahpeton to the South Dakota line.

...does this mean that ND was claiming more or less territory than (its eastern-neighbours allowing) it should do?  i.e. would someone between the BDSR and the RR (presumably in a fork partway along the border, I'm assuming one runs into the other[1]) have been officially subject to both states' overseeing, or to neither?  I could see both of these situations being the subject of attempts to exploit the legal situation, unless and until some corrective legislation makes sure it's irrevocably retroactive.


PS, this is almost another opportunity (certainly I'm taking it as one) to recite the old chestnut of Texas having once[2] been the largest state (by area) in the Union but since the incorporation of Alaska it has become the second largest state in the US.  However, you could always cut Alaska in half, and then it would be... the third largest state in the US, still lagging behind both of the Alaska halves...


[1] The alternative is that it gets a name-change, part way down, in which case it probably doesn't really matter unless you believe in the possibility of an incomplete bounding perimeter.

[2] Technically, I suppose, it was twice.  Separated by its time in the Confederacy.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

Yorkshire should secede from the UK. Mostly because we hate paying £1.02 beer duty.

[Heron TSG]

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Oregon is similar too.  Solution: Make the dividing line North-South instead of East-West.

But then you have the problem twice over. Just with smaller states.

[Christes]

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Oregon is similar too.  Solution: Make the dividing line North-South instead of East-West.

But then you have the problem twice over. Just with smaller states.

I mean two states.  One is West Washington/Oregon and the other is East Washington/Oregon.  The point being that Portland/Eugene are more cultually similar to Seattle than, say, Spokane.  Of course, my suggestion was in jest since it would cause all sorts of problems and would probably just result in an excuse to increase taxes in the western half xD.

[mainiac]

Why would they need to increase taxes in the western half of Washington/Oregon hybrid?  In the American economy, successful urban areas are the tax revenue generators that subsidize the rest of their states.  The western half would have the very wealthy Seattle and Portland regions and would likely have an excellent fiscal position.

I almost wish that some of these insane secession schemes would go through so the idiots would realize that their stupid conservative ideas wouldn't work without state governments to subsidize them with taxes from the liberal parts of their states.  But if they did work they would give the conservatives a deadlock on the senate and allow them to turn the US into a banana republic, which is the real motive.

[Starver]

Yorkshire should secede from the UK. Mostly because we hate paying £1.02 beer duty.

Do you think we could resume proper Yorkshire production of Tetleys Bitter if we do?

[Christes]

Why would they need to increase taxes in the western half of Washington/Oregon hybrid?  In the American economy, successful urban areas are the tax revenue generators that subsidize the rest of their states.  The western half would have the very wealthy Seattle and Portland regions and would likely have an excellent fiscal position.

I almost wish that some of these insane secession schemes would go through so the idiots would realize that their stupid conservative ideas wouldn't work without state governments to subsidize them with taxes from the liberal parts of their states.  But if they did work they would give the conservatives a deadlock on the senate and allow them to turn the US into a banana republic, which is the real motive.

It was mostly a comment on the politicians in the Western half.  Washington has sales tax but no income tax.  Oregon has income tax but no sales tax.  Guess what would happen if they got together. 

[Chaoswizkid]

I used to be really excited at the prospect of you guys getting a 51st state, for some reason. This'd disappoint me.

Puerto Rico is apparently going to be deciding its official status (territory, independent, free associate, or state) by the end of 2012. From what I've heard, things are looking slanted towards statehood at the moment, so you may get to see us get a 51st state. Of course, that means changing the flag. Again.

There also is, I kid you not, a very minor political party in New Zealand who's sole goal is to have the country annexed by the US. Seriously. They even have a half-broken website.

They'd never go for statehood. They get a ton of federal benefits and don't have to pay all the taxes the states do. Why would they screw themselves over for a title and tax hikes?

[MetalSlimeHunt]

They'd never go for statehood. They get a ton of federal benefits and don't have to pay all the taxes the states do. Why would they screw themselves over for a title and tax hikes?

There's being able to vote for the federal level of your leadership, for one.

[Maggarg - Eater of chicke]

Yorkshire should secede from the UK. Mostly because we hate paying £1.02 beer duty.

Do you think we could resume proper Yorkshire production of Tetleys Bitter if we do?

Only if we force them to make it taste good.

[mainiac]

It was mostly a comment on the politicians in the Western half.  Washington has sales tax but no income tax.  Oregon has income tax but no sales tax.  Guess what would happen if they got together.

I still dont see why that means taxes would go higher.  The western half of those states would contain two metro areas that IIRC already have well funded education, transportation and healthcare systems.  These services, along with law enforcement, are the main drivers of state government expenses.  So with all of these already funded, I wouldn't anticipate any new expenses.  At the same time their tax systems would no longer need to pay for the major expense of schools and highways in rural areas, neither one of which come cheap.  The state budgets are balanced currently.  That means a healthy surplus.  So why would they raise taxes?

[Strife26]

Yes, all seven people in north dakota vote to change the constitution.

More along the lines of all seven bay 12ers from ND go "Meh. Don't really care that much."

Yes, all seven people in north dakota vote to change the constitution.

I refuse.  We've actually got a budget surplus, no need to get mixed in with you other states.

Which is probably related to the fact that you get 2 dollars back from the federal government for every dollar you pay in federal taxes.  Way to go rugged individualism.  Meanwhile us elitists on the east and west coasts are subsidizing you bastards in the middle and dont even have a controlling share of the vote in the government we pay for.

Money in farm subsidies is a far cry from general use funds, and that old claim isn't really accurate. Seriously, don't hate on ND. We've got more nukes and wheat than anyone else in the Union.

[mainiac]

What the hell do I care if my money is being wasted on farm pork or military base pork?  It's still being wasted on pork.  Besides, farm subsidies is hardly the whole story.

[Chaoswizkid]

Yes, all seven people in north dakota vote to change the constitution.

More along the lines of all seven bay 12ers from ND go "Meh. Don't really care that much."

Yes, all seven people in north dakota vote to change the constitution.

I refuse.  We've actually got a budget surplus, no need to get mixed in with you other states.

Which is probably related to the fact that you get 2 dollars back from the federal government for every dollar you pay in federal taxes.  Way to go rugged individualism.  Meanwhile us elitists on the east and west coasts are subsidizing you bastards in the middle and dont even have a controlling share of the vote in the government we pay for.

Money in farm subsidies is a far cry from general use funds, and that old claim isn't really accurate. Seriously, don't hate on ND. We've got more nukes and wheat than anyone else in the Union.

While I'm not going to claim that TN has more wheat than you guys, I'd like to point out a nice little place called Oak Ridge, which has been declared the National Nuclear Repository (according to the Oak Ridge people I talked to when I visited ORNL). All of the nuclear stuff we're buying from Russia goes there to be dismantled and stored. Yeah, I suppose it's not missile nukes, but the nuclear material is all there.