If eastern Washington were to secede?
If eastern Washington were to secede would WSU and Bryan Clock be left high and dry?
What would happen to Washington State's higher education system if eastern Washington was to succeed from western Washington? See my take on the matter here plus more pictures.
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6 comments:
Speaking of western Washington, that's a great article you posted on your website. I'd never given thought to the effect such a division would have on state colleges.
I'd heard about that proposal to split the state. I just read your discussion of that, and it
sounds like it would be real impractical. But I know
there are people on both sides of the Cascades who would like to see that.
As for the enrollment problems at State Universities, I wonder if two of my nephews might end up having to go to EWU to get into college. All the other colleges, from what I understand, have cut off
new entrants. They thought Central was too far away,and now they may have to go a lot farther!
That picture from WSU was interesting. I believe
there's a Bryan Hall at the WSU I worked at, in
Kansas, too. I think it was one of their administration buildings.
I think it would be beneficial to the state if it were to split into West and East Washington. The Western coastal half supports the economy of the rest of the state, and the coming drought would then be the responsibility of the Republicans who control eastern Washington. The drought will have far less significance for the rainy western half, and the easterners can stop complaining about the "libruls" in Seattle and Olympia. Although such a split would inevitably lead to two more seats in the Senate for the Republicans, a Missouri compromise could be made, by allowing the District of Columbia to become a state, which would no doubt elect two Democratic senators. The Missouri Compromise, when Maine broke off from Massachusetts, allowing Missouri to be a slave state in exchange for a free state of Maine, was during a period in history when compromise could be found in this country. Now, however, with the deadlock that the Republicans have put this country into, proposing to do away with the filibuster, even when they control all branches of government, compromise may be no longer achievable. Thus, I'm all for states with clearly delineated red halves, like Washington, to split in half. Indeed, I'd be pleased if the predominantly southern red states would secede.
I wrote you at your invitation, after finding your website by googling "splitting a state."
People who live for themselves, for their own pleasure, could be considered "garbage" in the sense they do not contribute anything. We are not talking about the weak and powerless, mind you (the unborn, Terri Schiavo), but about people with the ability to do good, with a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow, who squander that opportunity on booze, sex, and frivolity.
Splitting Washington State, contrary to your thoughts on the matter, is a good idea. We "red-staters" have nothing in common with the others. The ideal situation would be for Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and possibly LA to secede from the Union and form "The People's Republic of West America". They can keep any businesses foolish enough to stay there. They can raise taxes to 97%, make smoking illegal, make abortion mandatory, and implement any other cockeyed social experiment on their own nickel (not mine and not yours).
I'm going to stay in (rural) Washington. This is my state, not theirs. My kids will be home-schooled, and learn where babies come from when they are very young... They will not learn about condoms or abortion, but will experience what it means to be part of a family so they will be ready when it's their time.
I will smoke a pipe, and not feel it is evil. My wife will raise vegetables. We hope to raise livestock, and remain self-sufficient. And yes, we will own guns, and there's not a thing Seattle can do about it.
See, I just want to be left alone, and splitting the state seems to be the only way of accomplishing this.
What's next? Illegal to smoke in our own vehicles? Mandatory tribute to Seattle's "greatness"? Have people in Ellensburg fund a giant fallic statute in downtown Seattle?
Sorry, just frustrated, and your site came up in my research. Hope you choose to be on the free side (our side) if and when the split comes.
Time for coffee.
"Some of western Washington's garbage goes east for disposal. Much of it goes all the way to eastern Oregon, to waste repositories around Arlington, Oregon."
You mean like students from Western Washington?
Being from the east side (Spokane & North Idaho) I've seen this discussion pop up repeatedly.
North Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana all feel remote, financially abused and otherwise ignored by the higher population regions of their states. They want to join forces and combine into a new state called Columbia.
Being a bit more radical, I was hoping to see North Idaho secede from the US altogether to become a kind of free trade zone between the US and Canada.
Now that work has forced me to live in the megalopolis of Seattle, I muse about secession for Western Washington. As its own country, Western Washington could become a financial turnstile between the US, Canada, Asia and the rest of the Pacific.
Of course Seattle's population would become truly vast, a $50,000 house would sell for $2 million instead of only $300,000 and I would have to move to the Yukon and miss the whole thing.
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