Would this be state of Chicago symbol? |
Or
as these people tend to prefer thinking about it – kick Chicago out of Illinois
and onto its keister. Let the “Second City” become the 51st state of
our nation.
THE
IDEA ISN’T new. It seems there’s always a bill pondering the concept of
separation of the Land of Lincoln. The Washington Post reported this week about
the latest effort – which actually has eight state representatives willing to
put their names on the measure as co-sponsors.
Not
that anybody seriously thinks Illinois is on the verge of separation. Even one
of those sponsors – state Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna – admits this is more
about the symbolism of separation.
“This
is a political bill. As the political arm of the Illinois House Republicans, it
is my responsibility to remind Chicago that there is more to Illinois than
Chicago,” she told the Capitol Fax newsletter.
As
though the roughly 2.6 million people who live in the city proper will quake in
their pants at the thought of a city just over 3,000 people sitting in cultural
isolation along the Mississippi River across from Iowa doesn’t want to be
associated with Chicago.
TO
BE HONEST, I suspect most Chicagoans have never heard of Savanna, and probably will
mistake it for Savannah, the city in Georgia.
Which
is why I honestly believe that if there really was a move underfoot to split up
the 12.73 million residents of Illinois into separate states, it would be more
in the form of rural Illinois trying to split off into its own region. Or more
likely, Chicago deciding that it no longer wants to be associated with the Land
of Lincoln.
In
reality, nobody’s about to split. Nobody’s going nowhere. This is one of those
maneuvers that would provide no real benefit – other than allowing political people
to spew all sorts of trash talk!
McCOMBIE: Should we respond to her message? |
For
one thing, it would turn out to be ridiculously hard to determine exactly where
the border ought to be.
DO
WE LITERALLY turn 119th Street to the south (with portions of the
border jutting as far out as 138th Street) into the new Chicago/Illinois
state line – something similar along the lines of 106th Street and
State Line Road now being the dividing line between Illinois and Indiana in
Chicago.
Would
it become the State of Cook, with Chicago as its state capitol? We’d have to
wind up picking ourselves a governor. Just envision Rahm Emanuel making a
political comeback as governor of the state newly-created by ideologue politicos trying to do so as some sort of political punishment.
“Cook
Gov. Rahm Emanuel,” presiding over the Chicago mayor and the other 128
municipalities that comprise the county that makes up almost half of the
Illinois population as things currently stand. It almost seems appropo.
Or
would the reality of things remain in place, and all the people so eager to
kick out Chicago wind up getting a shock of a lifetime in learning that the
five surrounding counties (DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will) would realize
they have more in common with a state of Chicago than they ever would with a
state of rural Illinois.
WHICH
WOULD MAKE the newly created state one that comprises about two-thirds of the
existing Illinois. At roughly 8 million, the new state of Chicago/Cook/collar
counties would be bigger than Indiana (roughly 6.67 million people who see no
shame in calling themselves Hoosiers).
Which 'state' able to claim favorite son Lincoln |
While
the remaining state of Rural Illinois would wind up at about 4 million –
falling somewhere between Oregon and Oklahoma in population, and lagging behind
Kentucky’s 4.47 million people.
Just
envision all those people currently of Southern Illinois becoming the place
filled with all the bumpkins that denizens of the “Bluegrass State” shudder in
fear that they have living to close to their homes.
Rural
Illinoisans might not be ready for that level of isolation. Particularly if they
come to realize that for many Chicagoans, their contact with “downstate” is if
they have a four-year stint attending a college there – where far too many are
eager to rush back to “Sweet Home, Chicago” upon graduation.
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