I have a genius idea! Cram all the people into one city and then transfer ownership of all the remaining land to ME!

when I lived in illinois, they imposed a gasoline tax in 1980, still in effect I believe, and they want to add more now because of plandemic, that gave/gives that fuel tax money to Chicago's Mass transit Authority, to keep it running. Never mind all the crooked governors, who went to federal prison in succession as well.

People were up in arms about it then, and Chicago's Daley Machine responded with the audacious threat of succeeding from the state and creating Chicagoland or Lakeland state.

They took away law abiding citizen's gun rights, somehow construing that the criminals will capitulate to this, and Chicago became the murder capital.

I was thinking in the economic terms of Cali....they are supposedly the world's 5th or 6th largest economy, yet they suck economic support from the rest of the US in subsidies to maintain that status.

They pay in federal but get back TWICE as much. They have 1 government worker for every 19 citizens. The USA can keep all our bases there, just like Guantanamo, Cuba or Berlin, EAST Germany.

If they get nasty, we can always cut off their water from the Colorado River too.

California does not have the agreement to join the Union like The Lone Star State of Texas has. California was administered into the Union by federal military authority. Texas signed an annexation treaty with terms of understanding and of agreement of principles.

@Weltansicht all of that may be true - But California is invaluable because it is on the Pacific Ocean. There are Maritime ports all up and down that coastline. Maritime ports for import/export traffic and equally as important is harbor for our Pacific Fleet - US Navy. Also there is Californias' agriculture industry which is vital to the rest of the country not to mention the whole world. Then there is Californias abundant natural resources to think about...
One critically important fact about the West Coast of USA is that the Ocean provides a large natural barrier / a bulwark against enemy incursion. Get rid of California, Oregon, Washington now you've moved the "enemy" 250 miles inland and given them the Pacific coast. How foolish that would be! Is there any logic to doing that? I don't see any.

@genkiferal

genkiferal's suggestion of an independent Alaska is great. Alaska is in a unique position for independence.

Alaska has enough oil for all of the continental USA. Alaska could be the next superpower.

California abstains from tapping the San Joaquin river, and it restricts irrigation to farmers. California is shooting itself in the foot.

California considers the delta smelt fish to be more important than farmers and food and the economy.

Though California has a bigass economy, it can't build anything. Engineering-wise, California is a 3rd world shithole.

Iowa and Brazil lead world soy exports, and China leads soy imports. We don't need California. Midwest farmers are the most efficient and prolific farmers in the world.

jaymaron.com/naturalresource.html

Never occurred to me - I love that idea. I wonder how the people who live in those Canadian Provinces would feel about becoming American Citizens.
I know Ottawa would NEVER agree to it.

@iThink
Many of the folks in S. Alberta have strong affiliations with their American relatives and friends. The Mormons and Hutterites all came up from the US. Alberta and Saskatchewan would fit in great with their American cousins

@Saigon2o

Saskatchewan and Alberta would be great. We also need access to the Hudson, through Manitoba or Nonavut.

Think like you're playing the game of "go". We need access to the Hudson and to the Pacific. We need a rural pathway through Washington or Oregon.

@jaymaron

British Columbia would not likely permit open trade access to an American state called Alberta. BC is just like Portland and San Francisco. Deeply radical left. This would likely mean we would need to follow your strategy of taking back Washington State and eventually Oregon

@Sensrhim4hizvewz

Most of the population of BC is Vancouver. Go far enuf north and the people of Vancouver will give up. Do an end run around Vancouver to the North. Ally with Alaska.

@jaymaron

Brilliant! ...and that sir is why I would nominate you as Alberta's very first Secretary of State. May I add that a national rail line is extended from S Alberta to Alaska. I would leave that in your capable hands

that would be folly - a self inflicted disaster

@genkiferal

Good idea, deporting people from the state. I also like the idea of restricting voting rights to long-term residents.

Make public benefits available only to long-term residents. Things like public schools, state-sponsored retirement homes, welfare, etc.

Then revoke state status for Wyoming and combine the Dakotas as JN suggested.

Good list.