# Suggestions for the 51st state **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 6, 2002, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152 "2002-04-06T06:53:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/1 "2002-04-06T06:53:50Z")
Frankly, I’m sick of having only 50. We haven’t had a new one since 1959, that’s pretty pathetic. Here are a few suggestions Split up California. Make SF and the Central Valley one state and everything south of Bakersfield another. They’ve had all those water disputes and whatnot, and California’s too big already, geographically and in terms of population. 1/5 of the electoral votes needed to be president come from California, talk about too much power. Make the Upper Peninsula its own state. I never got this. Michigan lost Toledo so they get a frozen strip of forest in return? At least Toledo has a zoo. What exactly does it contribute to Michigan anyway? Snow? Plus, if the Yoopers get their own state we’d get our first Finnish senator. So what do you think should be our 51st state? Feel free to break up your own state, especially if you’re from Texas because I can’t figure out how to divy it up. I’d divide up my own state, but it’s Connecticut and we’re small enough. Still, I’d be willing to sell the beach-hog Greenwich jerks to New York. ---
**Author:** ![jazzmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jazzmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jazzmine)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/2 "2002-04-06T07:08:00Z")
England. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/3 "2002-04-06T07:43:31Z")
You know what’s weird? I thought we already _had_ 51 states. Seriously. Maybe I need to pay more attention to things…! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/4 "2002-04-06T07:48:46Z")
Sorry, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, but as far as the rest of the country is concerned you’re all the same anyway. From now on you’re the state of New England. The same goes for Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. You’re now the state of Mondakoting (although in the spirit of compromise I’ll let you pick another name if you wish). Less anyone think I’m just being arbitrary, the population of New England is around 3,050,000 and Mondakoting is around 3,980,000 so both are still far below the average state population of around 5,500,000. On the other hand, I’ll concede the point was to create new states and I’ve instead reduced the total to 44. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/5 "2002-04-06T07:53:18Z")
I think we should take a bunch of land in the middle of some isolated area, clear everybody off of it, and make that the 51st state. Then politicians could dump all the nuclear waste and other garbage there without alienating any voters. ---
**Author:** ![Binarydrone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@Binarydrone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Binarydrone)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/6 "2002-04-06T08:01:56Z")
Puerto Rico! ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/7 "2002-04-06T08:04:28Z")
District of Columbia. ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/8 "2002-04-06T08:06:52Z")
I think the reason that we haven’t had a new state since 1959 is that nobody knows how to get that extra star on the flag. So why don’t we bring in enough _states_ from Canada to make a whole extra row? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/9 "2002-04-06T08:18:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kniz \* > \*\*I think the reason that we haven’t had a new state since 1959 is that nobody knows how to get that extra star on the flag. So why don’t we bring in enough _states_ from Canada to make a whole extra row? 😉 \*\* Hey, **kniz** , don’t worry. The Master has already tackled this question for you: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_303.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_303.html) ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/10 "2002-04-06T09:11:39Z")
I say this with all apologies. I always thought British Columbia should leave Canada and come to the US in order that we could drive to Alaska without leaving the US. And bring along the Yukon Territory as well. We’ll make you a full state. And the real benefit is that we’d now have a B-state and a Y-state, neither of which we have now. That leaves an E-state, J-state, Q-state, X-state and a Z-state left to find. Hello Ecuador, How you doin’? Jamaica, you look marvelous. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/11 "2002-04-06T10:41:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Osiris \* > \*\*That leaves an E-state, J-state, Q-state, X-state and a Z-state left to find. > Hello Ecuador, How you doin’? Jamaica, you look marvelous. \*\* Don’t forget Quebec for the Q-state. Of course, they’d probably insist that we all learn French, and I’m having enough trouble with Spanish. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/12 "2002-04-06T12:34:05Z")
I, myself, have always liked the idea of Cuba as a state: just looking at hte map, it is an aethestically pleasing choice. ---
**Author:** ![ageless6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@ageless6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ageless6)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/13 "2002-04-06T14:33:33Z")
What about Afghanistan? We could plop New Jersey into it and as ITR CHAMPION suggested, use it for nuclear (and other) waste. True, we would still have 50 states (New Ghanistan?) but the benefits would outweigh that minor setback and we wouldn’t have to change the flag. We could send the population of New Jersey to Nevada to dig up nuclear waste to send to New Ghanistan. VOILA. New Jerseyites should be inured to any toxicity anyway. No offense, Jersey.::snort:: ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/14 "2002-04-06T14:37:14Z")
I think the Maritime Provinces of Canada are likely candidates if the Dominion blows herself up. In the fun spirit of the OP: Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/15 "2002-04-06T14:54:30Z")
Don’t they regularly hold referenda in Puerto Rico about becoming a full-scale state? The population, IIRC, refused to give up “Commonwealth” status because they’d have to pay federal taxes as a state. But sooner or later, they will. And thank got they already know where to put that bloody star: [http://www.fotw.net/flags/us51star.html](http://www.fotw.net/flags/us51star.html) ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/16 "2002-04-06T15:14:57Z")
I think there’s something in Texas’ constitution that says that it can be split up into five states if so needed. Why not? That makes 54 states. And, being a Jerseyan, I wouldn’t mind **ageless6** ’s idea of moving New Jersey to Afghanistan. It would make a nice change of scenery. I’d love to stay on NJ and watch as the helicopter picks it up. A cheap way of seeing the world. Of course, once it got there, I’d probably move to a neighboring country, but that’s another story. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/17 "2002-04-06T15:50:14Z")
Take Cook County, Illinois (Chicago & burbs) as well as the “collar” counties surrrounding it (DuPage, McHenry, Kane, Will, and possibly Lake). Combine these with the counties containing and surrounding Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Gary, Indiana. Viola! Call it **Garchicawaukee**. ---
**Author:** ![cagiva650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cagiva650](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cagiva650)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/18 "2002-04-06T16:54:53Z")
My vote is for Puerto Rico, I really love that Island and the people too - Or Oh Canada - we could add another 50, break up those provinces they are way too large. Just kidding canooks. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/19 "2002-04-06T17:08:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Osiris \* > \*\*I say this with all apologies. > > I always thought British Columbia should leave Canada and come to the US in order that we could drive to Alaska without leaving the US. And bring along the Yukon Territory as well. We’ll make you a full state. And the real benefit is that we’d now have a B-state and a Y-state, neither of which we have now. > > That leaves an E-state, J-state, Q-state, X-state and a Z-state left to find. > Hello Ecuador, How you doin’? Jamaica, you look marvelous. \*\* I have always thought we ought to make all of Canada one state. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2002, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152/20 "2002-04-06T17:32:00Z")
Delaware. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/suggestions-for-the-51st-state/102152.md?page=2)