Our Secession plan calls for establishing a more republican form of government than total democracy NYS currently has which allows Downstate state to rule upstate, while upstate can occasionally block things downstate wishes to enact, Divide New York State Caucus head John Bergeron told the Syracuse Post-Standard.
Organizers said in a separate statement that they are also considering pushing for the upstate region to become part of Pennsylvania. This would require approval from both New York state and Pennsylvania, as well as Congress. Splitting New York into two regions would require a state constitutional convention, and a vote on that issue will not be held until 2017.
The group posted a graphic showing the proposed new boundaries on its Facebook page, which can be seen below:
According to Gawker, another group involved in the campaign, Shooters Committee On Political Education New York (SCOPE NY), has come out against gun safety legislation signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in response to the mass shooting attack in Newtown, Connecticut. Secession advocates have also criticized Cuomos administration for opposing fracking.
A petition supporting the split had garnered just over 3,200 signatures by Friday night.
Why secession? Secession is about reclaiming the economic opportunities Upstate has lost and restoring the liberties Upstate residents once enjoyed, the groups said in a statement. Downstate has dominated Upstate for decades and Upstate has no future in a state controlled by New York Citys needs and desires.
However, Gawker reported that downstate New York gave a collective $12 billion in tax money to the upstate region in 2009 and 2010 alone.
Watch a report on the New Amsterdam movement, as aired on WKBW-TV, below.