An article published in a local New York news site lays out the result from a recent study which implies that secession for Staten Island is unfeasible because it cannot provide an effective socialist government for it’s residents.

What would seceding from New York City mean for Staten Island? Copious litigation, yawning budget deficits and a scramble to make up for lost economies of scale – building up its own municipal workforce, possibly creating new health care, education and corrections facilities, for example.

That’s according to a new report from the city’s Independent Budget Office on the age-old topic of Staten Island potentially seceding from New York City. The bottom line, the report found, is that secession would be no simple task. “In short, secession is highly complex, would take many years to implement, and would either be more expensive for Staten Island residents, require an independent Staten Island to reduce benefits and services to residents, or both,” the report, which doesn’t take a position on secession, read.

Source: Staten Island secession? A new IBO report studies the age-old question

Breaking Away: The Cas... McMaken, Ryan Best Price: $16.75 Buy New $12.00 (as of 03:33 UTC - Details) The argument is absurd on it’s face. The recently seceded new city of St. George, Louisiana is privatizing certain essential services to keep their city government costs within certain budget limits. There is no reason Staten Island cannot do the same. There would be a transition process, but then secession necessitates all kinds of transitions to bring about better outcomes. That is one of the primary purposes of secession: to transition from a bad situation into a better situation.

The article goes on to reveal that a certain politician from outside Staten Island named Justin Brannan commissioned the study. It further suggests Brannan commissioned the study as part of a plan to advance his own political star against local Republican congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis who recently announced her support for Staten Island seceding from New York City. If so, then the study becomes even more irrelevant as a simple act of political campaign posturing. Brannan’s unprofessional and condescending comments towards Staten Island in the wake of the report’s release, reinforces the likelihood of this being the reason for the study.

This report was conducted following a request last year to the IBO from City Council Member Justin Brannan, who represents Southern Brooklyn. “In the beginning there was darkness – and then there were shadowboxing Staten Island politicians talking tough about seceding from New York City,” Brannan wrote in an email. “Cut off from the benefits of citywide sales and property tax, tourism revenue, and overall economic growth, a seceded Richmond County could not afford to provide police, fire, trash pick-ups, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other absolutely essential human services to its population without an insanely exorbitant increase in taxes just to maintain today’s status quo.”

Source: Staten Island secession? A new IBO report studies the age-old question

Thankfully it appears the local impact of the report will be minimal in light of the pressing challenges Staten Island faces due to New York City’s mass migrant problem. Staten Island councilman Joe Borelli, who made waves with his proposal that Staten Island’s new slogan should be “We don’t like you either,” gave the report no credence whatsoever. The South Was Right!: ... Kennedy, Walter Donald Best Price: $21.26 Buy New $25.25 (as of 05:47 UTC - Details)

Council Member Joe Borelli – one of three council members in the borough – didn’t find the report very enlightening. “The idea that anyone can predict what a government that hasn’t been elected yet will do is bizarre,” Borelli wrote in a text, noting that despite warnings back in the ’90s that taxes could go up if Staten Island seceded, 65% of residents voted in favor of secession in a 1993 referendum. “Guess what? The d****d taxes went up anyway and we still have no say,” Borelli said.

Source: Staten Island secession? A new IBO report studies the age-old question

Still, this new attack angle against secession should be noted. With the fabled “race card” attack tactic failing in Louisiana to stop the secession of St. George from Baton Rouge, it is a safe bet that the Elites will be seeking new attack angles to discredit movements towards secession and self-government. Trying to dissuade people from secession with arguments based on the socialist premise of governments providing services could be a new anti-freedom approach to watch out for. As Bugs Bunny memorably quipped upon seeing a new robot that had come to kidnap him: “Well whaddaya know! We got a new garbage can!”

Sources:

https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2024/05/staten-island-secession-new-ibo-report-studies-age-old-question/396283/

https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/supreme-courts-st-george-ruling-what-happens-next/article_198ffc44-04e4-11ef-ad06-0b5b4ee76d43.html

Could Staten Island Secede from NYC to Escape Mayor’s Migrant Crisis?

https://keepgovlocal.locals.com/post/4580788/secession-speakeasy-33-welsh-exit-staten-island-secession-talk-explodes

https://keepgovlocal.substack.com/p/the-breakup-of-new-york-city-continues

This originally appeared on The State of Division and was reprinted with the author’s permission.

$post_author: WP_User Object
(
    [data] => stdClass Object
        (
            [ID] => 5860
            [user_login] => no_author
            [user_pass] => 6581364babeda3eebbeb65d5094e43d1
            [user_nicename] => no_author
            [user_email] => [email protected]
            [user_url] => 
            [user_registered] => 2013-07-08 16:44:09
            [user_activation_key] => 
            [user_status] => 0
            [display_name] => No Author
            [type] => wpuser
        )

    [ID] => 5860
    [caps] => Array
        (
            [author] => 1
        )

    [cap_key] => wp_capabilities
    [roles] => Array
        (
            [0] => author
        )

    [allcaps] => Array
        (
            [upload_files] => 1
            [edit_posts] => 1
            [edit_published_posts] => 1
            [publish_posts] => 1
            [read] => 1
            [level_2] => 1
            [level_1] => 1
            [level_0] => 1
            [delete_posts] => 1
            [delete_published_posts] => 1
            [email_single_user] => 1
            [email_multiple_users] => 1
            [tablepress_edit_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_delete_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_list_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_add_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_copy_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_import_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_export_tables] => 1
            [tablepress_access_options_screen] => 1
            [tablepress_access_about_screen] => 1
            [author] => 1
        )

    [filter] => 
    [site_id:WP_User:private] => 1
)

get_the_author_meta: 

$bio: 

$bios: Array
(
)