As far-fetched as secession may be, however, state Senate Deputy Majority Coalition Leader Tom Libous (R), of nearby Binghamton, said he is taking the proposal seriously. As first reported by WBNG-TV in Binghamton, the senator mailed a survey to his constituents, asking if they are interested in secession.
Fifteen New York towns that are upset at Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to ban fracking have threatened to secede from the state and join neighboring Pennsylvania, where fracking is allowed.
The towns, all members of the Upstate New York Towns Association, have expressed interest in secession, Conklin Town Supervisor Jim Finch told The Huffington Post. The association is compiling a report to assess the feasibility of joining Pennsylvania.
“We’re in the Southern Tier of New York,” Finch said, referring to localities in Broome, Tioga, Sullivan and Delaware counties. “There are no jobs. The economy is terrible. There’s nothing going on.”
He decried Cuomo’s recent decision not to bring a casino to the region, and noted that Conklin and the 14 other towns in the Southern Tier sit on the Marcellus Shale, which is rich in natural gas. Permitting drilling in the region would provide an avenue for new jobs and a way to raise money for local schools and governments, as it has across the border in Pennsylvania, Finch said.
Leaving New York and joining the Keystone State, he added, would also mean lower taxes for businesses and lower insurance payments.
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