Oh boy, I wish I would have been there to see that exchange! I'm with you - I would love to secede also - let NYC do their own thing..... they almost sunk financially more than once.
I'd love to see that myself. You'd still have to deal with the Democrat influence in the other cities, like Buffalo, but it would probably be better. So, Lower New York, and Upper New York? "North New York" just doesn't sound right. Or should upstate name itself with a completely new name?