[FLT-bird]

Unfortunately, there is no mechanism which would allow a portion of a state to secede from the state. Those in power in the state will never readily agree to let a portion of the state go because that would mean less tax revenue and fewer votes in Congress....and giving up power is anathema to those who seek it.

I think there should be a mechanism for counties to secede from states. There are numerous instances of one area being completely out of step with the rest of the state. For example:

The 3 "mountain" counties of Maryland want to join West Virginia

Much of the rest of Virginia would like to kick out Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties aka "Occupied Northern Virginia" which are just DC Suburbs.

The rest of Illinois hates Chicago.

The rest of Minnesota hates Minneapolis-St.Paul

a lot of upstate New York hates NYC

A lot of the rest of Washington hates Seattle

a lot of the rest of Pennsylvania hates Philly

Much of the rest of Michigan hates Detroit

[Forward the Light Brigade]

Lots of states need to be cut in half. California, New York, Nevada, Etc... We need more states.

[Ciaphas Cain]

Don't forget North Carolina.

A LOT of people would rather be rid of Charlotte and Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill.

[Svartalfiar]

Many States were cut down when they joined. Look at how many of the original 13 were shaped on their western borders.

Where did West Virginia come from? If the South never truly was its own country (as Lincoln and other Northerners claimed), then what was the legality behind splitting VA in half?