Today's Providence Journal online carries a map of the proposed redistricting maps for the Rhode Island U.S Congressional districts based on the 2010 census. There is something very interesting in these maps. Click on the above link. What do you see?
Given the threat of more city and town bankruptcies and the narrow minded greed of the special interests who can't see the bigger picture, here are some thoughts about the maps and what they might mean for the Lively Experiment.
Can you see the potential if Rhode Island goes bankrupt?
The current (2/2012) district lines
Proposals F & E both, would move the district line to the east and make for a division that more closely aligns with the natural boundaries created by the Blackstone River and Narragansett Bay
Given the threat of more city and town bankruptcies and the narrow minded greed of the special interests who can't see the bigger picture, here are some thoughts about the maps and what they might mean for the Lively Experiment.
Can you see the potential if Rhode Island goes bankrupt?
The current (2/2012) district lines
Proposals F & E both, would move the district line to the east and make for a division that more closely aligns with the natural boundaries created by the Blackstone River and Narragansett Bay
Proposal F
Proposal E
What would it mean, if Rhode Island were to be the first state to go bankrupt? Because the population balance is fairly even, just think how easy it would be to use Proposal E to simply divide the Districts equally between Massachusetts (District 1) and Connecticut (District 2).
The boundaries are almost perfectly aligned with the natural boundaries created by the river and the bay. Woonsocket and Pawtucket might have to become the twin cities, Woon, CT and Socket, MA and Paw, CT and Tucket, MA, for example. Or maybe West Woonsocket (CT) and East Woonsocket (MA) and East Pawtucker (MA) and West Pawtucket (CT).
In the case of State Bankruptcy, this would make sense. Just like a failed bank, the Federal government might have to step in and force a merger. There might be a contest between CT and MA over the assets. Just think of the potential!
First of all, there would be two seats in Congress (a major asset) at stake. What would happen to them?
For Connecticut, the South County beaches would certainly benefit its tourism business as well as the privately held Twin River Gambling facilities in Lincoln. Meanwhile, Massachusetts would gain Newport's attraction as a tourist center, and the gambling facilities at Newport Grand.
The economic value of Narragansett Bay would benefit for both states.
CT would get the west shore with Quonset Point thus bringing in the whole of Electric Boat's Sub operation under the state's tax system (maybe they could do a better job than Rhode Island has with this gem). In addition they would get the Port of Providence and a second Ivy League university, as well as RISD, J&W, PC, and most of the Rhode Island University system.
MA would get control of the east passage in the Bay. It would get Roger Williams University and Salve Regina and the Naval War College. It would also gain Raytheon and its subcontractors The merger would bring the eastern side of Narragansett Bay (Aquidnick Island and Bristol Co, RI) under the same state jurisdiction and unite it with Mount Hope Bay (Fall River, MA) and the Taunton River watershed (Taunton, MA). This would have the potential of creating a single, integrated economic development district in southeastern MA with direct access to the sea.
By the way, it would also lead to County government!!!
By the way, it would also lead to County government!!!
Such mergers might create something that might be TOO BIG TO FAIL. And if they did fail in the future, it would set the stage for another merger -- the Super State of Southern New England. In any case, Rhode Island's bankruptcy would mark the end of the Lively Experiment.You can see all there in the maps.
