Changes: Long Island statehood

Latest revision as of 05:10, 13 June 2017

4235528230 c7533410b2 z — Greetings from the future 51st state!

I am a Long Islander and proud of it. Growing up in the small hamlet of Holbrook in Suffolk County, my parents and family has always talked about Long Island becoming a state. After my parents splitting up, moving to Florida, and the recent death of my father, I can see see the growing need for statehood within my own life.

Statehood has been a big question for Long Islanders, practically since the formation of the United States. Can this truly be the time of our rising? Okay, enough with the sappy intro. This is my interpretation of Long Island statehood, including my opinions and ideas to make this new state great.

Why statehood?

Why should Long Island become a state? This is the question for most Americans. For Long Islanders, it is quite obvious: bossism. That's right... "bossism." When I first heard this word in "Lost States," I thought it was a joke. But I kid you not, it is a real word, and without knowing what it exactly is, I can tell you all that it is by far the best word to describe Long Island's desire for statehood.

In a nutshell, bossism sounds like being ruled by a boss. This is true for Long Island. Long Island is either in the shadow of Albany or New York City. Not to say this isn't the same with other parts of the state, or within other states as well, but LI is a special case. Excluding the counties that make up New York City, Nassau and Suffolk rank as the most populous counties of New York State, as well as being the only counties exceeding a million residents (hell, Suffolk boasts a larger population than the Bronx in the 2010 census).

Atlas of the State of Long Island — My map of how I see the State of Long Island.

This large population equals large amounts of money for the state, but at a great cost. I don't know the exact numbers, but together, Nassau and Suffolk residents pay about 8 million dollars in taxes, while the state only give back less then half of that. In short, how you you like it if you purchase an item that is one dollar with a ten dollar bill. In change, you would only get back four dollars. How is that fair? I also bet that if this happened to you, you would get your money back and the clerk would have a bloody nose. Sadly, Long Islanders can't do this, which is where the statehood calls come from.

For the record, this movement isn't old. Statehood calls have probably existed since the end of the Revolution. But the clearest move for Long Island statehood began around the 1890s. This was also the time that the Greater City of New York came to exist. It was also this time period where "bossism" came into being. So imagine, the same story has been happening for well over a century. How long would it take to piss you off?

Statistics

County	Population	Area (sq mi)	Note
Nassau	1,339,532	453	2010 census
Suffolk	1,493,350	2,373	2010 census
Subtotal	2,832,882	2,826	Nassau and Suffolk only
Brooklyn	2,504,700	97	2010 census
Queens	2,230,722	178	2010 census
Total	7,568,304	3,101	All of Long Island

Politics

If granted statehood, Long Island would receive around four representatives and two senators, thereby getting six electoral college votes.

As of recently, Long Island would likely become a swing state.

My thoughts

The following sections just describes my thoughts and ideas on a potential State of Long Island (SLI for short). This section is clearly just my opinions.

Flag

Despite a united Long Island spirit, us Long Islanders have no flag to stand behind. However, one Long Islander has come up with an interesting design, and it is quickly becoming a popular flag in the statehood movement. Or is it?

Long Islander Cesidio Tallini is a micronationalist, known mostly (within the statehood movement) for his micronation Independent Long Island. The flag he designed is quite unique in my opinion. Blue and orange obviously represent Long Island's Dutch and New Yorker origins. The four stars represent the four counties (Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk). The "eels tongue" (as quoted by Brian Unger) can represent the forked-shape of Long Island itself.

Tallini's flag is quickly becoming a symbol for Long Island statehood, and is quickly growing on me. I initially hated the idea, due primarily to:

The flag was designed for an INDEPENDENT Long Island in mind (not a state).
Most statehood proposals would not include Brooklyn and Queens in it (see below), and may include a potential third county called Peconic (also see below), so not really four stars.
While I love the use of Dutch blue and orange, I wouldn't have chosen the shades that Tallini used (primarily because those combinations tend to hurt my eyes).

I also had my doubts about Tallini himself (primarily because he supported independence). But after reading more about the guy in the news, I believe we probably have more in common. When the History Channel series How the States Got Their Shapes came out, Tallini was interviewed about Long Island statehood. When his segment wasn't put in the final cut, he made it clear he wasn't happy.[1] His segment would eventually come out... in an episode about dialects (seriously). Knowing me, I would have done worse if I were in his shoes. I also felt that he should have wore something better than a jogging sweater. But I will give him credit where credit is due, I could feel his enthusiasm when describing his ideals and his flag, making me feel more proud to be a Long Islander.

In conclusion, great flag. In the end, it is the Islanders who should make the state.

Peconic County

I first came across the this idea from my Nana around 2005 or so. All she said was that there was an attempt to create a new country from Suffolk County. I didn't think much of it, until I really got into map making.

As early as the 1990s, the residents of the five townships of eastern Suffolk County proposed seceding to form their own county: Peconic County. Named after the bay which divided the north and south forks, the county came out under similar circumstances as to why LI wants to become its own state. Officially, Suffolk County's seat is located in Riverhead, but many of the county offices began to move towards the more populated west (Hauppauge to be exact). This caused many of the rural east to propose creating their own county.

Clearly making a county is much easier than allowing statehood. So why is Peconic not a county? I don't know how true this is, but from what I read, Albany feared that this would cause a wave of secessionism within the state. At the same time, Staten Island's attempts to secede from NYC were dying down, but adding a new county might have reignited hopes in the borough.

Despite not becoming a county, the "Peconicans" haven't given up yet. In recent polls, the majority of voters favor a separate Peconic County in a proposed SLI.[2] My personal thoughts, why not. I see absolutely no reason why to not include it. The more the merrier. Come on Peconic, JOIN THE PARTY!!

Capital

One of the crucial things any state proposal needs is a capital (a place where the state government can run from). As you may (or may not) have guessed, Long Island has no defined capital. Or does it? According to Cesidio Tallini during his interview for How The States Got Their Shapes, he claimed Brooklyn as the capital of Long Island. Here is what he actually said:

Everyone voted for Brooklyn as the Capital of [Independent] Long Island. Brooklyn has the most votes for all factual purposes.
—Cesidio Tallini

I call shenanigans on this. First off, Tallini himself just states that Brooklyn would become the capital because it "has the most votes". This is 100% true, and the dominant reason why it should not become the capital. Long Island would become the "State of Brooklyn" if it were the capital. Secondly (and the dominant reason why Brooklyn shouldn't become the capital), only Nassau and Suffolk are part of the current statehood movement. Brooklyn (and Queens) are left out, due primarily because they are boroughs of New York City. You can read my thoughts about Brooklyn and Queens below.

So for all intensive purposes (regardless of how big the eventually state will be), the capital should be in either Nassau or Suffolk. The closest equivalents would be Mineola and Riverhead, which are the county seats for Nassau and Suffolk (respectively). Hauppauge is also a county seat of Suffolk, but you can read more about that above. Other potential capitals I have heard of could be Hempstead and Massapequa.

But today, I have my own proposal for the capital. My proposed capital shall be: Holbrook. Holbrook located in Suffolk County. A hamlet divided by the townships of Brookhaven and Islip. For those of you who actually read the introduction, you can easily guess why I choose Holbrook. It is my hometown. Well, if Konrad Adenauer (the first Chancellor of of post-war Germany) can choose his hometown of Bonn to be the capital of West Germany, than why not choose Holbrook for a capital.

But in reality, I also chose Holbrook for a combination of reasons. First off, Holbrook is as close to the geographical center of Long Island as one can get. This will make it easier to govern the entire island, and show equality. Secondly, the Long Island Expressway runs right through the hamlet, making it highly accessible to the Islanders.

While I may see my hometown as a perfect capital, the end result will probably be beyond my control. So for now, and my map, Holbrook shall be the capital of the State of Long Island.

Block Island

For those of you who don't know what Block Island is, don't worry about it. Block Island is a large island just to the east of Montauk Point. The town of New Shoreham encompasses the entire island. Oh... and it is part of Rhode Island (before I forget to mention XD).

So why am I mentioning part of Block Island in an article about Long Island statehood? Simple... Block Island apparently belongs to us. Well, according to How The States Got Their Shapes, it seems to be true. If you take a look at the TV screenshot I took with my digital camera, you can clearly see Block Island to the far right of Montauk Point.

Sorry, I found this so funny that I had to include it. But in reality, if the citizens of New Shoreham, Rhode Island really wanted to become part of Long Island, than why not?

External links

Sites

Articles

"Pols Resurrect Long Island Statehood Chatter" Sayville-Bayport Patch (October 7, 2011)
"Should Long Island Become A State?" About.com (May 6, 2009)

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-[[File:4235528230 c7533410b2 z.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Greetings from the future 51st state!]]
+[[File:4235528230 c7533410b2 z.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Greetings from the future 51st state!]]
+I am a {{W|Long Island}}er and proud of it. Growing up in the small hamlet of {{W|Holbrook, New York|Holbrook}} in {{W|Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County}}, my parents and family has always talked about Long Island becoming a state. After my parents splitting up, moving to Florida, and the recent death of my father, I can see see the growing need for statehood within my own life.
-The 2010s is going to be a very turbulent decade for the United States of America, primarily with its borders. States like California, Montana, and Texas wish become independent nations; while independent nations such as Cuba and Haiti may become states. Territories like Puero Rico and Guam want statehood, while regions within current states want to secede to become their own. Well, its not like this hasn't happened before in history. Texas was once an independent nation before becoming a state. South Carolina and the southern states seceded from the US to be reunited as the Confederate States of America during the civil war. Even West Virginia (as you can tell by its name) was once part of Virginia, but seceded to become its own state.
-Today, one region in particular is gaining more interest in becoming the 51st state of the Union, and it happens to be my home. I am talking about the "lost" State of Long Island, which is not going to be taking it anymore.
+Statehood has been a big question for Long Islanders, practically since the formation of the United States. Can this truly be the time of our rising? Okay, enough with the sappy intro. This is my interpretation of Long Island statehood, including my opinions and ideas to make this new state great.
-== My state nationalism ==
+== Why statehood? ==
+Why should Long Island become a state? This is the question for most Americans. For Long Islanders, it is quite obvious: {{W|bossism}}. That's right... "bossism." When I first heard this word in "Lost States," I thought it was a joke. But I kid you not, it is a real word, and without knowing what it exactly is, I can tell you all that it is by far the best word to describe Long Island's desire for statehood.
-Like most children growing up, I memorized my phone number and street address by heat. I knew that I lived in [[Wikipedia:Holbrook, New York|Holbrook]], [[Wikipedia:New York|New York]], but I knew very little as to where my place was in this world.
+In a nutshell, bossism sounds like being ruled by a boss. This is true for Long Island. Long Island is either in the shadow of Albany or New York City. Not to say this isn't the same with other parts of the state, or within other states as well, but LI is a special case. Excluding the counties that make up New York City, Nassau and Suffolk rank as the most populous counties of New York State, as well as being the only counties exceeding a million residents (hell, Suffolk boasts a larger population than the Bronx in the 2010 census).
-One of the most damning experiences of my live is my aunt and cousins moving away to the "far away land" of [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]]. Now instead of a few minute drive to visit them, it took two hours (which was a lifetime for me), and had to travel threw New Jersey to get there. It would be several years later when my class was learning about the state of the United State. I learned where the State of New York was located. So one day, I asked my teacher where Pennsylvania was on the map, believing that it was around the location that California was. But to my horror and disbelief, it was right next door to. It was that day I learned how big this world truly was, and my place in it.
+[[File:Atlas of the State of Long Island.png|thumb|right|My map of how I see the State of Long Island.]]
-Sadly though, my aunt and cousins would move to the "Planet of [[Wikipedia:Florida|Florida]]" (which it might as well been), with my Nana moving soon after to be with them. When my parents split up in 2001, me and my family moved to Florida. Though now we lived close to my cousins again (only a few blocks away), it still made me think about the north. In my social studies class, I did a report about Pennsylvania instead of New York. To many extents, I was more interested in my new life, but I did miss New York. I would later learn about my true place in New York. I grew up on Long Island. When I was much older to realize what my mom and dad were talking about, I found out that the two support statehood of Long Island in many ways. In fact, one of the reasons we had to leave was the property taxes of Long Island at the time, which would be primarily caused by the remainder of New York.
+This large population equals large amounts of money for the state, but at a great cost. I don't know the exact numbers, but together, Nassau and Suffolk residents pay about 8 million dollars in taxes, while the state only give back less then half of that. In short, how you you like it if you purchase an item that is one dollar with a ten dollar bill. In change, you would only get back four dollars. How is that fair? I also bet that if this happened to you, you would get your money back and the clerk would have a bloody nose. Sadly, Long Islanders can't do this, which is where the statehood calls come from.
-Since moving to Florida in 2001, I have revisited Long Island, once in 2003, and than in 2005. My dad now lives in [[Wikipedia:Bethpage, New York|Bethpage]]. He has to live with his parents in order to live there. Today, most Floridians are amazed when I tell them I am from New York, primarily because (as said by one person) I was very polite, and most New Yorkers are rude. Today I always say I am a Long Islander, and everybody knows what that means. Today, I am a strong supporter of Long Island statehood. When I can, I plan on moving back there, and raising my family there, as I was.
+For the record, this movement isn't old. Statehood calls have probably existed since the end of the Revolution. But the clearest move for Long Island statehood began around the 1890s. This was also the time that the Greater City of New York came to exist. It was also this time period where "bossism" came into being. So imagine, the same story has been happening for well over a century. How long would it take to piss you off?
-== Background ==
+== Statistics ==
-The most noticeable reason for the Long Island Statehood movement is because of New York itself. Long Island pays the same taxes as the rest of New York, but gets little in return in comparison to the rest of the state. You can think of New York being a vampire sucking the life out of Long Island.
+{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%; text-align:center;" align="left" width="80%"
-== State of Long Island ==
+! County
+! Population
+! Area (sq mi)
+! Note
+|-
+| {{W|Nassau County, New York|Nassau}}
+| align="right" | ''1,339,532''
+| align="right" | ''453''
+| 2010 census
+|-
+| {{W|Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk}}
+| align="right" | ''1,493,350''
+| align="right" | ''2,373''
+| 2010 census
+|-
+| '''''Subtotal'''''
+| align="right" | '''2,832,882'''
+| align="right" | '''2,826'''
+| Nassau and Suffolk only
+|-
+| {{W|Brooklyn}}
+| align="right" | ''2,504,700''
+| align="right" | ''97''
+| 2010 census
+|-
+| {{W|Queens}}
+| align="right" | ''2,230,722''
+| align="right" | ''178''
+| 2010 census
+|-
+| '''''Total'''''
+| align="right" | '''7,568,304'''
+| align="right" | '''3,101'''
+| All of Long Island
+|}
+{{clear}}
+=== Politics ===
-[[File:Atlas of the State of Long Island.png|thumb|right|An atlas of Long Island as a potential state.]]
+If granted statehood, Long Island would receive around four {{W|United States House of Representatives|representatives}} and two {{W|United States Senate|senators}}, thereby getting six {{W|Electoral College (United States)|electoral college votes}}.
-When it comes to Long Island today as a potential state, it comes out more with debates rather than unity. Some want all of Long Island to become a state, while other want only the two eastern most counties to become the state. Even others propose having the four counties become independent form the United States. But which is right for the State of Long Island (SLI)?
+As of recently, Long Island would likely become a {{W|swing state}}.
-The following sections show my personal opinions when it comes to the SLI.
-=== Kings and Queens ===
+== My thoughts ==
+The following sections just describes my thoughts and ideas on a potential State of Long Island (SLI for short). This section is clearly just my opinions.
-The Long Island that we all love so much is actually divided into four counties of the State of New York. These counties include [[Wikipedia:Brooklyn|Kings]] (Brooklyn), [[Wikipedia:Queens|Queens]], [[Wikipedia:Nassau County, New York|Nassau]], and [[Wikipedia:Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk]]. Today, Brooklyn and Queens are integrated into the Greater City of New York, while Nassau and Suffolk are primarily suburban.
+=== Flag ===
-When it comes to making the SLI today, there are two proposed borders. The one I find most likely is the secession of Nassau and Suffolk alone, while other go further and propose all four counties make up the SLI.
+Despite a united Long Island spirit, us Long Islanders have no flag to stand behind. However, one Long Islander has come up with an interesting design, and it is quickly becoming a popular flag in the statehood movement. Or is it?
-Personally, I think it is a much better idea to have only Nassau and Suffolk seceding to become the SLI. I believe this is the most practical proposal, and I believe this would be the most favored when it comes to New York State and NYC. But I am not at all saying that having Brooklyn and Queens is a bad idea, but I am looking more towards the likely solution, not the most hopeful solution. But it's also because I am from Suffolk County, and have never had any extensive time in either Brooklyn or Queens. But recently, I have been finding many SLI supporters actually live in Brooklyn and Queens. So it is kinda hard for me to choose which one is better. I don't want to see NYC collapse, but I don't want to be leaving the two in the dark. I guess you can say I am going to remain neutral or supportive of both.
+[[File:Flag of Long Island.svg|thumb|right|Cesidio Tallini's flag.]]
-But if Brooklyn and Queens were to become part of the SLI, I support the idea that (at least for Queens) that the former townships that made up the counties be reformed. So towns like Jamaica, Flushing, and even Long Island City would come back to life.
+Long Islander Cesidio Tallini is a {{W|micronation}}alist, known mostly (within the statehood movement) for his micronation [http://ilination.net/ Independent Long Island]. The flag he designed is quite unique in my opinion. Blue and orange obviously represent Long Island's Dutch and New Yorker origins. The four stars represent the four counties (Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk). The "eels tongue" (as quoted by {{W|Brian Unger}}) can represent the forked-shape of Long Island itself.
-But either way you slice it, the SLI would be pretty big and populated.
+Tallini's flag is quickly becoming a symbol for Long Island statehood, and is quickly growing on me. I initially hated the idea, due primarily to:
+# The flag was designed for an INDEPENDENT Long Island in mind (not a state).
-{| class="wikitable" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4" border="1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); border-collapse: collapse; text-align:center;" align="center"
+# Most statehood proposals would not include Brooklyn and Queens in it (see below), and may include a potential third county called Peconic (also see below), so not really four stars.
-|-bgcolor="#ececec"
+# While I love the use of Dutch blue and orange, I wouldn't have chosen the shades that Tallini used (primarily because those combinations tend to hurt my eyes).
-!
-! All Long Island
-! Nassau-Suffolk
-! Suffolk only
-|-
-! bgcolor="#ececec" | Total area (sq mi)
-| 3,101.18
-| 2,826
-| 2,373
-|-
-! bgcolor="#ececec" | Land area (sq mi)
-| 1,378.85
-| 1,199
-| 912
-|-
-! bgcolor="#ececec" | Water area (sq mi)
-| 1,722.33
-| 1,627
-| 1,461
-|-
-! bgcolor="#ececec" | Population
-| 7,627,723
-| 2,753,913
-| 1,419,369
-|-
-! bgcolor="#ececec" | Area rank
-| 49th of 51
-| 49th of 51
-| 50th  of 51
-|-
-! bgcolor="#ececec" | Population rank
-| 13th of 51
-| 35th of 51
-| 40th of 51
-|}
+I also had my doubts about Tallini himself (primarily because he supported independence). But after reading more about the guy in the news, I believe we probably have more in common. When the History Channel series ''How the States Got Their Shapes'' came out, Tallini was interviewed about Long Island statehood. When his segment wasn't put in the final cut, he made it clear he wasn't happy.[http://ilinews.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/how-the-states-got-their-shapes/] His segment would eventually come out... in an episode about dialects (seriously). Knowing me, I would have done worse if I were in his shoes. I also felt that he should have wore something better than a jogging sweater. But I will give him credit where credit is due, I could feel his enthusiasm when describing his ideals and his flag, making me feel more proud to be a Long Islander.
+In conclusion, great flag. In the end, it is the Islanders who should make the state.
-Either way, LI would be larger than [[Wikipedia:Rhode Island|Rhode Island]] and just beating [[Wikipedia:Delaware|Delaware]] in size. Though the population would be varied, it would be a very populated state. Either definition, its population would be larger than the much larger states of [[Wikipedia:West Virginia|West Virginia]], [[Wikipedia:Nevada|Nevada]], [[Wikipedia:New Mexico|New Mexico]], and even [[Wikipedia:Alaska|Alaska]].
-=== Peconic ===
+=== Peconic County ===
+I first came across the this idea from my Nana around 2005 or so. All she said was that there was an attempt to create a new country from Suffolk County. I didn't think much of it, until I really got into map making.
-Did you know that there is a hidden county within Long Island? It is called [[Wikipedia:Peconic County|Peconic County]], and was proposed to be a new county of New York and including the five easternmost towns of Suffolk County. It was proposed because the former center of Suffolk County (Riverhead) was moved to western Suffolk, where the county was more populated. This left those in the eastern portion of the county feeling left in the dark, and wanting to makeup there own county. The county never came to be, but support for it continues to some extent.
+As early as the 1990s, the residents of the five townships of eastern Suffolk County proposed seceding to form their own county: {{W|Peconic County}}. Named after the {{W|Peconic Bay|bay}} which divided the north and south forks, the county came out under similar circumstances as to why LI wants to become its own state. Officially, Suffolk County's seat is located in {{W|Riverhead (CDP), New York|Riverhead}}, but many of the county offices began to move towards the more populated west ({{W|Hauppauge, New York|Hauppauge}} to be exact). This caused many of the rural east to propose creating their own county.
-I personally see no trouble with having a new county in Long Island, no trouble at all. The more the merrier. But is it even possible? Well, just look at history. When the [[Wikipedia:Province of New York|Province of New York]] was formed, only three counties made up Long Island (Kings, Queens, and Suffolk). When it was proposed that Kings and Queens be united with New York, Bronx, and Richmond to form the Greater City of New York, the eastern portion of Queens did not want any part in it. Only the western portion of Queens became the Borough of Queens, while the eastern portion remained part of Queens County until they seceded to form Nassau County.
+Clearly making a county is much easier than allowing statehood. So why is Peconic not a county? I don't know how true this is, but from what I read, Albany feared that this would cause a wave of secessionism within the state. At the same time, Staten Island's attempts to secede from NYC were dying down, but adding a new county might have reignited hopes in the borough.
-So for you of Peconic County, you have support here.
+Despite not becoming a county, the "Peconicans" haven't given up yet. In recent polls, the majority of voters favor a separate Peconic County in a proposed SLI.[http://sayville.patch.com/articles/pols-resurrect-long-island-statehood-chatter#] My personal thoughts, why not. I see absolutely no reason why to not include it. The more the merrier. Come on Peconic, JOIN THE PARTY!!
 === Capital ===
+One of the crucial things any state proposal needs is a capital (a place where the state government can run from). As you may (or may not) have guessed, Long Island has no defined capital. Or does it? According to Cesidio Tallini during his interview for ''How The States Got Their Shapes'', he claimed {{W|Brooklyn}} as the capital of Long Island. Here is what he actually said:
-What is the capital of Long Island? There is none. Not including the Brooklyn and Queens, the county seat of Nassau is [[Wikipedia:Mineola, New York|Mineola]], while Suffolk is seated in [[Wikipedia:Riverhead (CDP), New York|Riverhead]] (with many offices in [[Wikipedia:Hauppauge, New York|Hauppauge]]).
+{{Quote|Everyone voted for Brooklyn as the Capital of [Independent] Long Island. Brooklyn has the most votes for all factual purposes.|Cesidio Tallini}}
-But since there isn't a capital, I'm going to have some fun with this. First off, I believe that (in either definition) the capital of the SLI should be located in either Nassau or Suffolk. So when it comes to that, I pick [[Wikipedia:Holbrook, New York|Holbrook]] to be the capital. Two reasons why. The most notable reason is because it is my hometown. If the first president of West Germany can choose his hometown of [[Wikipedia:Bonn, Germany|Bonn]] to be the capital, I don't see why I can't have fun and choose Holbrook. But I also choose Holbrook because it is located within the center of Long Island and is an exit of the [[Wikipedia:Long Island Expressway|Long Island Expressway]].
+I call shenanigans on this. First off, Tallini himself just states that Brooklyn would become the capital because it "has the most votes". This is 100% true, and the dominant reason why it should not become the capital. Long Island would become the "State of Brooklyn" if it were the capital. Secondly (and the dominant reason why Brooklyn shouldn't become the capital), only Nassau and Suffolk are part of the current statehood movement. Brooklyn (and Queens) are left out, due primarily because they are boroughs of New York City. You can read my thoughts about Brooklyn and Queens below.
-=== Flag ===
+So for all intensive purposes (regardless of how big the eventually state will be), the capital should be in either Nassau or Suffolk. The closest equivalents would be {{W|Mineola, New York|Mineola}} and {{W|Riverhead (CDP), New York|Riverhead}}, which are the county seats for Nassau and Suffolk (respectively). {{W|Hauppauge, New York|Hauppauge}} is also a county seat of Suffolk, but you can read more about that above. Other potential capitals I have heard of could be {{W|Hempstead (village), New York|Hempstead}} and {{W|Massapequa, New York|Massapequa}}.
-[[File:Flag of ILI.svg|thumb|right|The most accepted flag for Long Island.]]
+But today, I have my own proposal for the capital. My proposed capital shall be: {{W|Holbrook, New York|Holbrook}}. Holbrook located in Suffolk County. A hamlet divided by the townships of Brookhaven and Islip. For those of you who actually read the introduction, you can easily guess why I choose Holbrook. It is my hometown. Well, if {{W|Konrad Adenauer}} (the first Chancellor of of post-war Germany) can choose his hometown of {{W|Bonn}} to be the capital of West Germany, than why not choose Holbrook for a capital.
-Throughout its history, Long Island has never had a defining flag. But since 2006, a flag has been proposed for Long Island. However, the flag is for the [http://ilination.net/ Independent Long Island] micronation and movement. I do not support or endorse any part of Long Island seceding from the United State, I am pro-Statehood only.
+But in reality, I also chose Holbrook for a combination of reasons. First off, Holbrook is as close to the geographical center of Long Island as one can get. This will make it easier to govern the entire island, and show equality. Secondly, the {{W|Long Island Expressway}} runs right through the hamlet, making it highly accessible to the Islanders.
-However, Cesidio Tallini's design for a flag of Long Island has begun to grow in popularity as a flag for Long Island statehood. And to be fair, I love the design that Tallini came up with. It is very original and describes Long Island in a nutshell. A blue flag with an orange rectangle (a [[Wikipedia:Spanish fess|Spanish fess]]) The rectangle is forked towards the fly of the flag, representing the fork of Long Island by Peconic Bay. On the top row are two stars, while another two stats are on the bottom. The stars represent the four counties that [currently] make up Long Island. The flag is light blue, while the stars and fork are orange, showing Long Island's Dutch heritage.
+While I may see my hometown as a perfect capital, the end result will probably be beyond my control. So for now, and my map, Holbrook shall be the capital of the State of Long Island.
-Though I can't say for sure if this is correct, but I believe Tallini's design was inspired by the [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/PeconicCountyFlag.png proposed flag] of Peconic County. Both have the same "fork" design.
+=== Block Island ===
+[[File:Block Island HTSGTS.png|thumb|right|See, I'm not lying!]]
+For those of you who don't know what {{W|Block Island}} is, don't worry about it. Block Island is a large island just to the east of Montauk Point. The town of {{W|New Shoreham, Rhode Island|New Shoreham}} encompasses the entire island. Oh... and it is part of {{W|Rhode Island}} (before I forget to mention XD).
+So why am I mentioning part of Block Island in an article about Long Island statehood? Simple... Block Island apparently belongs to us. Well, according to ''How The States Got Their Shapes'', it seems to be true. If you take a look at the TV screenshot I took with my digital camera, you can clearly see Block Island to the far right of Montauk Point.
+Sorry, I found this so funny that I had to include it. But in reality, if the citizens of New Shoreham, Rhode Island really wanted to become part of Long Island, than why not?
 == External links ==
+; Sites
-* http://longisland.about.com/b/2009/05/06/independent-long-island-secede-own-state.htm
-[[Category:Journals]]
+* [http://longisland51state.blogspot.com/ Blogger]
+* [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Long-Island-51st-State/118269414880715 Facebook]
+* [http://longisland.about.com/b/2009/05/06/independent-long-island-secede-own-state.htm Independent Long Island]
+; Articles
+* [http://sayville.patch.com/articles/pols-resurrect-long-island-statehood-chatter "Pols Resurrect Long Island Statehood Chatter"] ''Sayville-Bayport Patch'' (October 7, 2011)
+* [http://ilination.net/ "Should Long Island Become A State?"] ''About.com'' (May 6, 2009)
+[[Category:Long Island]]