>>>
>>> WE
>>> WE ARE ALL ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY HERE IN WASHINGTON,
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? ONE LAWMAKER WOULD DISAGREE AND
SUGGESTS SPLITTING THE STATE
INTO TWO PARTS, WESTERN
WASHINGTON WOULD REMAIN
WASHINGTON, EAST WASHINGTON
WOULD BECOME LIBERTY UNDER THE
PROPOSAL, HERE TO HELP US
UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEHIND THIS
IS MARCO LOWE . THIS IS THE
FIRST TIME THIS HAS COME UP,
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? BUT THE STATE HAS BEEN TRYING
TO SPLIT ALMOST SINCE IT WAS
CREATED, 1905 WAS THE FIRST
EFFORT TO SPLIT OFF AND JOIN
PARTS OF OREGON AND IDAHO.
>> DO YOU EVER GET MUCH STEAM?
>> NEVER REALLY HAS, IT COMES
AROUND AND LEAVES AND COMES
BACK AGAIN AND HERE WE ARE
AGAIN.
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >>
AGAIN. >> HERE WE ARE AGAIN.
WHAT MOTIVATES THIS PROPOSAL
THAT KEEPS HAPPENING?
>> I THINK THE STATE IS
PHYSICALLY DIFFERENT, THE
CASCADE MOUNTAINS GO ON ONE
SIDE, AGRICULTURAL ONE SIDE AND
URBAN ON THE OTHER, THE URBAN
SIDE IS EASTERN WASHINGTON AND
THE AGRICULTURAL SIDE HERE, NOT
AS EASY.
AS EASY.
AS EASY. >> YOU LOOK AT THE MAP, SPOKANE
HAS MORE IN COMMON WITH THE
WESTERN PART OF THE STATE THEN
EASTERN WASHINGTON.
EASTERN WASHINGTON. WHAT ARE, HAS, HAS THIS EVER
HAPPENED?
HAPPENED?
HAPPENED? >> SURE.
>> SURE.
>> SURE. MAIN MAINE BROKER FROM
MASSACHUSETTS, CALIFORNIA
MASSACHUSETTS, CALIFORNIA LEGISLATOR VOTED IN 1859 TO
SPLIT THE STATE BUT IT WAS
NEVER RATIFIED BY CONGRESS.
SO IT DID TAP.
>> IT DID NOT HAPPEN.
>> SO, WHAT KEEPS IT COMING UP
IN OUR STATE?
BUT I THINK THERE'S A
DISSIDENCE WHEN YOU LIVE IN
EASTERN WASHINGTON YOU FEEL
LIKE THE WEST HAS ALL OF THIS
MONEY.
MONEY.
MONEY. I
MONEY. I THINK IS HER RESENTMENT AND
SOME PEOPLE, NOT ALL, START TO
FERMENT THAT AS A POLITICAL
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT.
MOVEMENT. BUT THE REALITY IS THE WEST HAS
MORE MONEY THAN THE EAST AND
VICE VERSA.
VICE VERSA. >> THAT'S HOW WE COMMONLY THINK
IS HAPPENING.
IS HAPPENING. >> WE DON'T.
EVEN SUBURBAN AND RURAL PARTS
OF WESTERN WASHINGTON, I THINK,
I PAID FOR SEATTLE STADIUM AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT IS JUST NOT THE CASE,
ALMOST EVERY STATE, THE URBAN
AREAS EXPORT MONEY TO THE RURAL
AREAS.
AREAS.
AREAS. >>
AREAS. >> THAT IS TRUE FOR US AS WELL.
US WHATEVER REALLY HAPPENED?
BUT IT WOULD BE HARD, FIRST OF
ALL, A LOGISTICAL MASS, WHO
SNOW PLOWS FOR THE
TRANSPORTATION BLOCKS TO WHAT
SIDE OF THE STATE?
BUT I THINK EASTERN WASHINGTON
LEADERS KNOW AS TO THE WESTERN,
WE REALLY BENEFIT FROM BOTH
SIDES.
SIDES.
SIDES. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT MONEY, NOT
JUST ABOUT MOUNTAINS.
IS A STATES, WE HAVE DIFFERENT
PARTS OF THE ECONOMY, STRONGER
IN THE LONG RUN.
>> IS THERE A WAY TO KIND OF
GET THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE?
SO SOME OF THESE LONG-TERM
MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT WHERE
THE MONEY COMES FROM, WHERE IT
IS SPENT MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE,
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW? ONCE AND FOR ALL SETTLED?
BUT I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE ARE
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. I THINK ALSO, WE TALK ABOUT
WHAT IS THE WEST HAVE MORE
INCOME?
INCOME?
INCOME? ARE THE POLICIES ON THE EASTERN
SIDE THEY CAN IMPLEMENT TO
BUILD BUSINESS?
BUILD BUSINESS? OR INCREASE WAGES?
JUST AS THE WEST CAN LEARN FROM
THE EAST AS WELL.
>> JUST CALMING DOWN AND
TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. >> THAT IS GOOD POLITICS
ALTOGETHER, THERE ARE PREVIOUS
EFFORTS TO SPLIT OFF KING
COUNTY, RIGHT?
COUNTY, RIGHT? I TOTALLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW
THAT WOULD WORK.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?
>> A SIMILAR DISCUSSION, MORE
RURAL AREAS THAT FEEL
POLITICALLY OUTWEIGHED BY THE
URBAN AREAS, SNOHOMISH
COUNTIES, MOST COUNTIES IT
SOMETIME HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
FOR DECADES.
FOR DECADES. AGAIN, IT IS A WHO WAS WAY TO
GET THIS, WHO IS GOING TO GET
THAT, WHERE'S THE TEXT IS GOING
TO COME FROM?
AND WHATEVER HAPPENS IN THE
STATE SUPREME COURT HAS BEEN
VERY NEGATIVE ON THE IDEA OF
COUNTIES BREAKING UP.
>> NOW, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF
SOMEBODY DID THAT?
IF THEY ACTUALLY DID THAT, WHAT
WOULD HAPPEN THAT WE DON'T
EXPECT?
EXPECT?
EXPECT? >> I DON'T THINK YOU REALIZE
THE IMPACT AND WHERE TAXES ARE
COMING FROM I DON'T THINK YOU
REALIZE MUCH OF YOUR
INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT PAID FOR
BY YOU.
BY YOU.
BY YOU. SO, ROAD MAINTENANCE THAT MAY
BE COMING FROM SEATTLE SALES
TAX REVENUE AND RURAL KING
COUNTY IS NOW GENERATED AND
THERE'S NOT THE RETAIL SALES,
THE TAXES, AND YOU WOULD COME
IT WOULD, BECOME THEIR QUICKLY
IN SOME WAYS.
>> A POLITICAL SCIENCE
PROFESSOR, HOW CAN YOU EDUCATE
PEOPLE WHERE THIS MONEY COMES
FROM?
FROM?
FROM? AND
FROM? AND WHERE TO SPEND?
SO THAT, NOT TO SAY THAT YOU
CANNOT HAVE YOUR OWN OPINION
ABOUT THAT, BUT AT LEAST,
DEALING WITH A COMMON SET OF
ACTUAL FACTS?
ACTUAL FACTS? >> PROBABLY THE WAY I WOULD
APPROACH IT IS NO YOU ARE
GETTING MONEY FROM US, BUT HOW
CAN WE HELP YOU FEEL THAT ARE
ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE AND YOU
DON'T HAVE THIS RESENTMENT?
AGAIN, SOMEBODY ELSE YOU WANT
TO BREAK UP.
LET'S SEE IF WE CAN ADDRESS --
RURAL AREAS ARE SOME OF THE
PARSED PARTS OF WASHINGTON
STATE, INCREDIBLY WORLD, COUNTY
PLACES, I THINK WE CAN DO MORE
TO REDRESS WHAT IS GOING ON.
>> I THINK WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, ABOUT,
IT'S NOT JUST, LET'S NOT TO
SEND MONEY FOR ROADS.
LET'S SEE HOW BUSINESS IS.
WHAT OTHER STRENGTHS?
WHAT MAKES THEM STRONG?
THE WINE INDUSTRY DID NOT LOOK
LIKE IT DOES TODAY BUT THEY
FOUND A STRENGTH, EXPLOITED FOR
THE BEST SENSE OF THE WORD AND
NOW IT IS A BILLION-DOLLAR
INDUSTRY IN A THRIVING AREA.
>> THE STATE HELP IT ALONG?
IT BECAME APPARENT TO DO THAT.
SO, WHAT ABOUT THE MONTANA
LEGISLATURE TALKING ABOUT
CANADA?
CANADA?
CANADA? NO?
NO?
NO? WHAT
NO? WHAT IS GOING ON?
>> SOMEBODY IN ALABAMA THOUGHT
WAS A GOOD IDEA TO POST TO
CHANGE.ORG.
CHANGE.ORG. BEFORE HE CAME ON, ABOUT 70,000
PEOPLE SIGNED $1 TRILLION, THAT
THEY WILL SELL MONTANA TO
CANADA WHO DID NOT ASK TO BUY
IT, WE WOULD LOSE FRAZIER
NATIONAL PARK, SKIING, I MEAN,
THEY WOULD TRY TO BUY WITH
CANADIAN DOLLARS ANYWAY WHICH
ARE WORTHLESS, I THINK IT IS A
BAD DEAL.
BAD DEAL.
BAD DEAL. >> WHOEVER STARTED, THAT IT
WOULD PAY OFF?
>> SADLY, THE NATIONAL DEBT IS
MORE THAN $1 TRILLION, IT WOULD
BE A DOWN PAYMENT.
>> OKAY, I DON'T THAT WE NEED
TO DO THAT.
I REALLY LIKE MONTANA.
>> I LIKE MONTANA TOO.
>> I THINK WE SHOULD STAY