Home › News ›

Atlanta Could Secede, But It Shouldn't

Posted by: Nate Berg

22 October 2007 - 9:00am

Metropolitan Atlanta could feasibly survive on its own if it were to secede from the state of Georgia, writes Otis White. But as he explains, Atlanta would be much better off as part of the state than as its own, if only there were more cooperation.

"Could Atlanta survive as a state? Sure. If it were just Fulton and DeKalb counties, the state of Atlanta would have 1.6 million people, larger than 15 states. Expand to the core five counties (adding on Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton), and it would have 3.3 million people, bigger than 21 states. With the remaining counties on the Atlanta Regional Commission, you'd have a nicely compact state of 3.9 million residents that would rank No. 25 in population."

"So, yes, we could make it on our own."

"But if we could secede, should we? No. Georgia is better off with Atlanta, and Atlanta is better off with Georgia. Our problem isn't a lack of mutual benefit; it's an absence of ideas and understanding."

Full Story: Before we secede, let's try to get along
Source: Creative Loafing, October 19, 2007
»
Bookmark and Share
“
It has been estimated that half of all Americans, and two-thirds of urban Americans, live in suburbia. Here are the key questions: Does suburbia exist because it is the natural "culmination of urban development"?
”