Time Magazine Weighs in on the Subject -- In 1971

Time Magazine, June 21, 1971 -- Should New York City Be the 51st State?

We recently stumbled upon this article from over 36 years ago in what was then one of the most respected weekly news magazine in America.

Then, as now, the issue revolved in large part around finances and the incongruity of the nation's largest city having to go hat-in-hand to a largely small-town legislature, not for money -- since the city has long been the states largest source of tax revenue, but for permission to spend money raised from within the city itself.

Two points that we found particularly interesting are:

"The concept of a governmental entity the size of the city of New York or Chicago or Los Angeles did not even exist at the time the Constitution was written." He considers state domination of the large cities "preposterous."

and

"The academics find much more merit in Lindsay's latest —and far more realistic—proposal to create 'national cities' that would be free of most ties to their states and would deal directly with Washington on those issues that most affect them, such as welfare, health and trade."

This article is not only remarkably relevant after 36 years, but also an interesting window into urban issues a generation ago.