1845 map of seating in House of Representatives.
New York has dominated the House of Representatives for most of the 230 years of its existence. The Empire State has had more than 1400 congressional representatives. The next closest state is Pennsylvania which is some 400 congressmen (mostly men) behind. New York, historically, had the benefit of being one of the original states and having the largest population. The streak of biggest in the land ended with the 1970 census. That's when California took away the title. It may never return.
New York peaked after the 1940 census with 45 representatives. There were so many seats in the state the districts actually made sense. Each upstate city had its own member of congress. There was a Syracuse seat, a Rochester seat and an Albany seat. Even a Binghamton or Elmira could claim a rep as their own. The 2010 census cemented New York's loss of political stature. We're now down to 27 seats. That pushes us well back in the pack behind leaders like California and Texas. A northeast industrial power no longer has the clout it once did.
Maybe it was the Carrier air conditioners made in our backyard that pushed people to the warmer climates. Maybe it was the lower cost of doing business in cities that didn't have to deal with aging infrastructure and expensive commercial underpinnings. Maybe it was the rising standard of living, the two car household and the mobility of American culture that motivated people to live beyond the comfort of their nearby extended family.
New Yorkers still have a sense of pride. A sense of being the biggest and the best. We may still be the best, but we're not the biggest. Yet, there is plenty of strength on which to build. We have affordable homes, despite the high property taxes. We have great natural resources. Water for industry. The ocean, lakes, rivers, mountains and fields for recreation. We have a fairly well educated base including strong universities. We have a lot.
It's time to stem the tide and start a progression back to a position of value and power relative to the rest of the nation. It took 70 years to decline. Perhaps cutting that timeline in half would establish an obtainable goal of reestablishing New York's place in the world.
Any questions or comment please forward them to mattsmemo@CNYcentral.com. I may even use some of your thoughts on NBC 3 News at 5:00, the 10:00 News on CW6 or on CNYcentral.com.
The opinions expressed in this blog are the sole responsibility of the author and are not reflective of the views or opinions of Barrington Broadcasting, WSTM-NBC3, its management or employees.
