Opinions vary but in fact there is remarkable synergy between states. Just because lifestyles vary from one region to another doesn't mean that there isn't coorperation across state lines.

Take the issue of taxes for example. Minnesota would love to get back a dollar for each dollar it contributes to the Federal tax base. The reality is that the state gets back $0.90 on the dollar. But it also realizes that the infrastructure required to benefit from the vast agricultural resources of the Southern states isn't free. In return, Minnesota is the world's largest processer of pickled herring and lutefisk in the world.

It's just give and take. Why split?

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman