Maybe Obama's 57 States Weren't That Far Off?

Obama: "Over the last fifteen months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states, I think — one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii I was not allowed to go to … my staff could not justify it."

Altered States

The state of Long Island would be bigger than Rhode Island, while the official bird of West Kansas would be the pheasant. Frustrated citizens are trying to redraw borders, add new states and lower taxes. Michael J. Trinklein on how to succeed at seceding.

Long Island's latest quest to split from New York and become its own state had a promising start last year. Legislators in Suffolk county, upset over a new payroll tax to fund New York City's subways, voted 12-6 in favor of a secession plan. It seemed viable: In terms of square miles, Long Island is bigger than Rhode Island; its gross state product would be larger than that of 20 states. Some optimists even proposed a state bird: the duck.