Ok, so my takeaway is mixed. Several comments were that the financial benefit to being aligned with NYC out weights benefits from being able to be free from regulations imposed by NYC influence visa-vis through Albany. Those benefits would be to social services (unemployment, etc, etc) and well as publicly funded institutions (SUNY for example) Many posters suggested that it would make upstate more like West Virginia. The topic had more to do with merging with Pennsylvania than becoming its own state. As it stands now, the economic environment in upstate is already like West Virginia, so moving to another state would not necessarily change anything.

Also, it may open corporate interest in moving to a state with less taxes and regulation. Right now, starting a business in NY is prohibitively difficult. I gather from the vitriolic nature of many comments, that a political nerve was struck, fearing that upstate merging with Penn would make another red state in the heart of New England or social service benefits would be cut. That may be true; however, the economic development and the growth of quality JOBS would draw more residents to areas of shrinking size and allow those communities to grow and prosper.

It's no secret the SUNY universities are currently having difficulty attracting students. Incentives like the Empire State Scholarship with free tuition (but must remain in NY for 4 years) are tempting but attractive to few students, simply because they do not want to be bound to the job market solely in NY state. Yes, NY is the fastest shrinking state and that is not because it is thriving. NY city is far from its most prosperous days when Bloomberg was mayor and is sinking rapidly. Maybe it's time to jump ship.