This Is The Biggest Reason Michigan’s U.P. Will Never Become Its Own State

There have been multiple discussions online about Michigan's Upper Peninsula splitting from the Lower and succeeding as its own state.

But as the Wikipedia page for this proposed state (often referred to as Superior or Ontonagon) points out, this is by no means the first time this discussion has been had or that real action has been taken to try and make the Upper Peninsula the 51st state of the Union:

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The State of Superior (or State of Ontonagon) is a proposed "51st state" that would be created by the secession of the Upper Peninsula from the rest of Michigan, named for adjacent Lake Superior. Some proposals would also incorporate territory from the northern Lower Peninsula, northern Wisconsin, and even Minnesota. The proposals are spurred by cultural differences, geographic separation from Lower Michigan, and a belief that the problems of the "Superior Region" are ignored by distant state governments.

Why Won't The U.P. Ever Be The 51st State?

There are quite a few reasons I don't think this will ever happen and the biggest reason is because of the finances. Don't get me wrong, I'm not in finances nor a financial genius, but it doesn't take one to see how dependent the U.P. is on the Lower P. for money.

Money For Nothing

Probably the biggest problem the Upper Peninsula would face that most Yoopers are not thinking about is the revenue. The Upper Peninsula apparently receives a substantial amount of money being one state. Because of the Lower Peninsula there is tons of funding the Michigan government apparently provides to the Upper Peninsula based on tax revenue generated in the Lower Peninsula.

So if they succeeded from the state, they would have to provide the funding internally, which would not be easy considering they would then become the state with the smallest population in the country.

So will they ever split into a state of their own? I don't think so, but weirder things have happened...