I've been thinking this for years; the bay area has significant local concerns that span 6-10 counties (out of 58 in the state). In particular the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, and Alameda would do very well to work together more, and spend more on regional transit, but it seems that it's always The Local Politics Show, Brought to you by Metcalfe's Law. It's impractical to bring matters to the state level; a lot of the state doesn't even particularly like the bay area, so why should they care about the issues here?

If there were a super-county made up of the bay area counties that had the power to enact and enforce law, and serve as a venue for regional debate, discourse, and decision-making, I think the long-term economic health of the region would be more secure.