We should 100% allow them to go. Let's move the capital to SF or LA which makes way more sense. As far as water goes, a new nuke plant on the coast to do desalinization. Hum, this idea all works until the nuke plant as those left in CA will scream at the idea because despite all their professed education they still refused to except science when it goes against their "religious" belief (nuclear being the equivalent of Satan.)
Maybe we should break up into even more parts, where there is a state made up of only the startup tech engineering areas. Self driving cars and hyperloop here we come! Heck, maybe we could get a space elevator. We have to carve a path down to LA to encircle SpaceX.
Hint: some of this is sarcastic, up to you to figure out which parts.
"State of Jefferson supporters plan bill seeking independence from California
Jefferson proponents contend that their rural areas lack adequate representation in state government, which has led to over-regulation and environmental policies that decimated their regional economies, particularly the logging and mining industries that historically supported them. Their seal bears an XX, signifying that they have been double-crossed by state government.
At a rally on the steps of the Capitol to celebrate the “declaration day,” Mark Baird, a retired pilot from Siskiyou County who has led the Jefferson movement, called it “systematic persecution” and promised to “start a straight-up fight with the people in that building” to win their independence.
“We live in a state led by liars,” he said. “They have no empathy for what it takes to live our lives.”
If it were to happen, it's probably for the better. CA is outgrowing its population and cannot effectively and simultaneously serve urbanites and the more rural aspects of the population well. Jeffersonians will get their representation in the US congress and Californians will continue their urban agenda without having to pretend to think about the more agricultural and rural aspect of the state.
It would make national elections more interesting --whereas now CA is uncontested and neither Dems or Reps show up except for the Dems who show up for the money.
Jefferson's representation in US Congress would be ceremonial at best. Their population is too small. They are much more likely to get concessions from the state than the dysfunctional federal government.
Do you think Idaho's representation in the US congress is "ceremonial at best"? Those 21 counties constitute a nice slice of CA pop and given their agricultural might, I think the US congress would give them some attention.
Idaho was admitted to the US in 1890. That's a 127 year head start at forging a place in national politics. A state's politician does not get taken seriously merely by existing, but by long-held ties between the representative the surrounding economic regions.
These ties take time to establish. By the time anyone started taking The State of Jefferson seriously, the entire secession movement will be in old age homes, long since squandering any immediate benefit they could have gotten had they negotiated with the closest government instead of the furthest.
I don' think that's quite right. It's not a backwater without economic output. Dems and esp Reps would try to woo the new state given the relative equilibrium in electoral college votes as well as in the senate.
Sacto really pays little attention to "Jefferson" They care much more about the noisy areas like SF and LA. Looks at how Sacto manages water rights. It's all about the cities. A Jefferson might become more assertive about their water and the rights to it.
Yes, they care more about the places with more voters and more taxpayers. Those counties mentioned in the article are experiencing net losses in population, even as the state grows.
It is not in their best interest to separate themselves from the economic powerhouses of SF and LA.
Maybe we should break up into even more parts, where there is a state made up of only the startup tech engineering areas. Self driving cars and hyperloop here we come! Heck, maybe we could get a space elevator. We have to carve a path down to LA to encircle SpaceX.
Hint: some of this is sarcastic, up to you to figure out which parts.