Two Californias?

[riversidevw]

Would two California be any better (or worse) than one?

A Riverside County supervisor is starting a move to allow at least thirteen counties to secede from the Peoples Republic. There have been rumblings of this since the 1850's... about as frequent as seismic activity along the San Andreas fault.

What would they call the fragments of the now-tarnished Golden State? Baja California seems to have been taken. Perhaps "Right California" and "Left California"?

Odds are against it, it would require consent of those zany guys and gals of the legislature, also approval of Congress. Besides, the water resources would be a source of even more contention than usual, especially if they continue to turn the entire inland desert into a vast and verdant golf course.

There have been occasions when secession sounded REALLY appealing. Such as the passage by the full assembly and senate transportation committee in 2007 of a bill mandating stringent annual smog tests of all vehicles 15 years and older, fees to go to a fund subsidizing the scrapping of older cars. Passage in the state senate was narrowly averted.

If commenting, please avoid specifically naming the perps or their partisan ties. We are scrupulously apolitical, of course.

Gil

[FlatheadGeo]

Sounds like what happened in NYS when Staten Island wanted to secede. This was back in the early eighties.

[1962larksedan]

Needles; California could be handed over to either Nevada (Clark County) by simply shifting the border south a few miles or maybe to Arizona (Mohave County). Why I say that is Needles is in San Bernardino County and services are few and far between.

[shifter4]

Florida has been there. http://www.conchrepublic.com/

[JDP]

Sounds like what happened in NYS when Staten Island wanted to secede. This was back in the early eighties.

The problem with most plans like that is you throw the baby out with the bath water. i.e. you cut the big spending areas, but lose the big tax bases too. i.e. Blue New Jersey gets 61 cents back for every tax dollar, red New Mexico gets $2.03. The same happens on the state level, the rural areas get more back than the urban per tax dollar. Even California gets only 78 cents back and they are not exactly a example of fiscal responsibility.
Splitting the country or states red and blue would largely be splitting rural and urban, and unworkable. Even very red states have blue urban centers, and blue states have red rural areas. I live in Maryland, and I only have to drive 10 miles over the bay bridge to be on another planet politically.

http://www.visualeconomics.com/united-states-federal-tax-dollars/

[StudeDave57]

Would two California be any better (or worse) than one?
A Riverside County supervisor is starting a move to allow at least thirteen counties to secede from the Peoples Republic. There have been rumblings of this since the 1850's... about as frequent as seismic activity along the San Andreas fault. Gil

Having lived there for roughly half my life- I could see it working- to a point.
I'd be interested in knowing which 13 Counties wanna do this- gotta link?

[studegary]

Sounds like what happened in NYS when Staten Island wanted to secede. This was back in the early eighties.

If SI was to leave NYS, would they join NJ? If you look at a map, it looks like SI should belong to NJ. Or, were they only looking to leave NYC and not NYS?

There have been many movements over the years to break off NYC, LI, Rockland and Westchester from the rest of NYS and make a separate state. It is voted down by the City people because the rest of us help support them, like we have to pay the MTA with sales tax, vehicle registration extra charges, etc.

[jlmccuan]

We've been trying this for years here in Illinois as well. Six hours north of us is Chicago. Three hours north is the capitol, Springfield. Our Governors do not live in the Governor's mansion in Springfield, they live in Chicago. Guess who really runs the state. Urban Chicago or rural downstate?

[JGK 940]

[QUOTE=StudeDave57: I'd be interested in knowing which 13 Counties wanna do this- gotta link? [/QUOTE]

From Wikipedia's entry:

In June 2011, Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone called for Riverside, Imperial, San Diego, Orange, San Bernardino, Kings, Kern, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa and Mono Counties to separate from California to form the new state of South California...[17]

[Corvanti]

they've been talking about this at least since i was in grade school in socal - early 60's...

the problem is they never use the "true" boundary between the 2 californias - the san andreas fault!!! it's gonna separate sooner or later anyway!!!

without getting political, that boundary would pretty much take care of dividing "red" state california, and "blue" state california, too!!!

[okc63avanti]

HERE'S THE SOLUTION ...

Sell the west coast and northeast states that are up to their necks in debt to China. In exchange China forgives the rest of the US of all debt. This preserves the American way of life in the vast majority of states and those sold to China are essentially already use to a more socialistic society anyway so they shouldn't care.

OK .... you serious types here is my disclaimer "This is only jesting on my part, do not take it seriously"

[doug]

Living in L.A., this county was not included in being part of the succession, maybe the 52nd state?

[JDP]

HERE'S THE SOLUTION ...

Sell the west coast and northeast states that are up to their necks in debt to China. In exchange China forgives the rest of the US of all debt. This preserves the American way of life in the vast majority of states and those sold to China are essentially already use to a more socialistic society anyway so they shouldn't care.

OK .... you serious types here is my disclaimer "This is only jesting on my part, do not take it seriously"

Great jest, but only sell the states that get more federal tax money back than they pay, leaving the east and west coast states free to reduce debt used to help support many of the flyover states.

[Corvanti]

Great jest, but only sell the states that get more federal tax money back than they pay, leaving the east and west coast states free to reduce debt used to help support many of the flyover states.

well, the "flyover states of america" could introduce a tariff on all goods traveling by truck and rail between the "more important states of america". problem solved.

panama canal would be backed up for weeks if by sea. by air, it would make the berlin airlift look like a puddle-jumper regional airport.

all in fun, y'all...

[JDP]

well, the "flyover states of america" could introduce a tariff on all goods traveling by truck and rail between the "more important states of america". problem solved.

panama canal would be backed up for weeks if by sea. by air, it would make the berlin airlift look like a puddle-jumper regional airport.

all in fun, y'all...

So what you are saying is we need a "United States of America ?" I like the concept, I don't have to give up southern ribs, and you still get NY pizza. We can fuss about the left/right thing, but more unites us than divides us