Voters in California contemplate forming new state
By JULIET WILLIAMS
17 hours ago
rural, agrarian and politically conservative far northern counties long
ago got used to feeling ignored in the state Capitol and out of sync
with major urban areas.
The idea of
forming their own state has been a topic among local secession dreamers
for more than a century. Residents in two counties will have a chance to
voice that sentiment next week.
forming their own state has been a topic among local secession dreamers
for more than a century. Residents in two counties will have a chance to
voice that sentiment next week.
Voters
in Del Norte and Tehama, with a combined population of about 91,000,
will decide June 3 on an advisory measure that asks each county's board
of supervisors to join a wider effort to form a 51st state named
Jefferson.
Elected officials in Glenn, Modoc, Siskiyou and Yuba in Del Norte and Tehama, with a combined population of about 91,000,
will decide June 3 on an advisory measure that asks each county's board
of supervisors to join a wider effort to form a 51st state named
Jefferson.
counties already voted to join the movement. Supervisors in Butte County
will vote June 10, while local bodies in other northern counties are
awaiting the June 3 ballot results before deciding what to do.
A
similar but unrelated question on the primary ballot in Siskiyou County
asks voters to rename that county the Republic of Jefferson.
similar but unrelated question on the primary ballot in Siskiyou County
asks voters to rename that county the Republic of Jefferson.
"We
have 11 counties up here that share one state senator," compared to 20
for the greater Los Angeles area and 10 for the San Francisco Bay Area,
said Aaron Funk of Crescent City, a coastal town in Del Norte County
near the Oregon border. "Essentially, we have no representation
whatsoever."
The current county secession efforts are merely advisory, have 11 counties up here that share one state senator," compared to 20
for the greater Los Angeles area and 10 for the San Francisco Bay Area,
said Aaron Funk of Crescent City, a coastal town in Del Norte County
near the Oregon border. "Essentially, we have no representation
whatsoever."
encouraging local officials to further study the idea. The steps
involved in trying to become the country's 51st state are steep, first
requiring approval from the state Legislature, then from Congress.
The
counties that could opt in — as many as 16, according to supporters —
make up more than a quarter of the state's land mass but only a small
portion of its population.
The seven counties that have voted or
will this month have a combined geographic area twice the size of New
Hampshire, with about 467,000 residents.
The terrain spans some of
California's most majestic coastal scenery to agriculture-dominated
valleys, Mount Shasta and Redwood National Park. Some of its residents
are also are among the state's poorest, and the population is far
different from California as a whole.
While the state has no
racial majority and Hispanics make up the largest ethnic group,
residents in the far northern counties are overwhelmingly white.
Because the exact makeup of the proposed state of Jefferson is
still unknown, it is hard to assess the potential economic impact. The
state Department of Finance does not have a county-by-county comparison
of what each contributes in state revenue versus what it receives.
But
the loss of millions of dollars for everything from infrastructure to
schools is among the biggest worries of residents who oppose the
secession movement. The Del Norte County Board of Education, which
receives 90 percent of its funding, or $32 million, from the state,
voted to oppose the local initiative, known as Measure A.
If it
passes, Kevin Hendrick worries that local officials will spend years
studying how to create a new state rather than tackling concrete
problems such as fixing a crumbling highway that is in danger of falling
into the ocean.
"It's a lot of broad promises about things being
better and representation being better," said Hendrick, who is leading
the opposition in Del Norte. "But the more they talk, the less clear it
becomes about how that's actually going to happen."
It's also
unclear how the new state would pay for federally mandated education,
social welfare, health care and other programs or a host of other
services residents rely on. Proponents say they would scrap thousands of
regulations and state agencies, freeing Jefferson's leaders to spend
how they want and attract more businesses.
"We
have the water, forests, timber, we have the minerals. We have
unspoiled agricultural land," said Funk, the secession proponent. "We
would be the wealthy state if we were allowed to go back and use our
natural resources ourselves."
have the water, forests, timber, we have the minerals. We have
unspoiled agricultural land," said Funk, the secession proponent. "We
would be the wealthy state if we were allowed to go back and use our
natural resources ourselves."
Much
of the land in what would become the state of Jefferson is federal, and
that wouldn't change if the region became its own state.
of the land in what would become the state of Jefferson is federal, and
that wouldn't change if the region became its own state.
A
separate effort by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, borne
out of the same belief that the state of 38 million has become
ungovernable, would create "six Californias," including a state of
Jefferson comprised of 13 counties. The state legislative analyst's
office found Jefferson would rank near the bottom of the six
economically.
separate effort by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, borne
out of the same belief that the state of 38 million has become
ungovernable, would create "six Californias," including a state of
Jefferson comprised of 13 counties. The state legislative analyst's
office found Jefferson would rank near the bottom of the six
economically.
Many
state-of-Jefferson meetings are held in conjunction with tea party
groups, who share similar concerns over what Siskiyou County Supervisor
Marcia Armstrong calls "so many nanny laws" coming from Sacramento.
state-of-Jefferson meetings are held in conjunction with tea party
groups, who share similar concerns over what Siskiyou County Supervisor
Marcia Armstrong calls "so many nanny laws" coming from Sacramento.
"We
are very libertarian in view, and we believe that people would have
freedom to make their own choices as long as they don't impose on other
people's rights," she said.
are very libertarian in view, and we believe that people would have
freedom to make their own choices as long as they don't impose on other
people's rights," she said.
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