Two and a half years ago, John posted an article about efforts to split California into three for economic and cultural reasons. Now here’s another move, but with a different cut. Are there other parts of the country that would like to secede from their current state?
Here’s the ‘official’ website of the new ‘state’ of Jefferson.
A move to secede on California-Oregon border
Some folks around here think the economic sky is falling and state lawmakers in Sacramento and Salem are ignoring their constituents in the hinterlands.
Guess the time is ripe to create a whole new state.
That’s the thinking up here along the border between California and Oregon, where 12 sparsely populated, thickly forested counties in both states want to break away and generate the 51st star on the nation’s flag – the state of Jefferson.
[…]
“We have nothing in common with you people down south. Nothing,” said Randy Bashaw, manager of the Jefferson State Forest Products lumber mill in the Trinity County hamlet of Hayfork. “The sooner we’re done with all you people, the better.”Talking about secession has been a quasi-joking conversational saw since 1941, when five counties in the area started things by actually declaring themselves – briefly – to be the state of Jefferson. But now, with the economy in trouble and unemployment soaring, the idea of greater independence is getting its most serious consideration since World War II.
[…]
If they ran their own state, the reasoning goes, folks in Siskiyou, Modoc and the other potential Jefferson counties could whack the red tape from both federal and state officials and get rid of the sales tax.
Moodonna, the state cow sculpture of Jefferson
Hum! if you were to include e.washington, it could look like a mirror image of idaho. W. Virginia broke off of Virginia so that it could augment a certan military industrial complex.
So it may be possible, but not likely. 🙂
#31
It was meant as a farce, dolt. It’s fun to watch all of the concrete-thinking, humorless drones jump on stuff like this…totally entertaining. As for slavery, we are all slaves in our current consumption-driven system. Don’t worry, be happy.
I think that this kind of thing will become hotter as the country moves further left. People on the right will feel that their only course is to secede. I just don’t see it happening because it’s like saying here’s two more conservative senators.
Here’s the hurdle if anyone is interested; from the constitution:
“Article. IV. – The States
Section 3 – New States
New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.”
So, the state of CA, OR and the us senate and house must approve.
parts of the problem…
Those in the capital, RULE by those MOST in the cities. In Oregon its the Willamite valley(PDX south to Salem). The RESt of the State is mostly FARMING. And the capital hasnt listened to them in YEARS.
Cali, has the same problem.
The fun part is that Judges and Mayors in those Farming areas, tend to be GODs, in there OWN right. At least they THINK they are.
I posted in Cagematch, a person who wanted to DIVIDE the states by population. Which would balance ALOT of little problems in Many states, as well as representation in the RESt of the GOV.
One of the problems is PAYING for ROADS. And ROAD taxes. Money, for some ODD reason never stays in the smaller countries to REPAIR the roads, and ends up paying for the LARGER cities and FEDERAL roads.
This seems too well timed to be a coincidence. What with Palin’s past politics coming forth.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/1/16210/07141/376/582375
If she was involved in the AIP, I’m sure it was about freeing up the ANWR for oil production. But with the Republicians pushing for it too, it’s no wonder she changed horses. But the idea that she’s be party to succeeding Alaska from the Union, just to secure more drilling of protected lands, is cause to consider her just another tool of Big Oil.
# 9 Peanut Butter and Jam said, on October 6th, 2008 at 6:06 am
I reckon we should re-carve North America making British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and Northern California one country, south California, Arizona, and Texas can re-join a new “North Mexico” with southern Mexico becoming its own nation, the Canadian Prairies and the American Mid-west can be their own country, then New England and Atlantic Canada could be yet another country, Quebec could have the independence it has always wanted, as can the Arctic and the American South. New York City can be its own city-state (with upstate New York joining New England). Ontario, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota and all them can be yet another country.
Read FRIDAY by Robert A. Heinlein….
Also, southern Arizona (semi-blue) has often considered in a semi-joking way seceding from the northern (Phoenix) section, which is hardcore ‘red’. (Guess where McCain is from)
J/P=?
There is a bit of cultural cohesiveness there.
To my thinking, a better re-ordering would be to unify Washington & Oregon and then divide them vertically between east and west.
Easter WA & OR are rural and tend to be conservative.
Wester WA & OR are more urban and tend to be liberals.
We liberals would be happy to be rid of the conservative countries who suck our tax dollars, the way red states suck from blue states and then hurl insults at them for loving government.
You know someting Greggy! The day that you think you can make it without rural America is the day that you and your ilke get what you deserve. Grow up and start thinking things through befor you open your mouth.
And while I’m at it, a subset of a state is a county not a country.
What would keep the state of Jefferson from getting into the same mess California is in now?
Washington DC is too much in our lives and in our states to the point that we need more than a new state.
I would love to move back to that regeion,I was born and grew up in Ca. I have lived in the cesspool of Seattle for 30 yrs;watching it try as hard as it can to become San Francisco.And it is doing just that.It is a slime hole extrodinare.
As long as the federal gov.is allowed to give and take the way they do, we the people are screwed .I would love a clean slate especially in such a beautiful place as my home state ,but my concience would ache at having to send representatives to DC. It would be a lost cause.