Partition California into 5 states (Los Angeles, Sacramento: school, taxation, live in)

[Equal Representation]

I'd be interested to see what you all think about partitioning California into 5 states, something like this:


[url=facebook.com/equalrepresentation/]

Lines drawn when California's population was less than 100,000 no longer reflect our social, economic, and cultural differences. California is the largest state in the union by population, and as such, nearly one in six Americans is a Californian. Only one in 50 senators is a Californian, however. The east coast of the United States has 32 senators representing its interests, while the west coast only has 6. If California were a country, it would be the world's 8th largest economy. 40 million people deserve to have their voices heard in the senate. Partitioning the state isn't about division, it's about REvision. The golden state is simply too large to manage as one entity.

Politically, a 5 state solution is a far superior to the two state solution proposed in 2011 by Riverside county supervisor Jeff Stone. The map 5 Californias uses would create two blue states, two red states, and a swing state (the San Joaquin Valley). These lines are of course not inflexible, and the number of states is certainly up for debase at well, the purpose of the map is simply to provide a visual reference and get people talking.

We need to talk about this, not just Californians, but as a nation. I have to stress, the creation of this map is not about separating people politically, it's about bringing the capital closer to home, having people participate in policy-making because they believe they can make a difference, and giving oft-marginalized regions a voice at the national level.

Let the comments begin.

[evergraystate]

Originally Posted by Equal Representation

Partition California into 5 states

Divide and conquer. Another right wing nut job idea.

[Snort]

Poor San Joaquin gets left out on coastal access.
This leads to an all-out war with a two-pronged approach, as SJ divides its army to head northwest into Reyes while sending another division southwest into San Gabriel. San Joaquin elicits help from the Cabrillo armed forces to go against San Gabriel, promising them an unending supply of first-rate carrots and potatoes from the fertile Arvin farmlands. After months of coastal bombardment of the San Gabriel territory by the Cabrillian Armada, the former surrenders and cedes political rights to SJ and Cabrillo. Naturally, this develops into its own situation and Cabrillo and San Joaquin are now at war, with Cabrillo developing an appetite for unhindered access to Arvin and its carrots and potatoes.
In short, this will never work. Many lives would be lost.

[.highnlite]

For a start we don't want a state named San Gabriel, and we don't want Ventura County or Los Angeles County thank you very much. We will take Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, build a wall around it and call it Cowafornia.

[Fontucky]

Oooooh girl, OC's gonna hate being lumped in with the IE.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Oooooh girl, OC's gonna hate being lumped in with the IE.

Better than with LA.

[Harrier]

Originally Posted by evergraystate

Divide and conquer. Another right wing nut job idea.

The above is why California is messed up. No where in Equal Representation's post was any political affiliation of the OP mentioned. Politics was only mentioned by the statement about two blue states, 2 red states, and a swing state. Evergraystate jumps all over this very reasonable suggestion by proclaiming it a "right wing nut job idea". Until our state can come together instead of being divided politically - there is no hope. We are deeply in debt, our school system ranks near the bottom nationally, businesses are fleeing in droves due to excessive taxation and regulation and taking much needed jobs with them, and our infrastructure is aging and deteriating. Instead of adding to a constructive discussion to solve these issues - evergreenstate goes on a politically biased rant - and does not even live in this state!

Now let's try to have a reasonable discussion on this without the political slam attacks.

I like the idea - I do not think it will happen - because the Constitution makes this very difficult. Article IV Section 3 of the United States Constitution states "New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State 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 Leglislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress".

The 5 state proposal makes sense geographically, culturally, and politically - however it would never pass the vote of our Leglislature - let alone Congress. The two state solution is more workable - and even it would be a longshot to pass the Constitutional requirements.

But I like the hyothetical idea. Let's kick it around some - without the petty sniping by the likes of evergraystate.

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Better than with LA.

Seems as though it's worked well for it up till now...

[esmith143]

The map 5 Californias uses would create two blue states, two red states, and a swing state (the San Joaquin Valley).

Actually no, it would create two solid-blue states, two blue-leaning swing states, and one red state. "Reyes" and "San Gabriel" are obviously blue, and, If I got my numbers right, in 2008, counties comprising "Cabrillo" and "San Joaquin", voted for Obama 52%/48% and 52%/48%. And the biggest thing that keeps San Joaquin Valley from going solid-blue is Bakersfield, which is (for now) leaning red, but its Latino population share grew from 32% to 45% in the last ten years and soon it will be blue as well. Obama took all other SJV population centers in 2008, sometimes by sizable margins (San Joaquin County - 54%/44%, Sacramento County - 58%/39%).

It's quite hard to make even one, let alone two functional red states out of CA, most red counties are thinly populated and lack any kind of economy. In the partition above, the largest city in "Jefferson" would be Redding (population: 90,000), and the whole construct looks as sustainable economically as Nevada would be without Las Vegas.

[.highnlite]

Bakersfield, which is (for now) leaning red, but its Latino population share grew from 32% to 45% in the last ten years and soon it will be blue as well.

Good news, if they can dump Kevin McCarthy that should kill HR 1581.