Carving Up California

[Ultimate Paragon]

http://www.newsweek.com/billionaire-proposes-splitting-california-six-states-259083

Venture capitalist Tim Draper wants to dismantle California and is proposing a ballot measure that would split the state into six pieces, Reuters reports. The resulting six states would be called North California, South California, West California, Central California, Silicon Valley and Jefferson, the last named in recognition of an ongoing attempt by counties in Northern California and southern Oregon to form their own state of the same name.

The San Jose Mercury News has the rundown:

“[M]uch of the Bay Area, plus Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, would become the state of Silicon Valley. California’s northernmost parts would become Jefferson, as some counties up there have wanted for years; some North Bay counties would become part of North California; Stockton, Fresno and Bakersfield would be among Central California’s largest cities; Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara would wind up in West California; and San Diego would anchor South California.”

Draper told Newsweek he has more than enough signatures to get the measure in front of voters in 2016. “We needed to come up with 808,000,” he said in a phone interview. “We ended up with 1.3 million.”

Yeah, not gonna happen.

[Ironchew]

This is a thinly-veiled proposal by Republicans to rig statewide elections in their favor by quarantining off "undesirable" parts of the states. The fact that demographics change over time and the Republican party may be in a position decades from now where they would be relying on today's state boundaries is totally lost on them -- this is petty and short-sighted.

Do they want to carve up Texas? No? Didn't think so.

[Ultimate Paragon]

This is a thinly-veiled proposal by Republicans to rig statewide elections in their favor by quarantining off "undesirable" parts of the states. The fact that demographics change over time and the Republican party may be in a position decades from now where they would be relying on today's state boundaries is totally lost on them -- this is petty and short-sighted.

Do they want to carve up Texas? No? Didn't think so.

I don't think it's that.  The opposition to this is bipartisan: http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2014/04/03/bipartisan-opposition-rises-to-plan-to-split-state/.

[Eiki-mun]

If it's bipartisan, then it's bipartisan stupidity. Might as well support Aztlan.

[Witchyjoshy]

Extreme Gerrymandering, the pure blooded Republican's sport.  If you hate it, then you're clearly a RINO.

[ironbite]

It also won't happen.  There's not enough red to counteract the deep blue in the populations centers.

Ironbite-but it's cute that they're trying this.

[Ultimate Paragon]

It also won't happen.  There's not enough red to counteract the deep blue in the populations centers.

Ironbite-but it's cute that they're trying this.

Like I said, I don't think it's Gerrymandering.  If it was, then why would there be bipartisan opposition to the plan?

[lord gibbon]

It also won't happen.  There's not enough red to counteract the deep blue in the populations centers.

Ironbite-but it's cute that they're trying this.

Like I said, I don't think it's Gerrymandering.  If it was, then why would there be bipartisan opposition to the plan?

Because some of the more cautious conservatives realize it might set a precedent for other divided states... Texas, perhaps?

[Ultimate Paragon]

It also won't happen.  There's not enough red to counteract the deep blue in the populations centers.

Ironbite-but it's cute that they're trying this.

Like I said, I don't think it's Gerrymandering.  If it was, then why would there be bipartisan opposition to the plan?

Because some of the more cautious conservatives realize it might set a precedent for other divided states... Texas, perhaps?

Possibly.

[ironbite]

If Texas does actually split from the union, then it splits itself into several smaller states.  For some reason when they made their state constitution, someone inserted that clause.

Ironbite-*throws the keys to the Delorean into the key bowel*

[Ultimate Paragon]

If Texas does actually split from the union, then it splits itself into several smaller states.  For some reason when they made their state constitution, someone inserted that clause.

Ironbite-*throws the keys to the Delorean into the key bowel*

Really?  Do you have a link or something?

[ironbite]

http://www.snopes.com/history/american/texas.asp

And while there's a clause in Texas' constitution that provides for this, another clause in the US Constitution might prevent any of those new states that form from Texas from joining the Union.

Ironbite-of which we still are.

[Vypernight]

Wow, Republicans know they can't win an election with their archaic beliefs, religion/label spouting, and money from businesses people so they resort to finding 'legal' ways to bend voting results in their favor, even if it means restricting voting and changing voting districts so those voting for them are larger.

Hopefully this continues to work as well as it did in 2012, especially here in good ol' Florida where Rick Scott and his buddies tried to screw up voting so badly that it took several days to acknowledge a presidential winner . . . and Obama STILL won! 

Yeah, great job learning from hostiry, CA!

[Nemo]

I can sort of imagine the idea. Split off a small red state, get a few more senators. There are some conservative parts of California, at least at the moment. Still a stupid idea, which is probably why many Republicans oppose it. Also, a lot of Americans like having an even fifty states.

[mythbuster43]

I can sort of imagine the idea. Split off a small red state, get a few more senators. There are some conservative parts of California, at least at the moment. Still a stupid idea, which is probably why many Republicans oppose it. Also, a lot of Americans like having an even fifty states.

Some conservative parts of California include Orange County, where the John Birch Society was founded.