IT'S HAPPENING!
CalExit Just Got Green Light!
Liberal Plan To Split California Can Become Reality
This is great, one less problem for the United States of America.
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla confirmed on Monday that advocates who are
looking for California to secede from the United States of America after Donald Trump
won the presidency can now begin collecting signatures for a longshot initiative asking
voters to weigh in.
Although there had been two previous "Calexit' Proposals since the 2016 election previous
efforts either fell short or were withdrawn altogether.
But the latest would ask California voters about secession in 2020.
If it passes then a second election would be held a year later asking voters to affirm
the decision.
Marcus Ruiz Evans who is the co-founder of a group called "Yes California," said
the second vote would go towards showing that Californians are indeed serious about secession
and would strengthen the case for foreign governments to recognize the state's independence
on the world stage.
The difference between this initiative and the previous ones is that previous Calexit
initiatives would have deleted a portion of the state constitution that says California
is an inseparable part of the United States.
The latest version does not change the constitution in any way.
Trending: The NRA Just Doubled Down AndProponents have until Oct. 17 to collect nearly 366,000
signatures.
Good luck with that!As a lifelong California resident, I have to say this has to be the
worst idea for all sides.
California needs the US and the US needs California.
California is a produce-rich state which can feed most of the world when our politicians
let us water our crops.
We need the Military to protect us and Federal Tax dollars in case of emergency but at the
same time, the Federal Government needs California because of its rich tax revenue which is a
lot more than what any other state provides.
So how about we just leave things as they are and if you don't like who won the presidential
election then next time nominate a person who is liked instead of what their plumbing
or skin color is?
More on this via CNBC:California's secession movement will get a second try as the state's
"war" against the Trump administration rages on several fronts.
On Monday, the California Secretary of State's Office announced that a secession ballot proposal
has been cleared to begin gathering needed signatures.
It comes amid other efforts that seek to split up California.
"Calexit is left — we are progressive, and that's why we don't like Trump,"
said Marcus Ruiz Evans, one of the leaders of the Yes California campaign seeking California
independence.
"But there are some very hardcore Republican concepts to Calexit, including the group saying
don't waste our tax money."
Evans said the group's membership has risen by "about four times" to roughly 44,000
members since the election of President Donald Trump.
A similar effort by the backers of Calexit failed last year after negative fallout emerged
following the disclosure that its leader, Louis J. Marinelli, was living in Russia.
Marinelli, who is still listed as one of the backers of the measure, said in an interview
he "travels to Russia and has worked there from time to time but is still a resident
of California."
If the current Calexit measure gets enough signatures to qualify, it would result in
a special election in 2021 to ask California voters whether the state should become an
independent country.
The backers have until mid-October to get almost 366,000 signatures of registered voters
to qualify it for the ballot.
Long-shot effort However, some analysts suggest the secession
effort has a long shot passing.
A Berkeley IGS Poll released in March 2017 found Californians oppose independence from
the U.S. by more than 2-to-1.
"They'll be a lot of notoriety, there will be a lot of publicity but I think in
practical terms it's going to fizzle out," said Seth Kaplowitz, a finance lecturer at
San Diego State University.
"It would be ridiculous to secede from the union.
The only person who would probably be happy about that is probably Donald Trump."
There have been more than 200 attempts throughout California's history to split it up the
state.
Sixth-largest economy in the world Some argue that California, the sixth-largest
economy in the world, already has essentially acted like a separate country by signing agreements,
or memorandums of understanding, with nations on issues as well as climate change.
For example, Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown signed an agreement last year to work with China
to fight climate change.
That move came a week after Trump announced his intention for the U.S. to withdraw from
the Paris climate accord.
California's state leaders also have taken a different view from the Trump administration
when it comes to issues including offshore oil drilling, undocumented immigration, health
care, federal lands.
'War' with the Trump administration Earlier this month, the Trump administration
filed a lawsuit against California's so-called sanctuary state laws aimed at protecting undocumented
immigrants.
In response, Brown said, "This is basically going to war against the state of California,
the engine of the American economy."
More than 30 lawsuits have been filed between California and the federal government since
Trump was sworn into office in January 2017.
Trump, who has called California "out of control," sought to cut law enforcement
funds over the sanctuary policies in the state last year but a court ruled against the administration.
Getting shortchanged Regardless, Evans contends that Californians
don't get their fair share of federal spending for the money paid by taxpayers in the Golden
State.
Figures from the conservative Tax Foundation show California got back an estimated 78 cents
on each dollar paid in 2005 to the federal government while Alabama received $1.66 and
Kentucky got $1.51.
Evans maintains that if California were an independent nation, it could eliminate bureaucracy
by half and cut overall taxes for businesses and individuals.
Kaplowitz doesn't buy the argument that an independent California would necessarily
help business.
"Everybody is leaving California because they're overtaxed by the state," he said.
"Businesses are leaving, people are moving to Washington state and Texas and the other
states that don't have [an] income tax."
Splitting California in three Meantime, there's also a measure backed
by Silicon Valley billionaire Tim Draper to split California into three separate states.
Draper's plan would create a Northern California state that includes San Francisco, Silicon
Valley and Sacramento, a Southern California state with San Diego, the Inland Empire counties
and portions of the state's southern Central Valley.
A third state would retain the name California and include Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and
several other counties along the coast.
"All this is basically saying is that we're really not one state — we're so large
and we really have three different personalities," said Kaplowitz.
"Therefore, each personality should be its own state.
The reality is that you can say that about virtually any state."
November ballot Draper, chairman of the so-called "CAL 3"
campaign, announced earlier this month his group planned to submit more than 600,000
signatures, or nearly twice the amount required by law, to qualify for the Nov. 6 ballot.
"CAL 3 is committed to solving California's most pressing issues, including the state's
failing school systems that impact more than 6 million kids, highest-in-the-nation taxes,
deteriorating infrastructure and strained government," the group said recently.
"Partitioning California into three states would empower regional communities to make
better, fairer and more sensible decisions for their citizens."
This isn't the first time Draper has sought to split up California.
He backed a 2014 effort to break up California into six states, but despite spending more
than $5 million on the measure it failed to qualify for the ballot.
Even if Draper's group gets enough signatures this time, though, it still won't be easy
to split up the state, which joined the union in 1850.
The Legislature would need to give its consent along with Congress.
Creating a 'New California' At the same time, there's a "New California"
conservative movement that seeks to carve out rural counties into the 51st state.
But this isn't a ballot initiative.
The group is lining up support in counties and then hopes to take it to the Legislature
and then Congress.
So far, the group claims to have at least 38 of the state's 58 counties.
"People are really disenchanted with what they're seeing in Sacramento," said Paul
Preston, vice chair of the New California movement.
He complained that the controversial sanctuary state law along with state over-regulation
are just some of the concerns fueling interest in the split.
"We'll have 49 counties at the end of this," said Preston.
"We want this to be a win-win for California and New California."
But Kaplowitz said having California split into three separate states — or even a 51st
state — would be "unruly and chances of it happening any time soon are slim to none."
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