three californias..?

[space otter]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/california-three-states-tim-draper_us_5b20ba0ee4b09d7a3d7885f5

06/13/2018 04:34 am ET

Should California Really Be 3 States? Voters Will Decide In November.
"California government has rotted," said Tim Draper, the man behind the Cal 3 proposal to split the state.

By Nick Visser

A dramatic proposal to split California into three separate states has gathered enough signatures to appear on the ballot during the upcoming midterm elections in November.

Tim Draper, the main proponent of the initiative and its prime bankroller, gathered at least 402,000 signatures to divide California into three parts: a state called Northern California sprawling from Oregon down to San Francisco, another called California that'd primarily include Los Angeles and a band of land up the coast, and another dubbed Southern California that'd include Fresno, Bakersfield and San Diego.

The plan would create three differently sized regions, but all would have roughly the same population. And while California currently has two U.S. senators, the new bloc of three Californias would have six under the new proposal.

"Three states will get us better infrastructure, better education and lower taxes," Draper told The Los Angeles Times last summer after his proposal for the measure was submitted. "States will be more accountable to us and can cooperate and compete for citizens."

While voters will get to decide on the measure, it faces an uphill battle regardless of the outcome. If passed, the state constitution mandates both houses of the California legislature approve the proposal before it's submitted to Congress, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. It's also likely to be challenged in court.

The Times notes that, if the unlikely event were to take place, it'd be the first state to divide itself since West Virginia became an official entity in 1863.

This is the third time Draper has attempted to split up the state. He bankrolled efforts in 2012 and 2014 to divide the region into six different Californias, spending around $5 million in his most recent endeavor.

"California government has rotted," Draper told The Mercury News last month. "We need to empower our population to improve their government."

A separate coalition, dubbed NoCaBreakup, has already begun organizing to fight Draper's proposal. Opponents are worried how the state's vast resources would be divided were the state to break apart and say the proposal would harm poor regions while demarcating rich areas that generate most of California's current tax revenue.

"This measure would cost taxpayers billions of dollars to pay for the massive transactional costs of breaking up the state, whether it be universities, parks, or retirement systems," Steven Maviglio, a political consultant who helped fight Draper's past proposals, said on Twitter. "California government can do a better job addressing the real issues facing the state, but this measure is a massive distraction that will cause political chaos and greater inequality."

The new initiative will be certified by the California Secretary of State, Alex Padilla, on June 28 and will appear on the ballot in November.

[Shasta56]

People in northern Colorado wanted to split off into their own state a while back.  I think people need to try harder to get along.

[space otter]

California Supreme Court Blocks Ballot Proposition To Split The State In 3
A San Francisco area billionaire has been pushing the idea for several years.

By Antonia Blumberg   
07/18/2018 06:57 pm ET

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to block a ballot initiative to split the state into three parts after the measure had gathered enough signatures to put it before the voters in November.

In a unanimous order, the six judges said they decided to remove Proposition 9 from the ballot "because significant questions have been raised regarding the proposition's validity and because we conclude that the potential harm in permitting the measure to remain on the ballot outweighs the potential harm in delaying the proposition to a future election," the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Planning and Conservation League, an environmental group based in Sacramento, filed a lawsuit in the state Supreme Court last week arguing that the measure would amount to a revision of the California Constitution. Amendments to the state constitution require two-thirds approval from both houses of the state legislature before they can go on the ballot.

The court said it would consider arguments from both sides at a future hearing before determining whether to place the measure on the ballot in 2020.

The proposition would divide California into three states: one called Northern California that would run from the Oregon border down to the San Francisco metropolitan area, a second called California that would constitute a coastal strip from south of San Francisco down to the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and a third dubbed Southern California that would include everything else from Fresno to Bakersfield to San Diego.

The measure qualified for the ballot after Bay Area billionaire Tim Draper, the main proponent and bankroller of the initiative, gathered 402,000 signatures from valid, registered voters and submitted them in April.

Draper contends that California is ungovernable due to "poorly performing schools, crumbling infrastructure and a political system controlled by powerful special interests" and that it should be divided into "three smaller, more manageable states."

This is the third time the billionaire has attempted to split up the state: He previously bankrolled efforts in 2012 and 2014 to create six separate Californias. His most recent endeavor has cost him around $5 million.

"Apparently, the insiders are in cahoots and the establishment doesn't want to find out how many people don't like the way California is being governed," Draper said in a statement to HuffPost on Wednesday. "Whether you agree or not with this initiative," he added, "this is not the way democracies are supposed to work."

Others disagreed. The Planning and Conservation League applauded the court's order.

"Proposition 9 was a costly, flawed scheme that will waste billions of California taxpayer dollars, create chaos in public services including safeguarding our environment and literally eliminate the State of California ― all to satisfy the whims of one billionaire," the group's executive director, Howard Penn, said in a statement. "It would have dismantled the world's 5th biggest economy without solving a single challenge facing Californians today."

Fabian Nuñez, a member of the opposition group OneCalifornia Committee and a former speaker of the California Assembly, said it "gives direct democracy a bad name" that the measure was put on the ballot in the first place.

"We are hopeful that Tim Draper will end his attempts to split up our state and use his resources to help California meet its challenges and become an even better place to live and work," Nuñez said.

[zorgon]

Aww I was hoping for the Split   Sane people in one section, Snowflakes in another and the Hollywood Idjits in the third...

Then build a huge wall around the third

[spacemaverick]

Aww I was hoping for the Split   Sane people in one section, Snowflakes in another and the Hollywood Idjits in the third...

Then build a huge wall around the third

I could definitely agree with that.

[petrus4]

Aww I was hoping for the Split   Sane people in one section, Snowflakes in another and the Hollywood Idjits in the third...

Then build a huge wall around the third

As much as you and I might wish it otherwise at times, we're not in the Middle Ages any more, Zorgon.  We have both manned aircraft and unmanned flying drones, now.  Walls are therefore not capable of achieving as much as they used to.

As for the academic snowflakes; Berkeley produced BSD UNIX, so I know they were sane once.  I wish I understood what had happened in the last thirty years.  The poor Regents have probably been trying to figure it out themselves.

[spacemaverick]

The powers that be and our system would and will never let this happen.  My country is so messed up and so is the governing representatives.  We are fortunate to still be free.  I am for secure borders and for immigrants coming over to go through the process to come into the country.  I think they could streamline the process to become a citizen.  California should be dropped into the ocean with all its government that does not really care for their citizens.  Just my crazy raw opinion.

[The Seeker]

The powers that be and our system would and will never let this happen.  My country is so messed up and so is the governing representatives.

Mav, I couldn't agree with you more; but we have to keep our heads up and keep pushing for what we desire; hope springs eternal and it is encouraging to see younglings leaving the Dem Party

We are fortunate to still be free.

That is something we shall have to continue to fight for 

I am for secure borders and for immigrants coming over to go through the process to come into the country.  I think they could streamline the process to become a citizen.

They could, but sometimes it is worth the wait, let's make sure they are desireable first; the wholesale stampede that the previous administration unleashed needs to never happen again...

California should be dropped into the ocean with all its government that does not really care for their citizens.  Just my crazy raw opinion.

Now Mav, that would be a terrible thing to do to all the sea life  Go ahead and divide it up, wall it out, and wait for the next big quake to shake it to pieces; they could ship what's left to Fukashima and use it to fight the meltdown 

[spacemaverick]

Seeker, sometimes I must guard against going too far down the rabbit hole.  I have to step away into some music or comedy for a while to create a balance.  The battles going on now are much more visible and intense before.  The attitude of about 50% of our people is going opposite of conservative.  Some go along to get along, some just want to live their life.  Something within me drives me and I don't know what it is.

[zorgon]

As much as you and I might wish it otherwise at times, we're not in the Middle Ages any more, Zorgon.  We have both manned aircraft and unmanned flying drones, now.  Walls are therefore not capable of achieving as much as they used to. ;

Well dang it we need to bring it back  In those Goode Olde Dayes if you were unhappy with the leader you got together a group, stormed the Castle and took the crown   And if you did good, you would live a full life

As for the academic snowflakes; Berkeley produced BSD UNIX, so I know they were sane once.  I wish I understood what had happened in the last thirty years.  The poor Regents have probably been trying to figure it out themselves.

The SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms)  was created in Berkely so yeah Once Upon a tyme... they were sane  The SCA is STILL sane,,, we never even mention Poly Ticks at events (unless it's who will win the Crown this year )

So  something happened and yes the teachers are the ring leaders I have seen many protests where the teachers are the ones leading the cause  Like the one protest where they were all wearing Che Guevara T-shirts  and when asked why these teachers said "oh he represents revolutionaries" 

Something happened  don't know what  Some blame the fluoride 

[zorgon]

California should be dropped into the ocean with all its government that does not really care for their citizens.  Just my crazy raw opinion.

Welll... I am told that a few well placed nukes along the San Andrea fault and that would happen    And it would only drop that section with the main problem people   leaving the food belt intact

We got any contact? Maybe we can get those nukes from Kim Jung Un at a bargain price seeing as he has no use for them

[zorgon]

Now Mav, that would be a terrible thing to do to all the sea life 

No no  it's okay really  Sharks need to eat too They been snacking on surfers anyway  

[spacemaverick]

We must take care of the sea life that Fukushima didn't kill.

[ArMaP]

As for the academic snowflakes; Berkeley produced BSD UNIX, so I know they were sane once.

It's a different kind of sane.

Besides that, organisations are what the people there at the moment are, when the people change the organisation changes.

[Sgt.Rocknroll]

Welll... I am told that a few well placed nukes along the San Andrea fault and that would happen    And it would only drop that section with the main problem people   leaving the food belt intact

We got any contact? Maybe we can get those nukes from Kim Jung Un at a bargain price seeing as he has no use for them

Would that finally reveal all the underground water routes for the secret submarines?