Could California be split into six separate states? One Silicon Valley venture capitalist hopes to put a plan before voters this year which would do just that.
The California Secretary of State’s office has given approval to Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper to begin collecting petition signatures for a measure that would split California into six, new, separate states. The 2014 deadline to collect 807,615 signatures is July 18; he may instead put the measure on the 2016 ballot.
Known as the “Six Californias” plan, it would split the Golden State into six states. Turlock, along with Bakersfield, Fresno and Stockton would become Central California, the Sacramento area would become North California, Redding and the far north would become “Jefferson”, the Bay Area would become Silicon Valley, San Diego and Orange County would become South California, and Los Angeles and Santa Barbara would become West California.
The initiative contends “political representation of California’s diverse population and economies has rendered the state nearly ungovernable.”
California has more than 38 million residents, the largest of any state in the country.
“Vast parts of our state are poorly served by a representative government dominated by a large number of elected representatives from a small part our state, both geographically and economically,” the plan says.
In the past, similar proposals have suggested making California into two or three states.
Critics of the the Six Californias plan maintain that the split is unlikely to occur. Even if passed by California voters, the U.S. Congress would still have to approve the plan, which would add 10 more senators to the U.S. Senate, require various other electoral college adjustments, and necessitate a revision of the U.S. flag to add five additional stars.
Locally many issues would arise, such as water policy, water rights, ag policy and the division of assets between regions.
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This is the dumbest idea I’ve heard of. So cal would steal our water and never pay us. I say nope!!!
This is a dumb idea. I vote NO. We don’t need 5 new states. We’re past the time to industrialize. I’m sure we can think of a better way to salvage what we have than cut us up into six states. Come on. Find a better idea that voters would actually consider!
Trucking companies would not allow it because of the fees to cross state lines. To get from Jefferson to so cal you’d have to cross 4 state lines.
Just plain stupid.
Actually I would love to see the state split up at least into three separate States. If we can free ourselves from LA and San Francisco we would be much better off. Force the Bay area to Desalinize their own water and we use the water that falls in our state. All of our taxes go to fix our roads and not more Freeways for LA or crazy waco train project from Sacramento Beuracrats. It is a lot beter the closser you look at it.
The only people in favor of this are the same crooked Republicans who have been cooking districts via gerrymandering for years. They know California (the populated areas, at least) have and will always lean educated and Democrat, so they will stop at nothing at cooking the books to tilt national and local elections in their favor. A united California is a powerful California.
It would cost way too much! Even if it was a good idea to split up (Which is not, especially 6 is just a ridiculous number) but we would have to get a new capitol for each new state, new transportation stuff (DL’s, Plates, Registrations, etc), new health insurance stuff, laws that were once just California would split, taxes would change and most likely get worse to pay for all the new stuff, and what would happen to the UC and CSU system?