Referendum To
Split California Into 3 States Gets On Ballot. Here's What The New Californias
Would Look Like.
ByJames Barrett
June 13, 2018
A new proposal to break up California into three states
received enough signatures on Tuesday to make it onto the November 6 ballot.
Now all it takes is a majority of California voters supporting it to start
dismantling the country's most populous, wealthy and radical state.
The Los Angeles Times
provides some more details on what would be "the first division of an
existing U.S. state since the creation of West Virginia in 1863":
If a majority of voters who cast ballots agree, a long
and contentious process would begin for three separate states to take the place
of California, with one primarily centered around Los Angeles and the other two
divvying up the counties to the north and south. Completion of the radical plan
— far from certain, given its many hurdles at judicial, state and federal
levels — would make history. ...
The proposal aims to invoke Article IV, Section 3 of the
U.S. Constitution, the provision guiding how an existing state can be divided
into new states. Draper’s plan calls for three new entities — Northern
California, California and Southern California — which would roughly divide the
population of the existing state into thirds.
Northern California would consist of 40 counties
stretching from Oregon south to Santa Cruz County, then east to Merced and
Mariposa counties. Southern California would begin with Madera County in the
Central Valley and then wind its way along the existing state’s eastern and
southern spine, comprising 12 counties and ultimately curving up the Pacific
coast to grab San Diego and Orange counties.
The man behind the proposal is Silicon
Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, who tried and failed in the past to
convince Californians to divide the state into six new states — an effort
undone in part because of questions about the economic viability of some of the
new states, which his new proposal addresses better, and election officials
invalidating many of the signatures on the proposal. Maybe the second time's
the charm.
"Three states will get us better infrastructure,
better education and lower taxes," Draper told the Times after he first
submitted the proposal last summer. "States will be more accountable to us
and can cooperate and compete for citizens." Draper maintains in the
introduction to the longshot proposal that large sections of California are
"poorly served" by a government dominated by representatives from
only a small part of the state.
In a report worth watching if just for the awesome
DC-themed mural at Draper's headquarters, Reuters speaks with the "Silicon
Valley titan" about why he thinks it's time to do what the Romans did in
the final stages of the empire and split the whole thing up. Reuters also mentions
that a recent poll found that less than a fifth of Californians liked the idea:
Below are some of the arguments for the referendum
presented on Draper's Cal 3 website:
Stronger Education
In its current state, California ranks last in the
country in high school graduation rates and near the bottom in high-priority
subjects like math. The California Department of Education simply cannot manage
6.2 million students, nearly 300,000 teachers, and more than 1,000 school
districts. Cal 3 will bring critical decision-making closer to home, giving
states a fresh start and families better choices, with greater accountability
and outcomes for everyone.
Safer Roads & Infrastructure
California’s highways, bridges, freeways, and city roads
are ranked among the poorest in the nation. For example, Californians pay $844
a year in wear-and-tear on their vehicles due to shoddy roadways. Cal 3 gives
regional governments greater control over critical infrastructure spending that
will enhance the safety and security of their citizens.
Lower Taxes
Californians pay the highest taxes in the nation, and yet
our tax dollars are mismanaged in every way. Cal 3 would encourage each state
set lower tax rates to encourage families and employers to make their home
there.
Accountable Tax Oversight, Manageable Budget &
Spending
Despite sky-high taxes and hundreds of billions earmarked
in spending through Sacramento, Californians see little regional return on our
investment. Cal 3 would promote greater citizen oversight of and control over
how taxes are being spent, with the result being a more responsive government
and elected officials spending in closer alignment with their constituents’
more pressing and important needs.
Local Identity, Autonomy & Diversity
Rather than being managed remotely — and ineffectively —
from Sacramento, each state will have the autonomy to make choices based on the
most pressing needs and opportunities closest to home. Cal 3 uses the region’s natural
geographic boundaries to emphasize local identity, while retaining existing
county lines in order to preserve Californians’ natural pride in our diverse
population.
Efficient Government & Area-Specific Regulations
California’s diverse regions require government attention
that is specifically tailored to address that area’s needs. The economic
climate in areas like San Bernardino and Fresno is very different from the
economic climate in areas like Los Angeles or San Francisco. Dividing
California into smaller states will help elected officials decide which laws
and tax regulations best suit that specific region, resulting in more
responsive government.
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