Thread: Desperate California Could Split Into 4 States

Desperate California Could Split Into 4 States

Joe Weisenthal|
May. 21, 2009, 3:06 PM|128


The clock is ticking on California, which must slash its way out of a $21 billion deficit in order to stave off default (that is, if Uncle Sam doesn't extend the state a TARP bailout before then).

While the problem is serious, the state's uber-democratic system is broken beyond repair. It's truly a failed state, in the classic political science sense of the term. If it were its own country, the US would be consulting with the UN and NATO about establishing a presence and supervising elections.

So the state needs radical help, and a bailout will only make things worse.

But theoretically the state is salvageable, argues Breakingviews, if only because the state could both afford higher taxes and reduce state spending. Spending is far from bare-bones levels, and state employees are extremely well paid.

But Breakingviews actually proposes a much more radical solution, which is breaking California up into 4 distinct states (seriously). Think of it like good bank/bad bank, but for states.

Actually it's a little different. The idea is not that this will solve the state's financial problems, but that it will split it into four coherent political units, which would be:

San Diego/Orange County/Inland Empire (socially conservative, Hispanic, heavily military)

Greater LA (Hollywood and Hispanics, very liberal)

San Francisco/Silicon Valley (Liberal, but very dynamic and market oriented)

Central (Conservative, Kansas-like)

This is a political scientist's late night fantasy and doing this might actually solve some political problems, but in the end it wouldn't work.

The first state to go would be Greater LA. You see, the Hollywood liberal types may love to support government spending and immigration, but the moment the entire burden fell on them to support the rest of the population they'd scream bloody murder. You know they would. And it's probably a gloss-over to just say that the San Diego state would be solidly "conservative" just because there's a lot of military and socially conservative Hispanics there. There'd be huge public support tensions over spending and government safety nets.

Beyond that, national Republicans would never go for this, since you'd essentially be creating three new Democratic states (it sounds like Central would probably be Republican), giving Democrats permanent dominance in the US Senate.

http://www.businessinsider.com/desperat ... tes-2009-5

I say they sell CA to Mexico and put up a double-border fence on the East side! Give all the illegals a fire extinguisher, a helmet, and a raft for the "Big One..."
CA was the most Liberal border state and I blame them for the influx of illegals and letting them take over our country. They have what they deserve as far as I'm concerned. They have ruined a huge chunk of land and abused their powers within the political stage. YET, they STILL won't cut all the stupid projects out? If the people want to take back their state and become normal, they need to show some ballz and stand up and DEMAND a change! AND not the "change" Obama talks about.

hell with that... all 50 states need to break away from the Federal Government and reform a new Union with less government control

The Federal Government should get what ever it takes to operate small government and the military straight from the states, not from the people. 3 -4 percent should be sufficiant ... matter of fact the Federal Government should be 100 times smaller than what it is

States should get 6-7 percent straight from the people for operating costs of the state, to take care of the people and to promote business

Originally Posted by WorriedAmerican

I say they sell CA to Mexico and put up a double-border fence on the East side! Give all the illegals a fire extinguisher, a helmet, and a raft for the "Big One..."
CA was the most Liberal border state and I blame them for the influx of illegals and letting them take over our country. They have what they deserve as far as I'm concerned. They have ruined a huge chunk of land and abused their powers within the political stage. YET, they STILL won't cut all the stupid projects out? If the people want to take back their state and become normal, they need to show some ballz and stand up and DEMAND a change! AND not the "change" Obama talks about.

If you think California voters are doing anything you must not be paying attention.

HERE IS THE REAL REASON THAT VOTERS VOTED THE WAY THEY DID.

California faces its day of fiscal reckoning

By JULIET WILLIAMS, The Associated Press
3:25 p.m. May 22, 2009

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The day of reckoning that California has been warned about for years has arrived. The longest recession in generations and the defeat this week of a package of budget-balancing ballot measures are expected to lead to state spending cuts so deep and so painful that they could rewrite the social contract between California and its citizens. They could also force a fundamental rethinking of the proper role of government in the Golden State . . .

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-156905.html
----------------------------------------------

CA: Gov plans to completely eliminate welfare . . .

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-156955.html

=====================================

California braces for brutal budget cuts

"The people told Sacramento, 'Go and do your work yourself. Don't come to us with your problems,' " Schwarzenegger told reporters in Washington before flying home. "So now we have to recognize that and move forward and make all of the changes through cuts."

The hacking of government began quickly, by the hand of a little-known state panel that sets elected state officials' pay. Citing a need for shared sacrifice, the group decided to reduce those salaries by 18% starting next year . . .

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-156905.html
--------------------------------------------------

Some political experts say facing financial ruin might bring about some much-needed reforms. Already calls for a constitutional convention, which could rework the state's unworkable budget process, are growing louder. Stay tuned.

5 things you need to know about: the CA. state budget

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/ ... ?uniontrib

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-902047.html#902047

Splitting into two states would be easier and make more sense. All the coastal counties from Los Angeles to San Francisco are liberal, they could be "Nuevo California" with their capitol in Los Angeles or San Francisco, the remaining counties would continue as plain old California.

Originally Posted by Bowman

Splitting into two states would be easier and make more sense. All the coastal counties from Los Angeles to San Francisco are liberal, they could be "Nuevo California" with their capitol in Los Angeles or San Francisco, the remaining counties would continue as plain old California.

The northern parts of the state are mostly rural, except for San Fran., and and don't like any of the urban areas, or anything in the south. Inland doesn't like the coast, the coast doesn't like the desert and mountain areas,
and I don't like anybody very much.

("and I don't like anybody very much" is from an old song, but I don't remember the name, and is a joke here. LOL)
====================================

I had to go find it before someone else did.

THE KINGSTON TRIO lyrics - The Merry Minuet

They're rioting in Africa. They're starving in Spain. There's hurricanes in Florida and Texas needs rain.
The whole world is festering with unhappy souls. The French hate the Germans. The Germans hate the Poles.
Italians hate Yugoslavs. South Africans hate the Dutch and I don't like anybody very much!
But we can be tranquil and thankful and proud for man's been endowed with a mushroom shaped cloud.
And we know for certain that some lovely day someone will set the spark off and we will all be blown away.
They're rioting in Africa. There's strife in Iran. What nature doesn't do to us will be done by our fellow man.

www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/the_kingston ... inuet.html

If you think California voters are doing anything you must not be paying attention.

I definately give you all credit for shutting down Arnold with your votes recently!
It needed to be done long ago though but better late than never....
Excellent job voting.
I especiually enjoy how the only thing that passed was you lowered the politicians pay.

RELATED

5 things you need to know about: the CA. state budget

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/ ... ?uniontrib

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-902047.html#902047

I almost never see people from California on the internet trying to tell other states how to run their state but any time there is anything on the internet about California people from every state always want to tell California how to run their state.

I wonder why that is.

Here are some interesting quotes from a July 2002 article about CA. welfare recipients who were being dropped from Welfare because they had used up their 5 year lifetime limit on Welfare. I don't know if these stats are still valid.

Welfare clock running out

As 5-year limit on benefits approaches, poor parents need financial help despite finding new jobs.

More than half of those California adults did in fact get jobs, but they earned so little that they were still eligible for a welfare check. As a result, about 106,000 adults will be the first in California to reach their lifetime limits on Dec. 31. Each month thereafter, another 1,800 families will hit the cutoff.

In Alameda County, officials expect about 1,700 welfare families to reach their five-year limit in January.

A survey by the county found that 68 percent of those reaching the limit are Asian American, mostly immigrant families. More than half had two to three children, and more than two-thirds were earning some kind of wage - though 38 percent made less than $400 a month.

In Contra Costa County, about 580 welfare recipients will be timed out next year, including 176 as of Dec. 31. More than 80 percent are welfare mothers, and three-quarters have been on aid for more than nine years. But only a third are currently not doing any kind of work, according to county figures.

In San Francisco, officials are preparing for about 600 families who hit the time limit at the end of this year. About one-third are Chinese and one- third are Vietnamese. Seventy-five percent do not speak English. More than 75 percent of the recipients are working, though on average the families make only $1,000 a month.

"They do tend to work, and they tend to work in fairly stable jobs, though they are fairly low-paying, like restaurant work or a job at a convenience store," said Trent Rhorer, executive director of San Francisco's Human Services Department. By making low wages, many immigrants have kept their eligibility for aid, which has helped to supplement their income, Rhorer said.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 208911.DTL

Entire article posted as a comment at:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-902148-.html#902148