Northern California Counties Vote to Secede from California
September 25th, 2013
California is a geographically massive state. Stretching from the southern border of the United States all the way up the west coast to Oregon, state officials are tasked with finding compromise between communities facing drastically different circumstances. The state struggles to keep its budget under control, and intense regulations have proven frustrating for residents in northernmost counties.
As a result, a secessionist movement has emerged, leading two counties, Siskiyou and Modoc, to formally vote in favor of beginning the process. Officials are hoping that 12 counties will join the effort and form a new state called “Jefferson.” Considering California’s unusual size, there could be some wisdom in splitting it up into two more reasonably-apportioned states.
The Jefferson Declaration Committee Outlines Its Plan
Modoc County recently voted to team up with Siskiyou County in an effort to create a new state named after Thomas Jefferson. The above-linked article by The Record Searchlight quotes Modoc County Board Chairman Geri Byrne as saying, “I put the measure on the agenda because I heard from a number of people in my district that wanted to do such. We’re not saying we’re seceding today, we’re saying let’s look into it.”
The Jefferson Declaration Committee, the group behind the effort to form the new state, indicated that it is seeking 12 like-minded counties in Northern California and Southern Oregon to join in on the effort before moving the process forward. According to estimations by the group, the new state would have a slightly larger economy than New Mexico.
Rural Counties Face Unique Challenges
California’s legislature represents people from vastly different areas, some in population-dense cities and others in thinly-populated rural areas. The state government struggles to control its budget and has passed strict regulations on businesses. Rural communities often complain that their political concerns are ignored by the legislature.
California is so large that some areas of the state have dramatically different costs-of-living than others. This complicates the imposition of state-wide taxes and regulations, as what makes sense in Sacramento, San Francisco, or Los Angeles might seem absurd in outside counties like Humboldt or Siskiyou.
Local government governs better than distant, far-away legislative bodies. Smaller governments are more efficient than larger ones. Considering the extraordinary magnitude of the state of California, its consistent failure to control its budget, and its inability to properly represent rural voters, supporters of secession have a strong argument. Said spokesman Mark Baird of the Jefferson Declaration Committee, “California is essentially ungovernable in its present size. We lack the representation to address the problems that affect the North State.”
The people have a right to withdraw consent from government bodies that do not represent their interests. California is too large, and citizens in rural counties can’t affect change in Sacramento. It makes sense to let those counties form a new state to represent their unique needs.
National politics would probably benefit from the division as well, as California’s extraordinary size and population in some ways complicate national elections. For standing up against an out-of-control legislature and demanding proper representation, the California counties of Siskiyou and Modoc, along with the Jefferson Declaration Committee, have earned this week’s Silver Circle Rebel of the Week award.
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