"Imperfect, clumsy" plan to divide California into 3 states goes from before

Last week, Draper and his supporters, calling themselves "Cal 3," submitted enough signatures for their "divide-the-state" initiative to appear on California ballots in the upcoming midterm elections.

But if they want it to pass, they will have to convince voters in other California valleys, including the Imperial Valley and the Coachella Valley, that the proposal is more than just a billionaire's idea. eccentric.

The billionaire capitalist Tim Draper wants to divide California into three different states. (Photo: Deseret News)

Until now, the proposal has generated reactions from both sides of the aisle. After the qualified initiative for the poll, candidates from both parties to the governorship voted against it. And earlier, in April, SurveyUSA released a poll suggesting that only 17 percent of voters would vote to divide the state into three.

Cal 3's "Southern California" would include 11 counties, including San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Imperial and San Bernardino.

Shaun Bowles, a professor of political science at the University of California-Riverside, said that he was worried about the arbitrary way in which the lines were drawn and how they could affect less wealthy parts of California .

"It's almost like one of those gerrymandered electoral districts we see sometimes." Or maybe a better analogy is that, in this proposed plan, the state is divided into districts, as in Hunger Games – and we are considered the agricultural district, "he said of" Southern California ".

Of the three states proposed, "Southern California" would be the poorest, with a per capita income of $ 43,000, ranked 30th nationally.

"Northern California", which includes Silicon Valley, would be the second richest state in the country, with a per capita personal income of $ 63,000. And "California", which would include Los Angeles, would be the 12th richest state in the nation.

Now that Cal 3 will appear on the ballot, his supporters are starting to reach out to local political activists throughout California, especially outside of Los Angeles and the Bay Area, said Cal 3's spokeswoman. Peggy Grande.

Although southern California is the poorest of the three states, Grande said the organizers did not fear that the proposed division separates the rich from the poor.

"We are not worried that Southern California will suffer – in fact, we believe they will have the best chance of growth and improvement," she said.

"California is broken and can not be repaired on the way we follow," explained Grande, because "it's too big to work and govern."

As a result, "both of the Inland Empire and agricultural areas are completely ignored by Sacramento," she said.

The Capitol of the State of California at Sacramento. (Photo: Thinkstock)

Divide California would localize decision-making to give counties like Riverside and Imperial "a bigger seat to a smaller table", and allow the government to solve the problems facing the state education system and the government. Infrastructure collapse, said Grande.

Many of Cal 3's talking points overlap those used by Republican candidates for the state office, who routinely admonish the perils of big government, and portray the state as broken. But Mr. Grande said the campaign would also serve to influence Democrats who believe the political system leaves many – including the poor and those living in rural areas – unprecedented.

"We expect to receive support from both sides of the political wing," she said. "We believe that the problems here in California are affecting everyone from all socio-economic and geographical backgrounds and all demographic groups, and we believe the solution should work for everyone."

This is not the first time that Californians plan to cut out their state. The idea was proposed in 1859, and there have been more than 200 proposals since, according to the Cal 3 campaign.

In 2014, Draper led efforts to make a proposal on the state ballot that would have divided California into six states. But after the secretary of state found invalid some of Draper's group signatures, the initiative was withdrawn from the polls.

And even if the initiative passes, to separate, California would need congressional approval and state legislature, according to an analysis by the California Legislative Analyst's Office.

Cal 3 differs from all previous unsuccessful attempts to divide the state because of the way the lines were "thoughtfully created," said Grande. The three proposed states would have roughly similar population sizes and median household incomes. But the state's tax revenues, as well as the problems it faces on issues such as water scarcity and housing, would not be distributed equitably among the three proposed states.

Joe Rodota, founder and co-director of OneCalifornia, a bipartisan group opposed to Cal 3, called the proposal "imperfect, clumsy and difficult to take seriously".

Due to California's capital gains taxes, Rodota said he feared that tax revenues would not be spread evenly among the three proposed states, which could hurt "Southern California".

He also expressed concern about the potential effects of the split on the economy and the higher education system of the Inland Empire.

Not only would residents of the proposed "Southern California" no longer be state students in some of the oldest state universities, such as UC Berkeley and UCLA, but small UC schools could also languish.

"What will happen then that all these other Californians will have to pay tuition fees out of the state to go to UC Riverside? Will they even come? Registration in these places could actually happen. "Collapse," he said.

In the Inland Empire, where a 2011 study found that 20% of residents commute to work outside the region, new state lines could reclassify economic activity in interstate commerce and submit it to federal regulation.

"Many of these transactions across county lines would then occur across state boundaries and would therefore become an interstate commerce.What is happening in a family where mom works in Los Angeles County? and where does dad work in Riverside? ", he asked.

Jonathan Ingram, chairman of the Riverside County Republican Party, said he was supportive of the concerns that Cal 3 based on their proposal, but objected to it because he feared that the split can never be really implemented.

As a Republican and resident of the Inland Empire, Ingram said he understood why the proposal appealed to people who do not feel represented in the state government. But he said that he was more concerned about the election of conservative candidates and the mobilization of support for proposals like the repeal of the tax on gasoline, another initiative that will appear on the November newsletter.

"It all has to do with the frustration of people," he said of Cal 3.

"A multitude of problems have reached the top, and people are looking for radical solutions because the government does not bring solutions to the table … Philosophically, it would be nice to have three states, but I do not know if it's relevant or be finished. "

Annette Gonzalez-Buttner, president of the Democratic Party of the Imperial County, said the proposed lines would not solve the problems of her county because in southern California, it would be the counties of Orange and San Diego which would dominate political priorities rather than Los Angeles. and the Bay Area.

Like Ingram, Gonzalez-Buttner also said that she was more focused on specific issues than ideas like Cal 3. Regardless of what is happening at the state level, she said, "We need yet clean up the governance problems of our own creation – we can fix it, "mentioning education and employment as two issues of concern to the Democrats of the Imperial County.

Republican Senator Jeff Stone does not see Cal 3 as a distraction.

"I hope this advisory vote will compel leaders who do not recognize the importance of inland communities to finally pay attention to the workers who allow those living with the oceans to live in a climate also peaceful and quiet life, "he said in a statement by e-mail.

Stone said that Cal 3's proposal was "intriguing", but he stopped saying if he was for or against.

"This shows the frustration of people living outside San Francisco, Los Angeles and elite coastal areas with their state government," he said.

Read or share this story: https://usat.ly/2KhtKnX