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Is California Really Going to Secede?
New York Magazine ^ | 01/30/2017 | By Ed Kilgore

Posted on 01/30/2017 6:50:10 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Like the talk of secession in conservative southern states after Barack Obama became president, the idea of a separate California Republic builds on long-standing separatist feelings amplified by a momentous national election. Since Donald Trump became president while securing less than a third of the vote in California, the Yes California campaign — a.k.a. Calexit — has gotten a lot of attention and perhaps even some momentum in getting an initial measure placed on 2018 general election ballot. An estimated 7,000 volunteers have begun amassing the 585,407 signatures necessary to place a constitutional amendment on the 2018 ballot deleting the state’s adherence to the United States and authorizing a 2019 referendum on independence.

The arguments for Calexit are pretty simple: The state is drifting ever-further away from the rest of the country in cultural attitudes and public policies, especially with respect to immigration and the environment. California’s size and wealth (its GDP is similar to that of France) make it the one state that might make a go of it alone.

It is also a “donor state” when it comes to the relationship of federal taxes collected from Californians to the federal spending conducted there; one recent analysis showed California ranking 46th among the states in relative dependence on Washington.

But it’s clear the main reason for sudden interest in Calexit is Donald J. Trump, and the possibility a federal Republican regime under his direction would preempt California preferences on a wide range of issues. Even though Governor Jerry Brown and other statewide Democratic elected officials have kept their distance from Calexit, the saber-rattling they have conducted about the state’s willingness to fight Trump and the GOP in court has undoubtedly fed the Calexit sentiment. The latest Trump provocation, threatening sanctuary cities with the cancellation of all federal funds,

(Excerpt) Read more at nymag.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: caleavefornia; calexit; california; newcalifornia; secession; secessionists; timdraper; yescalifornia
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To: Leep

I do not believe that California will secede...it’s just something more to joke at or have a discussion of ‘what if’ stuff...

California is a part of the United States of America and always will be, the problem is ‘illegal immigration’; ‘drugs and drug cartels’ and local, county and State government...

These all need to be fixed before anything can be done to upright California again...but the people of California have to help correct it more than the Federal Government does...it is the ‘citizens of California that votes and they have the say in what goes on in their State’...


101 posted on 01/30/2017 8:57:09 AM PST by HarleyLady27 ('THE FORCE AWAKENS!!!' Trump/Pence: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!)
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To: Old Teufel Hunden

One can only hope that the rest of the union would agree to freeing the slaves in California. Because that is how the bulk of the state of California lives, as economic slaves of the left Coast liberal elitez.

Seriously.


102 posted on 01/30/2017 9:01:16 AM PST by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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To: Robert DeLong

If they did, the country would shift strongly to the right.


103 posted on 01/30/2017 9:02:52 AM PST by D Rider
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To: HarleyLady27

I am not for secession but it got me thinking that dividing California into several separate states would be a major advantage as far as elections go.
And as far as taking power away from the lefties.
The left have a disproportionate amount of power in California but only really represent a small land mass comparatively.


104 posted on 01/30/2017 9:07:34 AM PST by Leep (Stronger without her!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Can’t wait to drop their social security benefits!


105 posted on 01/30/2017 9:13:35 AM PST by fruser1
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To: crusher2013

“My family has lived in Southern California for over 100 years.
We are not Scum and my family is probably more accomplished than yours.”

We’re in the same boat living in the East Bay. But you need to be honest about what has happened in Southern California. Unfortunately for the both of us, the “scum” are all around us but more so in SoCal. The majority of the LA Basin isn’t a place where most normal people would want to live. Ditto for East Oakland. But relatively speaking, SoCal has a massive population as opposed to the Bay Area, and the Hispanics are now in the majority there. Unfortunately for California, Southern California has the votes to have it their way, and as much as I would hate to see it happen, it is probably best that California be broken up into more manageable pieces. And I would add that I used to enjoy going to SoCal, but the last two times I went down, I was sadly amazed at how it has deteriorated for the most part. The Valley used to be a nice place, now if you live there you probably need to carry a gun.


106 posted on 01/30/2017 9:25:25 AM PST by vette6387
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To: RealVirginia

Yes! Read this!

Food scientists at Cornell University have produced a strain of broccoli that thrives in hot environments, which may make it possible for states with stiflingly hot summers to grow the vegetable. California, where cool coastal fog is perfect for growing standard broccoli, currently produces more than 90 percent of the broccoli grown in the United States. If California were to disappear, what would the American diet be like?

Expensive and grainy. California produces a sizable majority of many American fruits, vegetables, and nuts: 99 percent of artichokes, 99 percent of walnuts, 97 percent of kiwis, 97 percent of plums, 95 percent of celery, 95 percent of garlic, 89 percent of cauliflower, 71 percent of spinach, and 69 percent of carrots (and the list goes on and on). Some of this is due to climate and soil. No other state, or even a combination of states, can match California’s output per acre. Lemon yields in California, for example, are more than 50 percent higher than in Arizona. California spinach yield per acre is 60 percent higher than the national average. Without California, supply of all these products in the United States and abroad would dip, and in the first few years, a few might be nearly impossible to find. Orchard-based products in particular, such as nuts and some fruits, would take many years to spring back.

Price surges would eventually become the larger issue. Rising prices would force Americans to consume more grains, which are locked in a complicated price-dependent relationship with fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. When the price of produce increases, people eat more grain. When the price of grain drops, people eat more fruits and vegetables. (In fact, in some parts of the world, wheat and rice are the only proven “Giffen goods”—a product in which decreasing prices lead to decreasing demand.) Young people and the poor in America, more than others, eat less fresh food when prices rise.

The loss of California’s output would create a dire situation for at least a decade. History suggests, however, that we’d eventually find a way to cope. A state’s agricultural makeup can evolve surprisingly quickly—California’s certainly did. In the 1860s, the state’s leading crops were wheat and corn. Beginning in the 1880s, however, the state ceased to be the nation’s breadbasket and became its fruit and vegetable basket. Rail-links made transcontinental food shipments possible. Cities on the Eastern seaboard offered staggeringly high prices for produce. Interest rates dropped from 100 percent during the Gold Rush that began in 1849 to 30 percent in 1860 to 10 percent in the 1890s. This decline afforded California farmers the time to change over to slow-developing crops such as nuts and tree fruits. The land under irrigation grew four-fold from 1889 to 1914. Manufacturers of farm equipment relocated to California and designed equipment specifically for the state’s farming conditions, the same way automobile parts suppliers flooded Detroit in the early 20th century and computer engineers moved to Silicon Valley in the 1990s.

If the rest of the nation were to lose California’s agricultural riches tomorrow, we might see a similar process begin in other states. Although few states will ever have California’s glorious year-round-growing climate, they could easily improve transportation and other infrastructure to increase agricultural efficiency.


107 posted on 01/30/2017 9:29:16 AM PST by vette6387
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To: lacrew

They’ve got plenty of technologists to figure out and set a system of desalinization for water. The federally owned lands (military bases especially) should stay with us and that would provide us with access to the sea.


108 posted on 01/30/2017 9:30:11 AM PST by Sal (Deplorables rule!)
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To: SeekAndFind
Pardon my ignorance... but where is Jefferson?

Here's wiki. There's much more if you search "State of Jefferson".

109 posted on 01/30/2017 9:31:16 AM PST by Paine in the Neck ( Socialism consumes EVERYTHING!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Sadly, no.


110 posted on 01/30/2017 9:41:05 AM PST by bgill (From the CDC site, "We don't know how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: CatOwner

The Snowflakes would melt in 90 seconds without power.


111 posted on 01/30/2017 9:41:57 AM PST by ptsal
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To: TMA62

Companies are already leaving California.

BTW - doesn’t most of California’s water come from Nevada?

Maybe Nevada can charge them?


112 posted on 01/30/2017 9:45:34 AM PST by ladyjane
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To: SeekAndFind

It’d probably be a good idea to turn the wall northward at the Colorado River and just keep on building, no matter which way this secession issue is decided.


113 posted on 01/30/2017 9:51:17 AM PST by Charles Martel (Progressives are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
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To: HarleyLady27

The entire Liberal platfom is based on accusing Conservatives of being racist or prejudiced. Don’t give them ammunition.

It was federal immigration law that changed Ca. It is the Liberals plan to do the same to your State. So don’t be smug about this.

At least you didn’t wish a big earthquake on us and the death of millions of innocent people. Like many here have.


114 posted on 01/30/2017 10:06:27 AM PST by crusher2013
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To: central_va
Secession is not unconstitutional no matter how many times you try to say that.

I agree that is how it was supposed to be.

But might has prevailed over right on many constitutional issues - abortion, secession, anchor babies, Obama's citizenship, etc.


115 posted on 01/30/2017 10:08:23 AM PST by Iron Munro (If Illegals voted Rebublican 66 Million Democrats Would Be Screaming "Build The Wall!")
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To: ladyjane

You raise a very good point about water. The Colorado River has always been controversial in terms of who gets it.

If Cali goes, states like Nevada and Arizona will have a say on if CA gets anything. Even states like Utah and Colorado will have an influence here. For years, the feds have been telling these states that CA needs water too. If CA succeeds, there is no incentive to preserve anything for CA. They will have to get their own H2O from desalinization plants on their coast. Plants they don’t have.


116 posted on 01/30/2017 10:09:49 AM PST by TMA62 (Al Sharpton - The North Korea of race relations)
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To: Dick Vomer
Pull the navy marine and air bases. Shut down the defense contracts

I'm sure they would be happy to have China take them over.

117 posted on 01/30/2017 10:50:12 AM PST by Right Wing Assault (Kill: TWITTER, FACEBOOK, CNN)
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To: crusher2013

I’m NOT being smug, and your insults will go unnoticed...

Every State in America has a problem of some kind or other...it’s just not California, New York, New Jersey or any other State...

What people need to do is vet their own State, city, county people and vote for their choice...instead of re electing the same old same old...

WE the VOTERS of AMERICA have a responsibility to do this, this is OUR RIGHT to do this hence ‘OUR VOTE’ but once again I am just preaching to the choir....


118 posted on 01/30/2017 10:57:05 AM PST by HarleyLady27 ('THE FORCE AWAKENS!!!' Trump/Pence: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!)
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To: Paine in the Neck

BINGO!


119 posted on 01/30/2017 11:08:16 AM PST by crazydad
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To: SeekAndFind

No but Imagine the astounding second term win of trump if they did. 2 million less ilegal votes as well.


120 posted on 01/30/2017 11:21:16 AM PST by Secret Agent Man ( Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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