This is an opinion piece. We value the diverse opinions of our readers and we welcome robust, wide-ranging thoughts and ideas on subjects relevant to Mendocino County. The following opinion is not representative of The Mendocino Voice, its publisher, editor or staff. Opinion pieces can be sent to info@mendovoice.com.
The chatter about a possible soft secession involving the gradual withdrawal of one or more states from cooperation with the federal government without a formal declaration of independence leaves a part of my anatomy twitching. Clara Jeffery recently wrote in Mother Jones magazine about the 2013 effort by Tim Draper to pitch a “Six Californias,” which, after 2016’s Trump 1.0, became a “simpler” proposal for “Cal 3.” The state high court blocked the measure as ballots were ready to print. Draper apparently gave up.
But the nightmare persists. As MJ’s writer Ari Berman said, “Today, California has 67 times the population of Wyoming. Fifteen small states with 41 million people combined now routinely elect 30 GOP senators; California, with 39 million residents, is represented by only two Democrats.” So, after already weathering nine months of Trump 2.0 abuses, suddenly even Governor Gavin Newsom is moving toward some kind of partnership with Oregon and Washington by way of a West Coast Health Alliance.
An honest rupture is needed. No pussy-footing. California’s Prop. 50 is such a step, a necessary evil to counter a greater one in D.C. Hard secession steps must be taken. And the timing is right.
Trump’s coterie would even welcome it, no matter its overall impact on the federal union. It would move at least three hellholes out of his jurisdiction, and Stephen Miller would be ecstatic to watch Santa Monica go away. Our red tie ruler would celebrate secession as a victory of his own doing.
While radical, this idea is not a crazy venture. The battle lines are already getting drawn by blue state attorney generals banding together to resist Trump’s creeping federalist de facto putsch. California has been here before with its Pico Act of 1859 that sought to divide California.
In 1939, Wyoming Republicans sought to go their own way with a new state called “Absaroka” that would pull in parts of Montana and South Dakota. Washington wanted to split itself into two states, one of which would be called Liberty. Less than ten years ago, eastern Oregon residents wanted to merge into a “Greater Idaho” independent state. A 2008 poll revealed that nearly a quarter of Americans supported a state’s or region’s right to peacefully secede from the United States in the highest rate since the American Civil War.
In 2019, Josh Levin wrote a Slate piece that began with, “In the American end times, our government will take one of two forms. One possibility is that federalism will give way to an all-powerful central government. The other option is decentralization — in the absence of a unifying national interest, the United States of America will fragment and be supplanted by regional governance. The United States will end when the equilibrium mandated by the Constitution no longer holds.”
It seems we’ve long since hit that point. Equilibrium has been lost. Trump and his minions could care less about the rule of law and constitutional compliance. Let’s get a move on.
Rod Jones is a semi-retired criminal defense/environmental litigation lawyer who resides near the town of Mendocino.
When does this soft succession begin? Calexit didn’t go anywhere. Can CA stop paying federal taxes?
No problem, just arrange to pay your share of the national debt.
CA already pays disproportionally more on the federal level. Including paying for national debt.
I thought moving to Canada was the preferred option of Democrats whenever they lose an election.
The idea of the State of Jefferson in Northern California and Southern Oregon has been floating around for decades, and while it’s tempting to say “Adios” to the right-wingers of Modoc, Tehama, Glen, Yuba, Shasta, Siskiyou and Lassen, what needs to happen is to eliminate the electoral college. That’s right, have each vote count! A radical notion. Yes, the coasts and urban centers will have more votes, but that’s okay. We see what happened when the rural right-wingers of MAGA took over. It will take a generation to right the wrongs of these policies. I pray my little atheist prayers that next year a beautiful blue wave will sweep away this nightmare, and sanity will be restored. And Schumer and Jefferies will stand aside and let some members who really represent the people take leadership positions.
And term limits (Especailly in the SCOTUS) along with campaign finance reforms…
Time for people to wake up and smell the coffee and see how our coast line has been raped for years by the influx of Yuppies from So. Cal. Most of our people who have lived here all of our lives have watched as our fishing and timber industries went under making it harder to survive some of us having to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. My father had his own business, my husband worked in the Mills, That said take a good look at what really happens our inland water gets sent south and they now want to destroy our damns which will cause at least one or more communities to have a lack of water supply as various companies and city folk continue to buy up our property raising overall prices and for the individuals who move up here to eventually retire leaving many properties empty until that time. Then when they do come north they want to bring all those things that they say they are fleeing with them to impose on us. No let’s keep it rural! You use the California flag and say don’t poke the Bear well my great grandfather was apart of making that Bear flag and signing the declaration in Los Angeles and I am sure none of those men would want to see what is currently taking place in our state or community. Let’s keep Northern California rural and beautiful and keep the filth of the cities out.
I thought the plan was to give all of Northern California back to the tribes so they can manage some kind of environmentalist wonderland. They are literally being given a revenue stream with the dam removal plan.
Oh and I don’t know if you have looked at property values in awhile but they are going down due to the decisions of the political class.
I’m going to develop all these little Norcal towns and disproportionately contribute our tax base to all your, much needed, infrastructure projects. Then we are going to send investors over to build businesses that provide jobs with healthcare. That’s not all. The evil plan is already working; we turned your black market economy legal…. muhahaha…
Best I remember from civics the senate was specifically designed to provide equal representation for small states. Literally a cornerstone of the democracy. Good luck with your endeavor to create tyranny of the masses. Maybe San Francisco can get the treatment Atlanta got the last time. Careful what you ask for.
I’ve been kind of behind the times. I’m wondering if anyone can enlighten me with some examples of the ways that Trump and his minions have been abusing the rule of law and constitutional compliance. Thank you.
You mean they’re greatly outnumbered by meaning like three people? You’re ignorance runs deep. You might want to try a new profession.