Six Californias?

15 Jul, 2014 by John Seiler

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Today entrepreneur Tim Draper is submitting signatures to put his Six Californias idea onto the 2016 ballot. That will give him two more years to sell his idea that the state — which by then will be crammed with 40 million incredibly diverse people — would be better off chopped up.

The initiative is advisory. So even if it passes, the idea still would have to be passed by the California Legislature, then the U.S. Congress.

Obstacles are: 1. California politicians like being kingmakers in a huge state. Almost any statewide politician or big-city mayor has ambitions to become president. The current governor, Jerry Brown, ran for president thrice — and could do so again in 2016.

2. The rest of America already thinks one California is too many. Folks in Wyoming and West Virginia look West and see six Jerry Browns, six Nancy Pelosis, six Barbara Boxers, six Dianne Feinsteins.

But for Californians, a divorce would be a boon. There’s not much in common  between Orange County and San Francisco, so why shouldn’t they split? That way, Orange County could become a surving version of New Hampshire: no state income and sales taxes.

And San Francisco could imitate the French welfare state, with top state income tax rates of 75 percent (on top of the 39 percent federal tax rate: total income tax rate: 114 percent. Don’t ask about the math.)

Now we’ll all get our say, if not our wish, in 2016.