Posted on 10/06/2008 8:03:23 AM PDT by AuntB
Siskiyou County -- Some folks around here think the economic sky is falling and state lawmakers in Sacramento and Salem are ignoring their constituents in the hinterlands.
"We have nothing in common with you people down south. Nothing," said Randy Bashaw, manager of the Jefferson State Forest Products ...."The sooner we're done with all you people, the better."
Talking about secession has been a quasi-joking conversational saw since 1941, when five counties in the area started things by actually declaring themselves - briefly - to be the state of Jefferson. But now, with the economy in trouble and unemployment soaring, the idea of greater independence is getting its most serious consideration since World War II.
Locals complain that federal and state regulators have hampered the fishing and timber industries to protect forestlands and endangered species such as sucker fish and the spotted owl. Most water from the rainy Shasta region is shipped south, with little economic benefit to the area. Even the California sales tax draws sneers.
The Grange Hall of Yreka... is activating 51 of its brethren halls in the area to collect 1 million signatures to have a statehood advisory measure put on the California ballot. Tony Intiso, a runoff candidate in the Nov. 4 election for Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors, has pledged to force the issue and is running campaign ads calling for regional freedom.
"It's not rocket science to see why it makes sense, and how we could do it," said Brian Petersen, a landscaper who runs the main online forum advocating statehood, www.jeffersonstate.com. "The capitols of California and Oregon ignore us. We want out.
"All we have to do is get an initiative on the ballot and vote to get things going."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Let ‘em do it.
I remember when The Florida Keys wanted to dclare The Conch Republic. If they do it again I am sailin down there to join up.
I would love to see Western Jersey split from Jersey. We are solidly conservative.
This topic comes up in Texas from time to time. More often then not its a frustration reaction to the incompetency in DC.
And why we are at it
How about
It will go nowhere, but I can’t blame them from wanting to dump CA and OR. The same movement that Eastern WA and Eastern Or folks have wanted to do unshackle themselves from the commies on Olympia and Salem
I keep hoping Orange, San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties will do the same thing!
I think this is a good idea. California should be broken up.
The rest of the state is nothing to worry about.
That includes representatives from the rest of the state who act like that..
This has been a long standing issue. We are the people of sucker fish fame, where the feds shut off the water to farmers, we’ve had it.
Portland dictates to us what to do with our land, our money and our lives. Portlandites are basically morons, just like the morons in Sacramento.
Every once in awhile eastern Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana want to secede and join together to create a new state. Sadly, it never goes anywhere beyond the ‘wouldn’t it be nice if we did this’ stage.
I would be quite happy if San Diego county could become Western Arizona thank you.
Well, if DC can become a state (as is possible if Obama is elected), then there is no reason for other regions not to consider altering their current status. . .
Oh, come now. I'm sure there'th loth of fabulouthneth up there.
George Strait could finally get his ocean-front property in Arizona.
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