Frustrated by rightward drift, some Arizona Dems push secession

yahoo-News ^ | Wed Mar 2, 11:12 am ET | Zachary Roth

[robowombat]

One Arizona Democrat is so frustrated with his state's conservative politics that he's pushing a novel solution: secession. Paul Eckerstrom, the former Democratic party chairman of Pima County, has formed a political committee, Start Our State, to look into making Pima the 51st U.S. state.

Start Our State says its mission is "to establish a new state in Southern Arizona free of the un-American, unconstitutional machinations of the Arizona legislature and to restore our region's credibility as a place welcoming to others, open to commerce, and friendly to its neighbors." Eckerstrom told MSNBC yesterday that he and others in his party are acting out of their exasperation with a series of rightward moves by the state--a tough anti-immigration bill, cuts to education approved by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, and efforts by some lawmakers to "nullify" federal laws. Cuts to critical health care programs and loose gun laws have also helped give the state a reputation lately as a bastion of staunch conservatism, Eckerstrom explained.

The secession plan is a clever way to attract media coverage--and we at The Lookout are plainly not immune--but it's an obvious nonstarter. The measure would need to win approval from Pima County voters, then from either Arizona lawmakers or Arizona voters, and finally from both Congress and the president. That's not going to happen.

But that isn't stopping Eckerstrom from mulling names for his new state. He said he'd received several suggestions, including Baja Arizona, South Arizona, and Gadsden. That's a reference to the Gadsden Purchase of southern Arizona from Mexico, in 1854.

[Lurker]

There is no process defined in the Constitution to split a state.

It's specifically forbidden in fact.

[BelegStrongbow]

Indeed, the Dark Lord taints everything.

[MrB]

We all know how much weight
rules, laws, constitutions, oaths, etc

mean to leftists.

Their worldview inherently includes the concept that their “in the now” intellect trumps all previous conclusions.

[BelegStrongbow]

I understand it is forbidden without the permission of the rest of the state. Consider West Virginia the exception that tests the rule.

[SVTCobra03]

“Boy, imagining the Democrats succeeding from the US and leaving the country to the good people who remain.”

Give them all the states east of the Mississippi river and north of the Mason-Dixon line and then fence it in with concertina wire and anti-personnel mines.

[jeffc]

Ahhh... just the way I want it: the Demos to be the ones to get the ball rolling. I've always said what we need is for the Demos to think the idea of breaking apart is theirs. Once they want to do it, it'll be easy to get the ball rolling; pebbles turn to boulders, a slide turns to a landslide.

I think we are at a turning point. Demos ignoring rule of law; the media backing them and covering up for them while doing their best to paint Repubs/conservatives in a bad light; civility gone; people going off at the smallest perceived slight, doing something and then blaming the opposition. This should be interesting. We need to fan these flames (but quietly).

Let the libs form their own country and see how far they get. I imagine will be giving them billions in foreign aid before too long.

I believe this can be done peacefully. It's really the only way to go. Negotiate it all. There's no need to resort to violence of any kind.

[tillacum]

How about the North Tip of Mexico?

[MrB]

Let them physically move their worthless hides to mexico.

Or California...

seriously, we do need to get back to the situation where the state laws are pretty much all that affect your daily life, and then people can move to a state with "favorable" laws and leave everyone else alone.

[petitfour]

I’m amazed at how some are so anxious to give up US territory.

I also have a hard time with the folks who believe in the US Constitution one minute as long as people vote their way and then the next minute, they want to secede so their version of the US Constitution can be followed.

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Another anti-Constitutionalist thug has been heard. He needs to read Article IV, Section 3 of the Constiution: "New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress. The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State. Section. 4. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened), against domestic Violence.

[Little Ray]

It WAS the Gadsden Purchase...

And I don’t think we want to give it back. IIRC, there was an important Railroad line run through there.

[LaMudBug]

There is no process defined in the Constitution to split a stateThere is no process defined in the Constitution to split a state

---

The Constitution of the United States
Article IV
Section 3. New states may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States; or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

[Let's Roll]

Oh, yeah, I’m sure they’re gonna love being part of Mexico.

[mad_as_he$$]

Yes, but it does not specifically say how the split is to be determined and the devil is in the details. For example. there are legal scholars (and you know what happens when they get involved) that think that it would take a vote of a majority of the residents of the state in question to allow or tell the legislature how to vote. Then to make it worse some think that the super majority within the area in question should vote for it to make it ok. Others think only “real property” owners should be allowed to vote. Getting an consensus on the plan of how to do it would take years and cause a great deal of BS to be generated by politicians. In the case of West Virginia that was an idea born in Washington to beat an election so it was done in good speed without a lot of BS. Now days I shudder to think how many roadblocks etc would be thrown up.

If it were as simple as the wording you posted would seem to make it then I would be well on the path of getting Northern Nevada to becoming our own state. Part of Kalifornia would come also and it would be called the State of Jefferson.

[Owl558]

“There is no process defined in the Constitution to split a state.”

The Constitution does not provide for seccession of the various states.

Article IV, section 3 gives rules for admitting NEW states, however (splitting states included):

New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

[from occupied ga]

Frustrated by rightward drift, some Arizona Dems push secession

They can sit around and tax each other into prosperity.

[robowombat]

I doubt anybody seriously contemplates secession. The rats are just looking for some headline grabbing to grouse about the horrible tyranical Gov Brewer. Others here are simply indulging the rat fantasy with their own spin. It would be nice if there was some unclaimed piece of territory where the rats couls be encouraged to go and set up thier Republic of Dysfuntiona.

[x]

But that isn't stopping Eckerstrom from mulling names for his new state. He said he'd received several suggestions, including Baja Arizona, South Arizona, and Gadsden. That's a reference to the Gadsden Purchase of southern Arizona from Mexico, in 1854.

James Gadsden was a slaveowner who considered slavery “a social blessing” and abolitionists “the greatest curse of the nation,” so that will go over well.

His grandfather, Christopher Gadsden, designed the "Don't Tread On Me" rattlesnake flag -- a tea partier in other words.

Seriously, though, these guys ought to make sure that they're properly seceded from Mexico before they go about breaking up their state.

[from occupied ga]

Eckerstrom from mulling names for his new state. He said he'd received several suggestions, including Baja Arizona

How about Nuevo Cuba?

[HiJinx]

It would be nice if there was some unclaimed piece of territory

There's a new island forming right now south of Hawaii.
They could have that, in a few years...