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Frustrated by rightward drift, some Arizona Dems push secession
yahoo-News ^ | Wed Mar 2, 11:12 am ET | Zachary Roth

Posted on 03/03/2011 1:36:38 PM PST by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: Arizona
KEYWORDS: leftistloons; pimacounty; secession
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To: robowombat
I think it is a wondermuss idea. And it has been done before. West (by God) Virginia was once part of the real Virginia and split off when Virginia tried to exercise their right to secede in 1861.
Pima County is such an embarrassment to the rest of the state,
I would love to see a Baja Arizona.
I don't know about Yuma County, but I would bet they would have a real problem with Cochise County.
I for one would vote to allow them to leave.
41 posted on 03/03/2011 3:12:45 PM PST by Tupelo (The Boudicca from Wasilla supporter)
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To: Owl558

See post 34.


42 posted on 03/03/2011 3:14:02 PM PST by mad_as_he$$
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To: robowombat

How long would they survive until the Mexican drug cartels overran them?


43 posted on 03/03/2011 3:20:21 PM PST by TigersEye (Who crashed the markets on 9/15/08 and why?)
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To: USNBandit

Good ridance Pima County.

BTW Cochise County gets the Air Force that was at D-M and Raytheon Industries. You get UofA and Grijalva and Pastour. The real state will build a new I-10 & I-8 around your stinking leftist hole and TIA will want to relocate stranding your backside.


44 posted on 03/03/2011 3:31:02 PM PST by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: BelegStrongbow

Those dorks want to call it Baja Arizona.


45 posted on 03/03/2011 3:32:29 PM PST by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: Lurker; mad_as_he$$
There is no process defined in the Constitution to split a state.

Look up the history of West Virginia before you say that.

46 posted on 03/03/2011 3:34:05 PM PST by PapaBear3625 ("It is only when we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything" -- Fight Club)
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To: mad_as_he$$

“See post 34.”

Fair point.

I think that this tired, old, beaten bloody, Bay Area, California boy would come live in your new state. Jefferson is a fine name. Besides, one side of my family are Nevadans anyway.


47 posted on 03/03/2011 3:40:51 PM PST by Owl558 ("Those who remember George Satayana are doomed to repeat him")
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To: PapaBear3625

See post 34.


48 posted on 03/03/2011 4:24:35 PM PST by mad_as_he$$
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