“Independent California” would be a very small place — only a few counties are Blue.
And I don’t think those counties are economically viable on their own.
Can counties secede from a state? If so, then perhaps the best answer for this is for the inland counties to vote on seceding from CA and seeking to join with neighboring states on their eastern border.
They will become viable on the strength of their marijuana exports and the home of wealthy drug lords and their cartels. Poor people from all over the world will flock across what was formerly a closed boarder for the free benefits and lucrative employment opportunities ...
I was in a cab a few years ago driving through Pacific Heights (SF) on the way to a rehearsal dinner. The cabbie was reciting the prices of the homes - $12 million, $15 million, etc, etc.
"What do these people DO to make money like that?", I asked.
"Import drugs, make porn movies, and have sex with each other", he said.
California couldn’t afford to pay for the federal lands and parks.