Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Dare to dream

Recently I linked to an article that described an effort by a Republican in California to create a breakaway state (to be known as “Southern California”). Jim Geraghty at NRO says it will never happen, but I dunno. True, under current law, both Congress and the state legislature would have to agree, and there’s no way a Democrat-controlled state house is going to let all those taxpayers get away. But laws can be changed, and the governing authority (our old friend, the U.S. Constitution) could conceivably be amended to facilitate the creation of new states on a different basis, perhaps based on county referendums (since, according to Fareed Zakaria, we ought to have a new constitutional convention via Twitter, anyway, let’s change the clause concerning the admission of new states while we’re tuning up the original document).

I’m thinking that we could cut out a slice of, say, Oregon or Washington state – or maybe a dozen or so counties in both states– which might be named…ohhh…”Pacovia”, or something similarly euphonius. In conjunction with a rejuvenated 10th amendment (Tweet: “10th Amendment reconfirmed; and this time we really mean it!”), why, it could become another Hong Kong, a veritable laboratory of economic freedom. The residual liberal state could continue to go on its merry way, taxing and spending and regulating, staggering like a drunk hobo into the path of an oncoming freight train. The beauty of my system is that we leave the hobo to his inevitable fate, while avoiding being dragged along with him.

More Hong Kongs, fewer drunk hobos. That’s the ticket.

18 comments:

rinardman said...

New Pacodonia has a nice ring to it.

Any idea who might be the Supreme Lead....I mean, governor of this new state?

*

RebeccaH said...

Hm. I think this might be a very good idea for Ohio: divorce the independent southwest from the union-dominated northeast. How's about Pacohio for a name?

Paco said...

rinardman: Who would be governor? Well, that would be up to the people of course, but, since it was my idea...

Rebecca: Hey, this is starting to sound like a nationwide franchise!

cac said...

Is the aim for this new state to be contiguous? If so, even with my admittedly dodgy knowledge of US geography the borders of any state accommodating southern california and various less lunatic bits of the north west are going to make the eponymous Governor Gerry look positively rational. Although I would expect nothing less from Paco Inc that once it finally takes power that its electoral mendacity knows no bounds and makes Chicago politics look like a bunch of amateurs. I for one look forward to the benevolent rule of our Dear Leader, even if it's just because he could hardly do a worse job than the incumbents.

Paco said...

cac: And just wait til you see the uniforms I've designed for the state police!

JeffS said...

Hail Pacovia! And I would be living there, so it's jake with me.

Paco, use the Cascades as the border. It's a natural barrier, and easily secured against intrusions from unwanted hippies living along the coast.

We'd have to deal with various blue spots (Bend, OR, and [to a lesser degree] Spokane, WA), but we can always designate them as "protected habitats", and forbid any further development.

Oh, the possibilities!

Paco said...

I specifically had you in mind, Jeff, when I proposed the new state. Thought you'd like it.

JeffS said...

It's an idea I've long treasured, Paco!

Minicapt said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_(Pacific_state)
... also Cascadia.

Cheers

richard mcenroe said...

For Gosh sake, pick someplace with warm water on the beaches...

richard mcenroe said...

"protected habitats" or "impact areas"?

richard mcenroe said...

CAC -- if it was a Democratic Congressional district, no, it doesn't have to be... says the man with a mountain range bisecting his own...

richard mcenroe said...

New Pacodonia! I'll bring the oranges!

JeffS said...

Richard, alas, there are NO beaches with warm water in the Pacific Northwest. Anywhere. I speak from personal experience. Brrrrr!

"protected habitats" or "impact areas"?

Shhhhh! That's supposed to be classified. ;-p

Minicapt said...

There are warm beaches , but not in the Pacific Northwest, per ce. And we can't tell about them.

Cheers

TimT said...

Why be limited to just one location?

Why not cut the area of the US you want for your new state out of the ground, put it on wheels, and drive hither and yon about the countryside selling cheap hooch and gambling to interested parties?

Paco said...

TimT: I am in awe...

JeffS said...

Tim, those are known as "reservations", although they tend to be light on the booze, and heavy on the cigarettes.