What Would 6 Californias Really Look Like? We Have Questions
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - People in the Bay Area have been trying to distance themselves from the folks in Los Angeles for years, and if voters approve a plan headed for the ballot, they'll get closer to a whole state of separation.
The Six States plan calls for just that - the Golden State to be split up into six (seemingly randomly-named) smaller states. On Tuesday, backers were submitting signatures to get it on the 2016 ballot. Judging from our informal polling, this thing has no chance. But for the sake of argument, let's say the Six State plan actually passes a general vote, finds enough support in Congress and overcomes legal challenges.
WOULD PEOPLE SIGN ANYTHING?: Watch KPIX 5's Mike Sugerman Ask Voters To Sign Crazy Petition
What will it look like? Here's the start of our list of odd observations and questions:
-First off, which state gets the bear flag? And how does "Silicon Valley" come up with one that doesn't go obsolete faster than your desktop PC?
-The former state will have 10 senators representing us in D.C. Imagine all the work Congress could get done with the extra headcount!
-The (55) Stars and Stripes will fly over five new capitol buildings.
-However, North California got all the good capitals and former capitals: Sacramento, Vallejo and Benicia. Not fair!
-Which cities will be the capitals for the other states? Eureka vs. Redding? San Francisco, Oakland or San Jose? Bakersfield vs. Fresno vs. Death Valley?
-The Silicon Valley Warriors should be in championship form before the new statehouse is even completed. Or are we just planning on using Google headquarters for that?
-The Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim won't even play in the same state as LA - making the name even more ridiculous than it already is.
-But there will be plenty of geographical confusion because part of North is West of West, while all of north will still be south of the biggest part of the (former) state. Make sense?
-Two of our four professional baseball teams will play in the smallest state, Silicon Valley, despite not actually playing in Silicon Valley.
-You bringing any fruit across the Golden Gate Bridge? Will there be an agriculture check at the old toll plaza?
-Five new sets of DMV bureaucracies to navigate! Not to mention building codes, taxes and water rights. Are we all still paying for that high-speed rail thing?
-How will you ever convince your mom that the FasTrak system isn't too complicated now?
-Kids from LA will have to sneak across two borders to get to Tijuana now.
-Is it time to start paying your out of state taxes on that kid enrolled at UC Merced? Safety school, indeed.
-At least folks from Marin will still be able to celebrate ski week in Tahoe without ever leaving their state.
-After the Six Californias victory, the plan's main backer - tech mogul Tim Draper - will give another victory speech. If it goes anything like this one it will be entertaining television:
The vast majority of you posting on the CBS SF Facebook page think this is "the stupidest idea ever," or something to that effect. But many of you feel a north -south split would be good for the state. Is it more than half? Vote below please:
