What is the State of Jefferson?

benfell

See update for October 3, 2021, at end of post.

I’ve been a little slow getting to this but the proposed state of Jefferson is being mentioned in the context of the failed attempt to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom.[1] Probably a few folks are wondering what the fuck a state of Jefferson is.

The proposed state of Jefferson is an example of what happens when a group of people feel sufficiently disempowered by the political status quo: a secession movement. It gained some traction in rural parts of northern California during the last decade as the Democratic Party’s lock on California state-level politics became apparent.[2] It would create a 51st state from counties of far northern and of northeastern California.[3] And the failure of the Newsom recall attempt may breathe new life into it.[4]

Secession is more of a thing in California than people might remember. There was a #CalExit movement that sprang up even before Donald Trump’s election to the presidency in 2016, which sought to remove California from the Union, which even found backing from Silicon Valley investors[5] and in which a way emphasizes the division with the largely Trump-supporting Jefferson folks.[6] Searching my archives, I find a site calling for California independence dating back to the very late 1990s,[7] the era of the dot-com boom. There have apparently been over 200 such movements in California.[8] Many Californians, it can safely be said, are unhappy with each other—and with the rest of the country.

Tim Draper, a venture capitalist, has repeatedly attempted to split California up into multiple states,[9] probably really to increase Silicon Valley’s capitalist libertarian influence within whichever segment included it. Though his plan was, at best, poorly conceived, it would likely have helped Democrats in the U.S. Senate and the electoral college.

The State of Jefferson movement will fail in significant part because the obstacles the movement faces are substantial and it’s been dying a slow death.[10] But it’s never really died. And the failure of the Newsom recall attempt may breathe new life into it.[11] Its death will be prolonged because the problems, both that lead to the movement in the first place and that inhibit its fulfillment, remain the same.

I watch movements like this because they illustrate a fundamental problem with centralized authority: Inevitably, minorities will feel poorly represented. With Jefferson, we’re looking at Donald Trump supporters, formerly known as the Tea Party. These are authoritarian populists who have existed for 1,000 years.[12] Their economy is shit and it isn’t getting better; they blame environmentalists.

I haven’t seen a secession movement targeting the Central Valley, but there, where the recall effort narrowly appears to have gained a majority, we’re looking at evangelical Protestants (social conservatives) in California’s Bible Belt. Also in the Central Valley, we’re looking at farmers and, numerically more significant, farm workers who just want more water, importantly, from the rest of the state,[13] damn the fish, damn the ecosystems in a semi-arid climate where they really shouldn’t be in the first place and where, really, they face doom (along with a significant portion of the nation’s food supply) as aquifers dry up, water from Sierra Nevada snowmelt is in ever shorter supply, and top soil both erodes and is increasingly toxic.

And we’re looking at an often secular, often more progressive, more often liberal, often more environmentally-minded urban population especially in San Francisco and Los Angeles, but also along even the more rural areas of the California coast, including places where a lot of very high quality marijuana is grown.

These populations are in inescapable conflict; they are never going to see eye to eye. California politics might not precisely be a zero-sum game, but somebody is going to be the political loser. In California, conservatives are now that loser and they see no hope that their fortunes will reverse. It’s only to be expected that many of them will seek to secede.

Update, October 3, 2021: At the time I wrote this post, I was aware of Central Valley water issues partly from having lived in California for over 50 years and partly from reading I had done—I think either for a sustainability class at Saybrook University or a class I took in my final, aborted semester at California Institute of Integral Studies—but cannot now track down. So I didn’t have a source for my claim above about Central Valley water supplies. Now I do. And it is dire.[14]

  1. [1]Hailey Branson-Potts, “In red California, anger over recall blowout. ‘The Democratic Party is the New York Yankees,’” Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2021, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-18/rural-red-california-recall-election; Ryan Sabalow, “Newsom lost big in California’s conservative State of Jefferson. It barely mattered,” Sacramento Bee, September 15, 2021, https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article254263153.html↩
  2. [2]Thomas Fuller, “California’s Far North Deplores ‘Tyranny’ of the Urban Majority,” New York Times, July 2, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/us/california-far-north-identity-conservative.html; Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson brings three more California counties on board,” Sacramento Bee, January 15, 2015, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article6684729.html; Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson supporters plan bill seeking independence from California,” Sacramento Bee, January 6, 2016, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article53355675.html; Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson supporters plan bill seeking independence from California,” Sacramento Bee, January 6, 2016, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article53355675.html; Lake County News, “State of Jefferson update: Plumas supervisors rescind Jefferson advisory vote resolution,” January 14, 2016, https://www.lakeconews.com/news/142-local-government/44797–state-of-jefferson-update-plumas-supervisors-rescind-jefferson-advisory-vote-resolution; Elizabeth Larson, “Supervisors vote to place State of Jefferson matter on November 2016 ballot,” Lake County News, March 4, 2015, https://www.lakeconews.com/component/content/article/142-local-government/40796-supervisors-vote-to-place-state-of-jefferson-matter-on-november-2016-ballot; Jane Braxton Little, “State of Jefferson proponents again try to persuade Plumas County supervisors,” Sacramento Bee, April 15, 2015, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article18557765.html; Elizabeth Larson, “State of Jefferson update: Lassen County residents vote down joining Jefferson, supporters plan assembly,” Lake County News, June 13, 2016, https://www.lakeconews.com/component/content/article/142-local-government/46712-state-of-jefferson-update-lassen-county-residents-vote-down-joining-jefferson-supporters-plan-assembly; Jennifer Medina, “California Counties Talk of Cutting Ties to State,” New York Times, July 12, 2011, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/us/13secession.html; Jason Morash and Jason Morash Lake, “County finds Jefferson proposal lacking,” Lake County Record-Bee, August 23, 2018, https://www.record-bee.com/2015/12/16/county-finds-jefferson-proposal-lacking/; Eli Nymeyer, “Another step toward Jefferson: 3-2 vote puts secession on November ballot,” Lake County Record-Bee, March 3, 2015, http://www.record-bee.com/general-news/20150303/another-step-toward-jefferson-3-2-vote-puts-secession-on-november-ballot; Public CEO, “Modoc County Votes to Join Siskiyou in Secessionist Movement,” September 24, 2013, https://www.publicceo.com/2013/09/breaking-modoc-county-votes-to-join-siskiyou-in-secessionist-movement/↩
  3. [3]Thomas Fuller, “California’s Far North Deplores ‘Tyranny’ of the Urban Majority,” New York Times, July 2, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/us/california-far-north-identity-conservative.html; Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson brings three more California counties on board,” Sacramento Bee, January 15, 2015, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article6684729.html; Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson supporters plan bill seeking independence from California,” Sacramento Bee, January 6, 2016, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article53355675.html; Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson supporters plan bill seeking independence from California,” Sacramento Bee, January 6, 2016, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article53355675.html; Lake County News, “State of Jefferson update: Plumas supervisors rescind Jefferson advisory vote resolution,” January 14, 2016, https://www.lakeconews.com/news/142-local-government/44797–state-of-jefferson-update-plumas-supervisors-rescind-jefferson-advisory-vote-resolution; Elizabeth Larson, “Supervisors vote to place State of Jefferson matter on November 2016 ballot,” Lake County News, March 4, 2015, https://www.lakeconews.com/component/content/article/142-local-government/40796-supervisors-vote-to-place-state-of-jefferson-matter-on-november-2016-ballot; Jane Braxton Little, “State of Jefferson proponents again try to persuade Plumas County supervisors,” Sacramento Bee, April 15, 2015, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article18557765.html; Elizabeth Larson, “State of Jefferson update: Lassen County residents vote down joining Jefferson, supporters plan assembly,” Lake County News, June 13, 2016, https://www.lakeconews.com/component/content/article/142-local-government/46712-state-of-jefferson-update-lassen-county-residents-vote-down-joining-jefferson-supporters-plan-assembly; Jennifer Medina, “California Counties Talk of Cutting Ties to State,” New York Times, July 12, 2011, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/us/13secession.html; Jason Morash and Jason Morash Lake, “County finds Jefferson proposal lacking,” Lake County Record-Bee, August 23, 2018, https://www.record-bee.com/2015/12/16/county-finds-jefferson-proposal-lacking/; Eli Nymeyer, “Another step toward Jefferson: 3-2 vote puts secession on November ballot,” Lake County Record-Bee, March 3, 2015, http://www.record-bee.com/general-news/20150303/another-step-toward-jefferson-3-2-vote-puts-secession-on-november-ballot; Public CEO, “Modoc County Votes to Join Siskiyou in Secessionist Movement,” September 24, 2013, https://www.publicceo.com/2013/09/breaking-modoc-county-votes-to-join-siskiyou-in-secessionist-movement/↩
  4. [4]Hailey Branson-Potts, “In red California, anger over recall blowout. ‘The Democratic Party is the New York Yankees,’” Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2021, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-18/rural-red-california-recall-election; Ryan Sabalow, “Newsom lost big in California’s conservative State of Jefferson. It barely mattered,” Sacramento Bee, September 15, 2021, https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article254263153.html↩
  5. [5]Sharon Bernstein, “More Californians dreaming of a country without Trump: poll,” Reuters, January 23, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-california-secession/more-californians-dreaming-of-a-country-without-trump-poll-idUSKBN1572KB; Clare Foran, “American Secessionists Dream of Declaring Independence,” Atlantic, July 4, 2016, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/07/secession-trump-brexit/489689/; Seung Lee, “Calexit? Brexit Buoys California Independence Movement,” Newsweek, June 25, 2016, https://www.newsweek.com/calexit-brexit-buoys-california-independence-movement-474576; Lenny Mendonca, “California must lead, not secede,” San Francisco Chronicle, December 18, 2016, https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/California-must-lead-not-secede-10804752.php; Mike Pearl, “Meet the California Separatists Leading a New Movement to Secede from the United States,” Vice, February 17, 2016, https://www.vice.com/en/article/wd7a94/meet-the-californians-inspired-by-scotland-to-pursue-independent-nationhood; Nicole Sganga, “Cal-exit? Meet the movement for Californian secession,” CBS News, February 20, 2017, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cal-exit-meet-the-movement-for-californian-secession/; Olivia Solon, “Silicon Valley investors call for California to secede from the US after Trump win,” Guardian, November 9, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/09/trump-win-california-secede-calexit-silicon-valley; Annabelle Timsit, “5 U.S. Independence Movements Inspired by Brexit,” Politico, July 4, 2016, https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/07/5-us-independence-movements-inspired-by-brexit-214010/↩
  6. [6]Thomas Fuller, “California’s Far North Deplores ‘Tyranny’ of the Urban Majority,” New York Times, July 2, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/us/california-far-north-identity-conservative.html↩
  7. [7]Free The Bear, “Independence for California, March 3, 1999, https://calrepublic.tripod.com/index.html↩
  8. [8]Evan McMurry, “5 far-right groups trying to secede from America,” Salon, October 12, 2013, https://www.salon.com/2013/10/12/five_different_culturally_homogenous_secessionist_movements_partner/↩
  9. [9]Andrea Diaz, “3 Californias? The initiative to break up the state may be on the ballot in November,” CNN, April 13, 2018, https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/13/us/california-closer-to-split-into-three-states-trnd/index.html; Gregory Ferenstein, “Tim Draper Wants To Split California Into Pieces And Turn Silicon Valley Into Its Own State,” TechCrunch, December 19, 2013, https://techcrunch.com/2013/12/19/tim-draper-six-californias-secede-silicon-valley-ballot-initiative/; Jim Miller, “Six Californias initiative fails to make 2016 ballot,” Sacramento Bee, September 12, 2014, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article2609555.html; Reuters, “Tech billionaire says his plan to break up California ready for voters,” April 12, 2018, copy in possession of author↩
  10. [10]Thomas Fuller, “California’s Far North Deplores ‘Tyranny’ of the Urban Majority,” New York Times, July 2, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/us/california-far-north-identity-conservative.html; Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson brings three more California counties on board,” Sacramento Bee, January 15, 2015, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article6684729.html; Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson supporters plan bill seeking independence from California,” Sacramento Bee, January 6, 2016, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article53355675.html; Alexei Koseff, “State of Jefferson supporters plan bill seeking independence from California,” Sacramento Bee, January 6, 2016, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article53355675.html; Lake County News, “State of Jefferson update: Plumas supervisors rescind Jefferson advisory vote resolution,” January 14, 2016, https://www.lakeconews.com/news/142-local-government/44797–state-of-jefferson-update-plumas-supervisors-rescind-jefferson-advisory-vote-resolution; Elizabeth Larson, “Supervisors vote to place State of Jefferson matter on November 2016 ballot,” Lake County News, March 4, 2015, https://www.lakeconews.com/component/content/article/142-local-government/40796-supervisors-vote-to-place-state-of-jefferson-matter-on-november-2016-ballot; Jane Braxton Little, “State of Jefferson proponents again try to persuade Plumas County supervisors,” Sacramento Bee, April 15, 2015, https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article18557765.html; Elizabeth Larson, “State of Jefferson update: Lassen County residents vote down joining Jefferson, supporters plan assembly,” Lake County News, June 13, 2016, https://www.lakeconews.com/component/content/article/142-local-government/46712-state-of-jefferson-update-lassen-county-residents-vote-down-joining-jefferson-supporters-plan-assembly; Jennifer Medina, “California Counties Talk of Cutting Ties to State,” New York Times, July 12, 2011, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/13/us/13secession.html; Jason Morash and Jason Morash Lake, “County finds Jefferson proposal lacking,” Lake County Record-Bee, August 23, 2018, https://www.record-bee.com/2015/12/16/county-finds-jefferson-proposal-lacking/; Eli Nymeyer, “Another step toward Jefferson: 3-2 vote puts secession on November ballot,” Lake County Record-Bee, March 3, 2015, http://www.record-bee.com/general-news/20150303/another-step-toward-jefferson-3-2-vote-puts-secession-on-november-ballot; Public CEO, “Modoc County Votes to Join Siskiyou in Secessionist Movement,” September 24, 2013, https://www.publicceo.com/2013/09/breaking-modoc-county-votes-to-join-siskiyou-in-secessionist-movement/↩
  11. [11]Hailey Branson-Potts, “In red California, anger over recall blowout. ‘The Democratic Party is the New York Yankees,’” Los Angeles Times, September 17, 2021, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-18/rural-red-california-recall-election; Ryan Sabalow, “Newsom lost big in California’s conservative State of Jefferson. It barely mattered,” Sacramento Bee, September 15, 2021, https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article254263153.html↩
  12. [12]David Benfell, “Barack Obama asks, ‘Why is it that the folks that won the last election are so mad all the time?’ Not Housebroken, November 4, 2018, https://disunitedstates.org/2018/11/04/barack-obama-asks-why-is-it-that-the-folks-that-won-the-last-election-are-so-mad-all-the-time/↩
  13. [13]Maria L. La Ganga and Anita Chabria, “The Central Valley gives California a recall rarity: a squeaker of a race,” Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2021, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-09-18/newsom-california-recall-race-tight-fresno-merced↩
  14. [14]Dale Kasler, “Dry wells, drastic cutbacks. For many Californians, drought hardships have already arrived,” Sacramento Bee, October 3, 2021, https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/water-and-drought/article254265353.html↩

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