Voters in two California counties are set to decide Tuesday whether or not they’ll secede and start their own territory — an entirely new state called Jefferson.
The idea actually stems from a vision held by Founding Father Thomas Jefferson to establish the western side of the continent as a freestanding republic, Reuters reported. So voters in Del Norte and Tehama counties are taking the vote in a special ballot initiative.
One of the movement’s organizers, Aaron Funk, said the cause has been fueled in part by a “lack of [government] representation, lack of infrastructure [and] inability to use a lot of our resources,” Reuters reported.
Business owners especially, he said, are being tripped up and burdened by government’s demands for “mounds of paperwork, red tape,” Reuters reported.
But not all are on board with the separation notion.
“We will continue to face the same challenges,” predicted one group of opponents, Reuters reported, “except we will no longer be subsidized by the state.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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