Tag: california

6 Conspiracy Theories Potentially Behind the Ballot Initiative to Make California 6 Separate States

Learn the REAL Secret Behind the initiative to Make California 6 Separate States…

Here they are, in order of my levels of suspicion.

 

1- IT’S ACTUALLY VIRAL MARKETING FOR MAGIC MOUNTAIN

This is my top theory because it’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the color choices and size and placement emphasize of the bold “Six” typeface.
Here is the official logo of 6 California’s…

And now the Six Flags official logo…

Even the colors of the States and Flags are the same except for the red state corresponding to a pink flag because the symbolic exclamation mark background is red so it was only a choice of necessity. Dude…

I can’t be the only one who see’s the resemblance… This has to be a subliminal-message marketing campaign. Case closed. But if you want to entertain 5 lesser theories, then go ahead.

 

2- ATTEMPT TO CREATE MORE LIBERAL-DEMOCRAT or CONSERVATIVE-REPUBLICAN STATES

The tiny little entity known as Washington DC (the nations capital on the east coast – totally different from the state named Washington on the upper West Coast, in case you’re a version of me until solidly-through-high-school who constantly had trouble remembering or understanding the distinction between the two)  has gone through several attempts to become it’s own state for some reason. Except many point out the “some reason” is not likely to be anything related to governance or representation but rather as a ploy by Liberal Democrats to give statehood to a Liberal Democrat controlled city and thus add 2 new Liberal Democrat senators to congress, making 2 new Liberal Democrat votes that could very well be tie breakers.

Congressmen are apportioned to districts based on population but states only get 2 senators regardless of whether the population is 2 thousand or 20 million. That’s our system. We currently have 435 congressional districts represented by one person each but only 100 senators representing the states in Washington. So Montana only has 1 congressman representing it in Washington while Texas has 36 but both states have 2 senators. This matters. All the senate does is vote on stuff, essentially. 2 extra votes in your big-government (Leftist) or small-government (right-wing) favor is a big deal.

Remember that Obamacare was only passed by 1 vote in the face of bipartisan opposition with a cluster of Democrats joining 100% of the Republicans in Congress to try and stop that trainwreck without at least some reform of some of its most train-wreckiest aspects. 2 more solidly Lefty votes would really come in handy in a situation like that in the future. More than 2 would be even better. Cuz math.

So how would the 6 states stack up? Oddly sortov evenly, with an advantage to the Democrats but not an overwhelming one.

There would be 3 solidly Democrat states and 3 Lean-Republican states.

Jefferson – Libertarian Republican.

North California – Leans Democrat.

Silicon Valley – Liberal Democrat (solid).

Central California -Leans Republican.

West California – Solid Liberal Democrat

South California – Swing State that Leans Republican.


3- BIG BUSINESS

I don’t really have a specific theory for this one. Just a vague hippie conspiracy about “business”. I can think of a bunch of possible theories relating to economic interests in the state but none with any actual evidence except for Jefferson (current Northern-CA) who is open about disliking being forced under the regulations of the rest of the state without getting access to its recourses.

It would make sense that Silicon Valley would be tired of carrying the poorer farm areas of the state like the would-be Central California, but I’m short on actual details of why this would be a big enough benefit.

Is prospering San Diego wishing to cleave from failing Los Angeles? Central California would be one of the poorest states because its mostly mountains, desert and farm-towns so at first glance it would seem that they would love being attached to the rest of the current states wealthy area’s but in reality that kind of demographic skews much more conservative because of the adage that only rich people can afford to be socialist. It’s more valuable to the smaller business types to be free of confiscatory regulations and fees than to have any perceived benefits connection to the wealthy areas might appear to offer.

Still though, money guides most political changes and this proposal is being lead by a wealthy guy, but where exactly the biz angle is (if it is a major factor) is foggy.

 

4- IT’S OVER-ASKING IN ORDER FOR A COMPROMISE

I get the whole population divide thing (because there’s just so many dang people errywhere in this place) but 6 divisions with all new statehoodnesses is a lot of change at once. The surface area we call California today probably should have been 6 states in the first place, sure, but changing something that big is hard and changing something that iconic is extra-super-kindov-impossible-hard.

Half the proposal would be just as hard in the convincing stage but would be more feasible in the actual division stage. 3 California’s would be better and easier to manage and not make all that huge of a disruption, governmentally wise. But maybe THAT’s the real conspiracy and maybe that’s the end-game from this initiative? Maybe 6 California’s is a shell organization designed to give itself bargaining power and support only to “compromise” with it’s real goal all along which is to cut the state into three’s?… Via the official 6 California’s website:

I really like the idea, but 6 may be too big too soon. The Three Californias reaches the same goals but in a more palatable form that would get the population on board more thoroughly. North California, Central California, and South California. By doing this, and including resources that include the coasts and mountain ranges in all three states, the chances of approval are greatly increased. South and Central California would benefit from investing in Water Collection, Solar Power, and Desalinization Plants. All three states would be strong enough in ther own resources, then, that the chances of disapproval would drop. The 6 States plan divides natural resources “Too Much” to get the vote. By giving all “3 States” resources from the ocean to the mountains- your chances of approval increase exponentially.

 

5- ITS ACTUAL STATED GOALS (ABOUT GOVERNANCE AND REPRESENTATION)

Could it be that the conspiracy is really that there is no conspiracy?

Nah…

 

6- TO MAKE A POINT AND START A CONVO

Whatever his angle is, I doubt it’s the one that is stated because I doubt Tim Draper, the wealthy spearheader of the division, expects this to actually happen. I suspect more so that this is a several million dollar venture to spark a conversation on taxes, regulation, political representation and government accountability and although i’d spend the millions differently, it’s a worthy convo to instigate.


Why Chopping Up California into 6 Different States is a Good Idea (that will never happen)

California used to be Australia: A couple actual cities, some small towns and then vast unpopulated, seemingly uninhabitable outback wilderness. Now California has stuff in it. and it’s not being governed very well at all.

Representing such a large surface area with diverse political views is sure to under-service all of them and – surprise – it totally does, but lately there is growing push to solve that problem by letting the different regions of the state govern themselves independently of the others. Meaning: make new states out of the existing one.

I first heard about this a few months ago when ReasonTV released this segment on what would-be the Libertarian state of Jefferson (the northernest part of Current-California).

Activists in Northern California, near the border with Oregon, are pushing to secede from the Golden State. They say they’re fed up with taxes, regulation, and lack of representation. If they get their way, the country’s 51st entrant would be called the State of Jefferson.

“The three major urban areas dictate politics for the entire state,” says Mark Baird of the Jefferson Declaration Committee. “Our children are leaving, our economy is crashing, we are taxed, every breath we take is regulated, and we feel that a free state will cure that.”

To date, five county governments have signed on the plan and more may be joining up.

“We can’t afford to run a California style bureaucracy, that is true,” says Baird. “But as a small rural state, we don’t want to. ”

The idea of secession in California isn’t new. During the Great Depression, folks started pushing a similar plan in the same part of the state but threw in the towel after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Now Californians may get a chance to vote on chopping the state up into 6 smaller states.

The most accurate spoof of this I’ve seen has been this cartoon making it’s own split-up proposal:

 

This one is a little more to the point and keeps the same divisions of the official 6 California’s movement:

And finally, this is what the 6 California proposal actually suggests:

Background on the initiative from Reuters:

Timothy Draper, a founder of a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm that has invested in Twitter, Skype and Tesla, among other companies, has been agitating for months for a ballot initiative to chop the most populous U.S. state into smaller entities. “It’s important because it will help us create a more responsive, more innovative and more local government, and that ultimately will end up being better for all of Californians,” said Roger Salazar, a spokesman for the campaign. “The idea … is to create six states with responsive local governments – states that are more representative and accountable to their constituents.” Salazar said Monday that the campaign had gathered more than the roughly 808,000 signatures needed to place the measure on the November, 2016 ballot. Draper and other supporters plan to file the signatures with California Secretary of State Debra Bowen on Tuesday.

Here’s the official pitch from the movement via one of those live-drawing videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyPNjPzUTuo

Sounds kindov impossible but isn’t totes impossible when in the hands of voters.

No U.S. state has been divided since the Civil War. But this idea sounds less antiquated after considering that just one of California’s 58 counties (San Bernardino) is larger than nine U.S. states and four of them combined. Supporters have gotten the go-ahead from the secretary of state to begin collecting signatures, so this idea could spark a thought experiment.

The whole “State of Jefferson” thing is mentioned and noted as the pipe dream it is but then asks the legitimate question of how things change if and when voters get a say on the matter:

Even small U.S. states have differences, but California’s are arguably so extreme that it’s hard to imagine any way to reconcile them. There are efforts in the rural far north to join with some Oregon counties and become the state of Jefferson. They already have a flag. Folks there say California’s land-use restrictions are leaving them in penury.

That movement lacks political clout, but what happens if state voters say yes to a divorce? It’s hard to imagine they would do so given that urban residents can easily out-vote disgruntled folks in the hinterlands. It seems likely that the legislature would fight this and unlikely that Congress would accept a break up. But campaigns – provided they are serious, and that’s far from clear in this case – can lead to reforms that address simmering frustrations.

Whatever your opinion on the matter, I will now proceed to tell you the right one: It’s a good and fair idea that will not happen for emotional reasons. Mostly because of branding.

The California brand is a thing. None gives a crap if Fresno and Sacramento don’t feel a part of the beach culture/Golden Gate western coast of America. California is California and it will stay the way it is, regardless of how massively unfair to its far stretching diverse groups of residents it is.

Because that’s how ‘Merica works, y’all.

Amazon terminates California based Affiliates in response to proposed California tax

I’ve been an Amazon.com Affiliate (making money from Amazon ads) since 1997. This morning I received an email that I would no longer be part of the program because I live in California and Californians are assholes. More specifically: Californians are hippie Socialist assholes who elect hippie Socialists to every level of government and look to fix their failed economic system by taxing the people who work so they can give more to those that don’t. In response to what has been called the “Amazon tax”, taxing purchases made online, Amazon.com has decided to terminate all California Affiliate advertising.

Instead cutting the ridiculous entitlements that I have witnessed at least a dozen people take complete illegitimate advantage of or encouraging economic growth, the state is sticking to it’s guns on punishing workers.

It may not completely affect me because I registered my LLC in Texas precisely because of California’s anti-business tax policies so I will just switch my Amazon account to the Texas address – HOWEVER… Texas is currently negotiating the same law. Whaaaat? chyea… It’s been delayed and an alternate deal proposed and there looks like there is hope..maybe…but not definite. Still though: what the f#ck about everyone else who DOESN’T have an option to reassign the state in their accounts? California doesn’t have the same hope that Texas has of this getting reformatted. Californians are screwed. California screwed. Cali-fornicated. Thanks a lot California Liberals. You guys suck.

Here’s the message:

Hello,

For well over a decade, the Amazon Associates Program has worked with thousands of California residents. Unfortunately, a potential new law that may be signed by Governor Brown compels us to terminate this program for California-based participants. It specifically imposes the collection of taxes from consumers on sales by online retailers – including but not limited to those referred by California-based marketing affiliates like you – even if those retailers have no physical presence in the state.

We oppose this bill because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive. It is supported by big-box retailers, most of which are based outside California, that seek to harm the affiliate advertising programs of their competitors. Similar legislation in other states has led to job and income losses, and little, if any, new tax revenue. We deeply regret that we must take this action.

As a result, we will terminate contracts with all California residents that are participants in the Amazon Associates Program as of the date (if any) that the California law becomes effective. We will send a follow-up notice to you confirming the termination date if the California law is enacted. In the event that the California law does not become effective before September 30, 2011, we withdraw this notice. As of the termination date, California residents will no longer receive advertising fees for sales referred to Amazon.com, Endless.com, MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned on or before the termination date will be processed and paid in full in accordance with the regular payment schedule.

You are receiving this email because our records indicate that you are a resident of California. If you are not currently a resident of California, or if you are relocating to another state in the near future, you can manage the details of your Associates account here. And if you relocate to another state in the near future please contact us for reinstatement into the Amazon Associates Program.

To avoid confusion, we would like to clarify that this development will only impact our ability to offer the Associates Program to California residents and will not affect their ability to purchase from Amazon.com, Endless.com, MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com.

We have enjoyed working with you and other California-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program and, if this situation is rectified, would very much welcome the opportunity to re-open our Associates Program to California residents. We are also working on alternative ways to help California residents monetize their websites and we will be sure to contact you when these become available.

Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team

Arnold has secret son. Maria Shriver has secret class.

Aside from this very subtle lulz from Wikipedia – No punchline here – just saying: How classy is Maria Shriver? i mean gead daymn. unless there is some attention whoring tell-all book or string of Oprah appearances coming up, i gotta hand it to the lady for being Dignitary of the year.

“This is a painful and heartbreaking time,” Shriver said in a statement. “As a mother, my concern is for the children. I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal. I will have no further comment.”

Schwarzenegger and Shriver recently announcedtheir separation after 25 years of marriage, but failed to give a reason for the split. The Los Angeles Times reports that Shriver moved out of the family’s Brentwood home earlier this year when Schwarzenegger confessed his paternity.

Arnold had a kid with a member of the staff and kept it a secret through 2 successful elections as Governor…wtf?

“For at least 10 years, throughout a spectacular and closely-scrutinized political career, Arnold Schwarzenegger managed to hide the existence of a love child with a member of his own household staff. Only now, after leaving the governor’s office and splitting from his equally famous wife of 25 years, are we finding out… “It’s almost mindboggling that information like this did not become public over his political career,” said veteran California GOP strategist Dan Schnur, who now teaches at the University of Southern California. “If this had come out when he was running for governor, he wouldn’t have gotten elected.” – Washington Post

How pissed off is Meg Whitman right now? The former eBay CEO spent a record $150 Million of her own money to gain the privilege of saving California from bankruptcy and she was derailed by a phony scandal that caused weeks of election-costing bad press when Gloria Alred trotted out Whitmans former maid to cry in front of cameras for money and whine about how she is illegally residing in the country, lied to the Whitmans and got fired when they found out about her illegal status.

That was a big deal for some reason, while the previous Governor hiding a love child never got uncovered?? Dude…wtf.

Meg Whitman literally did everything she was supposed to do both legally and morally and handled the release with class, saying how the maid was a member of the family and following the legal obligation to fire her was very hard and that is big news. Sitting governor hides love child and that’s only an interest tidbit mentioned after his term. this is bananas.

California would have been better off with the scandal known and Arnold only serving 1 term from the recall election and the state having Whitman win a term or two after that democrat.

California borrows $40M a day to pay unemployment

California borrows $40 million a day to pay unemployment…

a DAY…. every day… 40 million dollars… not to finance a war or balance the budget or find a cure for cancer. 40 million dollars, borrowed – meaning money the state does not have – to pay people for not working…

“With one in every eight workers unemployed and empty state coffers, California is borrowing billions of dollars from the federal government to pay unemployment insurance.”

California to vote on legalizing pot

This November us Californians have a Refer-endum on our hands:

The measure’s main advocate, Richard Lee, an Oakland marijuana entrepreneur, savored the chance to press his case with voters that the state’s decades-old ban on marijuana is a failed policy.

“We’re one step closer to ending cannabis prohibition and the unjust laws that lock people up for cannabis while alcohol is not only sold openly but advertised on television to kids every day,” he said.

Lee, tapping $1.3 million from his businesses, has put together a highly organized campaign that he emphasized Wednesday would be led by a team of experienced political consultants, including Chris Lehane, a veteran operative who has worked in the White House and on presidential campaigns.

“There’s all kinds of big professional politicos who are coming on board now to take it to the next level,” Lee said.

Opponents have also started to put together their campaign. “There’s going to be a very broad coalition opposing this that will include law enforcement,” said John Lovell, a Sacramento lobbyist who represents the California Police Chiefs Assn. and other law enforcement groups. “We’ll educate people as to what this measure really entails.”

The measure, like the medical marijuana initiative, could put California on a collision course with the federal government. The possession and sale of marijuana remain a federal crime.

Fox News raised that exact issue today while providing me some lulz cuz they say “sticky” situation twice. teehee.

See also: FoxNews.com: Are U.S. Pot Laws The Root Cause Of Mexican Drug Violence?