From LA Times:

‘South California’ proposed as 51st state by Republican supervisor

The 51st state should be named South California, says Jeff Stone, a Republican on the the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. But the proposed 13 southern California counties that would split off from the Golden State would not include Los Angeles.

Stone told the Times’ Phil Willon that the ommission is intentional and is part of a plan that would make for a new conservative Californian state.

“Los Angeles is purposely excluded because they have the same liberal policies that Sacramento does. The last thing I want to do is create a state that’s a carbon copy of what we have now,” Stone said.

“Los Angeles just enacted a ban on plastic grocery bags. That put three or four manufacturers out of business,” Stone, a pharmacist from Temecula, said.

Stone plans on formally proposing secession Tuesday during a meeting of the Board of Supervisors.

South California would encompass  Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Tulare counties, totaling approximately 13 million people.

The proposed 51st state would be the fifth largest by population, more populous than Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania. South California would take nearly a third of the population away from California, making the Golden State the second-largest state after Texas.

More….

From Time Magazine:

Politician Campaigns to Make ‘South California’ Into Our 51st State

A California politician is proposing that his state split in half as a way to address political and logistical issues – marking yet another instance someone has proposed this idea in the Golden State.

Although on a national scale, the idea of splitting up a state may seem novel, similar proposals has been made in California politics more than 220 separate times. But Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone is not letting the past failures of these proposals mute his ardor for secession.

More…

And from the Los Angeles Times:

‘South California’: The only escape from Sacramento’s sweeping failure?

“It’s a supremely ridiculous waste of everybody’s time,” Duran told The Times. “If you want to live in a Republican state with very conservative right-wing laws, then there’s a place called Arizona.”

Riverside County should probably focus on fixing its $130-million revenue gap for next year, Duran said.

Lawmakers in “South California” would not have term limits, the legislature would be part time and there would be controls on property taxes, Stone said.

But Stone’s “South California” could end up being the 52^nd state if “Baja Arizona” beats it to the punch — the southern region of Arizona is trying to escape the Republican politics its residents don’t agree with. In fact, the group “Start Our State” symbolically declared its independence as the 51st state on July 4, according to the Tucson Sentinel. The group is trying to put a petition on the ballot in 2012 that would ask for the Legislature’s permission for Pima County to ask Congress to consider making Baja Arizona its own state.

In order for a new state to be added to the nation, the state’s legislature and Congress must consent to the addition, according to Article IV of the U.S. Constitution. Proposals to split California have come up more than 220 times since the 1850s. It’s not likely to happen; a state hasn’t been split since 1863 – when West Virginia was created during the Civil War — despite hundreds of proposals across the nation.

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COMMENT: Baja Arizona is never going to be its own state if that means adding two more Democrats to the US Senate. But…. If South California got close to statehood and adding 2 Republican Senators…then Baja might be the “deal” in Congress for both to happen.

I loved the quote from Governor Brown’s office “It’s a supremely ridiculous waste of everybody’s time,” Duran told The Times. “If you want to live in a Republican state with very conservative right-wing laws, then there’s a place called Arizona.”

A little change in the masthead for this blog.

Besides writing my own commentaries, the blog has evolved into an opportunity to share a lot of interesting stuff that comes across my screen from other sources. Thus “brought to you by”….and plural for Views.

“Baja Arizona” was first conceived as a sort of joke back in 1965 to identify what is different about the folks living south of the Gila River. There is now an actual (but not quite serious) statehood effort. To me it is more a “state of mind” than a political jurisdiction.

Some would like to characterize “Baja Arizona” as a liberal paradise. My take is the region is much more libertarian than liberal…an important distinction. Our region is where the “cowboy way” first evolved. That means you can do whatever you want so long as it doesn’t impact me.

As the blog has evolved several themes have emerged as a focus…the border….the conflict between radical environmental groups and economic development…that dominate the politics and issues of the region.

One of my main goals here is to provide information and opinions that you will not encounter in Tucson’s morning daily newspaper.

I have also taken to including the full text of various press releases so you can see what the sources are saying without the intervention of a “journalist” who re-writes the release. If I have an opinion, it will be noted afterwards.

A lot is going on in this place we call “Baja Arizona”… some of it even having national significance.

The murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry occurred in our borderlands. Two guns “walked” by a botched ATF scheme called “Fast and Furious”  originating out of Phoenix were found at Terry’s murder scene. I have followed this story from its beginning and it is a doozy.

We are ground zero in the national debates on border security and immigration law reform. Border residents recognize we must secure our border and resolve the defects in our immigration laws.

I live about 20 miles from the US-Mexico border and have extensive experience with border security issues and border environmental issues.

Tucson is the home base for one of the most litigious “environmental litigation factories” in the country and Congress is moving to address defects in the Endangered Species Act that have opened up the door for radical environmental groups to try and shut down America. You will continue to see a lot more here on how the Endangered Species Act is less about protecting actual plants and animals and more about efforts to shut down ranching and other land uses some radical environmentalists find offensive to their “earth first” agenda.

Our countryside is burning down due to misguided federal policies that put environmental protection ahead of national security. Some of those policies were urged on the federal government by environmental litigation factories.

A word about me: I started out as a reporter for the Tucson Daily Citizen back in 1967, changed careers and got a law degree. My law practice was focused on water, environment and land development issues. I also served as City Attorney for Nogales, Arizona.

In the course of my career I’ve worked for the city of Tucson, and the Pima County Attorney’s Office; represented  the Town of Marana as well as farms, ranches and private water companies in the region; representred several Fortune 500 companies in their pursuits in the region;  served as a Commissioner on the Arizona Power Authority;  and worked as a lobbyist in the state legislature.

Originally from Texas, I have been a resident in the area since 1954 and seen a lot of change.

I am currently serving as Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Development which was created to counter the radical agenda of groups that try and use environmental laws to achieve their social and political policy goals. I believe we can have economic development, ranching, and other activities and protect the environment. It is NOT an either-or choice.

I also want to thank all the people who take the time to comment on the posts here. We obviously do not agree often…but the whole point is to shed some light on the major issues around us. I only edit in situations where a commenter uses profanity and attacks others personally.

Currently this blog is one of the most viewed on TucsonCitizen.com.

Thank you.

The Daily Star reports that Sarah Palin confirms she bought $1.7 million home in Arizona.

This was also reported in the New York Times.

Speculation is rampant that Palin is going to use Arizona as a base to run for the White House. The logic is it will be easier for her to run around the country from a base in Arizona than from Alaska.

There are lots of places in the lower 48 where Palin could operate from with better airline connections.

So why Arizona?

Looking at the fact she chose to buy a home in Scottsdale in the center of Arizona’s far right-ward shift, she will obviously be living among kindred spirits.

 Just as obviously she did not choose to buy a home in Tucson or Baja Arizona.

Just when we thought we had enough negative national political attention from the antics of Joe Arpaio and Russell Pearce now we have Palin to deal with as an “Arizonan”.

Word is coyotes were seen fleeing the state in fear of being hunted by airplane.

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Guide to Arizona for Sarah Palin

Just when we were celebrating the news that the world did not end Saturday….now we find this out:

From the Arizona Republic May 22, 2011:

Sarah Palin buys a house in north Scottsdale?

by Dan Nowicki and Catherine Reagor – May. 21, 2011 12:36 PM
The Arizona Republic

Has Sarah Palin bought a house in north Scottsdale?

For months, rumors have circulated in Arizona political circles that the former Alaska governor and possible 2012 presidential contender either was shopping for homes in Scottsdale or had already bought one.

A just-closed deal on a secluded luxury home in far north Scottsdale might fit the bill, and talk has begun that this may be the one. It’s an 8,000-square-foot, dark-brown stucco home with a guard gate that can keep unwanted visitors away. It has six bedrooms, five bathrooms, a six-car garage, a swimming pool and spa, and a full basement with a home theater, billiards room and wine cellar.

Safari Investments LLC paid $1.695 million cash for the home in a deal that appears designed to cloak the identity of a high-profile buyer.

Safari Investments is a Delaware limited liability firm formed May 12, the day before the deal for the Scottsdale home closed. No officers are listed on the Delaware filing, and that state doesn’t require the names of individual associated with limited liability companies to be disclosed. High-profile people often buy homes through LLCs to maintain their privacy.

Alan Kierman, an attorney with the Phoenix law firm of Mack Drucker & Watson, is listed on property records as the contact for Safari Investments. Asked point blank by The Arizona Republic if Palin and her husband Todd Palin bought the north Scottsdale house through the company, Kierman said he had no comment.

In north Scottsdale’s scenic desert, the former foreclosure house was purchased by real estate agent and investor Ian Whitmore in March 2010 for $805,000. He sold it May 13 to Safari Investments, but said he doesn’t know who is behind the limited liability company. The home was half-renovated when it was taken back by the lender JP Morgan Chase Bank in 2009.

Requests seeking comment from Palin or her aides made Friday and Saturday through her political action committee, SarahPAC, were not successful.

Confirmation of a Palin house purchase in Scottsdale likely would rekindle chatter about whether Palin might run a political campaign out of Arizona, the home state of U.S. Sen. John McCain, who plucked her from relative political obscurity in 2008 to be his vice-presidential running mate.

Palin has been rumored to be considering headquartering her 2012 White House campaign, if there is one, in Scottsdale. She also has been mentioned as a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.

Palin has made multiple visits to Arizona since the night in November 2008 when, at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, McCain conceded the presidential election to Democratic rival Barack Obama. Palin’s daughter, former “Dancing With the Stars” celebrity finalist Bristol Palin, last year purchased a five-bedroom house in Maricopa.

Palin’s name started coming up in Arizona in March, when state Rep. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, repeated a rumor of a possible Palin bid for the U.S. Senate in his weekly newsletter to constituents. Farley told The Republic at the time that he heard the rumor from two Republican lobbyists whom he declined to name. The same week, a Politico blogger quoted an anonymous source as saying Palin might base a potential presidential campaign in Scottsdale.

The Arizona Democratic Party’s website asked, “Is Sarah Palin moving to Arizona?” and used the rumors to try to raise money.

The speculation was enough for Public Policy Polling, a Democratic company based in North Carolina, to include some questions about Palin in its most recent automated telephone survey of Arizona voters. One question asked respondents whether they would like for Palin to move to Arizona. Fifty-seven percent said no. Another 27 percent said they would like her to relocate to the state, while 16 percent were not sure.

The poll of 623 Arizona voters was conducted April 28 to May 1 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.

FaceBook message from Start Our State:

bad news about The Daily Show – the segment on our movement will not be airing. Once they got into the editing room, they realized they didn’t have enough wacky stuff about the legislature & governor. They greatly appreciated Tucson’s hospitality though and send warm regards to everyone

Maybe once Governor Brewer started vetoing some of the crazier stuff, and Russell pearce failed to get his 2011 anti-immigrant agenda through….Arizona had a brush with sanity.

Liberals in southern Arizona seek to form new state

Brad Poole : Reuters

May 10, 2011

TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) – A long-simmering movement by liberal stalwarts in southern Arizona to break away from the rest of the largely conservative state is at a boiling point as secession backers press to bring their longshot ambition to the forefront of Arizona politics.

A group of lawyers from the Democratic stronghold of Tucson and surrounding Pima County have launched a petition drive seeking support for a November 2012 ballot question on whether the 48th state should be divided in two.

The ultimate goal of the newly formed political action committee Start our State is to split Pima County off into what would become the nation’s 51st state, tentatively dubbed Baja Arizona.

Backers have until July 5 next year to collect the 48,000 signatures required to qualify for a spot on the ballot. If they succeed, it would mark only the first hurdle in a long, circuitous process that even the most determined of supporters readily acknowledge has little chance of bearing fruit.

“We at least need to get it on the ballot, as a nonbinding resolution, to ask the people of Pima County if they want to be a part of Arizona,” Tucson attorney Paul Eckerstrom, a former Pima County Democratic chairman who launched the campaign, told Reuters. “All the stars would have to align for this to happen, but it could conceivably happen by the fall of 2013.”

U.S. history is replete with efforts to carve one state from another — from the creation of Kentucky and Tennessee in the 1790s to more modern misfires like proposals to partition Long Island from New York or to split California in half.

The last successful intrastate secession movement was the formation of West Virginia during the Civil War.

More…

A 51st State? Some In Arizona Want A Split

by Ted Robbins KUAT

….Baja Arizona supporters say there’s a serious side to their quest to create a new state. They say Arizona is headed in the wrong direction — cutting education and health care funding and hurting the state’s reputation and business climate with laws like SB 1070. And they say Republicans in the Legislature are punishing Pima County for its opposition.

The Legislature tried to deny money to Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik because he doesn’t support SB 1070. It passed a law trying to change the way Tucson holds city elections, and another bill dictating how the city can bid public works projects.

More…

COMMENT:A lot of people think the goal of creating Baja Arizona is to create some kind of liberal Democrat haven.

I see it a little differently.

The far out right wing in Maricopa County have really skewed Arizona’s agenda. With leaders like Joe Arpaio and Russell Pearce calling the shots up there, they have left everyone who doesn’t put gun rights and locking up millions of illegal aliens as their first priorities out in the cold.

We have every right to point out the craziness of the Arpaio/Pearce agenda. And talking about Baja Arizona and our differences with Maricopistan is one way to do this.

But if you look hard at Baja Arizona what you see is maybe one-third of the voters are Democrats, one-third Republican and one-third Independent. Those two-thirds of the voters aren’t going to turn Baja Arizona into Massachusetts.

I see the climate of Baja Arizona is more center right with a very strong libertarian streak.

People try and define the area based on the city of Tucson’s political image…and if one day Tucson’s city council is actually directly elected by wards instead of city-wide I believe you’d see a GOP controlled city government.

But the definition of GOP or Republican down here is not the same as in Maricopistan. The social conservatives are not dominant here so a “Republican” agenda would look a lot more like something Barry Goldwater wrote. Remember…we elected one of the first openly gay Republicans to Congress over and over again. And no one would call Jim Kolbe a “liberal”.

If Baja Arizona actually was created (highly unlikely) I don’t envision the new state wasting a lot of time trying to allow guns in public buildings or on college campuses, or picking fights with the federal government over abortion  or how to harass illegal aliens.

I do see a state that would much more strongly support its public education system and the University of Arizona, a state that would not throw all its poor people and sick people under the bus, and a state that would celebrate its cultural and ethnic diversity.

The View from Baja Arizona blog was launched May 10, 2010. Over 800 posts later this has been an interesting venture.

In the last year we’ve had SB 1070 and the border issues blow up in the national news, the attempted assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the emergence of an almost tongue-in-cheek effort to create a new state called Baja Arizona and even a scandal involving the ATF “walking” guns into the hands of the murderers of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

And along the way we’ve had the rants of a peeved senior citizen, ocelot kittens for sale, and other items which caught the attention of a lot of readers.

What I’ve tried to do with this blog is several things:

–provide a view of border issues from an on-the-ground perspective since I am deeply involved in border stuff;

–share a view of Tucson area issues such as the environment and economy as well as history and traditions;

–provide a forum for intelligent debate about issues;

–occasionally offer my own opinions about things that ought to be done;

–provide access to interesting stuff I stumble on that you might not notice.

One of the things I’ve been doing is posting all the press releases I get from US Customs and Border Protection which describe the activities of the Border Patrol as well as the ports of entry folks. Cumulatively it gives readers an idea of the magnitude of what’s going on at the border.

In recent months the View from Baja Arizona has been drawing anywhere from 30,000 to over 60,000 page views a month, making it one of the top viewed blogs on TucsonCitizen.com.

Thank you readers !!!! Keep the comments coming !

Will be interesting to see what the coming year brings….

The top 25 posts in View from Baja Arizona in terms of page views the last year:

Anonymous Senior Citizen tells it like it is

More calls for an investigation into ATF’s Project Gunrunner scandal

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Note: About Hugh Holub: Originally a Texan my family moved to Tucson in 1954 so I’ve seen a lot of change in the area over the last 57 years. I graduated from the UA with a couple of degrees. I started out as a reporter for the Tucson Citizen back in 1967, changed career paths and got a law degree and worked on water issues for many years, then served as City Attorney and then acting Public Works Director for Nogales, Arizona. I’ve been writing op ed commentaries in newspapers all over the region for decades. My day job is Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Development based in Tubac, Arizona.
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