Bad news, Calexit backers drop 1 California secession bid

[DigitalDrifter]

Damn, would have loved to have kissed them goodbye.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Supporters of one long-shot bid to make California an independent nation ended their effort on Monday, while another group said it will launch a new campaign for a statewide vote next year.

The drive to make the nation's most populous state its own country, with what would be the world's sixth-largest economy, has drawn extra interest after last year's election of Republican Donald Trump as president.

But the Yes California Independence Campaign faltered after its president, Louis Marinelli, revealed ties to Russia. Marinelli said in a lengthy message to supporters Monday that he is seeking permanent residence in Russia because of his "frustration, disappointment and disillusionment with the United States."

The secretary of state's office confirmed that Marcus Ruiz Evans, the group's vice president, withdrew the California Nationhood ballot measure.

Evans said he was leaving the Yes California group and joining the California Freedom Coalition, which he described as a grassroots organizing effort that evolved since last year's election.

The coalition plans to file its own ballot measure in coming weeks, without the baggage of Marinelli's Russian ties, said Steve Gonzales, the new group's secretary-treasurer and board member.

"It prevented Yes California from getting any serious money, I can tell you that," Gonzales said, noting that he is a native Californian who has never been to Russia. The group will accept no foreign money, and contributions from other states must be cleared by the coalition's board, he said.

The coalition would need to collect more than 585,000 signatures to qualify a ballot measure declaring California's independence for the November 2018 ballot. The measure is still being written, Gonzales said.

Calexit backers drop 1 California secession bid, try again

 

[JimBowie1958]

Wouldnt they have better odds with just one option?

 

[Harry Dresden]

it probably will never succeed...not everyone there is like michael moore..........

 

[Silent Warrior]

I wonder how long their economy would last once the US redirected the Colorado river back to it's original course?

 

[RoshawnMarkwees]

Their strategy is to secede, declare war on the US, lose the war and then get completely rebuilt and subsidized by the US.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

If they secede (never happen of course) I wonder what will happen if the new 'country' orders all U.S. military out ?

 

[Silent Warrior]

I think if they did secede the US would withdraw it's military and close the bases immediately. This would be another hit to their economy. Without the military and without federal support from the US, The Peoples Republic of California would have to fund it's idiotic policies with it's own money. Maybe we would find out what happens when the tax rate exceeds 100%.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

Looks like Putin may be behind the movement:


Is Russia Behind a Secession Effort in California?

Last month, I asked Los Angeles Times readers to imagine how they would react if Donald Trump tried to kick California out of the union. After all, if not for the Golden State, he would have won the popular vote, Blue America would lose its biggest source of electoral votes, the Senate would have two fewer Democrats, the House would lose 38 more (along with 14 Republicans), and the U.S. would be a lot less ethnically diverse. It’s easy to imagine some on the alt-right preferring that future, even as most liberals and progressives would recognize it as a catastrophe.

Is Russia Behind a Secession Effort in California?