Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
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Re: Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
#2John Titor, is that you?
Re: Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
#3[deleted]
Re: Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
#4[deleted]
Re: Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
#5This proposal has interesting aspects regarding percentage of representation in the US Senate. Over time, as the US population grew, each persons representation percentage has fallen. California had 1.4 million people in 1900, and 38 million people in 2012.
In 1900, each person had 0.000148 of a Senator. In 2012 that is 0.00000526 of a Senator. With the new states, that goes up approximately six-fold to 0.0000316
The Constitution says there are 2 Senators per state. So, splitting California up means 10 additional seats in the senate for the people living there, so that each person's proportional representation goes up - i.e. it's easier to get the ear of your senator because you are competing with fewer people for his attention.
Not sure what would happen in the US House -- I think the number of Representatives is set at a fixed number (435) by law. So the results of the next census would be .. interesting.
Re: Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
#6This proposal has interesting aspects regarding percentage of representation in the US Senate. Over time, as the US population grew, each persons representation percentage has fallen. California had 1.4 million people in 1900, and 38 million people in 2012. In 1900, each person had 0.000148 of a Senator. In 2012 that is 0.00000526 of a Senator. With the new states, that goes up approximately six-fold to 0.0000316 The…
It also makes for an interesting redistribution of electoral votes.
Re: Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
#7This proposal has interesting aspects regarding percentage of representation in the US Senate. Over time, as the US population grew, each persons representation percentage has fallen. California had 1.4 million people in 1900, and 38 million people in 2012. In 1900, each person had 0.000148 of a Senator. In 2012 that is 0.00000526 of a Senator. With the new states, that goes up approximately six-fold to 0.0000316 The…
Each house district is supposed to have about the same population, so California's 53 districts would have to be redrawn if any of them crossed the new state lines, which follow current county boundaries.
Re: Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
#8[deleted]
Re: Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
#9This will never happen even if it does pass the ballot measure vote. By the US Constitution (Article 4, Section 3, Clause 1 [1]), new states require both the consent of the state legislature (which currently has Democractic majority) and the US Congress (which currently is completely disfunctional). Never mind the internal fights that would happen over water rights. I think you are more likely to see California ruptured by science-fiction level earthquakes before this happens.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_Four_of_the_United_Stat...
Re: Silicon Valley's Plan to Split California into 6 States Just Might Succeed
#10This proposal has interesting aspects regarding percentage of representation in the US Senate. Over time, as the US population grew, each persons representation percentage has fallen. California had 1.4 million people in 1900, and 38 million people in 2012. In 1900, each person had 0.000148 of a Senator. In 2012 that is 0.00000526 of a Senator. With the new states, that goes up approximately six-fold to 0.0000316 The…
There are two things the federal government is extremely unlikely to do.
* Let any part of what is now California cease being part of the union.
* Assign twelve senators to what is now California.
There are only two ways to avoid both pitfalls.
* California remains one state.
* The US Constitution is amended to allow only two senators for six states (which used to be one).
Any proposal for splitting California without including that constitutional amendment is effectively a call for secession, and is likely to be treated as such by the federal government.