Republican-led groups in rural areas in three states — Maryland, Colorado and California — say they want to form their own states, because they're not happy with their state governments, while a group of Texans want to form their own country. The list includes five western Maryland counties, nine counties in northeastern Colorado, counties on the California-Oregon border, and one Texas man who has a large following who think Texas should no longer be part of the U.S.
The five Maryland counties — Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick and Carroll
— "represent just 11 percent of Maryland’s population, but the majority
of their registered voters are Republicans in a heavily Democratic
state," The Associated Press reports. "Scott Strzelczyk, leader of the Western Maryland Initiative, says
people are fed up with the liberal majority and want an 'amicable
divorce.' He wants to live in a smaller state, with more 'personal
liberty, less government intrusion, less federal entanglements.'" Strzelczyk told AP, “If you don’t belong in their party you’ll never have your views represented. If we have more
states we can all go live in states that best represent us,
and then we can get along.” Strzelczyk launched the initiative with a Facebook page in July, and it has drawn more than 2,200 likes. (Read more)
In Siskiyou County, at the northern end of California, the Board of Supervisors "voted 4-1 in favor
of a resolution from a local grassroots organization to make a new start
and form a State of Jefferson. Other nearby counties are considering
similar actions," Jeff Barnard reports for AP. The county's per-capita income is well below the state average, and unemployment is at 11.5 percent. "State of Jefferson supporters hope people are angry enough this time
around that the effort will break through. The boundaries are uncertain,
depending on which counties want to join in, and could include a
portion of southern Oregon if secession fever heats up." (Read more) (Barnard photo: A banner welcoming people to the State of Jefferson)
"Colorado's secession drive is a manifestation of political tension that has been brewing for years as the state's metropolitan areas, concentrated along the Rocky Mountains' Front Range, rapidly grew while rural counties lost population—and political clout," Ana Campoy reports for The Wall Street Journal. "More than 85 percent of Colorado's population of 5.2 million is now urban, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and those city dwellers have helped Democrats gain control of the state House and Senate, which were dominated by Republicans for decades, as well as the governor's mansion." (Read more)
In Texas, one man has gotten 125,000 signatures for a petition to have Texas succeed from the U.S., Bud Kennedy writes for the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth. Micah Hurd, who quit the state guard, began his campaign last year. "He said he bases his views in part on his faith as a follower of Christian Reconstructionism and dominionism, a libertarian strain of Christianity. To Reconstructionists, liberty and human rights are Bible-based and the only righteous government is a theocracy under 'God’s law.'" Hurd told Kennedy, “Nowhere in God’s law does it say I must continue to be subject to a tyranny. We can remove ourselves from our fiscally irresponsible government.” (Read more)
The five Maryland counties — Garrett, Allegany, Washington, Frederick and Carroll
— "represent just 11 percent of Maryland’s population, but the majority
of their registered voters are Republicans in a heavily Democratic
state," The Associated Press reports. "Scott Strzelczyk, leader of the Western Maryland Initiative, says
people are fed up with the liberal majority and want an 'amicable
divorce.' He wants to live in a smaller state, with more 'personal
liberty, less government intrusion, less federal entanglements.'" Strzelczyk told AP, “If you don’t belong in their party you’ll never have your views represented. If we have more
states we can all go live in states that best represent us,
and then we can get along.” Strzelczyk launched the initiative with a Facebook page in July, and it has drawn more than 2,200 likes. (Read more)
"Colorado's secession drive is a manifestation of political tension that has been brewing for years as the state's metropolitan areas, concentrated along the Rocky Mountains' Front Range, rapidly grew while rural counties lost population—and political clout," Ana Campoy reports for The Wall Street Journal. "More than 85 percent of Colorado's population of 5.2 million is now urban, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and those city dwellers have helped Democrats gain control of the state House and Senate, which were dominated by Republicans for decades, as well as the governor's mansion." (Read more)
In Texas, one man has gotten 125,000 signatures for a petition to have Texas succeed from the U.S., Bud Kennedy writes for the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth. Micah Hurd, who quit the state guard, began his campaign last year. "He said he bases his views in part on his faith as a follower of Christian Reconstructionism and dominionism, a libertarian strain of Christianity. To Reconstructionists, liberty and human rights are Bible-based and the only righteous government is a theocracy under 'God’s law.'" Hurd told Kennedy, “Nowhere in God’s law does it say I must continue to be subject to a tyranny. We can remove ourselves from our fiscally irresponsible government.” (Read more)
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