Should Northern California Secede and Become the State of Jefferson?

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 beauracracy, 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.

Both California's state legislature and the U.S. Congress would have to approve the plan to make Jefferson more than a pipe dream. That's not going to happen any time soon, but Northern California's separatist movement is worth exploring as a way of pushing back against a distant and unresponsive government.

Jefferson State.com

Voters in one far Northern California county defeated a measure to call for the creation of a 51st state named Jefferson while those in a neighboring county responded more favorably to the test of whether a secessionist movement has sails in a region accustomed to feeling overlooked by the rest of California.

Del Norte County voters rejected the secessionist measure by 59 percent Tuesday, while Tehama County voters were supporting the proposal by 56 percent with ballots still being tallied.

A similar but unrelated question on the ballot in Siskiyou County, to rename it the Republic of Jefferson, failed with only 44 percent of voters in favor.

Elected officials in Glenn, Modoc, Siskiyou and Yuba counties already have voted to join in forming a new state.

San Jose Mercury News.

San Joaquin County jail to stop housing illegal aliens

 

Just Break The Law, No One Cares

FRENCH CAMP  -  The county Sheriff's Office said it is no longer holding immigration detainees in jail for U.S. immigration authorities, because detaining them could make the county liable for constitutional rights violations.

 

For years, the county had honored immigration hold requests issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

 

But since Jan. 1, when California laws changed in regard to immigration holds, the county stopped this practice. State law still allows jails to hold individuals on immigration detainers based on certain criteria, including their criminal history, even if they have no current criminal charges reports the Stockton Record.

 

 

But San Joaquin County won't even be doing that.

 

And that's because of two recent federal court decisions that make the detentions unlawful altogether.

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Inmates should be held only when there is probable cause a crime has been committed, according to those rulings. Unlike criminal arrests, immigration holds are civil matters that don't require probable cause.

In effect, the rulings say law enforcement should not be involved in such civil matters.

 

So, unless an inmate is in jail on a criminal matter, the county will release that person, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release issued earlier this month.

 

"Effective immediately, all inmates currently being held solely on an immigration detainer will be released from custody," the June 2 statement from the Sheriff's Office said.

 

The way it used to work is local law enforcement agencies detained undocumented immigrants on ICE requests to allow immigration agents time to pick them up and take them to a federal detention center.

 

Deputy Les Garcia, spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said if an inmate without legal residency is in jail on a criminal matter, once the inmate completes a sentence or the case is adjudicated, that person will be released. In the past, the jail would hold them for immigration officials.

 

"I think that's a great shift in policy," said Jose Rodriguez, director of El Concilio, a Latino multiservice agency. "I think it's been a long time overdue.

A $13 an hour minimum wage in California city

Buying votes with other people's money

A San Francisco Bay Area city is set to have the highest minimum wage in the state.

The Democrat run Richmond City Council voted this week to raise the city's minimum wage to $13 an hour by 2018, the Contra Costa Times reported Wednesday.

That would be a little more than $2 higher than San Francisco's current minimum wage, which is currently the state's highest, according to the newspaper. The state minimum wage, which is currently $8, will rise to $10 an hour in 2016, though a pending bill would also raise it to $13 an hour reports the Fresno Bee.

The Richmond measure exempts businesses that pay less than 800 hours of employee wages over a two-week period from the $13 wage. They would pay the state minimum wage.

It also allows businesses that get more than 50 percent of their income from transactions where the point of sale is outside the city to pay an intermediate wage between the city's minimum wage and the state minimum wage.

Supporters said the exceptions were needed to ensure businesses did not leave the city.

"The argument that we should do it simply is simply wrong," said Councilman Jim Rogers, who pushed for the exemptions. "Businesses have said they will leave."

Opponents, including Mayor Gayle McLaughlin, called the exemptions unfair and said they would create confusion.

Richmond's minimum wage hike would be phased in over several years, rising to $9.60 in January, $11.52 in 2016, $12.30 in 2017 and then $13 in 2018. The wage would be pegged to inflation after that.

Richmond's poverty rate was above the state average from 2008 to 2012, according to the most recent census data.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/06/05/3962564/california-city-votes-to-hike.html#storylink=cpy

The San Francisco Bay area city of Richmond, Calif.

Obama supporter wins GOP nomination and other stories

The GOP Establishment Won

- - - The corrupt top two primary worked like a charm and prevented a Conservative from winning the GOP nomination for Governor.


Former Goldman Sachs banker and Treasury official Neel Kashkari won the right to face California Gov. Jerry Brown in the November general election Tuesday night.

With most precincts reporting early Wednesday, Kashkari, a Republican, only had 18.9 percent of the vote, but that was enough to best state Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who could only manage 14.9 percent of the vote.

 

"Beginning tonight, Republicans must come together, support one another and focus our energy on changing Sacramento," Kashkari said in a statement early Wednesday after Donnelly called to concede the race. "My commitment is to rebuilding California's middle class and re-energizing the Republican Party."

Lt. Governor  -  A Crooked Bastard Alert

GOP scumbag Ron Nehring won the right to face Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. 

Well fuck this little bastard.  As Chairman of the Republican Party Nehring was Arnold Schwarzenegger's partner in abolishing the Republican primary in order to allow "moderates" to defeat conservatives and also to ban independent and small political parties from general election ballots. 

Nehring was also at Arnold's side while GOP legislators voted to increase taxes.

In protest against this creep I voted for the Peace and Freedom Party candidate.  At least left-wingers are honest and do not pretend to be something they are not.

The One Republican Hope

GOP Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin is headed to a runoff in the race for state controller, but that's about the only thing Tuesday's election settled.

Most observers expected the runoff opponents under the new top-two format for statewide races would emerge from the trio of Swearengin, Perez and Yee. The strong showing by Evans, who lists his occupation as chief financial officer, tossed a wrench into those predictions.

"I think it would shock everyone if two Republicans made it through this primary," Swearengin said earlier Tuesday night, when the results had all four in a tight race. "Obviously I'm still cautiously optimistic and looking forward to getting the final vote count. Things are certainly trending in the right direction," reports the Fresno Bee.

Swearengin's campaign manager, Tim Clark, said he expected her to lock in her general election spot after more votes rolled in from the "big three" counties -- San Diego, Los Angeles and Orange -- where she did well after early returns.

Swearengin said that if she made it to November, she planned to announce her campaign chairs within the next two weeks, then spend the next few months barnstorming the state to meet with community groups and potential donors.

Locking down voters in the central San Joaquin Valley will be her first priority.

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/06/03/3960087/fresno-mayor-locked-in-tight-battle.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2014/06/03/3960087/fresno-mayor-locked-in-tight-battle.html#storylink=cpy

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Two Republicans in November?
The chart and map below shows the vote for Controller.  Until early Wednesday the two GOP candidate were ahead of the pack that would have guaranteed a Republican win.  Now Democrat Perez has moved into 2nd place, but there are a lot more mail-in votes to be counted.

Vote map breakdown for Controller

Racist Democrats target immigrant taxi drivers

Democrat Racism

• This is a two-fer for Democrats.  They are both anti-business and racist at the same time.
• Democrats dictate to businesses who they are allowed to hire, what language the employees are allowed to speak and what clothing they must wear on the job.  Fail to obey your Masters in government and you are fired from your job.

New racist regulations passed by the Democrat run Sacramento City Council target immigrant taxi drivers in Sacramento.  Drivers will be forced to speak English or be fired from their jobs.

Translation  -  Immigrants, and those who dare to employ them, must bow to their "betters" in government.  Private companies are not allowed to set their own policies.

Raheem doesn’t speak much English, but he says he’s good at his job driving a cab in Sacramento for years. He fears he may soon be out of a job.

The City Council passed new rules requiring drivers have proof of basic English skills, as well as making sure cars are eight years old or newer and that drivers wear professional clothing.


The last requirement is a change from the proposed ordinance that required them to be hygienically clean reports CBS News Sacramento.

Kazman Zaidi is the president of the Sacramento Taxicab Union, which denounced the new regulations.

“Maybe they can’t read English, but they can understand, and they can answer the question and where the customer need to go,” he said.

He estimates more than 100 of the 500 or so drivers in the area may not be able to pass the test, but says they are still good drivers.

“If they don’t pass this English test, they have to lose their job, you know?” he said. “And they will be out of business.”

The test will be offered in audio format to those who may not be able to read.

“We want them to succeed, and we want to bring them along so they can serve public better, and pass the test and thrive,” Wasson said.

He says drivers not following regulations should be reported to 311.

Zaidi is left wondering if drivers like Raheem will be able to keep working .

“Why is the city causing trouble for our cab drivers?” he said. “This is really discrimination.”

Liberal Racism
Racist Democrats in Sacramento have passed a law targeting "foreigners" working at private taxi companies.  Big Brother government will force taxi drivers to dress in government "approved" clothing and force them to pass an English test or lose their jobs. 
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Private companies are not allowed to set their own policies.  Everyone must obey their Masters in government.

California orders thousands of Sacramento Valley water users to stop pumping from streams

American River and Sacramento River Confluence

Way Too Little & Way Too Late

• Comrade Governor Jerry Brown signed a "so-called" $687 million drought-relief package in March.  The bill will fund storm water recapturing, expanded use of recycled water, better management of groundwater storage and stronger water conservation measures.
• Translation  -  A lot of talk and no meaningful action.  These are all PR stunt programs that might, maybe come on line 10 years from now.  Maybe.
• I am still waiting for a string of desalination plants to be built along the coast and that new water dumped into the aqueduct system.

(Sacramento Bee)  -  California has ordered more than 2,600 water agencies and users in the Sacramento Valley to stop pumping water from streams, a drastic response to the ongoing drought that hasn’t occurred since 1977.

The curtailment notice was imposed by the State Water Resources Control Board late Wednesday. It affects 2,648 water agencies, farms, cities and other property owners with so-called “junior” water rights, or those issued by the state after 1914, in the Sacramento River and its tributaries. This includes the American, Feather and Yuba rivers as well as dozens of small streams.

Most of the affected water users are farmers and large irrigation districts. But they also include major urban water providers such as the city of Sacramento.

“There’s no question there are going to be some areas in the Sacramento Valley that are going to suffer without water this year,” said David Guy, president of the Northern California Water Association, which represents many Sacramento Valley property owners and irrigation districts, including some affected by the order.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6441935/state-orders-sacramento-valley.html#storylink=cpy

The city of Sacramento imposed a 20 percent mandatory conservation order in January, and residents have been inching closer to reaching it in recent weeks, said city spokeswoman Jessica Hess. She said the city has cut its own water use in public buildings, parks and landscaping more than 50 percent.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6441935/state-orders-sacramento-valley.html#storylink=cpy

Farm Businesses Suffer
Rice growing areas.

Steep crop cuts planned

Water cuts on this scale have not been ordered in California since the drought of 1977. Although backup supplies, including groundwater, are available to many who hold junior rights, virtually all of them will be forced to make difficult decisions, such as fallowing significant areas of farmland.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6441935/state-orders-sacramento-valley.html#storylink=cpy

The Colusa Drain Mutual Water Co. is one example of how the drought has affected users. Operated by a collection of farmers in the Colusa Basin north of Sacramento, the water company distributes, via the Colusa Drain, water rights held by its members in the Sacramento River. Virtually all those are junior rights that are directly affected by the curtailment order.

Jim Wallace, president of the water company, said he warned members to expect “zero” water supply under their water rights this year, based on runoff projections and early warnings by the water board.

As a result, most decided weeks or even months ago to plant crops based only on what they could support with alternate water supplies, whether groundwater or some other surface water they might have available.

But that doesn’t mean all is well, Wallace said. Of the 56,000 acres served by the water company, 20,000 acres are normally planted with rice. This year, only about 4,000 acres are planted in rice, an 80 percent reduction. Steep cuts also have occurred in tomatoes and alfalfa, the other primary crops grown in the district.

“It’s a huge reduction in our grower base,” Wallace said. “The worst-case scenario was made official yesterday, and was already anticipated by every grower in my group. Each water manager up and down the Sacramento Valley would have a similar story.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/29/6441935/state-orders-sacramento-valley.html#storylink=cpy

For the full article Sacramento Bee

Sacramento district could see two Democrats on November ballot

Sacramento

Welcome to Authoritarianism

• Under the corrupt and insane "top two" primary system Sacramento voters may only have two Democrats on their November ballot for a State Senate seat.
• The two token Republicans on the June ballot may allow the two Democrats to move on to November.
• Voters are having their general election choices taken away from them.  Welcome to the one-party People's Republic of California.

With longtime state lawmaker Sen. Darrell Steinberg leaving the Legislature this year because of term limits, two Democratic assemblymen and a Republican pastor are vying to replace him.

The race is shaped by California’s “top-two” primary, a 2-year-old system that allows the top two vote-getters on June 3 – regardless of party affiliation – to advance to the general election on Nov. 4.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/27/6434154/election-2014-veteran-dems-jockey.html#storylink=cpy

Democrats dominate the district, and the two Sacramento Democrats in the contest – Assemblymen Richard Pan and Roger Dickinson – have amassed six-figure war chests for a head-to-head battle that could last months reports the Sacramento Bee.

Two Republicans are on the ballot, but only one is actively campaigning, and he has raised little money compared with his Democratic rivals. Pastor Jonathan Zachariou has reported just $6,150 in contributions. James Axelgard said he dropped out of the race after learning another Republican would run but decided too late to remove his name from the ballot.

Pan and Dickinson both joined the Assembly in 2010. In their current districts, Dickinson represents West Sacramento, Sacramento and its communities to the north – Rio Linda, Antelope and Elverta. Pan represents Sacramento’s south side, including Elk Grove, Clarksburg, Galt and Lodi.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/27/6434154/election-2014-veteran-dems-jockey.html#storylink=cpy

Pan is working hard to boost his name recognition and establish himself as the outsider candidate challenging a longtime politician. He is highlighting his career as a doctor in every campaign ad.

Outside interest groups are turning out big to help Pan advance to the general election, pouring at least $479,000 into independent campaigns to benefit him. The money comes from labor unions representing health care workers, university professors, school employees and construction workers, as well as groups that represent doctors, dentists and real estate agents.

Dickinson, a longtime Sacramento officeholder, has done little advertising this season, indicating he expects his fight will be in November.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/27/6434154/election-2014-veteran-dems-jockey.html#storylink=cpy

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Dickinson..

A Free Election

From 1850 to 2010 the people of California had all political parties and independent candidates listed on their general election ballots. 

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In 2010 the voters in the Sacramento based 6th Senate District had choices.  But under the corrupt and authoritarian "top two" system the voters in Sacramento may see a November ballot that only has Democrats.

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Elections are not free when choices are taken away from voters.

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California State Senate elections, 2010
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Darrell Steinberg (incumbent)	137,012	61.0%
	Republican	Marcel Weiland	70,724	31.5%
	Libertarian	Steve Torno	11,236	4.9%
	Peace and Freedom	Lanric Hyland	5,916	2.6%
Totals			224,888	100.0%
	Democratic hold

2

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/05/27/6434154/election-2014-veteran-dems-jockey.html#storylink=cpy

 

Small opposition parties are banned from the California ballot

The 2010 nominee of the conservative American Independent Party.
The GOP wants to keep Conservative parties off the November ballot.
The GOP could care less about your freedom to vote for who you want.

Banned From The Ballot

• The primary was a vehicle for the political parties to select their candidate for the only real election there is - the November election.
• But the corrupt bastards of both parties cut a midnight deal without any public hearings to abolish the primary and effectively ban all smaller opposition parties and independent candidates from all future November general elections.
• Note that every democratic nation on earth has all parties on a general election ballot.  That translates that California is now authoritarian, not democratic.

By John Wildermuth
San Francisco Chronicle

Doomsday could be fast approaching for California's smallest political parties.

With the coming of "top-two" primary elections in California, thanks to passage of Proposition 14 in 2010, the Green, Peace and Freedom, Libertarian, American Independent, and Americans Elect parties find themselves in danger of disappearing from the state ballot, joining the Prohibition, Socialist and Progressive parties in the mists of California's history.

"We're getting wiped out by top two," said Michael Feinstein, spokesman for the Green Party. "It's wiping out political diversity and choice that voters now are not going to get."

Once a political party qualifies to appear on the state primary ballot, California law sets out a couple of ways it can stay there.

Banned from the ballot
The 2010 Libertarian Party
nominee for Governor.

First, the party can have official registration equal to 1 percent of the votes cast in the most recent governor's election, which works out to 103,004 registered voters, based on the 2010 race.

The second way allows them to have a much lower number of registered voters, currently 11,832, but only if one or more of the party's candidates can collect at least 2 percent of the vote in one statewide general election.

But under the new election rules, which will be used for the first time in a governor's race this year, only the two candidates with the most votes advance to the Nov. 4 general election. With the Democrats and Republicans having a stranglehold on those top spots, there won't be any minor party candidates on the November ballot.

That means it's registration numbers or nothing for the minor parties.

That's not necessarily a problem. The conservative American Independent Party, which has been qualified for the California ballot since 1968, had 472,536 registered voters as of April - well above the needed total.

The other minor parties, however, are rooting for a low-turnout election in November.

In 2010, about 10.3 million Californians voted in the November election for governor, a nearly 60 percent turnout. Using that year's qualifying number of 103,004 registered voters, the Green Party, with a registration of 109,157, and the Libertarian Party (114,656), are just squeaking by, while the Peace and Freedom Party (77,594) and the Americans Elect Party (3,604) face ballot extinction.
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"The top-two (primary) is making it difficult, but we're willing to rise up to the challenge," said Gale Morgan, Northern California vice chairman of the Libertarian Party.

In the 2010 election, every minor party had at least one candidate who broke the 2 percent threshold in one or more statewide contest, keeping them alive through this year.

While some of those minor party votes may have been protests against the Republicans and Democrats on the ballot, the candidates also received support from people who liked their stance on the issues, said Feinstein, a Green who is the former mayor of Santa Monica.

"This disenfranchises everyone," he said of the top-two system.

Banned from the ballot
Laura Wells was the 2010 Green Party nominee for Governor of California.  The Democrats & GOP have worked together to ban all smaller political parties and independent candidates from the general election ballot.  The Elites have even declared that your write-in vote is illegal and will not be counted.

A member of the Green Party beat a Democrat.  The Democrat Party wants the corrupt "top two" system so they will not see another Green Party member win a State Assembly seat.

List of special elections to the California State Assembly
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Green	Audie Bock	14,674	50.56%
	Democratic	Elihu M. Harris	14,347	49.44%
Totals			29,021	100.00%
Voter turnout			%
	Green gain from Democratic

 

Banned from the ballot
Democrats and Republicans joined together to keep all smaller parties off California general election ballots.  The Democrats want to prevent voters from casting ballots for left-wing parties.  The GOP wants to prevent voters from supporting right-wing candidates such as Jim Gilchrist (above). 

Neither major party has any interest in a thing called Freedom. 

California's 48th congressional district special election, 2005
Party		Candidate	Votes	Percentage
	Republican	John Campbell	46,184	44.24%
	Democratic	Steve Young	28,853	27.64%
	American Independent	Jim Gilchrist	26,507	25.39%
	Green	Béa Tiritilli	1,430	1.37%
	Libertarian	Bruce Cohen	974	0.93%
Invalid ballots			457	0.44%
Totals			104,405	100.00%
Voter turnout			25.74%

 

Living in a free nation means that all political parties
are on the general election ballot.

Latino Republican backed in open Assembly seat

Mario for Assembly.com

The Big Bucks Are Pouring In

• Independent groups have spent $534,000 so far to elect Latino Republican Mario de la Piedra to an open State Assembly seat.

With only days before the primary election, the campaign for Ventura County's open 44th Assembly District has become a million-dollar contest -- $1.18 million, to be exact.

Reports filed with the secretary of state on Thursday show that the three candidates -- Democrat Jacqui Irwin and Republicans Mario de la Piedra and Rob McCoy -- have combined to take in more than $600,000 in contributions and special interest groups have spent $534,000.
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All of the independent expenditures made by interest groups have been in support of de la Piedra.With only one Democrat on the ballot, it is likely the key decision to be made by voters on June 3 will be to select which of the two Republicans will advance to the general election in November to face Irwin reports McClatchy-Tribune News.
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Republican Rob McCoy
Endorsed by Rand Paul & Tom McClintock

The 44th District, which includes Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo, Oxnard and Port Hueneme, is expected to be one of the most competitive legislative races in California this year. The seat became open when incumbent Republican Jeff Gorell decided to run for the House of Representatives.
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The reports show Irwin is the leading fundraiser, having taken in $315,295 in contributions this year, including $153,878 during the most recent reporting period, from March 18 through May 17. As she geared up for the election over the past two months, Irwin also has been a prolific spender, reporting expenditures of $255,288 over the period. Those expenditures left her with an account balance of $49,235.
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McCoy took in $103,152 in contributions over the period, bringing his year-to-date fundraising total to $219,452. He reported $167,264 in expenditures. Because his expenditures include $68,121 in unpaid bills, he was able to end the period with a substantial balance in his account, $93,330.
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De la Piedra, the last to enter the race when he filed just before the early March deadline, continues to lag behind in fundraising. He reported $72,987 in contributions over the two-month period, to bring his total contributions this year to $106,883.
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He spent $77,170 during the period, to end it with an account balance of $61,468.

44th State Assembly District
West of Los Angeles, Ventura County's 44th Assembly District is a "swing" seat that is 38% Democrat, 36% Republican and 26% Independents and smaller political parties.

Republican Latino denied entry to Latino Legislative Caucus

Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez

Some Latinos are more equal than others

• A GOP Latino Assemblyman was denied membership in the taxpayer funded Latino Caucus.
• Personally I oppose race based legislative caucuses when our so-called "legislators" are supposed to represent all races, ethnic groups and religions in their districts. 

Earlier this month the California Latino Legislative Caucus was praised as an expression of inclusion and opportunity by outgoing Assembly Speaker John Perez (D-Los Angeles). But apparently that diversity does not include Republicans. A Latino Republican state legislator hasn't been allowed to join the Latino Caucus.

At a news conference Tuesday, members of the California Latino Legislative Caucus spoke in Spanish and talked about the upcoming One California event. One Latino member of the Assembly, however, says there is no inclusion for him. He was told he could not be a member.

"I asked to be a part of the Latino Caucus. I assumed I was going to be, but I was told that because I was a Republican I would not be part of the caucus," said California Assemblyman Rocky Chavez (R-Oceanside) reports ABC7 News.

Chavez says he wants to help the Latino community, but the president of the Latino Caucus says Chavez should form his own caucus, a caucus of one.
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"What is surprising is the Latino Caucus is supposed to fighting against discrimination and now they are discriminating," said Luis Alvarado, a political consultant who says the caucus is a partisan group.

"At taxpayer expense, because us taxpayers pay for the staff that supports the Latino Caucus and their website, so there should be some uproar from the Latino community for this," said Alvarado.
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(Assemblyman Rocky Chavez)

76th Assembly District
Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez represents 
northern San Diego County.