Politician: Make 'South California' 51st State

Move to Arizona, says governor's spokesman
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 11, 2011 4:06 AM CDT
Politician: Make 'South California' 51st State
Sun setting on California?   (?HVargas)

A Riverside County politician is so sick of the "left wing" state government "ripping off" his wealthy constituents that he wants "South California" to become the nation's 51st state. Local Republican Supervisor Jeff Stone envisions a new state of 13 counties to escape the "ungovernable" financial catastrophe threatening to destroy California. "This has struck a chord with a lot of people who have suffered economically,'' said Stone. "We know it's going to be a challenge to form a second state, but it's not a impossible. We're sending a message.''

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors plans to consider the proposal tomorrow, the Los Angeles Times reports. Gov. Jerry Brown considers the proposition a "supremely ridiculous waste of everybody's time," says spokesman Gil Duran. "If you want to live in a Republican state with very conservative right-wing laws, then there's a place called Arizona.'' (More Jeff Stone stories.)

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