Technology investor Tim Draper has come up with a rather unique proposal that would split California, the third largest state in area but first in population, into six separate states. The "Six Californias" campaign will be submitted to the state's Attorney General as a ballot proposition proposal in the coming days according to report from TechCrunch.
Draper seems serious about the proposal and has already launched a website to get volunteers hip to his idea. But what's the reasoning behind the plan?
In an e-mailed statement to the publication, Draper outlined five key reasons for pushing the initiative. First, he believes it is time that California was properly represented with Senators in Washington. The six state plan would level the playing field, he said. He also believes separate states would help increase competition and reduce monopolistic power as competition will lower cost and improve services.
Elsewhere, Draper said each new state could start fresh with more relevant constitutions and perhaps even a new crowdsourced state flower. Moreover, decisions made by local governments could be more relevant to the population as regulations in one new state may not be appropriate for another. And last but not least, Draper said individuals could move between states more freely.
Getting the initiative onto a ballot will be difficult but the idea itself may not be as far-fetched as some would think. After all, there are a number of people that have shown interest in splitting up the state into smaller territories.
We will certainly keep an eye on this to see if anything becomes of it.