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Action Alert: Nevada County BOS May 12

4/27/2015

At 1:30PM on Tuesday May 12 the Nevada County Board of Supervisors has agendized an "informational presentation" by SOJ proponents, with the obvious hope of persuading them to adopt a "declaration" of support for secession from California. The meeting will take place in the Board Chambers in the Rood Center, 950 Maidu Avenue in Nevada City.

Please plan to attend this meeting, wave a bear flag (provided by Keep It California), and (if you wish) take three minutes to tell the Nevada County Board why dismembering our state is such a catastrophically bad idea. If possible, try to arrive by 12:30 to get a good seat in front. Contact Nevada County coordinator Margaret Joehnke for more information.

Nevada County residents: if it’s impossible for you to attend in person, please contact your supervisor and let him know that you oppose attempts to divide our state. You can contact them all by phone at 530.265.1480, by fax at 530.265.9836 or by email at [email protected]

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Why are we "wasting our time"?

4/22/2015

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Many people have said "the 'State of Jefferson' will never happen, so why are you wasting your time trying to stop it?”

There are several answers to this good question.

In the first place, although a long shot, the secession effort is by no means guaranteed to fail -- unless we organize to stop it. Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution sketches out a process for creating a new state from portions of an existing one: all that is needed is “consent of the legislatures of the states concerned as well as of the Congress.” This process has not been used since 1820, and details are unclear, but it is clear that neither a popular vote nor Presidential concurrence would be required. Nor can we feel certain that legislators from elsewhere in California, especially those representing urban areas, would not be swayed by the argument that splitting off the northern counties will benefit taxpayers in the rest of the state. The consequences of this action would be so dire for us, the residents of northern California, we can’t sit idly by while there is any risk that it might happen, however improbable it may seem.

And second, this agitation is harming our communities, right now. There’s nothing worse for the business climate than confusion, uncertainty, and doubt. Potential investors will hesitate to invest, potential entrepreneurs will hesitate to start businesses and potential homebuyers will look elsewhere. Northern California’s sluggish economy can’t afford the additional impediment of an ambiguous political future and an unpredictable tax and regulatory structure, to say nothing of endless litigation.

In addition, the political climate of an area is an important factor in a decision about where to live. The divisiveness and hostility that have accompanied the “State of Jefferson” campaign and the perception that rural northern California is dominated by regressive thinking and a reactionary wild west mentality is harming us all.

Nor does insulting and deriding our state legislators seem like an effective means of persuading them to help rural constituencies. We would do much better spending our time educating them about rural needs and convincing them that measures that benefit rural areas will also benefit the cities where most Californians live. We are ALL Stronger Together.

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Keep It California PAC Formed

4/13/2015

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On Tuesday April 7, 2015, concerned citizens from throughout rural California met in Redding, California and voted to form a new multi-county, non-partisan political action committee.

“Keep It California PAC was formed to represent the interest of all Republican, Democrat and Independent voters who oppose separation from California,” according to Keep It California Campaign Chair, Cindy Ellsmore. “Our mission is to advocate for better representation of rural California and to oppose breaking away to form a new state.”

The Principal Officers for the Keep It California PAC elected at this meeting include:
Cindy Ellsmore, Campaign Chair, Sierra County
Kevin Hendrick, Vice Chair, Spokesperson, Del Norte County
Rob Rowen. Vice Chair, Campaign Headquarters, Shasta County
Dolly Verrue, Secretary, Siskiyou County
John Mertes, Treasurer, Del Norte County
Larry Marks, Assistant Treasurer, Siskiyou County

“Keep It California" is forming Local Coordinating Committees in every county where State of Jefferson proponents are active and has volunteers in 20 counties building these committees to monitor and respond to any incursions by Jefferson proponents,” stated Vice Chair, Kevin Hendrick. “Keep It California will provide material and financial assistance to these local efforts.” Hendrick was the director of the Keep It California campaign in Del Norte County which defeated the proposed State of Jefferson with 58% voting NO on an advisory ballot measure in June 2014.

Keep It California will encourage local agencies to evaluate the financial risks and uncertainties before continuing down the wayward path to Jefferson State and will inform voters and elected officials of the disastrous consequences of separating from California.

Most rural counties get back more money than local taxpayers pay to the State of California. “If we separate from California, our communities will lose millions of dollars in funding for roads, education, and social services for youth, families and seniors,” explained Cindy Ellsmore. “Jobs funded by the state through our schools, counties, parks, prisons, police and nonprofit community provide living wage employment which helps support our local economy.”

“I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” Thomas Jefferson

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Action Alert: Nevada County BOS May 12

Why are we "wasting our time"?

Keep It California PAC Formed

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