Should Cali split into 6 states?

Photo: Nicolas Raymond

Silicon Valley venture capitalist and multibillionaire Tim Draper (who also goes by “Riskmaster” apparently) believes that California should be split into six separately governed states. These proposed states would have refreshing new names like: “Central California!” “Western California!” Even “Northern California!” There would not be an “Eastern California!” however — that would be too excessive. And of course, “Silicon Valley” would be a free agent as well.

Draper has successfully collected 1.3 million signatures, enough to put his proposal on the 2016 ballot if the federal government signs off on it. Which Washington Post reporter Philip Bump believes, “it will never do, because, come on.”

Each state would have its own tax system, water supply, and California would go from just two senators in Congress to 12. The Washington Post has a breakdown here of what these proposed states would look like in terms of wealth, poverty level, racial make-up, etc. Basically, Silicon Valley would be the richest powerhouse of the six. Go figure.

Draper states in his proposal that present-day California is ungovernable. And “vast parts of [the state] are poorly served by a representative government dominated by a large number of elected representatives from a small part…both geographically and economically.”

Proposals like these are nothing new to California, a state which, Draper points out, is “nearly 6 times larger than the average population of the 50 states.” Attempts have failed in the past, but Draper has a lot of money.

What do you think? Would six Californias be better than just one?