Yes

by Matthew Fulton

Created on: September 29, 2011

Big governments have a way of getting out of hand. They spend and spend until they have overextended themselves to the point of bankruptcy while they interfere with the rights of many people living within the sphere of their boundries. The case of California proves this fact, with a government in Sacramento that has driven the state into economic ruin and made laws proposed by Liberals in cities like San Fransisco that those in the southern portion of the state detest. Seeking autonomy would be an excellent way for Southern California to regain the economic prosperity and freedoms that it could have under more conservative leadership.

Southern California has a lot going for it. The port of Los Angeles is the largest in the United States of America, most of the US film and television industry is located here, and Silicon Valley has made many of the technological breakthroughs that made computer technology what it is today. It is however stifled by high taxes, both in state income taxes and corporate tax rates. Corporate headquarters are beginning to pack up and move to conservative havens like Texas, draining California of its lifeblood. This is of course caused by a very liberal state government, made up of lawmakers from the ultra-liberal north. The cities of Los Angeles, Anaheim, and San Diego could be much more prosperous without San Fransisco and Sacramento politicians pushing high government spending and taxes. The debt burden caused by the liberal North would no longer hinder a more conservative South, allowing the economy to flourish.

Liberal politicians in the northern half of the state love pushing out restrictive legislation that hinders the rights of Californians. Gun-hating San Fransisco makes up a great deal of this, putting bans on the semi-automatics and large-caliber rifles that firearms enthusiasts love. They also restrict concealed pistol permits to "may issue" status, meaning that local law enforcement gets to decide what law-abiding citizens get to carry pistols for protection. This means that the answer is usually a very flat "no", even when the person wanting a permit has met all the qualifications. A slightly more conservative government that would result in an independant South California would likely join most of the other states in the USA in passing a "shall issue" permit, giving residents a better chance to defend against crime.

The liberal politics of California have also gone a long way in keeping crime a problem. The jails are packed, but they present a revolving door. Criminals usually go right back in for the same crimes they committed the first time, because sentencing is too leniant and allows dangerous felons to get right back on the street. If South California was a reality, it would allow the more conservative South to hand out stricter punishments and keep dangerous felons out of society for longer.

For these reasons, Southern California should keep pressing for status as an independent state. Doing so would allow it to break free of failed policy and a culture in the North that is fundamentally different while regaining some of its prosperity it has lost due to these factors.

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