George Rebane
[This is the transcript of my regular KVMR commentary broadcast on 22 April 2015. This commentary is apropos to the recent RR posts 'Constitutional Convention – the debate continues' and 'Suddenly SoJ has become real' and their respective comment streams.]
Most people around here have probably missed what is happening with the efforts to launch two historical initiatives – to hold a Constitutional Convention or Con-Con, and separate certain northern rural counties from California to form the new State of Jefferson. The basis for both initiatives are contemplated in our Constitution, and proponents of both assert that they will follow the prescribed legal pathways to the letter in order to bring about these historic changes.
The Constitution’s Article V provides for holding a national Con-Con as one of the methods the Constitution may be amended. If the legislatures of 2/3 of the states apply to hold a Con-Con, then Congress “shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments”. As of today 34 or 2/3 of the state legislatures have passed such ‘applications’ to hold the first ever Con-Con. However, the never-tried application process is a bit murky because some states have withdrawn, and some have then re-applied. It will be up to Congress and/or the Supreme Court to resolve the matter.
There are energetic factions on both the Left and Right who desire such a revisiting of the Constitution. The Left seeks to do a massive rewrite in order to achieve a “modern constitution” in accord with their socialist tenets, and the Right seeks a very focused approach to insert a balanced budget amendment. Both sides feel that once a Con-Con is launched, they will be able to control the assembled conclave for their respective ends. Any work product output by the convention must then be ratified by ¾, or today 38, of the states. Both sides feel they can muster at least 13 states to block ratification of any adopted amendments that they oppose.
From the looks of it, I believe the Left has the more accurate view of what can be done to gain their ends once the Con-Con is gaveled into session. You can google Con-Con or go to my blog, Rebane’s Ruminations, for more information and participate in a debate about the matter.
The State of Jefferson or SoJ movement is about two years old. California’s northern rural counties strongly believe that their voices have not been heard in Sacramento, and that the state has been acting contrary to their interests for several decades. This sentiment, with related initiatives, has been shared by rural Americans in many states. Here in California six northern counties have passed resolutions asking our legislature to start the separation process which ultimately will reach Congress. The intended extent of SoJ will be from Placer to Mendocino counties in the south, and reaching up to the Oregon border.
In addition to the counties that have formally declared for separation and formation of the State of Jefferson, eleven more counties, including Nevada County, have active SoJ formation committees. All these efforts have been roundly dismissed, denigrated, and mocked by California’s Left. Then about two weeks ago a new political action committee named ‘Keep it California’ was formed. The objective of this PAC is to organize strong and vocal opposition to the SoJ movement, thereby giving lie to the assertion that SoJ has been nothing but the frothings of “a small group of extremists”.
The stated opposition to SoJ centers around a sclerotic analysis of the new state’s economy that grossly misrepresents its financial and commercial prospects. The real fear is that as SoJ continues to gain momentum, then so will similar movements in other western states. And that would totally torpedo the progressives’ design for an American future as delineated in the UN’s Agenda21 vision. But SoJ proponents believe that in this most exceptional country the world has ever seen, the new and never-been-tried has always served as a beacon to innovation, enterprise, and a better life.
The Nevada County Board of Supervisors will hear a presentation by the county’s SoJ steering committee on 12 May at the Rood Center scheduled for 1:30PM. There will be an appeal for the Supes to join Nevada County with those in favor of forming the new State of Jefferson. In attendance will be members of Keep it California who also plan to have their voices heard. Please consider attending this meeting from which I promise you will emerge either informed or enflamed, or perhaps both.
My name is Rebane, and I also expand on this and related themes on georgerebane.com where the transcript of this commentary is posted with relevant links, and where such issues are debated extensively. However my views are not necessarily shared by KVMR. Thank you for listening.
rebanesruminations.com 
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