Plan B Forum

Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) - A plan to divide California into six separate US states is closer to making it on to a November ballot, with organizers gaining approval to collect signatures.

The seemingly far-fetched initiative, sponsored by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, claims "political representation of California's diverse population and economies has rendered the state nearly ungovernable."

And on Tuesday, the California Secretary of State's office gave the movement a boost, saying that proponents "may begin collecting petition signatures."

At least 807,615 voters -- representing eight percent of the total ballots cast for governor in the 2010 election -- will need to sign the petition by July 18 to make it on to the ballot.

The proposal aims to split the state -- America's most populous with around 38 million inhabitants -- into "six smaller state governments, while preserving the historical boundaries of the various counties, cities and towns."

In 2012, California was tied with Russia and Italy -- all with a GDP of approximately $2.0 trillion -- for eighth place in world GDP rankings, according to the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy.

The proposal would create a state out of Silicon Valley, home to tech giants Google, Facebook and Apple. It would also create South California, which would include Hollywood and the US entertainment industry.

West California, Central California, North California, and Jefferson in the most northern part of the state, would also go it alone.

According to the proposal, voters overwhelming approved dividing California in two in 1859, but Congress did not act due to the Civil War.

Draper, who has funded more than 400 companies including Skype and Baidu, is founder of venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson in Menlo Park, California.

U.K. to Scotland: Walk away, lose the pound

Scott Heppell/Pool/Reuters - Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne delivers a speech on the forthcoming Scottish independence referendum in Edinburgh in Scotland on Feb. 13.


By Karla Adam, Published: February 13 E-mail the writer

LONDON — It seems clear now that a divorce would be messy.

The British government warned Scotland on Thursday that if it votes to leave the United Kingdom, it would not be able to keep the British currency, the venerable pound sterling.
SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 21: (L to R) Zbigniew Brodka, Konrad Niedzwiedzki and Jan Szymanski of Poland compete during the Men's Team Pursuit Quarterfinals Speed Skating event on day fourteen of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Adler Arena Skating Center on February 21, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Max Fisher JAN 13

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“If Scotland walks away from the U.K., it walks away from the U.K. pound,” British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said in a speech in Edinburgh on Thursday, upping the ante in the battle over Scottish independence.

Commentators called the speech one of the most important developments in the fight for Scotland’s future, with clear battle lines being drawn by the British government, which until now has resisted discussing the terms of a possible breakup.

The pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) accused the British government of bullying and bluffing.

“This is a concerted bid by a Tory-led Westminster establishment to bully and intimidate — but their efforts to claim ownership of sterling will backfire spectacularly in terms of reaction from the people of Scotland,” Alex Salmond, first minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP, said in a statement.

LONDON — It seems clear now that a divorce would be messy. The British government warned Scotland on Thursday that if it votes to leave the United Kingdom, it would not be able to keep the British currency, the venerable pound sterling.

SOCHI, RUSSIA - FEBRUARY 21: (L to R) Zbigniew Brodka, Konrad Niedzwiedzki and Jan Szymanski of Poland compete during the Men's Team Pursuit Quarterfinals Speed Skating event on day fourteen of the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics at Adler Arena Skating Center on February 21, 2014 in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Max Fisher JAN 13
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“If Scotland walks away from the U.K., it walks away from the U.K. pound,” British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said in a speech in Edinburgh on Thursday, upping the ante in the battle over Scottish independence.

dgs49 wrote:I've been to Scotland. They could afford to lose a few pounds.