Publicity Stunt

The venture capitalist calling for California to be divided into three parts might be serious, but the idea smacks of a publicity stunt that has made it to the ballot. There are so many things wrong with the proposal that it hardly bears discussing. Perhaps the most salient argument is what to do about water. Southern California today depends on water being shipped from the northern part of the state. If it were separate, quarrels would erupt over how much water Los Angeles could get. It wouldn’t be pretty. The next is political power. California today is the most powerful block in the House of Representatives. Divide it into three and its strength will diminish. Then there is the tax base that would be divided unfairly because of population centers in different states. One is waiting for the proponent to declare the tripartite division a joke, but he probably won’t. The idea makes a mockery of initiative voting.