San Bernardino County voters will voice opinion on seceding from CA through Measure EE
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- With so many people leaving California, now an entire county is threatening to leave the Golden State.
Measure EE, up for vote on Nov. 8, will allow residents of San Bernardino County to voice their opinion as to whether county representatives should pursue secession from the state of California.
Even Measure EE's co-author admits it's a long shot.
"If we could create a new constitution and a new state and show the world what a better place looks like, I'd be all over it," said real estate developer Jeff Burum. "But I'm also a practical guy. The chance of us creating our own state is one in a million."
Burum said the measure is more of a symbolic gesture, allowing voters to express their frustration with Sacramento.
"We're part of a great state that's gone awry. It's too big. It's too inefficient. There's no accountability in California in my opinion anymore."
Burum claims the county doesn't get its proper share of state funding, pointing for example to what he says is a massive deficit of Superior Court judges assigned to San Bernardino County.
"San Bernardino County has the most underfunded court system in the state," said Burum. "It alienated me, frankly. And I felt it's time to do something."
RELATED: San Bernardino County secession measure added to November ballot
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to place the measure on the November ballot.
According to the Voter Information Guide for San Bernardino County, "The Measure asks voters for their opinion on whether they want San Bernardino County elected representatives to study and advocate for all options to obtain the County's fair share of state funding, including secession from the State of California."
Board of Supervisors Chairman Curt Hagman agreed that the measure is more symbolic than anything else, but said there is real frustration that the fifth most populous county in California doesn't get its fair share of state funding.
"It's more of a protest vote by our residents to say we're not getting what we need. We're not getting the attention we need from Sacramento."
"We need more money for transportation since we're the logistics hub for California," said Hagman. "We have the largest geographical county; we need more road money."
But attorney and former state legislator Mike Gatto said supporters of Measure EE shouldn't get too excited about San Bernardino County successfully seceding from California.
"You would need a whole host of approvals from federal and state authorities, and in many cases these approvals would need to be by supermajorities," said Gatto, who added that the last entity to successfully break away from one state to form its own was West Virginia in 1863.
"I think it's doubtful this effort will succeed."
