Sanctuary State

The People’s Democratic Republic of California—————

A commentary

By J. F. Kelly, Jr.

Believe it or not, California was once a conservative state under Republican governors like Ronald Reagan, George Deukmejian and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Even under democratic Gov. Edmund (Pat) Brown, California’s governor from 1959 to 1967, the Golden State was not the center of extreme liberal ideology that it is now under son Jerry, affectionately nicknamed “Moonbeam”. What a difference a generation can make.

 

While Pat Brown was governor, some great things happened in the state. California’s public university systems developed into the finest anywhere. Its highway systems, roads, parks, bridges and other infrastructure were among the nation’s best and its population grew, putting it on a path to surpass New York as the country’s then-most populous state. Its economy, compared to national economies, would soon be ranked seventh largest in the world.

 

Perhaps the state is getting, as they say, too big for its britches. A 2017 op-ed by columnist Joe Matthews observed that California and the U.S. were drifting apart and asked if they even had a future together. He argued that it was time for California to take stock of the leverage it has over the U.S. and use it to negotiate for ever greater autonomy. He noted that a small group of Californians actually filed a ballot measure entitled “California’s Future: a Path to Independence”

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Do you suppose those who entertain such crazy notions regarding the future of their state have delusions of grandeur? It is, to be sure, still an economic powerhouse and is still first in a number of categories like, say, agriculture. But we are also among the highest taxed people in the nation. Our housing is unaffordable for most people and it is in short supply. We pay about twice as much for power as the national average, thanks largely to Jerry Brown’s determination to make the state a model for climate change policies, requiring the state-regulated utilities to produce half of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Gasoline taxes are about 30% higher than the nationwide average and were raised recently along with yearly vehicle fees to help pay for backlogged road repairs. Yet, our roads are in horrible condition compared to those in neighboring states. Somehow the state plans to fund a bullet train which doesn’t even connect major population centers and which surveys say few will ever use.

 

We also lead the nation in the number of immigrants, legal and otherwise. Most will flock to the cities of southern California in spite of a fragile environment, lack of water and lack of affordable housing. We are also first in the number of homeless, our benign year around climate serving as a magnet for them. Both the immigrant and homeless populations in the state are growing. What is also growing is the number of affluent families who are leaving the state for states where the cost of living is not just a bit lower but a lot lower and the business climate friendlier. I hear regularly from friends who say they’d leave, too, if they were younger.

 

As another mark of its growing independence, the state recently passed a bill declaring itself to be a sanctuary state in order to protect immigrants here illegally. This legislation, sponsored by state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D- Los Angeles), limits state and local law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration agents and prevents them from holding and questioning people regarding immigration violations. Many California cities have enacted similar legislation. Some amendments to it have since been made to permit state and local law enforcement to share information and transfer people to immigration authorities if they have been convicted of certain crimes. Being in the country illegally, apparently, is not one of them.

 

This law was passed by democratic politicians who recognize that these immigrants are potential democratic voters and are key to their retention of political power. They had the audacity to entitle the law the “California Values Act” but shielding illegal aliens from immigration authorities certainly does not reflect the values of the many Californians who believe that our borders and immigration laws must be respected.

 

The federal government has since sued the state over the matter and it is encouraging to see that some Californian cities and counties are joining or considering joining the federal lawsuit. Meanwhile, voters should express their outrage to those politicians who supported this legislation in defiance of the federal government.

April 9, 2018