Politician proposes 'South California' for 51st state

Supervisor Jeff Stone, a Republican pharmacist from Temecula, called California an “ungovernable” financial catastrophe from which businesses are fleeing and where taxpayers are being crushed by the burden of caring for welfare recipients and illegal immigrants.

On Tuesday, Stone and his colleagues on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors will consider his proposal to host a statewide summit for city and county leaders to sketch out a framework for secession.

The politician said he was undaunted by scores of failed similar attempts since the 1800s, saying Californians haven’t faced such dismal economic times since the Great Depression.

“This has struck a chord with a lot of people in the state who have suffered economically,” said Stone, adding that he has received thousands of e-mails supporting his proposal. “We know it’s going to be a challenge to form a second state, but it’s not impossible. We’re sending a message.”

A spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown (D) called Stone’s proposal a laughable political stunt, saying the Riverside County supervisors should be more concerned about closing that county’s expected $130 million revenue shortfall in the next budget year and possible cutbacks to public safety.