A few rural communities in North Colorado want to secede and become their own state.
According to the Coloradan, a group of county commissioners are pursuing a plan to secede from Colorado over concerns that their voices are being ignored by the state.
Sean Conway, a commissioner in Weld County, said: “I know you think, wow, this is crazy when you first hear about it, but then you realize that five of our states — Vermont, Maine, Tennessee, Wyoming and Kentucky — came about in this fashion, and the circumstances were very similar to what we’re going through now.”
Conway said that commissioners from other counties have been having informal talks about seceding from the state and added that a measure may be placed on the November ballot in Weld County to find out if voters agree with the plan.
Conway, a Republican, said that recent legislation passed by Colorado has threatened his communities way of life. According to KDVR, the commissioner is referring to new laws on gun control and the expansion of oil and gas production. The straw that broke the camel’s back, however, came this week when Gov. John Hickenlooper signed S.B. 252, a bill that would increase “renewable energy standard for rural electric co-ops.”
Conway said: “I have never seen a legislative session like this. They ignore us. They don’t listen to us. It started with the gun control bills and came to a head this week with S.B. 252 being signed … Our voices are being ignored in the legislative process this year and our very way of life is under attack.”
Conway said that commissioners from rural counties would hold hearings over the next few weeks with the hopes of bringing a vote to the community in November. It’s unclear what counties want to secede from Colorado but Conway said that Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma counties have all been involved in the first round of talks.
Okay well I think we have ALL heard of states threatening to secede from the United States, but this is the firs time I have heard about part of a state wanting to secede from the rest of the state.
If people are frustrated by the direction that their state is going don't they just usually move?
Boy this gun control thing is making people act like they are out of their damned minds. And in my opinion anybody who loves their guns so much they are willing to tear their state apart is probably too crazy to have a gun anyhow.
Divide and conquer.......a time honored tactic.....
ReplyDeleteAnd in my opinion anybody who loves their guns so much they are willing to tear their state apart is probably too crazy to have a gun anyhow.
ReplyDeleteYeah, who'd put their God given Constitutional rights ahead of ad hoc geographic political boundaries. Crazy talk, no doubt.
Yeah totally missed that part of the Bible where God says "Thou shalt own firearms."
DeleteIs that the eleventh commandment?
The government has the right to regulate. And the guns are for a militia. How have your rights been infringed? You still have your guns, right? Even though the legislation passed.
DeleteWhat you don't like is being in the minority. That's called a representative republic. The majority wins. Deal with it.
"God" has absolutely zip to do with the Constitution of the United States. Neither does Flying Spaghetti Monster. Need proof? Take a look at the three-Fifths Compromise (Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3). That was certainly not inspired by a love of freedom and the rights of human beings. It was the very faulty reasoning of very faulty people.
DeleteNeed more proof? Take a look at how long it took to FIX that Constitution so that women could not be denied their right to vote.
"God given Constitutional rights" is truly crazy talk.
Exactly. "We find these truths to be **self-evident**, that all men are created equal . . ."
DeleteUm, except black. And oh, um, except women. They don't have God-given self-evident Constitutional rights. At least not until society evolves enough to make that happen. But God gave them those rights at the beginning of time, so how does that work exactly. Do gays and lesbians have God-given Constitutional rights?
@3:38 AM Do you always post nonsense before your brain wakes up? Did Todd Palin have a God Given Right to Pimp?
Deletewaaaaaahhhhh progress WAAAAAHH
Deletelet them secede, eventually there will be these few crazy reds states, and know one but other crazies will live there
DeleteI guess you don't think too much of the 1st amendment either ... "Your comment will be visible after approval".
ReplyDeleteNice. Anything in the Bill of Rights of which you approve?
Just asking.
The 1st amendment does not grant you the right to say whatever you want wherever you want to whomever you want. That's not what freedom of speech means.
DeleteThis is Gryphen's blog, and he's exercising his right. to filter out nasty threats, insulting language, and anything else he doesn't want posted.
DeleteIf you had visitors to your house, and the were calling your children vile names, or saying you were a ni**er, a pimp, or a slut, I'm betting you'd escort them to the door.
Grow up and get your own blog, or head over to weaselzippers and join the lunatic religious teabag fanatics
And to be honest the main reason that I use the approval process is to filter out spam, which at times can outnumber the comments two to one.
DeleteCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
DeleteThe 1st amendment controls what CONGRESS can do regarding freedom of speech. If you are not happy with Gryphen's blog, just toddle off and get your own blog.... it's a free country, ya know.
Your freedom of speech has nothing whatsoever to do with comments on a provate blog. You no more have the right to visit a blog and say what you want than you have the right to waltz into someone's house to say whatever you want.
DeleteI wish you people that endlessly prattle on about your constitutional rights would actually read that constitution.
immorality is stupidy and you can say any stupid thing I guess immorality for gay marriage immorality to smoke pot in front of children immorality of public makedness and immorality to talk stupid married gay boyfriend naked smokin weed.
DeleteFortunately for you ignorance has no bearing on morality.
ReplyDeleteOwning instruments of death is moral? Jesus had guns? Who knew?
DeleteOf course Jesus didn't have guns. He didn't have a car or an iPad either. There were no guns. That's a pretty stupid question.
DeleteRead the account of Jesus' arrest by the soldiers in the garden of Gethsemane some time. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus Peter pulled out his sword and cut the ear off of one of the soldiers. Jesus stopped him and, according to the story, reattached the soldiers ear. The usually story is told with emphasis on the fact that Jesus worked one of his miracles and at the same time helped those that would persecute him. That message isn't lost on me from a big picture 'how we should treat others in the world' point of view (not one that I do a particularly job of emulating most days) but one message I see that seems to escape everyone is that at least one of Jesus' disciples carried a concealed weapon. The right to self defense was an assumed right, one that apparently even Jesus didn't question. This was not one 'granted' by the government if they were of a mind to on any given day. Gun haters really don't get that. They seem to see the 'right' of self dense as a privilege that can be rescinded at any time by the government on a whim.
I have no idea why the Colorado counties are looking at seceding. Maybe they've watched too much of their hard-earned tax dollars go to welfare checks for people in this country illegally. Most of us are the children of immigrants but there wasn't a welfare check made up of tax money confiscated from someone else waiting for them when they got here. Maybe they're tired of listening to their government tell them if they don't embrace and champion behavior they would not interfere with as long as it was among consenting adults but behavior they may personally find deviant that there's something wrong with them. Who knows, maybe they're tired of watching politicians enter the field of 'public service' with as many personal resources as most citizens have but yet leave office a few terms later as millionaires. Or maybe it's the government telling them that the land they own would be better off in the hands of some private developer that will pay more taxes on it then they will and then watch their land stolen from them by the state.
And maybe it has something to do with guns too. I dunno.
One thing that I do know though is life is a little more complicated than just your progressive talking points.
The approvals they would need - citizens/state/federal are going to be pretty dan expensive, to start.
ReplyDeleteWow Gryphen, a threefer of stupidity in the morning. The first three comments are either by the same person or North Colorado woke up early this morning. I shall play with the trolls at 3:40, 3:48 and 2:49 before I have my coffee.
ReplyDelete1)Trying to divide and conquer a state in 2013 only makes you a moron.
2) God did not write the constitution and as far as I know he didn't give it
to us either. Why do you losers raise the constitution to biblical proportions when you really don't even understand any of it?
3) Case in point--- Gryphen's blog is not the government so he cannot block your right to free speech. As this is his blog-- he can do as he pleases. Block you. Put you in moderation. And even laugh at your dumbass just for shits and giggles.
Off for coffee . . . .
“I guess you don’t think too much of the 1st amendment either… “Your comment will be visible after approval”.
ReplyDeleteNice. Anything in the Bill of Rights of which you approve?
Just asking.”
Dear Ignoramus:
The First Amendment to the Constitution protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from GOVERNMENT interference. Freedom of expression consists of the rights to freedom of speech, press, assembly and to petition the GOVERNMENT for a redress of grievances, and the implied rights of association and belief.
Simply stated - for simpletons and dullards such as yourself - it means that the GOVERNMENT is restricted from stifling or harassing citizens who criticize the GOVERNMENT.
PRIVATE venues are not covered by that amendment, moron. The owners of PRIVATE property such as blogs, newspapers, film/television studios, restaurants, bars, etc., etc., etc., are under NO obligation to allow you to speak your alleged mind, and you have NO right whatsoever to force them to allow it or to force anyone to have to listen to your doltish dribblings. PRIVATE individuals and venues are free to accept or deny you a platform at their own discretion. I believe that is what is known in Teatardia as a, “free market solution.”
Now, unless you’re trying to suggest that Gryphen is some kind of GOVERNMENT agent who is trying to stifle and harass people for speaking out against the GOVERNMENT on a GOVERNMENT owned website, then you are merely publicly demonstrating that you are nothing more than an ignorant, clueless clodhopper.
Nice response!
Deletefrom wiki
ReplyDeleteKillington's voters have twice voted to secede from Vermont and join the state of New Hampshire, 25 miles (40 km) to the east. The movement stems from what some residents perceive as an inequity in taxes sent to the state of Vermont, and services received. The votes are largely symbolic, as secession would require the agreement of both states' legislatures.
I haven't heard of "New Vermont," so I'm guessing that didn't work out so well . . .
DeleteKillington, Vermont. Population 811. I'm sure they could handle all the duties of a state, though. Riiiiight.
DeleteOn a smaller scale, some rednecks in northern Snohomish County, Washington, have tried for years to secede from the county, to form their own "Freedom County" (real original name, isn't it?).
DeleteThis Wiki article outlines the effort, but doesn't mention a bunch of bigots were behind it. My husband used to have breakfast every morning at the local cafe in Smokey Point with these morons, and when I joined him occasionally, I could hear what they were saying.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_County,_Washington
I think they were partly irked that the Tulalip Indian tribe was bootstrapping itself out of poverty by opening the casino near Marysville. Talk about stupid rednecks; they wanted to EXCISE the revenue-producing southern half of the county.
The Southern Poverty Law Center agrees with me.
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2001/summer/organizing-freedom#.UbS7eOfb8pA
"New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new States shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.'
ReplyDeleteSorry, dumbasses, you should have read Article 4, Section 3, of the Constitution that you claim to love so much.
er, can you read, Killington was not proposing to be a new state
ReplyDeleteAnd to be honest the main reason that I use the approval process is to filter out spam, which at times can outnumber the comments two to one.
ReplyDeleteOh, so you're being honest now? Does that imply I should your previous utterances as somewhat less than?
Ah, I'm just pulling your chain. You're right, the spammers suck, but I don't begrudge someone trying to make a living. Not sure pissing off 99.9% of the people you reach is a working business model, but it's their deal.
I do, however enjoy the guilty pleasure of going cross stream on sites like this, just to stir up the ad hominem attacks. Kind of fun having anon folks throw nasty comments at anon targets, like it's actually accomplishing something.
I do have a serious question - why wouldn't folks like yourself want folks in Northern Co. to do this? I realize you don't live there, but if did live in So Co, why not eliminate those opposed to what you want to accomplish? Seems to me you would want them to leave. I realize there are logistics and legalities, but putting those aside, why not have the 2nd folks go their own way?
Just a question. All those that would like to call me a stupid ignoramus, please feel free.
Because it's unconstitutional. See post above. Because the purpose of this republic is to compromise. Because you don't get to just take your toys and leave the playground.
DeleteAnd if you intentionally try to stir up trouble, trouble is what you get. It's not too hard to figure that out.
If it was as simple as the folks just leaving, I'm sure the rest of the state would be happy to watch the door hit them in the ass on their way out.. But, by seceding, they take property and tax base and roads and infrastructure that currently is within the state's boundaries.
DeleteWhy do we not want those fools in Northern Colorado to do this? Because the strength of our nation comes from union, diversity and compromise, not from supporting "states" that want to be petty fiefdoms or gated communities living in the dark ages.
DeleteBecause it's unconstitutional
DeleteHuh? That's not how I read it. Looks like you need consent of the affected States and Congress to do it.
But, by seceding, they take property and tax base and roads and infrastructure that currently is within the state's boundaries.
Well, yeah, and the new state is responsible for the roads and whatnot. Presumable the loss in tax base is made up for the lower cost in running the state.
But, by seceding, they take property and tax base and roads and infrastructure that currently is within the state's boundaries.
Diversity? What could be more diverse than additional states? I don't think you wrote what you meant to say.
I certainly didn't paste what I meant!
DeleteThe last comment was in response to Liz.
Having lived in Colorado for some time, it’s easy to understand where these folks get their perspective…In Northern Colorado, as in much of the state, OLD, frontier law is still applied to situations many families are subjected to every day… These situations rarely occur in Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo or Fort Collins, but outside the influence of those cities, you can drive 100 miles in any direction with not another human in sight… Many times, frontier law is all that is left!
ReplyDeleteI’m NOT condoning what they do or how they react to situations but I do understand it.. Struggling to adapt to ‘big city ways’ is hard in many cases and some just won’t. It will take some time but eventually they’ll come around - just not overnight like some want.. No, rational thought is not always the default process…
And perish the thought that people in rural areas should have renewable energy-sourced electric co-ops (ie, lower-priced energy than what they may be paying now): oh, no, that would be akin to FDR days, socialist, evil, etc. THAT'S the part of the Coloradoans' complaint that I heard.
DeleteI live, work, & raise cattle here. If u think green energy is cheaper, man r u wrong. Do ur homework!
DeleteThere have been numerous attempts by parts of states to withdraw from their own state and form a new one. For example, northern California and southern Oregon counties had enough petition signers to form the state of Jefferson but WWII ended that attempt, although the sentiment still exists in those counties to this day. Counties in eastern Oregon and Washington have also tried to set up their own state called Cascadia. Wikipedia lists many other secessionist areas within existing states.
ReplyDeleteFolks in Southeastern Kansas have routinely tried to free themselves from the rest of Kansas because they say that, among other isssues, that they can support themselves due to gas and oil depositis. Trouble is, they have less population than other areas. It is a minority of richer ranchers who want their voices to be the dominate power. Most Kansans reside in cities in Central Kansas in cities such as Wichita, Topeka, Manhatan, Lawrence and Salina as well as the Northweastern county of Johnson ( the Kansas part of the KC-metro area). So those in SW Kansas lose their bid every time.
ReplyDeleteAs a longtime Colorado resident all I can say is if towns were people colorado springs, greeley and grand junction would be the three stooges. Our own little slices of the rotting corpses of the confederacy. The destruction of cs came when james "hypocrite" dobson relocated his merry band of intolerant, homophobic haters here. Although it was always a extremely conservative town it don't go bat shit fucking crazy until every loony religious organization settled in here. Good news is that with the downturn of the economy these fraudulent beggars have been hit hard. Many have gone belly up. Ted Haggard revealed just how hypocritical these folks are. focus on your own damn family is trying to sublet out space from their compound. They laid off many employees because they spent the money on fighting "gay" marriage in CA rather than taking care of their employees. CS will remain a bastion of hate and intolerance but the actual population is going down. No businesses or young people want to relocate to this hate pit. So these idiots will never get their way, Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins and the progressive towns will always outnumber the inbred idiots & even more so as the country leaves these neanderthals behind.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait until these whinging teenagers find out how much it costs to run their own little fiefdoms & administrating those fiefdoms...especially given the super-low agricultural tax rates in those rural counties....which they'll have to raise...along with the sales tax and all the services they'll have to cut to balance their books. If they think they'll gorge themselves on oil & gas fracking revenues just wait until the lawsuits about ranchers' water rights start coming, and the flaming taps & polluted ground water. Especially during the drought here in CO. Yup, go for it.
ReplyDelete~Canuck~
No.CA & parts of S.OR, bastions of tea party fanaticism, have been trying to do the same thing for a few decades. They want to join together those parts of the two states. They've even named their new state Jefferson (typical nuttery). They'd be down the tubes in no time a'tall because they are the poorest, stupidest, most welfare recipients,with no tax base to speak of, just like the other "secessionists." They've elected their Tea Party to run their cities/towns & those towns are already going down the tubes debt wise. They've cut their fire & police depts down to bare survival & are suffering from that too. When this is pointed out to them, they get outraged, outraged I tell you. ;)
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine told me about pre-WWII attempts by the counties sharing the California/Oregon border to form a state called Jefferson. The outbreak of the war put that movement on hold.
ReplyDeleteCurrently some of the residents of Riverside and San Bernardino counties are beating their shields along these lines as well.
Why not simply join Northern Colorado with Wyoming to consolidate two super-low population areas in their shared redneck values - leaving the rest of Colorado free from their endless whining.
ReplyDelete