AGENDA 21 RADIO

BY CHRISS STREET

California Democrats may be running a risky strategy by trying to get voters to ignore the ‘Cal 3’ initiative that would create 3 separate states.

Prior to the California Secretary of State on June 12 certifying the Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper’s ‘Cal 3’ initiative for the November ballot, the Los Angeles Times referred to the effort in April as, “Rich Dude with More Dollars than Sense Launches Another Campaign to Break California Up.” In mid-May, the Survey USA poll forecast just 17 percent support for the three state solution and 72 percent opposition.

California’s Democrat elites doubted Draper’ political skills, because he came up 55,000 signatures short of qualifying his ‘Six Californias’ initiative to bust-up the Golden State into 6 states in 2013, despite personally funding the campaign with $5.27 million.

But like the relentlessly disruptive change agent Draper has been in business, came back five years later and for less than $1.8 million gathered almost 1 million more signatures than required to qualify ‘Cal 3’ for the November ballot.

Despite the higher receptiveness in 2018 for registered voters to sign a petition to break-up California, former state Assembly Speaker Democrat Fabian Núñez told the Los Angeles Times after ‘Cal 3’ qualified for the November ballot, “We shouldn’t be wasting time with this.”

Núñez argued: “It’s such a dumb idea, but it’s a real threat. Let’s suppose he puts up $50 million and it passes. Even if Congress votes it down, it starts a conversation that’s unnecessary. We should be talking about the real issues of healthcare access, energy, homelessness.”

But the latest Pacific Policy Institute of California poll found none of Mr. Núñez’ priorities rated as in the top five most important issues for California residents. More problematic for Democrats that have enjoyed 8 years of near one-party rule of Sacramento, PPIC found 61 percent of Californians now express distrust in state government.

Tim Draper is a Silicon Valley legend with a net-worth of over $1 billion as the founder and managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson venture fund that backed a slew of tech “unicorns,” including Hotmail and Skype.

But Forbes earlier this year estimated that Draper is also one of the top 20 investors in crypto-currencies and has amassed another $350 to $500 million crypto-net worth.

Since becoming a state in 1850, there have been 7 serious efforts to brake-up California. The California State Senate passed a bill in 1965 to create two states but could not pass the bill in the State Assembly. The State Assembly in 1992 passed a bill to split California into 3 states but could not gain agreement from the State Senate.

Tim Draper clearly has the venture capitalist’s drive to win. If he opens his checkbook in a big way for a ‘Cal 3’ viral marketing campaign, the initiative may become very competitive by November.