Visiting Our Future 51st State?

Nope, we didn’t suddenly jump a flight to Puerto Rico.  We are in an area of Northern California that along with part of Southern Oregon that some advocate should secede from their present States and become a new State of Jefferson, our 51st State.  We are camped in the town of Weed (they have a lot of fun with that name here) in Siskiyou County, California.  Before you think that this concept of a new State is just the product of too much smoking of the wacky tobacky, THIS COUNTY IS VOTING THIS WEEK ON A FIRST STEP TOWARD FUTURE STATEHOOD.

You see many State of Jefferson signs around this area.  There is even a State Seal which is also used on the State Flag.  And what are the two X’s?  They represent the double cross this area reportedly feels from the State Capitals of Sacramento and Salem.

The upcoming vote is to create the Republic Jefferson Territory that follows the present borders of Siskiyou County.  After other counties, more or less along the boundaries of the proposed State do the same, they will petition the States of California and Oregon for permission to secede and they will petition the US Congress and the President for approval to become the 51st State.

So just what is the beef in this region?  It seems to vary greatly depending on who you talk to.  Some say it is about local control of Government, others say it is too much tax dollars sent to Sacramento and Salem and not enough services returned. Others say it’s too much environmentalism, others say it is about regaining ownership and control of what are now Federal lands in the region, and others say it is about ownership and control of water.  It seems that the State of Jefferson is whatever is in the minds of its beholders,