Jeff Stone, a supervisor from Riverside County is calling for 12 counties to join his own in seceding from the state of California. According to CBS Los Angeles, Stone wants San Diego county, Orange County and much of the Central Valley to band together to form "South California". The new state, he says, would allow lawmakers like himself to focus on issues important to the Southerns. Things like securing the borders, lowering taxes, and loosening the stranglehold of special interest groups on the Legislature. Unfortunately, Stone's proposal would still leave us San Franciscans stuck with the Angelenos in the remaining state of California.

Stone's motives might be a little suspect: he announced his plans immediately after Jerry Brown's signed budget took away some $14 million in tax revenue from Riverside County. One of his fellow county supes called out the "crazy distraction", pointing out that Riverside needs to get it's own budget figured out before they attempt to go re-arranging the entire state of California. At least Mr. Stone managed to avoid bringing baseball rivalries in to this.

The Chronicle reminds us that we've been here before. In 1941, a campaign to create the state of Jefferson disappeared with the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Meanwhile, a spokesman from Jerry Brown's office told the Riverside Press-Enterprise, "A secessionist movement? What is this, 1860?"

[Chron]
[CBS LA]
[Press-Enterprise]

A moderate earthquake rattled greater Los Angeles for 10 to 15 seconds last evening around 8:40 p.m., and it was felt as far south as San Diego. No major damage has been reported, but at least one person went to the hospital. Our bros at LAist registered a few aftershocks and link to a pic of some broken glass at a Starbucks.