TUCSON – Gazing up at the mosaic dome of the old Pima County Courthouse, Paul Eckerstrom sees a potential capitol building for a 51st state: Baja Arizona.
Pima County politicians have joked about the idea of political separation from more-conservative Maricopa County for decades. But the Legislature’s recent moves on topics including immigration caused Eckerstrom and others to stop laughing and form a political committee advocating that this county of more than 1 million people leave Arizona and create a new state.
“We want to make this a serious effort, at least to send a message up to Phoenix – a message to the country – that we want moderation in our state,” said Eckerstrom, former Democratic Party chairman for Pima County and co-chairman of a group calling itself Start Our State.
Controversial immigration bills, cuts to university funding and efforts to nullify federal laws also prompted the group to act, Eckerstrom said.
“People here are kind of at the breaking point,” he said. “The final straw was the nullification bills going through the Senate right now … that are frankly secession from our country, and we down here want to stay in the United States – we want to be American.”
David Euchner, the group’s treasurer and former chairman of the county’s Libertarian Party, said recent legislation on immigration and abortion pushed him over the edge.
“As much as I disagree with what Barack Obama has done or what our Democratic Congress did the last two years, I much more strongly disagree with what Russell Pearce and Jan Brewer have done to our state government,” he said.
Start Our State filed for official committee status last week, making it the first political committee to pursue creating a new state, Eckerstrom said.
The group wants to put a non-binding resolution addressing the issue before Pima County voters in 2012. If approved, the measure would come to a vote in either the Legislature or a statewide referendum.
If all of that were to pass, Congress and the president would have to approve the new state.
Euchner said the movement welcomes other counties, but each would need to conduct its own referendum.
Then there’s the proposed state’s name, which would also be up to voters. Eckerstrom said he has received several suggestions, including Baja Arizona, South Arizona and Gadsden, in reference to the 1854 Gadsden Purchase of southern Arizona from Mexico.
Democratic Sens. Paula Aboud and Linda Lopez, of Tucson, supported a tongue-in-cheek amendment last week to allow Pima County to secede in an attempt to dissuade passage of a bill establishing a committee to nullify federal laws, Lopez said. The Senate Committee of the Whole rejected the amendment.
“Unbeknownst to us, down here in Pima County they were talking seriously about becoming their own state,” Lopez said. “I support their right to want to do that, but I don’t know how it would work in actuality.”
Tucson mayoral candidate Ron Asta, a Republican, said he doubts voters would ever approve of a separation, particularly in the more conservative areas surrounding Tucson.
“I don’t think they’ll be in favor of it,” he said. “There’s a real strong conservative challenge.”
Jeff Rogers, chair of the Pima County Democratic Party, said he thinks voters might approve a separation, but he said political pressures in Congress make the measure’s final passage very unlikely.
“The logistics of it seem to fall apart,” he said.
While Eckerstrom and Euchner agree that their movement faces difficulties, they said support will only grow if the Legislature continues on its current course.
“If given the choice between seceding from the Union to stay with Arizona and seceding from Arizona to stay part of the Union, I choose the latter hands down,” Euchner said.
Masterrogue666 posted at 5:34 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
Where you want "moderation", I want ENFORCEMENT!!! People have reached the breaking point and that's why these new laws are being created....
DrunkenMonkey posted at 7:03 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
Stupid is as stupid does - FORREST GUMP
Kinda applies here [beam]
beefrits posted at 7:07 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
I think they're on the right track but instead of another state, why not do the rest of us a favor and form another country. Good riddance.
Bello Raven posted at 7:22 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
Let's be logically realistic here!
So you want to break away from our great State of Arizona? Then why would you want to include the name of our State in your obviated moronic quest to sever ties based upon majority party representation?
Democrats, and Republicans alike are sick and tired of illegal immigrants crossing our boarders. It is WE; the American taxpayer that has to fork up the cash to deal with the myriad of problems related to this issue.
If you were to ever (; in your wildest dreams) succeed in such a preposterous venture, maybe We; The People of Arizona should place a boarder fence around you.
Dale Whiting posted at 10:14 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
Hey, all of you idiots out there!
Most if not all of you who read and have commented on this article have sorely missed the real point.
This is a "Story by Channing Turner, Cronkite News Service" about a group of people living in and around Tucson who are toying with the idea of forming their own state, not withdrawing from the union. We are further told that "Democratic Sens. Paula Aboud and Linda Lopez, of Tucson, supported a tongue-in-cheek amendment last week to allow Pima County to secede in an attempt to dissuade passage of a bill establishing a committee to nullify federal laws."
Now let's talk about the passage of that bill to permit a committee to nullify federal law. That is the real issue here! Perhaps Drunken Monkey is right. If he refers to the nullification initiative, Stupid is as Stupid Does!
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:51 am on Tue, Mar 1, 2011.
Oh nooooooooooooo....not another "BASH ARIZONA" ..from the Left-Wing Liberal Cronkite News Service.
Folks, these are you tax dollars going to ASU's...CRONKITE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM. Tax paying all across Arizona are schrimping and saving to pay their Arizona State Income Taxes for what ????
So a bunch of Left-wing Liberal Socialist Wanna-be Cronkite News Service cub reporter students can see who can out do the other making ...ARIZONA LOOK LIKE YOU-KNOW-WHAT to the rest of the World.
This story has already been told....a week ago.....Hello....Cub Reporter......THIS IS ...."OLD NEWS".
You can only fry an egg once....the second time it gets..."RUBBERY".....just like this story about....Liberal/Socialist/Democrat/Progressives....what ever they are calling themselves this week. On November 2nd, 2010....your side lost.....our side won....get over it.....time to move on.....get a life....forget about it....climb back under your rock until 2012 when you can help Barry and Michelle put their bags in the trunk.
RollerCam posted at 12:17 pm on Wed, Mar 2, 2011.
No, no, NO, liberals / reconquistas / La Raza / BrownPriders! This is NOT how you take over American territory.
The proper way is to do it like they've done in California. They didn't announce their intentions, they just took over the state with high birthrates and by placing their selected liberal-Latrino politicians in office. Let the "rich Mexican culture" flourish! Invite the campesinos to your town.
Do it long enough, and "whitey" will move away without a shot being fired. See? It's really that simple.
You can learn a lot from your western neighbors out in Cali.
Masterrogue666 posted at 10:01 pm on Mon, Mar 7, 2011.
Dale, I find it interesting when you call people idiots for not reading an article.
What about the article just before this one: "Pearce won't rule out further bans of activists from state Senate".
I made a comment about what you wrote there as well. Seems to me you didn't read that article to closely. Does that mean the term "idiot" applys to you as well?
messup posted at 11:44 am on Sat, Mar 12, 2011.
Hey, I think it's a great idea...go for it. Pima County (Baja whatever) will be the poorest State in the union. Pima produces nothing, has little or no industry, commerce is in the tank, employment is absent, and unemployment is probably higher than in a third world country. Speaking of which, County (nee: Baja whatever) will join the world's poorest nations in per capita income and gross state product. Welcome to the world's underperforming group of nations!
CapedCrusader posted at 4:41 pm on Mon, Mar 14, 2011.
I wonder if they have given any thought to the enormous costs in starting a new state? Here a some examples: Creating and replacing vehicle license plates. Creating and replacing driver licenses. Creating and replacing business licenses. Creating and funding state government, i.e. governor, legislature, motor vehicle department, state police, creating counties and county governments, etc. What would happen to all of the equipment that belongs to the State of Arizona? Would they keep it and say "To hell with you Arizona, it belongs to us now," or would they send it back and buy new equipment? This list is VERY short of what would be necessary. Where would they get the necessary funding? From the federal government? By raising taxes? A state lottery system? While those few I just mentioned will get them some funding eventually, they will need an enormous amount of funding just to get started. You can't have Arizona license plates and driver licenses for people who do not live in Arizona. I have two ideas for them. Either vote in new elected officials, or move to a more liberal state. If Pima county does become a new state, I predict that they will come crawling back within three years.
jimmyincali posted at 3:15 am on Fri, Apr 15, 2011.
I don't live in Arizona, but considering what an embarassment Arizona is becoming to the rest of the US, I can see why some of them want to break away from the crazies. I think I'd go with calling it Gadsden though - I'd hate to have anything of the racist "Arizona State" brand following the county into their new statehood. Maybe they could attract tourists again.