About

If the State of Jefferson ever formed, it’s unlikely Anthony Bourdain would ever travel there for its pizza or burritos. 

Mark Baird, the “unofficial” leader of the State of Jefferson movement, likes to think they’d be known for their buffalo burgers. Though, he’ll admit, he’s in the minority. Most people behind this movement, he says, would probably prefer beef.

Being in the minority is a feeling he’s had for quite some time. Living in Northern California with Baird’s heavy libertarian point-of-view would likely drive most people crazy, and out of the state.

But Baird wants to stay. He’d just prefer he was living in a new state, a State of Jefferson.

Feeling that he’s had no representation in how Sacramento operates, this semi-retired pilot and former buffalo rancher has spent the past several years convincing thousands of citizens along with cities, counties and mayors to join his grass-roots movement.

In Part II of II of this story, we ask how Baird plans to form this new state and look into the financials, legality and likelihood of whether the State of Jefferson can ever live up to being more than just a state of mind. 
 

Show Notes: 

1. [00:25] Mark Baird’s speech on 05.31.17 in front of California State Capitol building in Sacramento

2. [00:55] “Borough” by Blue Dot Sessions

3. [02:25] See Citizens for Fair Representation et al. v. Padilla

4. [02:30] The photo of California Gov. Jerry Brown looking at a flag of the State of Jefferson

   1. Recommended: A recent 60 Minutes profile of Gov. Brown (CBS News)

5. [04:15] “This Land Is Your Land” performed by Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings

6. [04:50] Recommended: Listen to Part I before listening to this episode

7. [09:35] Light reading on Kevin Hendrick (The Union)

8. [11:45] One of the first counties the State of Jefferson movement made its case back in 2013 (Siskyou Daily News)

   1. Earlier profile of the movement (The Sacramento Bee)

9. [12:00] Light reading on Tehama County

   1. Results of Ballot Measure A in 2014 on the matter of state-split question

   2. And an economic overview

10. [12:25] Results of Del Norte County’s state-split ballot measure (Associated Press)

11. [13:05] “Jefferson State of Mind” performed by local musician

12. [13:20] Official map of the State of Jefferson and its declared counties

13. [13:40] Light reading on Lassen County

    1. Results of Measure G on state-split question

    2. The county’s Board of Supervisors placing issue on the ballot (The Sacramento Bee)

    3. A short news brief on the results of the vote (USA Today)

    4. And an economic overview

14. [13:45] Map of the State of Jefferson according to Keep It California

15. [16:30] “Borough-Alternate Opening” by Blue Dot Sessions

16. [16:55] Richard Seel’s presentation on the State of Jefferson’s financial model called “Show Me the Money”

17. [17:00] Light reading on Steve Baird

    1. An earlier presentation of his model

    2. The latest spreadsheet detailing the financial model

18. [17:45] A short primer on state taxes and revenue (National Association of State Budget Officers)

    1. And on budgets and spending (NASBO)

    2. And on state budgets and the federal government (NASBO)

    3. And a break down of how state budgets are formed (California Budget Project)

19. [19:05] List of U.S. States by budget size

20. [19:10] A bigger breakdown of state budgets including Nebraska

21. [20:30] The $340 billion number comes from a 2014 report (Los Angeles Times)

    1. Holistic overview of California’s total debt (California Policy Center)

    2. Related: An old report from 60 Minutes on the state budget crisis

    3. Unrelated: A primer on the federal debt and deficit

22. [20:55] “Borough Celeste-Solo” by Blue Dot Sessions

23. [21:35] Light reading on zero-percent interest rates (Investopedia)

24. [22:05] Light reading on Montana’s wildfires and its budget short fall (Rapid City Journal)

    1. And additional reading on the California wildfires (BBC News)

25. [22:30] California’s list of 343 state agencies

    1. Related: New Mexico’s list of state departments

26. [24:50] Light reading of an old profile on Peter Thiel (The New Yorker)

27. [25:00] “Sunset on the Ganja Farm” by The State of Jefferson Band

28. [25:10] More on the Colorado pot boom (The Denver Post)

29. [26:15] More on Dan Walters (@DanCALmatters) here

30. [27:00] An overview of California’s economic output by region (The Sacramento Bee)

31. [28:30] Current breakdown of Siskyou County, where Baird lives

    1. And an economic forecast (Calif. Department of Transportation)

32. [30:05] Light reading on U.S. history and the partitioning of states

33. [30:25] Light reading on how admission into the Union

    1. Additional reading on how to become a state (How Stuff Works)

34. [32:10] More on the Washington D.C.’s bid for 51 (NPR)

    1. And Puerto Rico (Newsweek)

    2. President Donald Trump comments on San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto (Fox News)

35. [32:40] Light reading on the Tennessee Plan (The Orlando Sentinel)

    1. A much deeper and thorough dive on how Tennessee became a state

36. [32:55] “Tennessee” by Jimmy Martin

37. [34:05] Light reading on the City (Town) of Fort Jones

38. [35:15] The original lawsuit filed against California Secretary of State Alex Padilla

39. [36:20] “Lamb Drop-Minor Feel” by Blue Dot Sessions

40. [38:05] “Coronea” by Blue Dot Sessions

41. [38:20] Note: The Citizens for Fair Representation is technically a DBA for the State of Jefferson Formation, which is based in Nevada, as noted here. And confirmed here. (Yreka News)

42. [38:50] California’s population growth over the years

    1. California’s State Constitution of 1879 (see: Article V)

43. [39:15] Representation ratio based on California population in 1879

44. [39:40] Light reading on the Apportionment Act of 1929

    1. Additional reading here

    2. Recent column on the measure in the New York Times

45. [39:40] Related reading on Congressional Apportionment:

    1. Power In Numbers: Reapportionment and the Constitution (Constitution Center)

    2. Congressional Apportionment: Past, Present and Future (Duke University)

    3. The House of Representatives Apportionment Formula: An Analysis of Proposals for Change and Their Impact on States (Congressional Research Service)

    4. The 1911 House Reapportionment (House.gov)

    5. Op-ed for enlarging the number of representatives (The New York Times)

    6. Methods of Apportionment (US Census)

46. [41:40] Herbert Hoover’s full speech in St. Louis, MO in 1932 (CSPAN)

47. [42:50] Assemblymember Paul Fong on Local Edition

48. [42:55] See Article XIX here

49. [43:15] Light reading on the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882

50. [43:30] More on California’s apology to the Chinese here (TIME)

51. [46:10] “Velejo-Atmo” by Blue Dot Sessions

52. [47:50] “Lord Weasel-Thoughtful Bridge” by Blue Dot Sessions

53. [48:00] Full text of the Declaration of Independence (National Archives)

54. [48:25] Background on Margalynne Armstrong

55. [48:40] “March on Gumdrop Field-Cello Leader” by Blue Dot Sessions

56. [48:45] Light reading on:

    1. The 14th Amendment

    2. The impeachment of Andrew Johnson (Politico)

    3. Recommend Listen: More Perfect’s American Pendulum II

57. [50:15] Audio from Baker v. Carr (Oyez)

    1. Recommend Listen: More Perfect’s The Political Thicket

58. [50:20] Audio from Reynolds v. Simms (Oyez)

59. [50:40] “The Telling” by Blue Dot Sessions

60. [53:10] Guarantee Clause

    1. Related: The Guarantee Clause and California’s Republican Form of Government (UC Berkeley)

61. [53:30] Citizen for Fair Representation and Baird’s motion to intervene in LaVergne v. United States House of Representatives

62. [52:10] More on the State of California’s motion to dismiss the Citizens for Fair Representation lawsuit (Siskyou Daily News)

63. [54:25] More on Scott Stafne

64. [01:00:40] “Velejo-Tense” by Blue Dot Sessions

65. [01:00:50] Some links to debunk the “three-percent myth”

    1. Historian Robert Calhoon polls support for the Revolution around 40 percent

    2. US Department of Veteran Affairs numbers

    3. Some additional forum chatter on Reddit’s r/AskHistorians

    4. Some light reading on Three Percenters

    5. Some recommended viewing on the Three Percenters (VICE)

    6. More additional reading on the Three Percenters (Anti Defamation League)

    7. And one last bit on the Three Percenters (politicalresearch.org)

    8. Light reading on the Oath Keepers (VICE)

    9. Additional reading on the Oath Keepers (Washington Post)

    10. A profile on the Oath Keepers (Mother Jones)

66. [01:01:55] “Jefferson State of Mind” on KCNR 1460

    1. Excerpt played from this airing

67. Southern Poverty Law Center’s spotlight on the State of Jefferson

68. [01:03:30] More on LaVoy Finicum from

    1. Oregon Public Broadcasting

    2. Quartz

    3. Gawker

    4. St. George News

    5. Los Angeles Times

69. [01:03:50] Light reading on the Malheur Standoff (The Oregonian)

70. [01:04:10] Released video of Finicum’s traffic stop

71. [01:07:00] “Olsted Harten” by Blue Dot Sessions

72. [01:10:00] Recommended Podcast: Closer Than They Appear

73. [01:10:10] Recommended Podcast Newsletter: Constant Listener