The People's Republic of Kalifornia
29 September 2004 - Los Angeles Times

Patt Morrison’s commentary suggesting California’s secession was amusing if nothing else. It would be something to consider, if only the states’ rights protection provided by federalism wasn’t already torn asunder by Lincoln in the War Between the States.

What was concerning, however, was Ms. Morrison’s misguided comparison of "tyranny Texas-style" with the way California is run. The ineffectual federal ban on "assault weapons" was allowed to sunset, restoring a freedom lost in 1994 " except to law-abiding citizens in California, where an equally ineffectual ban is still in place. The federal government forces businesses to pay a minimum wage, a policy shown repeatedly to increase unemployment - California businesses are forced to pay even more, resulting in even more unemployment. Congress has indicated that the already-strict regulations on automakers are enough for the moment - California wants to punish them further. Ms. Morrison would have California and its citizens and businesses beholden to international groups via the Kyoto accord, where the U.S. has (so far) maintained its sovereignty from such a group.

The examples Ms. Morrison provides illustrate perfectly why California’s legislature is one of the most tyrannical in the United States today!