WASHINGTON — Arizona has been in the union more than a century, but some residents appear to want out after the last election.
A petition to let the state secede went up on the White House website Saturday, and by Tuesday it already had received more than half of the 25,000 signatures needed to trigger an official response.
The petition was one of about 45 such petitions from states, some repeats, posted on the White House site this week. It has until Dec. 10 to reach its goal.
White House spokesman Brandon Lepow confirmed that the administration will respond if the petition gets the required number of signatures, but said he could not comment on the specific petition until then.
The White House would not release the identity of the man who started the petition, identified only as Nicholas M. of Gilbert. The White House website gives no more than a last initial and hometown for people who signed the petition, many of whom were from outside Arizona.
But a laughing Gregg Cawley said there should be no fear of another civil war anytime soon as a result of the secession petitions.
“One of the big differences between now and the mid-1800s … is the tremendous amount of federal funds states receive,” said Cawley, a political science professor at the University of Wyoming who has written about the relationship between Western states and the federal government.
“Do they really want to give up all that money? I think it makes the whole thing more symbolic than practical,” he said.
Cawley said people who make comments such as those in the petitions are more likely trying to “raise public visibility about their complaints” than actually succeed at secession.
That effort to raise visibility – about 45 of the more than 100 petitions on the White House site call for secession by various states – drew a quick response from other unhappy citizens on the other end of the political spectrum.
One petition asks the Obama administration “to deport everyone that signed a petition to withdraw their state from the United States of America.”
Cawley said the warring petitions should not be seen as an omen of more warring to come.
“A state cannot simply say they don’t want to be a part of the union anymore,” Cawley said.
“I wouldn’t say that these people starting these petitions are grumpy enough to actually pick up guns and start a war,” he said. “Just at a practical level, it is not going to happen.”
Mike McClellan posted at 4:30 pm on Wed, Nov 14, 2012.
Channel 5 reported last night that more than half of the Arizona petition signers were from out of state or didn't indicate where they're from . . .
It's obvious what's happening -- people from other states are signing the petition, hoping to get rid of Arizona.
Who can blame them? After all, we're the state the brought the rest the Unholy Trio of Brewer, Arpaio and Pearce.
downtownresident posted at 4:58 pm on Wed, Nov 14, 2012.
We're the world base for backward thinking (Fluoride will kill you) radical wackos, so it would follow that, without even knowing the ramifications these brilliant thinkers would fall in step for more kool-aid.
Another gigantic waste of taxpayer money and time.
Carolyn posted at 5:06 pm on Wed, Nov 14, 2012.
MORE nut-cases. Maybe Arizona could just join Mexico, from whence it came.
DataMan posted at 5:19 pm on Wed, Nov 14, 2012.
Looks like the low information tea party folks are doing the US a favor by self deporting!
Except Texas, ALL red states get more money from the feds than they pay in taxes, so this will help the budget of the folks that are smart enough to stay in the US.
National papers are telling these petition signers "Bye! And don't come back!"
wellreadone posted at 7:27 pm on Wed, Nov 14, 2012.
Carolyn:
Mexico sounds unique. Currently Tucson and the valley appear to be mere suburbs of Nogales according to some folks.
I have thought many times in the past the "let ME secede" from this country. Then I realized it is OUR HOME and it is the governments that need to move elsewhere.
magenta posted at 8:48 pm on Wed, Nov 14, 2012.
I would love to see Arizona secede. I'm sure the state can do just fine on its own paying for border security, freeway building and repair, social security, mail delivery, services for the poor as well as unemployment and other needs. If any of these wackos actually realized the consequences of the federal spigot being turned off -- and what they would have to pay as a result -- that petition would be history.
bubba posted at 5:59 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
DataMan..Actually Texas receives more Federal money than they pay in Federal taxes.....http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/01/25/texas-is-a-welfare-queen
Masterrogue666 posted at 6:34 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
It's a political statement, and hopefully one the President will pay attention to since it involves more that just one state. It seems those above haven't realized that yet. It's been done before:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conch_Republic
Irons1 posted at 6:51 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
What utter baloney by a bunch of poor losers
bubba posted at 7:13 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
This is like when a bratty child threatens to run away if he doesn't get his way. The best response would be to help him pack his bags.
k33j88 posted at 7:29 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
When the full impact of obamacare takes hold and the fiscal cliff implications become one for the history books, secession may be a viable alternative. The marxist-in-chief is a divider, not a unifier.
k33j88 posted at 7:35 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
Hey Mike McClellan: The unholy trio you referenced-----at least they follow and uphold the rule of law-----unlike that marxist-in-chief (with blood on his hands) you hold in such high esteem.
doc10250 posted at 7:37 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
Bubba, you took my thought exactly. "The commies are coming, the commies are coming! Oh my word people, listen to yourselves! REALLY? "we can take care of things just fine", REALLY? Now who is really the divisive force here anyway. Some of already know, but lest there are some that don'e the principal is divide and conquer and the wannabe "tea party states" are drinking this kool aide just wonderfully. I am NOT taking my ball and going home. I am a Republican, life long, and unless and until this party puts up a real candidate who can lead, negotiate, be a stateperson and can lead the international community down the path to peace, I'm NOT participating in your blithering idiocy. RUN you Rhinos, Run you hippocrites, Run, I say Run! YOU are the divisive force in this country. We will welcome you home when you come to your senses. In the meantime, remember that it was not the "Blue Party" that "hung chads" nor was it the "Blue Party" who ran crying home to mommy because Bush won. Now, go take some prozak and get back in the game of helping this country of our, all of us, hand in hand.
bubba posted at 8:02 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
doc10250 ...You're the voice of the sane Republicans that will help get this country back on it's feet. Good for you!!
BassAckwards posted at 8:43 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
The messed up thing is that the idiots that signed this petition think they are the patriots. I say start a petition that all the people that sign these petitions to secede be charged with treason and sedition. Unpatriotic and idiotic barely begin to describe these losers. Don't love America? Then pack your bags and move! Weak willed, childish, spineless, disgusting traitors.
scyntax posted at 8:55 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
People, calm down. Especially you that connect your own personal agenda to an issue to which it is not even remotely related. "Who can blame them? After all, we're the state the brought the rest the Unholy Trio of Brewer, Arpaio and Pearce." Hey McClellan, how in the world is this related?
Anyway, surely everyone knows that these are symbolic petitions used to raise awareness about whatever people are upset about.
Everyone knows there is no way the feds will allow a state to secede.
truncate posted at 9:25 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
Why don't you successionists buy Somolia and start your own new country there? It's your ideal place. The land is cheap, they have no government, regulations, military, health care, fire or police protection. Please go and take all of the right wing loons with you!
hummingbird posted at 10:54 am on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
Don't we buy most of our water from CO? So... how exactly is that going to work? There would be a mass exodus from Phx the second the government had to ban private pools.
DrJCA1 posted at 2:31 pm on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
The bigger issue here is the fact that most states get more money from the feds than they give to the central thieves. Perhaps I failed math as a child, but if I give you 2 dollars for evrey dollar you give me, how long do you think I can stay solvent? Right. and that is why we teeter on the egde of bankruptcy. How long do any of you think we can keep spending a trillion more than we take in every year? The ka-ka will hit the fan within a few years and those who have their hands out for freebies from uncle sam will be hurting real bad.
AzRipper posted at 7:08 pm on Thu, Nov 15, 2012.
After 20 years of having the worst education system in the nation, it is easy to see how Arizonans float these kinds of ideas.
Secede, Arizona - who cares. What will the USA lose if you go. The Grand Canyon. That is it. How much OIK does Arizona have. Try and think things through before you float nonsense.
Image how high your country taxes will be. Your are an embarrassment to the human race. And these rich you protect, do you really think they want to the USA split. Oh like that won't hurt their business. Big money will never allow us to split.
Regards
Frank
Maralee posted at 11:06 pm on Fri, Nov 16, 2012.
The United States Supreme Court ruled unilateral secession unconstitutional while commenting that revolution or consent of the states could lead to a successful secession.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
PPLGuy posted at 2:11 pm on Sat, Nov 17, 2012.
Do these jerks take into consideration that they would need to come up with ways to pay the cost of the elderly on Social Security? What about jobs, taxes, infrastructure, schools - things the State of Arizona cannot now pay?[sad]
FenderBass posted at 6:31 pm on Sun, Nov 18, 2012.
This should be their response; You can leave but first you have to pay of your share of the national debt. For Arizona, that would be around 2.1 % of 16.3 Trillion. Would they take a 340 billion IOU?
I wouldn't want to live in any state that went for it though, not that any state could afford it.
Bluepoet posted at 2:57 pm on Tue, Nov 20, 2012.
White House response:
Thank you for your petition. It gives us a good idea of both the magnitude of the dissent, and the approximate location of it. Rest assured, we will be monitoring the situation, and the computers and lives of those who have signed.
Of course, we must reject any petition that calls for secession from this great Nation.
Have a nice day!
-signed,
The White House
P.S. We did consider letting Texas and Arizona leave, and it would be a welcome relief, for the rest of the country. However, cooler heads prevailed, when we realised we would be displacing many people, who, through no fault of their own, would have to live with the nutcases, anyway!
wellreadone posted at 10:18 pm on Tue, Nov 27, 2012.
Does anyone recall the historical record the last time secession was attempted? Lets hope that the brain dead who signed the petition get killed by the union army.