LISTEN TO TLR’S LATEST PODCAST:

By Kody Fairfield

On Wednesday, The Libertarian Republic sat down with Jed Wheeler, the Vice-chairman of the California National Party (CNP). A political party whose goal is becoming a political powerhouse inside the “Golden State’s” political system, all so they can declare California independence from the United States.

LISTEN TO TLR’s CONVERSATION WITH CNP BELOW:



Better government for all of the people of California and an independent and prosperous California Republic achieved through peaceful and constitutional means, that is the mission statement of the California National Party. A party, who looks to make California, the Union’s 31st state, independent from the US or any other nation, for the first time since it was claimed by Spain in 1542.

The CNP’s plan, while seemingly inline with the #CalExit or YES California movements, seems to have more finesse and political nuance. While both movements wish to have California succeed from the US and form its own nation, the CNP is not looking to the ballot initiative or referendum processes, of the state, to do this. Instead, they are looking to create a whole new political powerhouse, akin to the Democrat or Republican parties, within the state.

Since its founding in 2015, the party has grown from a small handful of people, to its current day standing with over 1000 active volunteers, and a booming social media presence.

This is their call to action direct from their Facebook page:

Why a “California National Party”? California is a Nation, not just a State. We have a unique identity, values, and culture. Our population is larger than Canada, our industries export the future, and with the 5th largest economy in the world we are more than capable of making our own way. Californians receive 1/70th of the representation per person in the US Senate that an American in Wyoming receives and 1/3 the representation per person in the electoral college. American political parties love to fund raise here but do not even pretend to care about our issues. Is it any wonder we get such an incredibly bad deal from them? In 2012, Californians paid $292,563,574,000 in US federal taxes. During that same year, we received back approximately $0.78 for every dollar paid while states like Mississippi and Louisiana that constantly complain about “entitlements” got more that $2 for every $1 they paid. That extra money came out of our pockets. More than 20% of the federal taxes Californians paid – $59 billion in total – was spent on direct subsidies to other states. That’s equivalent to 2/3 of our entire state budget that year. Meanwhile our contributions to the US military budget totaled more than $57 billion – more than $1,808.09 a second! Russia’s entire defense budget in 2015 was $52 billion. We are paying enough to be a super-power but have no control over where, when or how our military will be deployed. Over and over again our wealth is squandered and our needs go unmet. Imagine if the Democrats and Republicans had to negotiate with a Californian party to get the votes to pass their budgets instead of simply demanding fealty from local branch offices that are controlled from Washington DC. At minimum, we could ensure that we would never again be forced to spend billions on wasteful subsidies to swing states while our schools and infrastructure crumble. California is a major world power, it’s time we started acting like it. It’s time to invest in California. It’s time for the California National Party. Goals and Methods of the California National Party The CNP is a registered party that is actively recruiting and running candidates for office throughout California. We are currently focused on small contests in which our grassroots organization can be the most effective. Our immediate priorities are ending Californian subsidies to the rest of the United States and putting that money to work here. California should be making investments in better transit systems and water infrastructure instead of subsidies to red states! Most our positions are issues like these – things that are not ideological in nature, are not being addressed in any substantial way by the American parties, and will have a dramatic impact on the quality of life for millions of Californians. In the long term, we believe that California is big enough and strong enough to succeed as an independent nation and that California has the right to declare independence if and when the majority supports that position. That process must be peaceful and democratic and we see the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence from the UK and the 2016 referendum on UK independence from the EU as solid international precedents.

Below is a synopsis of the CNP’s platform:

Platform for Prosperity: A comprehensive plan to grow California’s economy, super-charge our key industries, and ensure our economic future. Platform for Growth: Proposals to improve transportation and end freeway gridlock, get housing costs under control through better urban planning and growth, permanently solve our water crisis, and ensure that California’s infrastructure sustains our long-term growth. Peace and Defense: Defending our freedom without conquering the world. Universal Healthcare: A market-based universal health care system that can cover all Californians and provides significant savings for businesses and individuals. Rule of Law: Civil rights, rights to privacy, and freedom of the press. Judicial Reform: Eliminate police brutality and support the majority of officers who are doing their best to serve our communities. Education: School reform to create equality of opportunity for our young people and support California’s high-tech economy. Immigration: The United States government has abdicated its responsibility to deal with immigration; current laws are not enforced or enforceable. We advocate a fair, common-sense solution that allows people to come to California and work within a framework of enforceable laws. Equality: The CNP includes a core commitment to equality and social justice in all planks of our platform. This section gathers all those proposals together in one place. Independence: A peaceful constitutional approach to independence in line with international law.

Will their movement lead to an Independent California? Only the future can tell, but what is known is that they face a large political headwind in the Democratic party inside California.

Let TLR know your thoughts on the CNP, and the idea of an independent California.

EDITOR’s NOTE: The views expressed in this interview are that of the CNP, they are not representative of The Libertarian Republic

Follow Kody on Twitter.

Send news tips to [email protected]

WATCH TLR’S LATEST VIDEO: