Currently, Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper is writing plans to divide Calif. into six separate states.  Last month, Draper succeeded in gaining the support of the Secretary of State’s office for the initiation of his proposal.  Draper is proposing the split because he believes that by breaking Calif. into six states, the area that Calif. currently covers will be able to recuperate quicker from transportation, education and water troubles.

“I don’t believe that dividing California into six states will accomplish what Draper expects it to,” said sophomore Candice Matsumura. “I think that by spliting the state the result will be an additional five states in the U.S. harboring economic hardshops, water supply problems, and a bad ratio of population to land.”

According to Draper’s plan, Silicon Valley will include San Francisco and its surrounding counties, West Calif. will include Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Ventura, Central Calif. will include rural farming lands, South Calif. will include San Diego and surrounding cities and Jefferson will include southern Oregon and Northern Calif.

“Political representation of California’s diverse population and economics has rendered the state nearly ungovernable,” said Draper in a public statement.

The process of achieving the division of Calif. is expected to take a long time.  Even with the support of the Secretary of State office, in order for Draper’s initiative to move any further, he must collect 807,615 signatures for the initiative to even appear on a ballot for Congress to vote on the issue. If Draper’s proposition is approved and his plan is put into action, the six states would add 10 senators to the chamber.

“I don’t think anyone is going to give California 12 Senate seats,” said Raphael Sonenshein, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute of Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles to  the Washington Post.  “And therefore, prospects of the follow through of the initiative to create six new states of California are nil.”

Even if the voters of Calif. vote in favor of the plan, Congress ultimately decides whether the plan will be approved.  A decision is expected to be made in the near future.