Stephen Colbert skewers libertarian scheme: "I'm tired of the whole idea of a melting pot in America"

This plan is more like Tupperware

Published July 24, 2014 1:30PM (EDT)

Stephen Colbert on "Six Californias" plan (screenshot)
Stephen Colbert on "Six Californias" plan (screenshot)

Last night on "The Colbert Report," host Stephen Colbert investigated the proposed plan to break California into six states. The eccentric plan, known as "Six Californias," was proposed by billionaire venture capitalist Tim Draper, and the campaign says it has enough signatures to appear on the 2016 ballot.

"There's a great new plan to make California whole again -- by breaking it apart," Stephen Colbert says. He explains that he's been waiting for the San Andreas fault to do it anyway.

The plan would call for South California, West California (including Los Angeles), Jefferson, North California, Central California and of course the state of Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley, Colbert explained, would become the wealthiest state per capita, and Central California would become the poorest state in the nation.

Draper's plan may be a pipe dream, a Los Angeles Times Op-Ed points out. Even if it passes on the 2016 ballot, the plan still needs congressional approval, which it is unlikely to receive.

Why split California into six (woefully uneven) states? Colbert explains below:

And just in case you were confused, Tim Draper, the billionaire architect of this idea further clears things up:


By Sarah Gray

Sarah Gray is an assistant editor at Salon, focusing on innovation. Follow @sarahhhgray or email sgray@salon.com.

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Related Topics ------------------------------------------

2016 Ballot California Politics Silicon Valley Six Californias Tim Draper Video