Debbie the 'coward' vs. Alien...er, Allen

“You want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige…stop being a coward…Focus on your own congressional district!”

It stands to reason that Allen B. West would be anxious to challenge Debbie Wasserman Schultz in 2012. He lives in her congressional district; he must mean that he is no coward; and he would “oblige” her in “a personal fight.”

West has more than a year to prove to her constituents that she is “the most vile, unprofessional and despicable member of the U.S. House of Representatives.” Both represent adjacent districts, but fences will not make them good neighbors. He would still need to pass through each night to return home. He lives in a portion of Plantation located within her district that covers parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

West ran for Congress twice, losing to Democrat Ron Klein in 2008 and then ousting him in 2010 as part of the nationwide Republican sweep. Under the Constitution, he is allowed to run for Congress in any district in the state, so long as he lives in that state.

So why didn’t he run where he lives? In a September 2010 Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel article, West explained why, as Seinfeld would put it, “I choose not to run”…against Schultz: “People thought Congressional District 22 was a better fit for who I am. Me not being a political expert, I listened to people who are better (at strategy)…You have a very good and competitive race.”

In other words, West was afraid to face Schultz in a mano y hairdo political duel. He feared he could not convince voters they were mistaken in sending Schultz to Congress by large margins. Instead, he chose to run in a region that has emerged as a swing district covering parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.

The Sun-Sentinel reported that their differences boiled over on the House floor on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, when West advocated for a bill that would reduce Medicare and other spending, prompting Schultz to take to the floor herself and declare: “The gentleman from Florida, who represents thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, as do I, is supportive of this plan that would increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries - unbelievable from a member from south Florida.” (Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, 7/19/11)

West, who left the chamber immediately after his own speech, fired off this memo to Schultz and House leaders: “Look, Debbie, I understand that after I departed the House floor you directed your floor speech comments directly towards me. Let me make myself perfectly clear, you want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige. You are the most vile, unprofessional and despicable member of the U.S. House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. Focus on your own congressional district!”

West must have serious mental-health issues to have sent that e-mail to Schultz. His poor judgment will likely influence his constituents in the 2012 election, but that’s the whole point. Many of them have probably decided weeks or months ago how they will vote.

No doubt West has been flooded with letters and phone calls protesting his ultra-conservative agenda. Early on, he chose between the demands of his political cronies and the needs of his constituents. Did he think it was going to be easy?

In a fundraising letter, West wrote that Schultz “attacked me personally for supporting the legislation.” He has also griped about criticism for being a black conservative, sort of the Clarence Thomas of Congress.

Schultz’s criticism of West on the House floor is known as “fair game.” Politicians habitually snipe at each other over policy issues. The grown-ups take it in stride, but West could not, well, take it.

Schultz was on target when she told The Miami Herald: “It’s not really surprising that he would crack under the pressure of having to defend that. If he feels that concerned and gets that churned up over having to defend his position then he probably should reconsider his position.” (Miami Herald, 7/20/11)

It is understandable if West tries to survive in his district - the district he represents, not where he lives - rather than challenge Schultz. He is already in way over his head.

South California dreaming

Jeff Stone was fed up with the money that California’s government spends on prisons, the power of public unions, the glut of regulations and the illegal immigration that persists.

California, population 37.2 million, is plainly “ungovernable,” he says.

So he hatched a plan to gather 13 counties in southern California - sans Los Angeles County - and form their own state, to be called South California. These would be mostly conservative, Republican counties representing 13 million people. He emphasized that the plan is subject to change to allow like-minded counties to join.

Stone, a Riverside County supervisor, has a good idea there, but he has it backwards. Rather, it would save Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area lots of trouble. L.A. and Frisco would no longer need to carry Riverside and many of the other “South California” counties.

It would genuinely benefit some large metropolitan areas to separate from their respective states. Philadelphia, New York City and Chicago particularly come to mind. They are the cash cows of their states. In conjunction with their suburbs, they contribute tax revenues in higher numbers and proportions to their state treasuries.

Yet they are shortchanged by their state governments when they need money to fund their schools and all other kinds of programs.

True, these cities suffer from the most deepseated urban ills, but the wealthiest people live in the suburbs and the better sections of the city while the most expensive hotels and restaurants are situated there. In Philadelphia, this combination generates high levels of sales and income tax revenues, and the city requires a minimum of state services.

They could resolve their problems themselves. They are self-sustaining.

This idea is nothing new. California has been subject to all kinds of separation plans 220 times. Four mayors of New York, since 1861, have called for secession from the state. Staten Islanders and Far Rockaway residents have sought secession from New York City itself.

Collectively, a South California, population 13 million, might well be self-sustaining, but the smaller counties among them are not so independent. Of the 13 counties, the majority of the voters in 11 counties are Republicans and are viewed as politically conservative.

One of the two majority Democratic counties is San Bernardino, population 2 million. Why would a large Democratic county want to hook up with 11 Republican counties? It stands to reason that San Bernardino would benefit far more by combining with Los Angeles County - if L.A. would have them.

The county of Los Angeles comprises some of the wealthiest communities on earth - Beverly Hills, Malibu, Bel Air and the San Fernando Valley which straddles the city and a number of affluent suburbs. Super-rich celebrities like Ted Danson, Barbra Streisand and Arnold Schwarzenegger live there.

If San Bernardino sticks with L.A., that would reduce South California’s population to 11 million.

Two of California’s richest counties would also be part of South California, Orange and San Diego counties which are each home to 3 million citizens.

Both are affluent counties, if not so much as L.A. and the Bay Area counties, and could probably operate on their own as well. Republican or not, why would Orange and San Diego counties spend their money to sustain their poorer cousins?

That would leave 10 inland counties with 5 million people. Gil Duran, a spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown, said that Stone’s territory for South California receives more money from the state than it generates, according to The New York Times.

The state of South California would still need to find the money for building and maintaining prisons, paying employees and fighting illegal immigration. It will also be required to abide by federal regulations.

The present state government has been running massive deficits partly because Republicans in the state legislature have blocked the governor’s efforts to raise taxes.

Stone backed off on his secession proposal. Instead, he proposed convening delegates from around the state to consider the current governance operation. Secession would be an option.

Oh, yeah, Riverside County taxpayers would not pay for the meeting. Stone said during a Riverside supervisors meeting that he would seek private donations to fund the session.

Is that how South California will be funded?