California National Party

California National Party
Chair Theo Slater
Vice-Chair Manuel Carrasco
Secretary Yvonne Hargrove
Treasurer Lyra Porcasi
Founded August 2015 (August 2015)
Headquarters Sacramento, CA
Ideology Civic nationalism
Californian nationalism
Californian independence
Regionalism
Progressivism
Big tent
Environmentalism
Political position Center-left
National affiliation None
Colors          Arctic Blue & Gold
Website
www.californianational.party
1California Department of Education is a nonpartisan state executive position.

The California National Party (CNP) (Spanish: Partido Nacional de California, PNC) is a political party in the state of California.[1] It is currently chaired by Theo Slater, an attorney. The party's primary goal is achieving greater Californian autonomy from the United States of America, and eventually independence.[2] Their platform also includes a wide range of proposed reforms to taxation, banking, the electoral process, police departments, schools, and more. These proposals are generally left of center and reflect the party's "pragmatic progressive" ideology.

Official Status

The California National Party is listed as a "Political body attempting to qualify".[3] To complete the qualification process the CNP must register about 50,000 Californian voters. This effort is ongoing, and as of September 7, 2018, the California National Party has registered 721 voters. [4] However, the CNP itself estimates a membership of about 2,000. The Secretary of State lists Theo Slater, who was elected Chair at the Party's June 2016 Convention, as the primary contact.[3] All of the party's leadership lives and works in California and they are completely funded by member donations.

Platform

The California National Party platform addresses a range of issues from a "pragmatic progressive" standpoint.

"Supporters believe that California – America's richest state – should be investing in better transit systems and water infrastructure, instead of corn subsidies to the mid-west: issues they say are not being addressed by national parties ... [the platform also] includes universal health care, proposals for a housing-first policy to end homelessness, immigration reforms, comprehensive education reforms and a detailed plan to grow the Californian economy." [5]

Economy and finance

  • Creation of a National Innovation Fund to fund pure research and science. This fund would retain patents on technologies created and offer discounts on use of those patents to Californian companies. Licensing fees would be reinvested in the fund to make it self-sustaining over the long term.
  • Creation of a Californian National Credit Union, owned by the people of California, instead of a central bank. This credit union would have branches in all post offices. All citizens would be able to access free or low cost financial services via this credit union.
  • Simplification of the tax code and a progressive taxation structure that eliminates loopholes and exemptions and spreads the burden of taxation more evenly.
  • Free "How to start a business" training programs, to be offered via community colleges statewide. Micro-credit loans via the national Credit Union to be made available to graduates of this program to help them launch their businesses.
  • Increased funding for programs to help professionals re-train mid career and adapt to a rapidly changing modern economy.
  • Breaking up media and cable monopolies

Environment

  • Immediate turnover of all Federal lands to the State of California.
  • Immediate ban on all clearcutting and a move to sustainable forestry based on the German and Japanese models.
  • Restoration of fisheries and river ecosystems wherever possible.
  • Funding from the National Innovation Fund for renewable technology and a commitment to move California to a post-carbon economy.

Social justice

  • Legal mandate for equal pay for equal work, regardless of gender, orientation, race, or other factors.
  • Large-scale investments in STEM education, particularly for schools in low-income communities.
  • Free college and trade school tuition for the top 50% of students who graduate from Californian public schools, significant cost reductions for the rest.
  • Housing-first approach to homelessness which would house all homeless people, accompanied by a ban on bussing programs (many cities and counties across the US offer homeless people free 1-way bus tickets out of town and California is a top destination due to its temperate climate[6][7][8]) and a commitment to file lawsuits against any government entity that runs such programs with California as a destination.
  • End segregation of cities and communities. Criminal prosecution of individuals at financial institutions that use redlining and other discriminatory tactics to promote the continued racial or ethnic segregation of neighborhoods.
  • 6 months' paid parental leave for both parents.

Infrastructure and quality of life

  • Building and expanding high-speed rail
  • Expanding regional public transportation systems and consolidating control of those systems to the regional level to improve coordination across city and county lines.
  • Fixing roads and freeways
  • Major investments in repair and upgrades of water infrastructure to achieve long-term "water security".
  • Simplification of Building permits and regional planning of housing, in coordination with mass transit, to reduce cost of living and freeway congestion in California's urban areas.
  • Subsidies and incentives for property owners who adopt green technology.

Diplomacy and Military

  • Opposition to US wars and foreign intervention as long as California remains part of the United States
  • Post-independence: advocacy for a foreign policy based on neutrality and non-intervention.
  • Post-independence: mutual defense treaties with other countries in North America.
  • Post-independence: A small professional army backed by a larger citizen militia armed via relaxed gun controls; based on the Swiss model.
  • Post-independence: All citizens would have to register for military service at the age of 18.[9]

History

The California National Party draws its inspiration from the Scottish National Party, the dominant political party in Scotland advocating for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.[2][10]

On January 6, 2016, the California Secretary of State's office sent a memorandum to each of California's 58 county Registration of Voters offices to inform them that they had "received formal notification from the California National Party of their intent to qualify" as a political party on December 7, 2015, and thereafter assigned the party a code designation of "CNP".[11]

Formal organizing for the party did not begin until June 2016, when the CNP party held its first convention and elections in Sacramento, California. At that convention, Theo Slater was elected Chairperson, Andria Franco was elected Vice Chairperson and Jed Wheeler (founder of Californians for Independence) joined the party and was elected Secretary as the two groups merged. The CNP adopted its new platform, based on the Californians for Independence platform, in September of that year;[9] as well as launching a website, mailing list, and running media to drive recruitment for the first time.[4] The party re-filed with the Secretary of State in November 2016 and the new leadership was officially recognized[11] shortly after.

In January 2017, Andria Franco was severely injured in a car accident and had to step down, at which point Jed Wheeler became the Vice Chairperson. Chuck Beretz and Justin Hibbard were elected Secretary and Treasurer (respectively) in a special election that same month.[12] Wheeler resigned in June 2017.[13]

Candidates

In 2016, the California National Party supported its first candidate for political office: Louis J. Marinelli, who sought the 80th District seat in the California State Assembly. He received 4,753 votes, or 6.4% of the vote. Marinelli has since been distanced from the Party, and went on to found his own California secession organization.

As of May 2018, the California National Party is supporting two candidates: Michelle Gomez for San Diego County Supervisor,[14] and Micheál O'Leary for Culver City Board of Equalization. O'Leary did not advance in the primary, as he came in 8th of 8 candidates with 43,084 votes, or 3.4% of the vote. However, Gomez managed to advance in her primary, and is currently running in the general election against Republican Jim Desmond. [15]

References

  1. ↑ "The Biggest-Promising Political Party You Haven't Heard Of". www.onevoter.org. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  2. 1 2 "California could see new political party with independence goal". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  3. 1 2 http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/political-parties/political-bodies-attempting-qualify/
  4. 1 2 https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ror/60day-gen-2018/nonqual.pdf
  5. ↑ "Supporters of California independence move to challenge Democrats". The National.
  6. ↑ "Nevada Hospital Had an Insane Plan to Ship Homeless People to Other States". Mother Jones. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Homeless Bus Ticket Programs Across The Nation Offer Little Accountability, Poor Housing Solutions, Activists Say". International Business Times. July 24, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Homeless 'Dumping' Settlement Impacts San Diego". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  9. 1 2 "The California National Party Platform - California National Party". californianational.party. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Meet the California Separatists Leading a New Movement to Secede from the United States". VICE. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
  11. 1 2 "California Secretary of State | Political Body: California National Party" (PDF). January 6, 2016. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  12. ↑ "California National Party's elected leadership team". californianational.party. Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  13. ↑
  14. ↑ "Michelle Gomez". Michelle for Supervisor. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  15. ↑ "O'Leary for Board of Equalization 2018 – Oleary4BOE". vote4oleary.com. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
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