NCS is full of good people who want great things for all Californians. Paul has been carrying an enormous load — dealing with the Trump administration, running the organization, and guiding us toward statehood after 8 long years of work. We should all be proud of how far we have come. I am grateful for every person who has given their time, energy, and heart to this movement.
At the same time, I cannot unsee what I see.
We hold these truths to be self-evident: all men are created equal.
We also affirm that all states are created equal to the United States under the Constitution. Then shouldn’t all counties be created equal as well?
Shouldn’t the state have only limited, clearly defined powers — just as the federal government has limited powers over the states?
We also affirm that all states are created equal to the United States under the Constitution. Then shouldn’t all counties be created equal as well?
Shouldn’t the state have only limited, clearly defined powers — just as the federal government has limited powers over the states?
If a governor, a mayor, or a president is meant to serve the people and give equal voice to all, shouldn’t the same principle apply at every level?
Shouldn’t each county have real, protected sovereignty so that its voice cannot be easily shut down or overridden?
My Thoughts on Trump and the States
Trump’s philosophy has consistently been states’ rights and reducing federal overreach. He wants to give states more sovereignty and autonomy so they can govern themselves according to their own values and needs.
The logical next step — which I am advocating — is that states should then give real power back to the counties and the People. If the federal government is not the solution for all states, then the state government should not be the solution for all counties. Each county should have the sovereignty to address its own unique challenges (Salton Sea, desert restoration, local economy, Paradise rebuilding, etc.).
This is the Anti-Federalist spirit at the local level: power as close to the People as possible.
A Single Senator’s Voice Today
As a county senator, I want my voice to be heard on the issue of county sovereignty. Yet even now — inside this temporary pre-state structure — when I bring up foundational concerns, the response is often silence, redirection, or “this topic requires a different venue.”
If a single senator’s voice can still be shut down or ignored today, how can we ensure fairness and equal voice for every county in the future, when the state government is fully formed and the pressures of running a new state are much greater?
This is not about any one person or any one meeting. It is about structure.
Arresting Voices Against Data Centers Today — Tomorrow Arresting Voices for County Sovereignty?
This is not hypothetical. It is happening right now across America.
In Dixon, Illinois, a man was confronted by police in his own yard and charged with felony intimidation, stalking, and cyberstalking simply for posting on Facebook to organize local resistance against massive data centers. The data centers consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, yet local voices trying to protect their community are being criminalized.
This pattern is repeating in many states. Communities try to defend their land, water, and quality of life, only to face intimidation or legal action from centralized power (state government or corporate interests working through government).
If we build NCS on the same centralized model — where the state retains the power to organize and restrict counties — then the same thing can happen here.
A future corrupt or captured government could label county voices “destructive,” override local decisions, or even use state power to silence or arrest opposition.
We cannot simply trust that “good people” will always stay in control. “Good” is often a matter of perception, and in this upside-down world, perceptions can shift dramatically. History shows that when power is concentrated, it becomes much easier for evil to call itself good and to silence those who resist.
Why Good Intentions and Process Alone Are Not Enough
Even the best-intentioned leaders can allow power to concentrate when the structure permits it. This is why we must use wisdom to look several generations ahead.
Real-world examples happening right now show the danger:
- Data centers and local opposition
Communities trying to protect their towns are often overridden or intimidated by state or corporate interests. - Prop 36 and AB 2108
Prop 36 passed in every single county, yet the state legislature quickly undermined it. Even overwhelming local support can be nullified by centralized power. - Paradise and the Camp Fire recovery
For eight years, local communities have struggled with state-level bureaucracy and delays. If counties had real sovereignty, they could have moved faster on their own rebuilding priorities.
Each county knows its own land, people, and challenges better than a distant state legislature. A one-size-fits-all state solution rarely serves every county well.
The Solution: Real County Sovereignty
This is why we need explicit constitutional protections so that:
- Each county has primary authority over its own land, resources, and local decisions.
- The state cannot easily override or restrict county actions on local matters.
- Individuals and communities have real recourse when outside forces try to impose projects against their will.
A strong constitution that explicitly protects county and city sovereignty creates guardrails so that no county can be silenced, no matter who is in leadership.
A Servitude mindset — loving God with all our heart and loving our neighbor as ourselves — is the spiritual foundation that keeps people honest.
But structure and mindset must work together.
A strong constitution that explicitly protects county and city sovereignty creates guardrails so that no county can be silenced, no matter who is in leadership.
The Opportunity Before Us
We have a rare window right now to design something different. Instead of repeating the same centralized model where the state can restrict county powers, we can build a system where each county has real, protected sovereignty over its own land, resources, and local affairs.
That is the whole idea why NCS was formed — to restore authority to the People at the lowest level possible, not just to create a new, better-managed state.
Iron sharpens iron.
Let us be proud of the progress we have made and let us also have the courage to get the foundation right. Let us build a constitution that truly reflects the principle that all men — and all counties — are created equal, with limited state power and equal voice for every county and every citizen.
Let us not settle for the mini-state model. Let us build a constitution that gives each county real, protected sovereignty over its own affairs — so that Imperial County can heal the Salton Sea, desert counties can turn their land green, Paradise can rebuild at its own pace, and every county can pursue the best solutions for its own people without fear of being overridden or silenced.
We need to set the counties free. That is the whole idea why NCS was formed.
That future really would be amazing.