California Town Wants to Break From State

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Needles, California set in the Mojave desert wants to secede from California and join either Arizona or Nevada. Needles is about 213 miles from its county's seat, and the 5,700 residents feel their voice has been stifled.

The community is struggling to stay afloat and is only making ends meet as a desert pit stop, and they feel the county is not addressing their needs. One major example is the amount of money the county was willing to give Needles to keep their hospital somewhat functional. The $1.5 million was not seen as acceptable and the city rejected the funds.

The grass truly is greener on the other side of the Colorado river where taxes are lower, gas is cheaper, and communities are thriving. The people of Needles are ready for a long fight to secede from California and either form their own county or become a part of another state because of the high taxes, high utility prices, and high gas prices.

The secession talk began in April after the San Bernardino county decided to take away the Needles Emergency room and inpatient facilities.

The act made second class-status residents feel they held into more of a reality. Now the Needles residents are committed to the long fight to either form their own country or ask to become a part of Nevada or Arizona.

For this to happen, Nevada or Arizona would have to accept their request California and Arizona or Nevada state legislatures would have to agree on it, and the United States Congress would have to authorize the movement of the state border.