In 2019 residents of a specific neighborhood in Baton Rouge did not like how the school board was doing its job. The schools in the more affluent area were failing miserably. Residents felt like the school board was redistributing most of the tax revenue they received from those residents to other areas. They tried to form a new school district but failed. In true American fashion, they did not let that failure stop them.
The following year a referendum was on the ballot that would allow the creation of a new city, Saint George. That referendum passed. The city of Baton Rouge filed a lawsuit to stop the neighborhood from seceding. They claimed the loss of almost $46,000,000 in revenue would cripple Baton Rouge and the new city would not be able to sustain itself on such a measly budget.
After losing at the district and state appeals court levels, the citizens of the new town were rewarded by the state Supreme Court this week, which confirmed that they had the right to set right from a governmental entity that was no longer responsible to or representative of their needs.
Should we in southwest New Mexico revisit seceding from the state? We did it previously in 1879. We got Arizona to agree to allow us to join their territory and the matter went to Congress where it was never voted upon. At the time it was because the territorial politicians in Santa Fe ignored us. Of course they made a number of promises to try and keep us in the territory all of which were broken shortly after the matter was over.
But maybe it's time to revisit the idea. I think we share a lot of values with our fellow citizens in Arizona but their state government has been taken over by Californians. Maybe Texas would be good. Let's say everything from T or C south joins Texas. I don't really like Texans much though but we could teach them a thing or two about what Mexican food really is. And I do like their governor.
But maybe Mexico should be considered. A lot of us love spending time in Mexico and many of us think about retiring there. I do love the laid back life style. Who wouldn't want an afternoon siesta every day? Just something to think about.