West Coast Leaders Look to Lead Opposition to Trump Administration

There are lots of possible names that California, Oregon, and Washington could adopt should they secede: "The Free Republic of West Coast States," "Caliwashiregon." "Orecaliwash." Or the states could accept a tongue-in-cheek offer from some Canadians to join their country.

None of that is likely. What is clear is that in the time since Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, the voters of those three states along with their leaders have not made a secret of their unhappiness.

On Friday, as Trump - who has declared climate change to be a hoax by the Chinese - continued his transition, the governors of the three states issued a statement reaffirming their commitment to climate action.

“We stand with the international community,” said the statement from Govs. Kate Brown, Jerry Brown, and Jay Inslee. “Our success demonstrates that taking action on climate change goes hand-in-hand with robust job creation and a thriving clean energy economy.

“We know what’s at stake because we have seen the destruction firsthand - from year-round wildfires and historic drought to devastating sea-level rise. These impacts don’t respect borders or wait for the next election.”

The comment from the three governors was also signed by the governor of British Columbia - an example of an ongoing working relationship between the western states and their neighbor to the north.

Some call it #calexit, after Brexit.

People are jumping on the fact that the popular vote on the west coast was overwhelmingly for Hillary Clinton. Her margin of victory in California - almost 3-1 - was the largest of any of her wins.

Two people in Oregon even submitted a petition proposing a ballot measure allowing Oregonians to vote on seceding from the United States though they withdrew it a couple of days later after receiving death threats.

A man from Beaverton, Oregon posted a Dear Canada, please help us letter on Facebook that received national attention.

The protests on the streets had started the night of the election - there were people on the streets of cities from Los Angeles to San Francisco to Portland to Seattle even before Trump had officially been declared the winner.

And regular citizens were not alone. Many elected officials were in shock.

“Today, we woke up feeling like strangers in a foreign land, because yesterday Americans expressed their views on a pluralistic and democratic society that are clearly inconsistent with the values of the people of Californias,” said a statement released Wednesday by Speaker of the Assembly in California Anthony Rendon and California Senate President Kevin de Leon.

With talk of immigration raids and assaults on safety nets for needy citizens, the California leaders made it clear they would have none of it.

“California will defend its people and our progress,” they said. “While Donald Trump may have won the presidency, he hasn’t changed our values. America is greater than any one many or party. We will lead the resistance to any effort that would shred our social fabric or our Constitution.”

The sense of rebellion is just as strong to California’s north.

While President-elect Trump has vowed to cut off federal funds to Sanctuary Cities, officials from San Francisco to Seattle have made it clear they won’t back down.

“Seattle has always been a welcoming city,” Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said. “The last thing I want is for us to start turning on our neighbors.”

And in Portland, Mayor-elect Ted Wheeler - who takes office in January - made the same point.

“We’re saying that we’re willing to sacrifice those dollars and we are willing to live with whatever consequences may come our way,” Wheeler told Oregon Public Broadcasting.

Governor Inslee in Washington made the same point.

“We’re going to be vocal and say that Washington is always going to be a beacon of hope and a beacon of refuge for those who have been a victim,” he said.

The challenge is even coming in the form of a proposal from outgoing Senator Barbara Boxer to change the system that got Trump elected in the first place - the Electoral College.

Her bill would call for a Constitutional amendment ending the Electoral College. Even if she were able to get it passed in Congress, it would have to be ratified by three-fourths of the states within seven years,

There has been support for such a measure in Oregon where the state House has passed popular vote legislation three times in the past seven years.

Oregon’s senior senator, Ron Wyden, who often tries to convince the rest of the nation of Oregon’s virtues - vote by mail, for instance - says he plans to work to make sure the state maintains its independence.

“Oregonians have always had our own way of doing things, so it only makes sense to continue to run our communities in ways that may be different from other places across the country,” Wyden told Patch.

“In the next Congress, I am going to keep working to protect the the priorities of Oregonians, everything from Portland’s choice to welcome immigrants and refugees as neighbors, to opportunities for every person to get ahead.”

Back in California, Governor Jerry Brown vowed that his state will help lead the fight against challenges to what they consider important.

“We will do our part to find common ground whenever possible,” he said. “We will also stay true to our basic principles. We will protect the precious rights of our people.”