An effort to break California up into six new states is apparently on its way to a ballot in 2016, after supporters of the campaign have delivered more than enough qualifying signatures to the state capital in Sacramento.

Meanwhile, many Latino residents from Orange County -- which, under the new plan, would be pulled away from the Greater Los Angeles area and paired with San Diego in a new state of South California -- couldn't believe the plan has earned as much support as it has.

Spearheaded by venture capitalist Tim Draper, the Six Californias campaign delivered 1.3 million signatures from voters who supporters said wanted the entire state to decide on a plan that would split the Golden State into six smaller entities.

Draper's group said it collected more than twice the 808,000 signatures, from all of the state's 58 counties, needed to get on the November 2016 ballot.

Under the Six Californias proposal:

  • The state's rural northern counties would make up the state of Jefferson;
  • Marin and Sonoma counties and the Greater Sacramento area would comprise North California;
  • Central Valley south of Stockton and the central and southern Sierra would represent the state of Central California;
  • San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose areas would be included in the state of Silicon Valley, which would extend southward to Santa Cruz and Monterey counties;
  • Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Santa Barbara would join in West California; and,
  • San Diego and Orange counties would be included in South California.

"Who signed the petitions for this? Didn't they realize this is a joke? It can't be real," said Carlos Vegas, a third-year college biology major. "Breaking California into six new states is ridiculous from a practical point of view and simply stupid from a social point of view."

Vegas, from the city of Orange, said he understood some people believe California's lawmakers are "out of control, often doing what they want, regardless of what the people say," but the new proposal "is so totally over the top, who could take this seriously?"

Bobby Arias, a house painter from Irvine, was more straightforward when asked about the Six Californias idea: "You're lying to me, man."

On the other hand, Brenda Avila, a grade school teacher and mother of two grown children, said she'd heard of Draper's initiative push and supported an effort to divide California into two or maybe even three different states, "but, for goodness sake, not six."

Then again, even if voters approved the measure, the plan would still need to be passed by both state and Congressional lawmakers, and she couldn't see that happening.

"Basically, the Democratic Party controls Sacramento right now," she said. "Why ever would they want to give up all that influence?"

Draper, in an address to a Bay Area tech industry group earlier this year, said his plan wasn't an extravagant scheme to get more Republican representation in state government, but an attempt to promote the spirit of innovation he found in the Silicon Valley to the rest of California, which has been plagued with partisan bickering and, ultimately, a lack of leadership as companies bail for other states with friendlier business better climes.

"Why is this not working?" the San Francisco Chronicle reported Draper saying at a business event. "Think of it as Sacramento being sort of ... rusted ... We need to do something structural, something fresh ... If we don't try, we're failing in our complacency."

Danny Rivas, an Anaheim electrician and father of two twin infant boys, admitted California "is really screwed up and facing a lot of problems and challenges," particularly with the ongoing influx of immigrants from Mexico and Central and South Americas. "But, I really don't think breaking us up into six new states is going to improve anything."

The Six Californias campaign -- which has so far been located online at www.sixcalifornias.info -- says it will prepare for the public vote on the break-up proposal by launching six different websites where voters can post their own ideas for creating the constitutions and systems of government for the new states.

Said Rivas: "I don't think even if it does get voter support and is passed things would improve. I really think it would just make things worse, by six."