Back in August, the supervisors in San Bernardino, a county in southern California, voted to place a secession measure on the 2022 ballot. Currently, thousands of citizens in San Bernardino are voting on whether they feel their county is receiving enough state resources. This vote will be a way for the county to determine how the citizens living in the area feel about their needs being met. Many people, including the county supervisors, would like to see their tax dollars being put to use, addressing basic needs such as public safety, homelessness, job opportunities, infrastructure and economic development. Although the county sees secession as a last resort, the people are hoping for change and they are prepared to take drastic measures if this change is not achieved. Currently, San Bernardino county is lacking in state funds. As the fifth most populous county in California, it falls in the bottom third of California’s 58 counties in terms of funding. Looking at those numbers, a vote on their ballot that would hopefully shed light on this inequality and spark change without secession. The San Bernardino County Fair-Share Initiative is a constructive way for the people of America’s geographically largest county to be heard, not only by their local leaders, but by everyone in California and the nation.
