Reader Andy Freeman opines via email:

The phrase "northern CA" is geographically unfortunate. The real dividing line in CA runs north/south, between the coast and the rest. (SF is really just LA with hills and the smugness born

of inferiority and backwards-looking.)

Hmmmm... I suspect you're in for a lot of angry hate email from the Bay-Area types. Lucky I didn't provide your address...

Sacramento's problem is that it is a capital of a state that includes LA, SF, SJ.

True, but that's true of any state with both rural and big-city areas. You could say that Albany's problem is that it is a capital of a state that includes NYC, or Lansing's problem is that it is the capital of a state that includes Detroit. My point was just that--that people's lives in the hinterlands are run by bureaucrats and legislators elected by the cities. My problem with doing an east-west split is that I like the northern coast (above Bodega Bay). Actually what would make the most sense to me is a southern coastal California (dominated by San Diego-LA metroplex), a Central Coastal California (managed by the Bay Area), an inland California (consisting of the deserts and the Sierra) and a true northern California. Then you'd have two city states, and two rural states.