Secession Questions for Mike Clampitt

Mike Clampitt of Bryson City is running again for NC House District 119, a seat currently held by Democrat Joe Sam Queen of Waynesville. Mr. Clampitt occupied the seat after the 2016 election, but lost the seat last year.

During his time in the legislature (as a Member of the NC House, not as the House doorman) Mr. Clampitt was a primary sponsor of a bill that would remove the provision in the North Carolina Constitution preventing the state from seceding from the United States of America. So I have a few questions for Mr. Clampitt, so we citizens of House District 119 might better understand his view of an independent Republic of North Carolina, or whatever he might want to call this new sovereign nation.

1. How long would it take, and how much would it cost, to erect and man border checkpoints at every highway, road, rail crossing, and other point of entry into this new nation?

2. How long would it take, and how much would it cost, to issue passports to every citizen of the new nation? And in a related matter, exactly who would be citizens of the new nation?

3. How should the new nation deal with property of the United States of America that exists within this new nation? I imagine that the people of the United States would be intent on keeping Fort Bragg, Marine Corps installations along the coast, Seymour Johnson AFB, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and other such property.

4. In the likelihood that the United States of America would use its military power to enforce its property rights, how should the new nation raise an army and other armed forces to deal with that?

5. Would foreigners from the United States of America entering the Republic of North Carolina require visas? Who would issue those visas? Would we have normal diplomatic relations with the United States of America?

6. Should the new nation enter into some kind of free trade agreement with the United States of America?

7. How much would a wall cost along the border with the United States, to keep illegal aliens out of the new nation?

I'm sure Mr. Clampitt and other proponents of secession have thought about these, and many other questions.