Two California Counties Petition To Secede

They have the signatures, but in this case they have to get permission to secede from the government they are trying to escape from. Sort of like a slave in the old south petitioning 'ol Massa to allow him to run away.

Critics question how an area with a relatively low tax base and small population could afford to pay for basic services such as schools and roads.

Schools and roads don't cost all that much especially if you don't spend money on things like diversity administrators and public transit. Remember that Hong Kong, before it's takeover by the PRC had no natural resources and imported its water from the commies and still had the highest GDP/capita in the world.