I've written several times before about Killington, Vermont's attempts to secede and join New Hampshire. (See details here and here.) Well, there's more news in the saga this morning.
Before Killington can depart the Green Mountains and join the White Mountains, though, there have to be quite a few steps. Among the first is the appointment of a commission by New Hampshire to study the matter. A bill authorizing that has cleared the House and a Senate committee. Now it just needs the approval of the full Senate and the Governor.
And in Vermont, there are rumblings towards progress, too. Killington's town manager reports that a Vermont legislator has introduced a bill requiring the town to pay an "exit fee" before divorcing the state. On the one hand, Killingtoners already pay $9 million a year more to the state than they get back, so they feel like the state wants one more trip to the well before they let them go. On the other hand, it is an acknowledgement that the town might actually leave the state, and is setting the conditions for it to happen.
I don't think the "divorce" will go through in the end. On a purely pragmatic level, this one part of New Hampshire will be 30 miles from the rest of the state, surrounded completely by Vermont. But in the meantime, it's fun watching the tax-crazed maniacs in Montpelier squirm as their cash cow goes looking for greener pastures.
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Comments (7)
I think this would be a hoo... (Below threshold)1. Posted by meep | May 11, 2005 9:52 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I think this would be a hoot (of course, I dream of NYC divorcing New York State all the time... and wonder what the outcome would be).
If nothing else, it would make learning U.S. geography more interesting.
1. Posted by meep | May 11, 2005 9:52 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 11, 2005 09:52
2. Posted by Governor Breck | May 11, 2005 10:58 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
And of course, there's no way in heck the NH legislature will go for it either. It sets a dangerous precedent. Aren't there NH towns grumbling about wanting to secede and join ME? I know, I know, who would ever want to leave the Libertarian utopia that is NH? But if NH says to Killington "Sure, come on board!" there's going to be dozens of towns thinking they could do the same thing in reverse. Hell, the hippie paradise of Hanover has always felt more comfortable with VT than NH. At least they're a border town.
2. Posted by Governor Breck | May 11, 2005 10:58 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 11, 2005 10:58
3. Posted by Kirk | May 11, 2005 12:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Gov Breck- it's the Seacoast towns, Portsmouth in particular that want out of NH. I have a feeling that they haven't spent enough time thinking about how much they will be paying in income tax.
3. Posted by Kirk | May 11, 2005 12:33 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 11, 2005 12:33
4. Posted by Van Helsing | May 11, 2005 12:57 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
NYC divorcing NY State -- what a wonderful dream. No more Senator Hillary, no more Schmucky Chucky, no more highest state taxes in the country... It wouldn't be such a good deal for the people stuck in the city though.
4. Posted by Van Helsing | May 11, 2005 12:57 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 11, 2005 12:57
5. Posted by McGehee | May 11, 2005 8:09 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
If Killington joins NH and Portsmouth joins Maine, and if this sets up a trend, what's to stop New Hampshire from eventually winding up between Montana and North Dakota?
5. Posted by McGehee | May 11, 2005 8:09 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 11, 2005 20:09
6. Posted by Zsa Zsa | May 11, 2005 8:42 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Didn't Key West FLA. sucede from the union? Isn't it considered the Republic of Conch?...Or is that just something they tell the tourists?
6. Posted by Zsa Zsa | May 11, 2005 8:42 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 11, 2005 20:42
7. Posted by John S. | May 11, 2005 9:16 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Good riddance Portsmouth. Then NH becomes a guaranteed Red state and Democrats are 4 electoral college votes further from the White House.
7. Posted by John S. | May 11, 2005 9:16 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on May 11, 2005 21:16