Killington Residents Endorse Plan To Join New Hampshire

AP ^ | 03/02/04 | AP

[Pikamax]

Killington Residents Endorse Plan To Join New Hampshire Town Wants To Secede Over Property Taxes

POSTED: 2:30 pm EST March 2, 2004

KILLINGTON, Vt. -- Voting with a thunderous "aye," Killington residents endorsed a plan Tuesday for the ski resort town to secede from Vermont.

The overwhelming voice vote inside the elementary school opened the next chapter in what could be a long and costly push to join New Hampshire, a state 25 miles to the east. Town officials estimated between 200-300 people attended the meeting, and that about two-thirds of them supported the idea in the voice vote.

"Other towns have been sitting back and waiting for Killington to break ground," said Jim Blackman, 46. "It is Killington's obligation to break that ground."

Blackman's comments were echoed by many of the dozen-odd residents who spoke at the town meeting.

Their comments mirrored Killington's long-standing frustration over how much the town of roughly 1,000 pays the state in taxes and how little residents say they get in return to pay for the town's school and municipal services.

That frustration drove town officials to launch the secession movement last fall. The town already has spent about $20,000 studying the feasibility and potential advantages of joining New Hampshire, the state where it was originally chartered in 1761.

Secession activists say the legality and economic rationale behind the plan are sound.

Vermont lawmakers have given the plan a lukewarm reception. They have said it is largely symbolic and probably will be voted down by the Legislature.

"The state is treating us like a cash cow," said David Lewis, the town manager.

Not everyone at the meeting was in favor of the plan, however.

"I was born and raised a Vermonter, and I hope to always be," said resident Julie Thomas, 38.

At the heart of the displeasure with Vermont is the state's new system of financing education, adopted in 1997 under order of the Supreme Court, which dramatically increased property taxes in communities, like Killington, deemed to be property wealthy.

Having won the endorsement of their constituents, town officials will now begin drafting a petition to present to New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson and the state's Legislature.

After the meeting, Lewis said town officials want New Hampshire's approval before approaching Vermont's lawmakers -- who have the final say in whether the town can become part of the Granite State.

New Hampshire officials had declined to comment before Tuesday's vote. "We'll wait to see what the results of the vote are and we'll go from there," Wendell Packard, spokesman for New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson, said last week.

[So Cal Rocket]

Hmmm... that gives me an idea...

Can the citizens of Orange County California secede from the State of California and become part of New Hampshire, too?

[2banana]

Funny how people who vote for socialism don't want anything to do with it...

[rhombus]

Live Free or Die!

[sopwith]

Not if you have as many dems as mass does .
Were up to our ears with them.

[1Old Pro]

I hope they're successful. If so, I'm going to push for my upstate NY town to secede from NY and join Florida where there are no state taxes.

[fsorbello]

I thought Dr. Death, I mean Dean, had created a socialist utopia up there in Vermont???? How could anybody be upset with being over-taxed if it's for the good of the nation-state?

Boy, people just keep biting that hand that's feeding them.

[GOPrincess]

"Can the citizens of Orange County California secede from the State of California and become part of New Hampshire, too?"

I'm with you! :)

[So Cal Rocket]

Not if you have as many dems as mass does . Were up to our ears with them.

Voter Registration Statistics for Orange County, CA:
Number of Registered Voters: 1,384,086
Number of Registered Democrats: 426,223
Number of Registered Republicans: 674,421

See why we want to secede from the People's Republik of Kalifornistan?

[Blue Screen of Death]

I hope they're successful. If so, I'm going to push for my upstate NY town to secede from NY and join Florida where there are no state taxes.

And, the winters will be much warmer.

[NewHampshireDuo]

Welcome aboard as long as they leave the domestic partnerships behind.

[BikePacker]

The main source of discontent is Vermont's new system of financing education, adopted in 1997 on orders from the state Supreme Court. It dramatically increased property taxes in wealthy communities like Killington.

Secession activists say Killington's restaurants, inns and other businesses send $20 million a year to Montpelier in sales, room and meal taxes, while the state returns just $1 million in municipal and education aid to the town of roughly 1,000 residents.

"The state is treating us like a cash-cow," said David Lewis, town manager.

Source

Moooo!

[Blue Screen of Death]

Can the citizens of Orange County California secede from the State of California and become part of New Hampshire, too?

We will trade you for Austin, which would be a much better fit in California than it is in Texas.

[Congressman Billybob]

There is a provision in the US Constitution that deaks with this issue. No state can have its boundaries changed without giving its consent to that. Incidentally, there are many states whose boundaries changed yearly, with no fuss and bother.

All states whose boudaries are defined by the "center line" of a specific river, such as the Mississippi, were subject to movements of the course of the river. Until the 20th century, this was common. And no specific approval of the legislature was required, since the line was fdefined by the river. (Beginning in the 20th century, the Army Corps of Engineers has gotton control of this situation, and it now seldom arises.)

Congressman Billybob

Click here, then click the blue CFR button, to join the anti-CFR effort (or visit the "Hugh & Series, Critical & Pulled by JimRob" thread). Please do it now.

[Republican Red]

I would highly doubt that the Vermont legislature will allow this plan to come to fruition.

I am in Fulton County Georgia, home of Atlanta. My fellow citizens in the northern suburbs simply want to form a new county, Milton, and get out of Fulton. We too are tired of paying for Atlanta with no return. I think it would be easier to secede into New Hampshire than get a new county. Years of fighting and we are still at square one.

These politicians know a good cash cow when they see it and will never give it up.

[You Dirty Rats]

You mean if the Ohio River diverts 20 miles north I'll end up in Kentucky? That's a scary thought!

I'm still trying to understand how West Virginia was able to become its own state without the approval of Virginia. Not that Virginia would want it back!

[correctthought]

Hi, how is NH to live in. My wife and I are looking to leave the pit of socialism that is New York.

-Thanks,


Alex

[ravingnutter]

We will trade you for Austin, which would be a much better fit in California than it is in Texas.

I will second that motion...I have been calling it San Franscisco, TX for years, LOL!

[Congressman Billybob]

You might recall that Virginia was in revolt against the Union at the time West Virginia was admitted as a new state. So Virginia was not legally around to object to the creation of W.Va. And when Virginia was readmitted to the Union after then end of what my Southern Grandmother referred to as "the late unpleasantries," the creation of W.Va. was a fait accompli which Va. had to accept as a done deal.

John / Billybob

[OESY]

Who can blame them, especially now that Mad Howard is back in Vermont? Seceding is easier than moving out of state.

But, if this succeeds, watch the Massachusetts towns line up at New Hampshire's door. As they say, nothing succeeds like succession. (My uncle tried it on Marthas Vineyard.)