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American Morning

Residents of New Hampshire Town Ready to Secede Over Taxes

Aired August 02, 2001 - 09:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Residents of one New Hampshire town are fed up. We're talking about a tax revolt, and some residents are so upset that they ready to say they don't want to be part for that state anymore.

CNN's Bill Delaney has our report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BILL DELANEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A softly scented summer's eve, Newington, New Hampshire, rolling along, lackadaisical. It's up two points, where houses tend to be huge, safe harbors in a town, in fact, that even has a safe harbor, but town hall Tuesday night. About 200 of Newingtons only 800 or so total Newingtonians mad as hell over property taxes gathered to seriously consider seceding from the great state of New Hampshire.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:: I think drastic times take drastic actions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE:: What should be a Democratic state has been immediately thrown into a markedly socialistic state that will only destroy us.

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE:: Secession doesn't worry me so much.

DELANEY: Not as much anyway in a state with no income tax, as 1999's eruption of state property taxes meant to pay for education, as much as tripling taxes, though, in places like Newington, where many with lots of land are seniors on fixed incomes, and most of the tax monies are leaving Newington to fund schools in places less property rich, but with more schoolchildren, why town chief selectman Christopher Cross read names of 55 who signed a petition invoking venerable article 10 of the New Hampshire constitution which revives the right of citizens to revolt when -- quote -- "the ends of government are perverted."

(on camera): Would you be willing to secede from the state?

EVANGELINE BRAWN, RESIDENT: Certainly. It might be worth it, except that the state owns the only two ways in and out of the town of Newington. DELANEY (voice-over): Well, yes, there is that, and there are those against secession.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE:: I certainly, personally, am not envisioning Newington seceding from anything and going off on its own. But to throw out another wild idea, let's look into joining Maine.

DELANEY (on camera): As for what the powers that be here in New Hampshire think about all this, well, Democratic Governor Jeanne Shaheen, who many here thought should have been here, is on vacation. She did issue a statement.

(voice-over): Suggesting officials in quiet little Newington come up with a better idea how to fund education. Trouble is, most in Newington seem to like this secession over taxes thing just fine. After all, you know, it's worked before.

Bill Delaney, CNN, Newington, New Hampshire.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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