bobbyw24
03-19-2010, 04:30 AM
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland's official song may include a line about "Northern scum" left over from the Civil War era, but the state isn't feeling so Southern anymore.
Though Marylanders live just south of the Mason-Dixon Line, their attitudes and even their accents straddle that border. These days, leaders feel they've got more in common with states to the north.
In one sign of the shift, lawmakers successfully petitioned to move from the Southern Region of the Council of State Governments to the Eastern Region, where they'll be able to trade ideas with fellow officials from Pennsylvania, New York, and other states they consider more like-minded.
"I just don't think we're as Southern as people used to think," said state Sen. Catherine Pugh, a Baltimore Democrat.
It's unusual for states to switch regions in the 77-year-old council, which provides a forum for state officials to share ideas. The last time was when Missouri switched from the Midwestern Region to the Southern Region in 1994.
Maryland supporters of the change cite the state's proximity to the District of Columbia, which is in the Eastern Region. They share many concerns, particularly in public safety and transportation.
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/150330/thumbs/s-MARYLAND-SOUTH-large.jpg
Maryland also belongs to the same electrical power grid as several states in the Eastern Region and shares environmental interests in preserving the Chesapeake Bay with states there, although fellow bay state Virginia is in the Southern Region.
"I think that we have common experiences that we can learn from," said state Sen. Verna Jones, D-Baltimore.
Longtime residents note a shift too. Diane Schwallenberg, who has lived in the Annapolis area all of her 53 years, said she feels more Southern because of the state capital's laid-back waterside atmosphere and small-town friendliness. But she said she has noticed a change over the years as more people have moved to the area.
Story continues below
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/19/maryland-trying-to-secede-from-the-south_n_505412.html?just_reloaded=1
Though Marylanders live just south of the Mason-Dixon Line, their attitudes and even their accents straddle that border. These days, leaders feel they've got more in common with states to the north.
In one sign of the shift, lawmakers successfully petitioned to move from the Southern Region of the Council of State Governments to the Eastern Region, where they'll be able to trade ideas with fellow officials from Pennsylvania, New York, and other states they consider more like-minded.
"I just don't think we're as Southern as people used to think," said state Sen. Catherine Pugh, a Baltimore Democrat.
It's unusual for states to switch regions in the 77-year-old council, which provides a forum for state officials to share ideas. The last time was when Missouri switched from the Midwestern Region to the Southern Region in 1994.
Maryland supporters of the change cite the state's proximity to the District of Columbia, which is in the Eastern Region. They share many concerns, particularly in public safety and transportation.
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/gen/150330/thumbs/s-MARYLAND-SOUTH-large.jpg
Maryland also belongs to the same electrical power grid as several states in the Eastern Region and shares environmental interests in preserving the Chesapeake Bay with states there, although fellow bay state Virginia is in the Southern Region.
"I think that we have common experiences that we can learn from," said state Sen. Verna Jones, D-Baltimore.
Longtime residents note a shift too. Diane Schwallenberg, who has lived in the Annapolis area all of her 53 years, said she feels more Southern because of the state capital's laid-back waterside atmosphere and small-town friendliness. But she said she has noticed a change over the years as more people have moved to the area.
Story continues below
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/19/maryland-trying-to-secede-from-the-south_n_505412.html?just_reloaded=1