I love Federalism. It encourages me to no end that New Hampshire and Vermont are in the same Union. Separated by a geographic river and an ideological ocean.
The Wall Street Journal's middle Editorial today points out that:
The state famous for Howard Dean, ski bums and Ben & Jerry's has just added some more crunch to its granola. The National Trust for Historic Preservation last week named the entire Green Mountain State to its list of 11 most endangered historic places.
This dubious honor is the direct result of Wal-Mart's plan to open seven new stores in the state. Vermont's "magic" is threatened, the Trust said, by big-box stores that result in an "erosion of the sense of community." The fact that the retailer already has four stores in the state suggests that it is welcomed by at least some Vermonters. But the Trust nonetheless says the Wal-Mart invasion could "destroy much of what makes Vermont Vermont."
What exactly is Vermont, we wonder? Judging by the Trust's priorities, the answer doesn't include being an affordable home for Vermonters. Under the Trust's vision, the state would become a kind of Disney World for the Birkenstock set, on splendid display for weekenders driving up in their Volvos from Boston and New York. Vermont would be frozen in time -- rather like the French countryside (but minus the nuclear reactors).
In an unrelated and snarky note, I bought some Ben & Jerry's low-carb ice cream. It really wasn't any better than any of the cheaper brands.