Live, Freeze Or Die
CBS News Correspondent Eric Engberg discovers that New Hampshire, one of the nation's wealthier states, ranks last in charitable contributions. The message? Live free or die, buddy.
For one day every four years, New Hampshire is the most important state in the union. What a cruel joke. It's like a civic prank, a sight gag of state.
The founding fathers, the League of Women Voters, the political science departments of Harvard and Yale combined couldn't concoct a more unfit polity to entrust with a critical role in selecting presidential candidates.
Why? Where to start? How about New Hampshires in-your-face state motto, "Live Free or Die." You've seen the license plate on the highway, probably speeding off into the sunset. "Free" in the New Hampshire context essentially means tax-free, or "don't tax me."
New Hampshire is one of only two states that has no income or sales tax. Since the state is a well-known tax haven, it's not surprising that its filled with tax refugees. The proud Granite State has one of the highest rates of residents who were born elsewhere in the nation.
This all breeds and perpetuates a civic culture obsessed with limited government and low taxation. Maybe that's why New Hampshire is the only state that doesn't fund free kindergarten for its children. But, hey, live free or die.
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One might hope that what New Hampshire lacks in mandated generosity, it makes up for in private, uncoerced charity. That would be wrong. New Hampshire ranked dead last, 50th out of 50 states, in support for private charity in 1997, the last year for which figures are available. And New Hampshire is among the top 10 wealthiest states. Get the message? Live free or die.
The apparent paucity of a charitable spirit is even more curious because New Hampshire is such a homogenous place. Its minority population is the third smallest in the country. The states with whiter populations are, oddly enough, neighbors Maine and Vermont. (In New Hampshire, the neighbor to the west is known as the People's Republic of Vermont.)
Maybe, just maybe, this helps us understand why New Hampshire was the absolute last state to designate Martin Luther King Day as a holiday. It was celebrated there for the first time in the year 2000. How very 21st century of the Granite State. You dont like it? Live free or die.
To be fair, New Hampshirites really do not have double stadards and they do eschew many of the protections of a benevolent, paternalistic government for themselves. Like seatbelts. They weren't required at all until last year. And, yes, New Hampshire was alone in offering this freedom once again. And for the record, only those under 18 are required to seatbelts even now. Hey Sunday driver! Live free or die.
The seatbelt issue is even more relevant because New Hampshire positions state-run liquor stores directly on its major highways, like rest stops. Pull over, grab a fifth of Jack Daniels and hit the road. Do not pay sales tax. Do not buckle up. Party on.
For the record, again, New Hampshire leads all states in consumption of liquor, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Granite State boosters say its because out-of-staters drive over to get booze without paying a sales tax. That's probably true.
The demography of New Hampshire is not like the rest of America. It isn't a small, gentle mirror of the nation. If you don't like its role in picking presidents, well, live free or die.