you couldn't make it up dept. no.110: Rutland lives

[fpb]

The Italian government's threatened abolition of 36 Provinces (roughly the equivalent of counties) and of all local authorities of less than 1000 inhabitants, as part of the recent emergency expenditure-cutting budget, has predictably caused an uproar. Filettino, a village in the mountains east of Rome, has actually declared independence as the "Principality of Filettino" and is already printing its own money. It also threatens to slap a tax on the water from its reservoir, which feeds most of the city of Rome.

Comments

BRITISH SECESSIONISTS?

[joetexx.livejournal.com]

The Rutland reference goes over my provincial Texas head...

Re: BRITISH SECESSIONISTS?

[fpb.livejournal.com]

In 1973, the Heath government indulged in one of the frequent rewritings of local authority borders - whenever British governments are bored, they change the powers, borders and names of local authorities. Only this time they went too far. They presumed that, just because Rutland was the tiniest county in England, there would be no objection to attaching it to the decent-sized county of Leicestershire. Was there ever! Nothing would make the Rutlanders submit to the dreadful fate of becoming Leicester men; and in the end central government had to swallow hard, forget about equalization and efficiency and all the bureaucratic nonsense that goes with it, and bring back Rutland to legal life. Well done the Rutlanders, and I wish that more English had as much local patriotism.

HOW NOTTING HILL OF THEM

[joetexx.livejournal.com]

Welcome Filettino to the comity of nations. What is the Obama / Cameron stance on recognition?

SPEAKING ONLY OF THE LETTER 'M'

[joetexx.livejournal.com]

http://www.buckyogi.com/footnotes/natm.htm

Muscongus Island- Muscongus Island is located off the shore of Maine. In 1860, the island was inadvertantly left off the state’s official maps, and the residents were therefore not allowed to vote. In retaliation, Muscongus Island declared its independence. Like many respectable residents of rural America, they enforced this by firing their rifles at any tax collectors sighted on the island. The Muscongans decided not to press the point after the Civil War began, although the declaration of independence was not formally withdrawn until 1934.

Re: SPEAKING ONLY OF THE LETTER 'M'

[fpb.livejournal.com]

Ah, but they gave up. These guys are still standing up for their national identity.

In general, you mess with an Italian town or village at your peril. It's not just the State: the country is dotted with villages who have quarrelled with the local Bishop and gone over to one or another Orthodox or Eastern church.

I doubt that any Muscongus selectman was ever addressed as 'Your Terrificness'.

[joetexx.livejournal.com]

I first heard of Muscongus around 1971 from my organic chemistry lab partner who claimed to have a grandma from the island; his version of its history was not so tame. According to Dan, the 1860 secession was far from pro forma and was enforced with the shotgun till both Coolidge and Hoover offered the islanders generous terms for readmission to the Union; the Muscongusians, who would have been ardent Democrats had they been allowed to vote, refused to submit to the GOP. FDR was more acceptable, or perhaps the Depression weary islanders just wanted to get cut in on the New Deal. A Muscongus boy got an Annapolis appointment, and according to Dan's family history the 1934 lowering of the Muscongus colors was attended by a Cabinet secretary; perhaps Frances Perkins of Labor, whose family was from Maine.