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but the important buy-in is southern New England and like LIative said. It is so so much more economically relevant and powerful.
MA is the head honcho. IF MA doesn't agree you can't even have any sort of unified New England due to its population and geographic position. MA wouldn't agree if Boston isn't the capital.
My first instinct was to say Boston, because it's by far the most prominent city in New England. But given the other sensitivities in play, I'm going to go with Springfield. It's still in Massachusetts, but it's easier for people in other parts of New England to get to without having to go through Boston and its infamous traffic. Moreover, its airport is located in Connecticut, so this might help with CT buy-in. Honorable mention to Manchester for its more centralized location, not only geographically but also culturally, straddling the urban-rural line.
If we're going to toss in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, then I'd say Portland, due to its better connectivity with the region as a whole.
I don't think it should be a city that's already a state capital. Worcester seems like a good contender, and the federal activity would probably allow it to grow enough to fully conjoin it with Boston into a megaurban region
Maybe we could do what some countries do and have two capitals. In Malaysia, the parliament is in Kuala Lumpur, but the PM and the courts are in Putrajaya.
We could create once capital that straddles the border of Mass, NH and VT and another one that straddles the borders of CT and RI.
It's funny, I lived in Mass, and always thought the capital should be Amherst or something more central. Seemed odd that Boston was the capital.
Also, unlike in say NJ where "Trenton" is a metaphor for the state government in news articles etc, in MA they say "Beacon Hill." Took me a while to figure that out.
If this would make life more difficult for folks in Fairfield County, CT, then this plan is a no-go. Would hate to have a passport to cross into Westchester County.
If this would make life more difficult for folks in Fairfield County, CT, then this plan is a no-go. Would hate to have a passport to cross into Westchester County.
FFC probably would not be in New England Like, yes, FFC is New England, but its a NYC commuter zone where most people tie routes back to NYS. Unlike the other parts of CT and New England.
Or, a more practical option, have a 'EU' type of border.
showing the gdp of the NE states. MA is higher than the rest combined
Spoiler
Vermont has the lowest GDP of any state in the country. To be fair it is rank 49 in population and has a smaller population in the whole state than Boston city proper
Back in 1814-1815, the New England states actually did hold a convention to discuss seceding from the Union together (they were unhappy about the War of 1812). The meeting was held in Hartford, if that means anything for this discussion.
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