Allegheny Front

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Allegheny Front

The Allegheny Front stands as the prominent escarpment facing southeast or east within the Allegheny Mountains, spanning southern Pennsylvania, western Maryland, and eastern West Virginia in the USA. Serving as a demarcation, the Allegheny Front acts as the dividing line between the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians to the east and the Appalachian Plateau (often referred to as the Allegheny Plateau) to the west. This geological feature is intimately linked with the Eastern Continental Divide of the Appalachian Mountains. In this region, the Eastern Continental Divide separates the watersheds of the Ohio/Mississippi river system, which flow towards the Gulf of Mexico, from those of rivers that eventually empty into Chesapeake Bay and further into the Atlantic Ocean.

Nonetheless, it's important to note that the Allegheny Front and the Divide don't always perfectly align. For instance, the North Branch of the Potomac River originates significantly west of the Allegheny Front, near the Fairfax Stone located at the southwestern tip of Maryland. It's merely around 10 miles (16 km) away and situated across the physical divide from the headwaters of the Youghiogheny River, which flows westward into the Monongahela and Ohio rivers.

Where I envision federalism going

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I am a believer in federalism. States should have wide latitude in setting policy, while the federal government only gets involved when there is a clear relationship in interstate commerce and to allow the safe passage of citizens and goods through different states. The federal government should educate people on local laws and what is permitted and not allowed in local jurisdictions so people can make informed decisions about where to live.

Right now the system is broken. The federal government regulates too many things that really have a deal minis impact outside of state borders. For example, recreational drugs, firearms, abortion. On the other hand, the federal government does too little to protect citizens who are traveling out of state for non residency purposes from local prosecution under local laws for transporting something locally illegal. There are some fixes to this like the federal commerce in firearms laws but not enough.

Politicians want to believe this will lead to a race to the bottom. After all, the idea is people will travel to a different state to preform an act locally illegal. Good for them. Go to the state that suits your values. Travel to that other state to gamble, smoke, buy a gun or get an abortion. But don’t bring the smiles back to a prohibited state or get an abortion there. Or risk serious punishment.