Vote with Your Feet....For Chickens!

A great war is currently being waged in Staunton, Virginia; a war for chickens! Currently it is illegal in Staunton for residents to keep live chickens for any purpose, however keeping chickens is legal in many of the surrounding counties and even in the city of Charlottesville. Yet city officials continue to refuse to change the laws. There are many arguments for and against the keeping of chickens in the city, most of which revolve around the externalities that would be experienced by neighbors. Perhaps externalities aren't the only driving force, and city officials are encouraging their consumer-voters to "vote with their feet."

When I heard about the current laws in Staunton I thought "there's no way I would ever move there!" That is simply because I derive so much utility from my chickens, and why I'm glad I live in Fluvanna. In leaving the current laws intact, city officials could be doing two things. Staunton is now the perfect haven for people with Alektorophobia, or for people with a general dislike of adorable cuddly fowl, and these people could be given incentive to move to (or remain in) Staunton. On the other hand, those who currently live in Staunton that believe their utility could be greatly increased by keeping our fine feathered friends have a strong incentive to vote with their feet and move out of Staunton. Since many of the nearby counties are chicken friendly alternatives are certainly available. If Tiebout's perfect mobility assumption held true I know of several people that would no longer reside in Staunton. Maybe even with the imposition of reality some people will still choose to vote with their feet. Or maybe I just get an abnormally large amount of utility from chickens.