OK, I guess I'm just a big stick in the mud, but this story ticked me off...

Maine wants to grab the whoopie pie as the official dessert before Pennsylvania does.

Seriously. A state legislative committee actually considered the question.

According to AP, the hearing "featured fresh whoopie pies, someone wearing a whoopie costume and even a song praising the product as 'a slice of happiness.'"

Now I love a good whoopie pie. And a good argument over food (it's what we do at holiday gatherings in my family). And I happen to really like Maine, but am also fairly fond of Pennsylvania since, well, I live here. Be happy where you are.

A number of years ago I was living in Massachusetts and a similar controversy arose, that over the naming of a state muffin. A grade-school student suggested the state adopt the corn muffin as the state's official muffin. The teacher saw it as an opportunity to teach civics to the class by introducing some real legislation.

All seemed well, until...well, if you know anything about Massachusetts, you might know that it is one of the largest producers of cranberries in the country. And yes, cranberry muffins are quite popular up there. So if you are going to declare a state muffin, why not support the local agricultural industry instead of that in, say, Nebraska?

Or better yet, teach the kids a real lesson in civics, that state legislatures should avoid dancing whoopie pies and be busy themselves with things like reducing huge projected budget deficits ($468 million for Maine, $4.5 billion for Pennsylvania in 2012). Or fixing the infrastructure. Controlling taxes. Rebuilding the economy. Restoring funding to vital programs. Yeah, I know, b-o-r-i-n-g.

But maybe once they have all these issues solved, THEN we can consider our state dessert. Personally, I'm voting for the Krimpet. Maine can have their pies.