I can tell you the answer. All the cities' politics are centralized hierarchies that serve the local landed elites and quit-rent engorged school boards. There is no real freeholding anywhere in the USA anymore, the utilities are all centralized and the money is all centralized. Rebelling in such a fashion as a committee means immediate withdrawal of the 'grid', and the rebels are hurt in ways the British could not hurt the early Americans. In the end, you can't declare your independence if you are dependent on state systems.