N.H. said a front-runner for libertarian splinter group

Fosters Sunday Citizen ^ | Sunday, July 13, 2003 | Dean Abbott

[archy]

I don't see how 20,000 people can change the politics of an entire state. Even a small state. And, given that only 4,500 people have signed up for the effort, and, given that a large percentage of these will fail to follow through with the plan, I'd say that this effort is a total joke.

Probably much the same opinion some British tax collectors had about the handfull of troublemakers in warpaint, whooping it up and spilling the Crown's tea into Boston Harbour. I'm sure they figured the overreaction of a few hotheaded rowdies would never lead to any sort of political effort of lasting significance, but 229 years later, here we still are.

And of course, I'm sure the hot tar and itchy feathers were no fun, either. Some politically-inspired total jokes have funnier punch lines than others; you could ask the Nomenklatura of the Soviet Union about that, if it was still around.

-archy-/-

[archy]

Libertarians are expected to flock to this small state for the pleasure of living non-judgmentally next to perverts, deviants, and the personally-irresponsible.

Well I'll be durned! I didn't realize you were on board and coming along! See ya in the new Free State!

-archy-/-

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Libertarians are expected to flock to this small state for the pleasure of living non-judgmentally next to perverts, deviants, and the personally-irresponsible.

No state sales tax in NH, AND fireworks are legal there.

[A.J.Armitage]

I don't see how 20,000 people can change the politics of an entire state.

If all you're talking about is voters, that number can still change the politics of a state if the margins were close to begin with.

Given that someone willing to move to another state for political reasons s likely to do more than just vote, they can change the politics a lot.

And, given that only 4,500 people have signed up for the effort

A year ahead of schedual.

given that a large percentage of these will fail to follow through with the plan, I'd say that this effort is a total joke.

Hippies did it next door in Vermont.

I'm not an FSPer, but I wish them well.

[jmc813]

AND fireworks are legal there.

I'm sure he doesn't want to trust the commoners with fireworks either.

[archy]

Was there a FSP thread yesterday?

I don't see one keyworded as such. There may have been some responses about the FSP to a news article dealing with other L/libertarian efforts or to news from one of the FSP candidate states, however.

As I bookmark FSP articles for my Freeper profile bookmarks page, I add *FSP* to preceede the title so that they're in an alphabetized bloc on my page. Check out my FReeper profile bookmarks and go to *FSP* there, though I miss one every now and again.

-archy-/-

[jmc813]

Thanks for the info!

[archy]

FSP?

F/ree S/tate P/roject, whose guiding motto is *Liberty in our lifetime* and whose representative mascot is the porcupine, smaller than either the Democrat's donkey or Republican elephant, but not to be tangled with in his own surroundings.

More about the FSP/ Free State Project *here*.

<=== Click on the FSP porkypine.

[GraniteStateConservative]

If they move to Grafton County, it would make a big difference. We have 1 of only 6 senate districts held by a Democrat and he's a whopper of a lefty-- Clifton Below. He always wins by about a thousand votes or less (1998: 1001, 2000: 866, 2002: 1270). Kick Hanover/Dartmouth out of the district and he wouldn't have a prayer.

Also, while 74% of the state is represented by Republican or Republican/Democrat state reps, Grafton County's representation by that group is only 62%. The Governor had to fight hard to sustain a budget veto and it wouldn't have been so much work had we had another 10 anti-tax and spenders in the NH House.

[Jim Cane]

Pretend to be an R (or D) long enough to grab their votes.

I hear you. I'm tired of democrats and liberals running as Republicans, and then passing democrat legislation once they get in like they're doing now.

[archy]

I'm not an FSPer, but I wish them well.

You need not be one of the *vote with our feet* FSPers to be counted among our number, but in any event your good wishes are noted and appreciated...and thank you.

And you're welcome to be included on the Free Republic FSP ping list, if you'd like; either respond here or drop me a FReepmail.

And if I do not see you in the hiopefully reformed Free State, do know that you're certainly welcome to come visit or vacation there.

-archy-/-

[RightWhale]

Ha! These pioneers will get nowhere in New Hampshire. It takes a minimum of 50 years of residence for the family to be accepted in the community, and even then only the children who grow up there will be accepted. The immigrants never will be. They can incorporate a town of their own, of course, maybe buy a farm in Contookuk and have a commune blast.

[Jack Black]

This is pretty speculative. What is it based on? Was there a straw vote or something? I don't think anyone really knows which state is going to win, or who's in the lead. I see more articles about Montana and Wyoming than New Hampshire. Wyoming is by far the best state, IMHO, from the political point of view because it has far fewer citizens, and thus voters, than even other sparsely populated states like Montana. This makes the 20,000 newbies that much more influential.

[archy]

If they move to Grafton County, it would make a big difference. We have 1 of only 6 senate districts held by a Democrat and he's a whopper of a lefty-- Clifton Below.

I happen to notice that one likely spot I've picked for my relocation should the Granite State be chosen as the goal state is Lebanon, which is located in Grafdton County. And if I do settle there, Mr. Below cannot at all count on my political support.

[Jack Black]

Also, face it, the East Coast is full of statists. Freedom has always been in the West. And while NH is a nice anomoly amongst the other Socialist states around it, it is still surrounded. Hell Boston is an hour away from some parts. That's way to close to Teddie for me.

I remember a story about about someone who moved to Vermont and was introduced as "Dave, who lives in the old Miller place". At that point he said he had lived in the house in question for 20 some years, sent three kids through the local schools from kindergarden to high school and run a business thereabouts. It is a tradition bound area, which can be good, but maybe doesn't line up with a giant social and political experiment.

[archy]

Wyoming is by far the best state, IMHO, from the political point of view because it has far fewer citizens, and thus voters, than even other sparsely populated states like Montana. This makes the 20,000 newbies that much more influential.

Concur, and since I was willed my granddad's post-WWI Homestead Act tract in Wyoming, that's pritnear my favoured pick, too, though there's a great deal to be said in favour of Montana as well. Several counties in Montana are particularly ripe for FSP organizing, and wyoming offers but a single US Representative district...the entire state.

But employment is a major issue in most of the western possibilities, particularly for families. And the weather in Wyoming and Montana can be brutal- there are some houses in Weston County with doors on the second floor as one means of dealing with winter's snowdrifts.

I expect it'll take a good while longer for the move to be made if the choice is out west, though if Wyoming is the choice, I can personally be resettled there within 30 days and have *Radio Porcupine* up and running nearly as quickly. My move easternly would take a while longer, but is still do-able.

For a couple of other reasons I also favour the western choices, but it can be made to work on the Eastern Seaboard too, I believe, though with more difficulty and likely obstacles in our path. But the idea is to eventually reform other states as well, possibly within a geographic region or bloc [wisdom: do not carry all eggs in one basket!] so an initial move may not be the absolute final one.

-archy-/-

[djreece]

New Hampshire is a great state, and there is something fitting about the rebirth of liberty being in New England.

[archy]

Ha! These pioneers will get nowhere in New Hampshire. It takes a minimum of 50 years of residence for the family to be accepted in the community, and even then only the children who grow up there will be accepted. The immigrants never will be. They can incorporate a town of their own, of course, maybe buy a farm in Contookuk and have a commune blast.

Farm? Commune? Nah. I just figured I'd ride my bike in for Weirs Beach *Bike Week* at Laconia, and sorta forget to ever leave. Maybe they just won't notice that I'm not one of the forever-there locals....

[RightWhale]

They used to ride by the house for 3 days every year. We'd sit out on the porch and comment on the quality of the bikes as they went by. Once one of them stopped to ask directions to a grocery store. A woman, and we estimated she was tougher than most of the riders.