Posted on 01/20/2005 5:55:50 AM PST by bookish_lass
Jim Perry in "Escape from Massachusetts"
Fed up with high taxes and the Massachusetts nanny state, Jim Perry joined the United States' fastest-growing freedom movement, the Free State Project, and publicly broke his bonds from big government. To symbolize this event, Jim chained himself to a pole in Massachusetts at its border near Nashua. Freestaters at the event witnessed thousands of cars pouring in to New Hampshire from Massachusetts for sales-tax-free shopping. Jim remained chained for about an hour, holding a sign urging people to "Cut the chains of statism. --freestateproject.org". Compatriots in the Free State Project handed out flyers explaining the project and held signs:
"Escape to NH. --freestateproject.org"
"Honk if you love NH. --freestateproject.org"
"Now escaping Massachusetts"
Freestaters who had already made the move to NH then broke his chains, allowing him to make a mad dash to his freedom. Once there, he celebrated some of the freedoms one immediately gains when crossing the border: he destroyed a MA income tax form (NH has no state income or sales taxes); he drove a car without a seatbelt (NH is the only state without a seatbelt law for adults); and he openly carried a handgun, reveling in the freedom to protect himself and his loved ones.
Not all who attended the event were Freestaters. Two assisting in Jim's break for freedom were NH natives who welcome the Free State Project. They admitted that before they began working with the Freestaters moving to NH, they were ready to leave New Hampshire. Now they've decided to stay and be a part of Liberty in our Lifetimes.
Voting with their feet. Eventually some of the socialist states may learn lessons the hard way.
Not many posts, but this is hysterical.
Yes, they are voting with their feet alright, moving to NH and bringing their liberal politics and views with them. Now we have another democratic govenor. The last one DOUBLED the states budget (in one term she doubled the entire budget, an amount which took the entire history of the state to reach!). John F'n Kerry bumper stickers abound here as well. This state is no longer what it once was. It is quickly becoming Mass 2.
Awesome...I have a dream, a dream to escape the liberal Northeast, a dream of freedom and hope....New Hampshire, I hear your beacon of hope!!!!
LOL, I can see Massachusetts now... in my imagination they try and pass a law to try and force former Mass. residents to continue to pay their state income taxes to MA.
Don't think it can't happen. Watch them tax NH residents who commute to MA on income earned there.
-R
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter
And shed a bitter tear.
That's the current situation. I hope Jim Perry doesn't have a job in Mass., he'll need that tax form!
Hence - virtual commuting. The solution when the Peoples Republic of New York tried taxing New Jersey and Conneticut residents in that way. Its estimated by the New York Association for Business that New York has lost more than $5 Billion in tax revenues a year through virtual commuting, business migrations caused by such taxes, and job exports.
Congatulations on your successful escape. I escaped 2 years ago (currently residing in a Virginia safe haven). Have been trying to get my parents and siblings out. No luck so far though.
The Free Staters who are Massachusetts escapees aren't the ones who are bringing left-wing politics - we're the ones who are going to help you fight against it!
Now we have another democratic govenor.
The margin of Lynch's victory was 14,413 votes, 14,960 of which were cast in Merrimack county, and 13,778 of which were cast in the city of Concord.
Lynch also won significant margins in Cheshire, Sullivan, and Grafton counties, along the Vermont border.
Look at the vote results in towns near Massachusetts - Merrimack had a Republican sweep, for example, and Hillsborough and Rockingham counties, along the border of eastern Massachusetts, both returned strong margins of victory for Benson.
Pelham, the town closest to Boston along I93, posted 57.7% for Benson. Proceeding northeast up the border, Salem was 56.1% Benson, Atkinson was 59.6% Benson, Plaistow was 57.3% Benson. Further up, you start into the Hampton/Portsmouth leftist enclave and the margins get smaller - Newton was 50.8% Benson and Seabrook was 50.9%, but he lost South Hampton by 21 votes.
Our problem isn't the people escaping from Massachusetts' leftist tyranny, our problem is granola-eatin', tree-huggin', sandal-wearin', patchouli-stinkin' tax-and-spend Vermonters coming across the river, and state employees who think they have a God-given right to a cushy government job and a comfortable pension regardless of the financial health of the state. That is, the same state employees whose featherbeds Gov. Benson was overturning on behalf of the productive citizens of this state.
Instead of looking south, look west - Sun Tzu said that if you know yourself, but do not know the enemy, for every victory you will suffer a defeat.
To turn this around and put a stop to the Mass 2 slide, you should vigorously support and promote the Free State Project. How much of a difference would 20,000 activists - not just voters, but activists for limited government, personal freedom, and individual responsibility - have made in the last election?
Thank you. I escaped from the People's Republic of California. We've been going wild up here with all the pro-liberty activity. I'm kind of exhausted, actually :) Next week we've planned a zoning protest in Hampton, NH. The big bad bureacrats are harassing a 95 year old woman and her family who are trying to care for her. They're facing a ~$180,000 and having to tear down their garage for made up zoning violations. If anyone's interested in more information, just go to the NH Underground: nhunderground.com and visit the Zoning Protest page, or visit the forum.
You've got that right. The number of Volvos and Subarus with JFK stickers on I-93 last fall was depressing. We need more conservative refugees and fewer leftist pilgrims.
I was on a business trip to Concord about five months ago. It is the farthest east I have ever been. Charming place, and cop cars everywhere. It was the fuzzyest place I've been in the entire country.
It also seemed a little economically depressed. Oh, and lots of car dealerships.
Well, they already do this, sort of. If you live in NH and work in Mass., you pay "non-resident" income tax to Massachusetts (at the same rate as residents of the People's Republic). So if you're planning on moving here - get a job here first, or you'll be subsidizing Kerry Country.
Left MA 12 years ago .Live in AZ now and loving it. 53 years was way to long.
Sounds like you're a friend of the Free State Project!
I'm a friend of Liberty, though not necessarily morality-free libertarianism. I'm hopeful that folks who move here in search of freedom will distinguish between liberty and license.
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