FSP News - March 2006
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FSP News - March 2006
New Hampshire wins Most Livable State in the U.S. for the third year in a row. Scott Morgan, President of Morgan Quitno Press said, "Citizens of New Hampshire enjoy low unemployment, low crime rates, high levels of household income and high levels of education. The state has a stellar record in many of the categories we considered for our award." An average of 44 factors are considered by Morgan Quitno in this ranking, giving us a simple and telling look at state government and livability. How does your state compare to #1 New Hampshire?
Amanda Phillips has stepped down as President of the FSP, "... to
focus more on law school and to spend more time with my daughter." We thank Amanda for her leadership and
service to the organization over the last few years! Varrin
Swearingen, the current VP of Operations and last year's PorcFest
Czar, will take over the reins as President.
Porcupine and early mover, Sandy Pierre won the recent vote of the FSP Organizers to become the newest member of the Board of Directors. The minutes of the February 19th Board of Director's meeting are now posted.
Dr. Walter Block, Professor of Economics at Loyola University in New Orleans and Senior Fellow with the Ludwig von Mises Institute endorses the FSP! "You people are doing the Lord's work. The FSP is one of the freshest practical ideas for promoting liberty that has come out of the libertarian movement in the past few decades. May you succeed beyond your wildest dreams, and thus demonstrate in yet another empirical way the benefits and blessings of liberty." Dr. Block is a prolific writer and Austrian school economist and a libertarian anarcho-capitalist philosopher.
All those individuals planning to move to New Hampshire by 
the end of 2008 are invited
and encouraged to be a part of The First 1000 pledge.
We're looking to recognize and enumerate those who have already moved and those
who will be moving soon and living Liberty in our Lifetime. So far, we're up to
157 people. Read the pledge and
sign up today!
The Free State Project was pleased to surpass 7,000 Participants on February 22, 2006. Here are some suggestions as to how YOU can help to bring FSP message to thousands of others. Be an activist even before you move!
The FSP website is being updated with new pages and features. Look over the newest pages; the Community Center, Foreign Friends of the FSP and the New Hampshire Center.
"Far from being lovers of liberty dedicated to keeping America the land of
the free, we have become a nation of couch potatoes who only
become upset enough to do something when FOX cancels our favorite TV program.
That must change. And it starts with you. Or in my case, me. So today I
finally signed up for the Free State Project." -
How to get liberty in your lifetime, a
new essay by Michael Hampton.
"The Tax Foundation presents the 2006 version of the State Business Tax Climate Index (SBTCI) as a tool for lawmakers, the media, and individuals alike to gauge how their states' tax systems compare." New Hampshire comes in 6th best in the U.S. in the study.
PorcFest 2006! The third annual
Free State Project gathering will be held in Lancaster, NH from June 23rd -
July 1st. Last year's festival was thought to be the largest group of
libertarians gathered in one place all year. Be there! Take advantage
of this opportunity a plan a visit to the Free State.
Action of the Month - Mention the Free State Project in your blogs or your comments in blogs. The "blogosphere" is getting more popular by the day. I don't know how many of us own, run, listen, troll, or frequent blogs, but as their popularity increases, so do the opportunities to mention the Free State Project. It's best to use the full name, "Free State Project", with an embedded URL in every mention.
Listen to Brian Gottstein call into the Neal Boortz radio show talking about the FSP and the gun ban in San Francisco.
Help Wanted. The operation and activity of the FSP is all based upon the voluntary efforts of a core group of Organizers and hundreds of Participants, Friends and supporters. We have current openings and opportunities throughout the FSP organization for motivated individuals - the latest positions are Associate FSP News Editor (help me research and write this newsletter) and Associate Director of Participant Services. If these identified open positions are not for you, tell our Volunteer Coordinator what you'd like to do!
Cary March has an FSP fundraising challenge for you! He will donate $50 per month to the Free State Project for 6 months, but only if 39 other people will too." Thus far, 10 other supporters have signed the pledge.
Talker's Magazine picks Free Talk Live as one of the
most important talk shows in its just-released "Talkers 250". FTL is
the top source of new FSP Participants and Friends and announces a new radio
station affiliate, KLID 1340 Poplar Bluff, MO and 50% more airtime at WNTK in
New London, New Hampshire. FSP enthusiasts have been instrumental in adding
their local radio stations to the FTL syndication roster - here's how you can
help!
The Mid-Atlantic FSP Local Group, in conjunction with the UMBC Libertarians, held a successful fundraising and outreach event on February 18th in Maryland. The special guest speaker was Scott Bullock, Senior Attorney, Institute For Justice and Co-counsel, Kelo vs. City of New London. Porcupines from New Hampshire attended the event and discussed their experiences in moving to the Free State!
Brian Sullivan spoke about the FSP to an enthusiastic group of Cornell Libertarians on February 13th.
The Vans Warped Tour has invited us to promote
the Free State Project across America! The Vans Warped Tour is a traveling
festival that hops around North America every summer with over 70
rock/punk/metal bands. There is a special non-profit tent where various groups,
like the FSP, are allowed to set up tables for free. FSP volunteers gave out
flyers, stickers, and FSP matchboxes to thousands of music fans in five cities
during 2005 (and we have even more stuff to give out this year).
We already
know the cities and dates for the 2006 Vans Warped Tour.
We need just one more thing, volunteers! All volunteers will get free entrance
to the venue, tons of supplies to pass out, plenty of water, any needed
training, and the opportunity to promote the powerful idea of Liberty in our
Lifetime to thousands of people. Feel free to bring someone with you, even if
they are not a member of the FSP. Let's try to have at least two volunteers at
every venue this year!
A big thanks to everyone who volunteered last month. We already have one
confirmed volunteer for the following Vans Warped Tour stops but we still need
move volunteers at these locations, and volunteers for other cities:
- 8-01 Buffalo, NY
8-02 Brockton, MA
8-03 Philadelphia, PA
8-04 Scranton, PA
8-05 New York, NY
8-06 Old Bridge, NJ
8-09 Virginia Beach, VA
8-10 Washington, D.C.
For more information, or to sign up as a volunteer, take a look at the tour information and send an email with the date(s) you are interested in working. - Keith Carlsen, FSP VWT Organizer.
In New Hampshire
AN ACT prohibiting New Hampshire from participating in a national
identification card system - passed after a vote 270-84 by
the New Hampshire House. House Bill
1582 "The general court finds that the public policy established by
Congress in the Real ID Act of 2005, Public Law 109-13,
is contrary and repugnant to Articles 1 through 10 of the New
Hampshire constitution as well as Amendments 4 though 10 of the Constitution
for the United States of America. Therefore, the state of New Hampshire shall
not participate in a national identification card system..." The bill
moves on to the NH Senate. Up to date discussion
at NH Underground.
Homeschooling Bill HB406 signed by Governor Lynch! The
newly signed legislation does away with the annual homeschool curriculum
reporting component of state law. Read the
final version of the Bill that includes the specific text
strikethroughs. This giant stride forward for educational
freedom in NH is credited to Porcupine and early mover, Dawn
Lincoln!
The first print issue of the Keene Free Press hit newsstands in the Monadnock region of New Hampshire on February 23rd. The new opinion-and-news publication's first distribution was 5,000 print copies throughout the area.
The Coalition of New Hampshire Taxpayers brings us a report on the state of some of the taxpayer groups around NH. "If there is indeed a tax revolt going on in NH in the towns where we all live, nothing has proved it more than the activities of these past few weeks!"
Also from Free State Blogs, all the latest news from activists in New Hampshire. including the changes at Gun Owners of NH, legislative coverage, the death of the "Wal-Mart insurance regulation", NH homeschooling laws, videos and more!
Just-released reports show that electronic instrument, component and semiconductor manufacturing leads in net employment gains in NH. Other reports on NH population, income, employment, and economic and social conditions are also available from the New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau.
The NH Liberty Calendar lists the upcoming events of 30 liberty-minded New Hampshire organizations. The NH Underground Calendar also lists liberty-oriented NH events.
FSP News back issues are available. Got FSP news? - content submissions are due by the 12th of each month. FSP News circulation: 10,907
Are you ready to JOIN THE FSP, move to New Hampshire and help achieve Liberty in Our Lifetime? Join NOW
Participants: 7,036
Participants in NH: 393
as of March
15, 2006
