Vermont Citizens for Property Rights Meeting Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Jason Sorens, President
Free State Project, Inc.
Phone: (828) 225-1951
Email: info@freestateproject.org
Website: www.freestateproject.org

Free State Project President Speaking in Vermont

January 29, 2003 - Jason Sorens, President of the Free State Project, will be delivering a keynote address to the Vermont Citizens for Property Rights annual meeting on Saturday, February 1st. The Free State Project is a growing movement with the aim of moving 20,000 advocates of strictly limited government into a single state, where they could work to institute political reforms. Currently, the Free State Project has approximately 2,500 signed-up members.

Vermont is among ten states being considered by the Free State Project. Members will vote on which state to target once 5,000 commitments have been received.

"On the one hand, Vermont has a longstanding tradition of local government and individual freedom that fits in with our members' philosophy of individual rights, free markets, decentralization, and peace," notes Sorens. "On the other hand, Vermont is currently undergoing a trend toward hamstringing local business with a myriad of unnecessary regulations." Sorens notes that if the Free State Project were to choose Vermont, local property rights issues would be among the first areas to see new ideas and solutions. His speech will focus on developing new principles to govern reforms in three areas: eminent domain, land-use planning, and asset forfeiture.

Vermont is among three New England states being considered by the Free State Project: New Hampshire and Maine are the other two. The state Libertarian Party organizations in both New Hampshire and Maine have endorsed the Free State Project and are seeking to promote their states to FSP members.

Citizens for Property Rights, founded in 1989, is a non-partisan, grass roots organization dedicated to defending the interests of property owners and taxpayers. The 2003 annual meeting will be taking place at the Best Western (formerly Holiday Inn) in Waterbury, Vt.

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