New Hampshire

NH high on list for FSP

New Hampshire high on list for Free State project

by Syvia Smith • 07/23/03

LANCASTER—Freedoms – like being able to purchase beer at grocery stores and shoot off firecrackers – have put the Granite State high on the list of potential targets for the Free State Project, which wants to enlist 20,000 like-minded people to move to a low-population state in order to advocate for smaller government.

Participants in the movement recently tested the waters here and found a lot to their liking.

Along with Montana and Wyoming, New Hampshire is one of the top contenders to be the chosen state. Heading its list of attractions is New Hampshire's long history of rejecting taxes and espousing individual rights, according to Free Staters.

"I'm impressed by the degree of freedom that New Hampshire people enjoy," said Keith Murphy of Baltimore about his recent week-long participation in a "Welcome to New Hampshire" fact-finding event last month.

Free Staters assembled at Lancaster's Rogers Campground, at a rented hospitality house in Jefferson, and toured the state from June 21-29. Approximately, 150 individuals, many of whom were small business owners, attended the event. They came from 22 states, from as far away as Oregon.

Reached by phone, Murphy, 28, a legislative assistant in the Maryland Legislature, said, "If I didn't have other obligations, I'd be in New Hampshire now." He said his goal during his week in New Hampshire had been to do one thing every day that he couldn't do in Maryland. "The first day, I rode on one of those push merry go rounds that have been banned in Maryland," he said.

"Another day I shot off fireworks, illegal in Maryland. And I enjoyed the convenience, unavailable to us in Maryland, of buying beer in a grocery store."

Murphy was particularly enthusiastic about seeing four zeros in place of the sales tax amount that would have shown up on a Maryland receipt.

The Free State Project was founded by North Carolina resident Jason Sorens, who recently earned a doctorate in political science. Sorens, 26, is a member of the Libertarian Party, but he described the Free State Project as an independent organization made up not only of Libertarians, who comprise approximately 40 percent of the membership, but Republicans, independents, Green Party members, and others with a libertarian bent. Its board of directors is made up of one Libertarian, Sorens, a Republican, and three Independents. Sorens describes as "broadly libertarian" the Free State philosophy that a government's main reason for being is to protect individual rights.

"Our intent is to lend our support to the existing small government movement in the state that is chosen," said Sorens during a recent phone interview. "It's appealing that there's a Libertarian network in place in New Hampshire. Also a plus is the state's cross-nomination system, allowing a candidate to run under two or more political labels."

Asked if an influx of 20,000 people would strain municipal services, Sorens said, "We emphasize being a net positive community. We have a high proportion of professionals and small business owners who would be bringing their capital and expertise to the state. We would give more into the system than we take out. Most of our members either home school or private school. We don't believe in taking welfare."

He continued, "Then again, we are not your typical suburbanites either. We would, for instance, oppose tax-supported garbage collection and support a plan to reduce the statewide property tax." Sorens said that those relocating would have five years to do so. Thus, the exodus would be staggered.

Most of the Free State visitors spent up to a week exploring New Hampshire. They also attended programs organized by the state Libertarian Party's Welcome to the Granite-State committee. Michael Badnarik of Austin, Texas, and Cleveland, Ohio, resident Gary Nolan, who are both seeking the Libertarian candidacy for president, spoke at one event.

Attendees met with local citizens and business people. Gov. Craig Benson greeted them during an informal chat during their tour of the State House. John Babiarz of Grafton, who chairs the N.H. Libertarian Party and ran for governor in the last election, said that one venture capitalist who is considering relocating his business here flew in from Nevada to be among those meeting the governor.

Michelle Dumas, 34, of Somersworth, one of the Welcome to the Granite State organizers, said several attendees told her they'd each talked to 30 New Hampshire citizens and gotten only positive responses to the prospect of 20,000 Free Staters relocating here.

To attract people to the New Hampshire fact-finding event, Dumas prepared a comprehensive report on the state, which can be viewed online at www.lpnh.org, under "Welcome to New Hampshire." Among the state's attractions, Dumas listed its ranking by "Liberty Magazine" as having the fourth-lowest taxes per capita in the nation and that it's alleged to have the highest concentration of high-tech workers in the U.S. She also noted the state's number 6 ranking from the Small Business Survival Committee, which evaluates how states and local governments interact with small businesses and entrepreneurs.

According to The Granite State organizers, attendees responded enthusiastically to the Granite State's scenic beauty and friendly citizens.

"The striking thing," said Atlanta resident Trevor Snyder during a phone interview, "is that every person we spoke to said, 'Come and do whatever you want. As long as you don't bother others, they won't bother you.'"

Synder, an information tech manager for a company that builds airports, noted that one of his friends had been leaning toward Wyoming, but by the end of the week, the Granite State had become his top choice.

Others also told organizers that they definitely were going to cast their votes for the Granite State. "It would be good for the project to come here," said Dumas. "New Hampshire, known for its spirit of independence, is a state that reflects their ideals. Of the other states that they have been looking at, Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming – New Hampshire has the lowest dependence on federal dollars. Their coming here would help us to build on the strengths of this state."

Jackie Casey of Portland, Ore., already has made plans to relocate to New Hampshire. The 32-year-old army veteran has worked in software quality assurance most of her career. After encountering the Libertarian philosophy in college, she founded the Libertarian Students Club at the University of Arizona. Casey's father lives in Gilmanton Ironworks, but she says that isn't the only reason she is coming here. "For me, no state income and sales taxes is a major attraction."

State Republican Party chair Jayne Millerick of Chichester reacted positively to the possibility of 20,000 Free Staters moving here.

"The prospect of having a number of active dedicated voters, regardless of their party affiliation, move to New Hampshire is good for the state. Much of their ideology, such as individual liberty, personal responsibility, and free trade is similar to ours. We are good at presenting issues to New Hampshire voters, regardless of their party ties," she said. "We would enjoy the challenge of persuading newcomers to vote with us. The larger problem would be with the Democrats. You'd be hard pressed to find a Libertarian voting Democratic."

But Pamela Walsh of Concord, the press secretary for the state Democratic Party, wasn't as pessimistic about the impact on her party.

"We're not opposed to making government smaller, but sometimes things, such as defense, schools and environmental protection, can only be accomplished by the community together. We agree with the Libertarians on some issues, such as personal privacy and the right to free choice in reproductive matters," Walsh said. "I don't know how they would vote here. They agree with us on some issues and the Republicans on others. In many ways, they sound as split as the rest of the electorate."

The Free State Project concept was first proposed by Sorens in a 1971 article in the online journal "Libertarian Enterprise." Sorens recently earned his doctorate in political science from Yale. He will be a lecturer at Yale this fall.

He said his main motivation for the Free State Project was "to really make a difference somewhere and to show the rest of the country what could be done by reducing the role of government."

He said, "We believe in bringing policies closer to the local level. The further away government gets, the more likely it is to tread on individual freedom."

August 15 is the deadline to sign up for the Free State Project. The movement needs 5,000 pledged members to vote on the relocation state this fall. According to Sorens, over 4,400 individuals so far have committed themselves to the plan. Most of them have signed up online at www.freestateproject.org.

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20,000 activists

20,000 activists may make N.H. a permanent home

by Adam Leech • 07/11/03
news@seacoastonline.com

PORTSMOUTH - New Hampshire and Maine are on a small list of states that a group of 20,000 advocates of limited government will choose from to organize their attempt to reduce the size and scope of government.

In September, the 5,000 members of The Free State Project will vote on which state to move to, where their plan is to increase its membership, reduce state and local law, reform state and local laws and end federal mandates.

The eight other states that are being considered are Idaho, Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming. Eventually the 20,000 members of the group will move to the state which has been chosen.

According to Elizabeth McKinstry, vice president of the project, of the 10 states there are five states that are the most likely candidates. She said while Maine is not in the upper tier, New Hampshire is one of the most intriguing possibilities.

"New Hampshire is definitely one of the top contenders," she said.

McKinstry said New Hampshire's long history of small government and limited tax burden are two of its most appealing features.

"New Hampshire has a strong position on liberty and independence," she said. "Also, it is absolutely gorgeous, which many members recognize."

The Libertarian Party of New Hampshire formed the Welcome to the Granite State Committee to promote New Hampshire as the most desirable Free State candidate.

"I'd like to think we're in the lead," said Michelle Dumas, a member of the committee. Dumas said the project is not necessarily a Libertarian movement but many of the goals of the project are in line with those of the party.

"It would make sense that we would work together," she said. "We're not trying to change anything, we're actually trying to make New Hampshire more like itself."

Dumas said the 400-member State Legislature offers the best representation of any state in the nation.

"It's a government for the people more than any other state," she said.

According to The Free State Project Web site, of the 16 variables that are considered most important in choosing a state, New Hampshire ranks in the top three in 12 categories; Maine ranks high in three. Out of the variables New Hampshire got the top ranking in six, the most of any state; three more than runner-up Wyoming.

New Hampshire received the highest rank in:

• low federal dependence

• geography

• low crime rate

• smaller state and local government sector

• livability ranking

• low percentage of National Education Association/ American Federation of Teachers members

McKinstry said among the states being considered all have a population under 1.5 million. Maine and New Hampshire have the highest populations of the candidates, which is considered a negative attribute.

"Obviously a state with less population will be easier to make an impact on," she said.

Maine is not considered to be a top candidate, according to McKinstry.

Dumas pointed to the high tax burden in Maine as a reason why it is not as attractive as New Hampshire.

"Maine has a lot of good points," she said. "But their are a lot of advantages in New Hampshire that doesn't seem to be part of [the Maine] culture."

McKinstry said Maine's wilderness and open space is enticing to project members.

"[Maine] has a lot going for it in terms of quality of life issues," she said.

Rep. Daniel Itse, R-Freemont, said he would not be opposed to the project settling in New Hampshire because they are free to move as they please. He said his stance on "small government" is politically close to the project's, as well.

"For a group of people to pro-actively [move to a state] is a lot better than the state we have where people ignore politics and don't think they can control it, so they don't do anything about it," he said. "This is the antithesis."

Rep. Richard Morris, R-S.Hampton, said he is also in favor of less government and he would welcome discussion with anyone who has ideas on how to reduce taxes.

"I promote everybody's position of opportunity, if someone thinks something should be changed then more power to them," he said. "That's one of the things that makes this country great."

Itse said he thinks the project could have a significant impact because the House has become more conservative as of late, but he said their impact could not be overwhelming.

"In a state of 1.3 million, a group of 20,000 may be able to shift a handful of towns," he said. "But ultimately the public's displeasure with the state government is what will force change."

Itse said the state currently has 80 conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives and the movement might be able to push that to 100.

Morris said some of the country's greatest feats were realized by people who did what they believed, regardless of what anyone had to say to them.

"If you look back historically it was the people with the perseverance and tenacity who had a passion for their cause that implemented change," he said.

McKinstry said she expects the project to draw people to the state once it is established, which she expects to take a couple decades.

"We're not looking to do anything radical right off," she said. "Things like that take time."

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NH said a front-runner

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

by Dean Abbott • Staff Writer • 07/13/03

Like most mothers, Michelle Dumas is concerned about the kind of society her young daughter will grow up in. "I want to raise my daughter in a place free from violent crime, where she will have access to high quality education, and where personal responsibility is inherent in the culture," Dumas said.

Concern for the kind of society where her daughter will grow up is one of the reasons why the 33-year-old Somersworth woman joined the Free State Project after discovering the group on the Internet about 18 months ago.

According to the group's Web site, the Free State Project is a group dedicated to "the effort to sign up 20,000 advocates of limited government to move to a single state" with the goal of influencing public policy in that state. The group hopes to concentrate the political efforts of its libertarian-leaning constituency in a state with a small enough population where 20,000 activists could make a difference.

And make a difference they could. University of New Hampshire Political Science Instructor David Corbin said an influx of 20,000 focused activists could have a tremendous impact on New Hampshire politics. "The world could be theirs in New Hampshire," he said.

While the short list of options for where the group may be headed currently contains 10 states, including Alaska, Delaware, Maine, Montana, Vermont and Wyoming, New Hampshire is a front-runner to be chosen as the destination state when the group votes in little more than a month, said Dumas, who serves the group as a media coordinator.

If New Hampshire is chosen, some members would begin moving here immediately though none are obligated to come for five years. Members of the group would likely settle across the state since they will not be required to live in any particular region.

The project's Web site describes the political position of many of its members. "Most FSP members support policies such as the abolition of all income taxes, elimination of regulatory bureaucracies, repeal of most gun control laws, repeal of most drug prohibition laws, complete free trade, decentralization of government, and wide-scale privatization."

The group began its drive to recruit members – all of whom promise to move to a particular state – in September 2001, hoping to reach 5,000 commitments by September 2004. The project's founders planned to hold a member vote to select the target state once membership reached the 5,000 mark.

The group has beaten its goal date by more than a year. The number of people who have joined so far is about 4,500. The group plans to hold its vote in on Aug. 15.

"New Hampshire has seemed to be in the lead, or one of the states in the lead since the beginning of the project, and there are good reasons for that," Dumas said.

Dumas gave several reasons why New Hampshire is attractive to FSP members, but first among these is New Hampshire's long-standing tradition of limited government and self-reliance. "New Hampshire has a spirit of independence that has survived 200-plus years. It's almost legendary" Dumas said.

UNH's Corbin echoes this observation. "A lot of people when they think of New Hampshire, they think of 'Live Free or Die.' It's part of life here, it's on our license plate, and it means something," he said.

Corbin said this political spirit stretches back to the beginnings of the United States. "At the founding," he said, "some states incorporated a much more centralized view of government and others a much more Jeffersonian (view), ... that emphasized decentralization. New Hampshire had a Jeffersonian upbringing."

FSP members like Dumas are advocating within the group to persuade other voters to select New Hampshire in the upcoming election. "New Hampshire is a state where the values of small government and self-reliance are already primary in the culture. Since what the Free State Project is seeking to do is to find a state where these values are already inherent in the culture, New Hampshire seems like the number one choice. I'm optimistic that New Hampshire will be the choice. Very optimistic," she said.

Part of the efforts aimed at persuading FSP members to choose New Hampshire in the August election involved a recent convention in Lancaster. "People came to New Hampshire from all over the country. Many went around the state speaking to individuals they came into contact with, and the reports that came back to me were that nearly everyone was receptive to the Free State Project," Dumas said.

Jason Sorens, president of the Free State Project, said there are more tangible reasons than just a tradition of independent spirit that might make New Hampshire a good destination for the group. "Many think New Hampshire is best for us because it has low taxes and a strong anti-tax movement, a wide range of personal freedoms, a strong tradition of local democracy, and low dependence on federal government subsidies," he said.

Sorens also said New Hampshire has attracted the attention of the Free State Project because it has "resisted some trends in other states toward controlling people's private lives. For example, New Hampshire has no motorcycle helmet law and no seat belt laws for adults."

Many factors making New Hampshire an attractive place for Free Staters are institutionalized in the way New Hampshire is governed. Dumas said the nature of the New Hampshire Legislature is a good example; "We have a 400-member Legislature. It offers the best representation in the nation. The government is closer to the people. Even more important is that we pay our legislators only $100 a year, so we end up with a government of the people."

Corbin said the state's Constitution reflects a strong view of individual rights as well. "When you look at the New Hampshire state Constitution you see it's divided into two major parts. The first part is a Bill of Rights. The second part is the form of government. So, when the framers of the New Hampshire Constitution framed it, they purposely began by stating what the individual rights were before turning to a discussion of what form of government would be necessary to secure those rights."

Sorens pointed to New Hampshire's practice of allowing political candidates to run on two separate party lines as an attractive political tradition. This practice, he said, "would allow us to have direct access to the Statehouse. We could run people who are Libertarians and they could also get the Republican nomination and pick up Republican voters and, of course, the same thing could be done with Democrats."

New Hampshire's most well-known political event, its presidential primary, is not a major draw for the Free Staters, according to Sorens. "Some members would say it matters, but for most it is a positive, but relatively minor consideration, because we're focused on state politics."

One issue sure to be contentious should FSP members' move to New Hampshire is education. "Currently, our educational system is really a government monopoly. What we would want to do is create more school choice, to return educational decisions back to the hands of the parents," Dumas said.

FSP members have ranked the desirability of the 10 candidate states by a variety of factors. One of those desirability factors concerns states with fewer members in the National Education Association, a nationwide union and professional association for educators. New Hampshire tied with Idaho for first place in this category. Terry Shumaker, executive director of the New Hampshire NEA, was puzzled by this fact. "I'm surprised by that statement." he said, "We have over 14,000 active members in New Hampshire. We're the largest education association in the state."

Sorens said ranking the state's by NEA membership was a way of trying to measure how open the area would be to the group's efforts to introduce full school choice. "The NEA has generally opposed any efforts toward educational choice or competition, so a state with a higher NEA membership would be less fruitful ground for those policies" he said.

Shumaker said the New Hampshire NEA "doesn't necessarily oppose it (school choice) so long as the field is level." A level playing field, Shumaker said, means that "if public money is going to go to a school, then the same requirements should be placed upon any school receiving public funds," he said.

Sorens claimed introducing full educational competition and choice would "lead to higher quality schools at lower costs just as other markets are better off when they are freed from government monopoly control."

If New Hampshire is chosen as the destination state for Free State Project members, some members have pledged to move here immediately, though none would be obligated to move here for five years. Consequently, quality of life projections have been important to the group. "New Hampshire has a very strong job market, and areas of New Hampshire have affordable real estate. I don't have any worries about being able to assimilate into New Hampshire both economically and culturally" Sorens said.

Dumas indicated that Free Staters moving to New Hampshire could benefit the state. "It is my impression," she said, "that people in the Free State Project tend to be overwhelmingly entrepreneurial, so they would be moving here and creating new opportunities and jobs."

If New Hampshire should be chosen by the Free State Project and even if all 20,000 members should move to the state, Corbin wonders how effective they would be. "Libertarian thought rests on the idea of 'leave me alone'" he said. "When you get a bunch of those people together, how do you get them organized?"

Corbin says the activist's ability to organize is even more important than their numbers. "To say 20,000 people move to the state and the game is over, I think, is incorrect, but if 20,000 move to the state with means to support the activities you need to do in politics, they could have a tremendous impact," he said.

When asked about what the official response from the state would be should FSP members choose New Hampshire and begin moving here, Chris Reid, a staff member for Governor Craig Benson said "As long as they believe in the rule of law, I can't imagine the governor being opposed to anybody moving to New Hampshire because of their political beliefs. The sign at the border say 'Welcome' and we mean it."

Because FSP's plans are not yet firm, some New Hampshire members, though hoping to stay put, are preparing to move should another state be chosen. Dover member George Reich, 45, said "I think freedom is more important than living in a particular state. I would be willing to move to another state to be a part of this."

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Media Article

Free State Project vote set for August

Liberty-minded activists will choose which sparsely-populated state will be the focus of their collective political might in a vote beginning in August.

Members of the Free State Project will have until Sept. 8 to vote on which of 10 states they would like to move to in order to advocate for limited government. Wyoming and New Hampshire are top contenders in the effort.

The Free State Project is an effort to sign up 20,000 advocates of limited government to move to a single state in which they can incrementally reduce the reach of government. That effort passed the 4,000-member mark earlier in June, prompting organizers to set a vote date.

The deadline to sign up to participate in the vote is Aug. 15, by which time the FSP should have more than 5,000 members, according to the group's projections. The deadline for members to return their ballots is Sept. 8, and the selected state will be announced on Sept. 15, according to a press release from Jason Sorens, the Yale University doctoral student who founded and leads the effort.

Tom Parker, a Louisville, Colo., resident who serves as the group's liaison to Wyoming, said the movement is a reaction to the current government climate.

"In terms of liberty, we see things drifting away with the latest moves like the USA Patriot Act, and the various wars, now Liberia, we feel our government is not playing by the rules of the Constitution so we're hoping to change things," Parker said. "By concentrating our numbers in one state we're hoping to have more influence and move things more toward liberty."

Eligible voters will be able to choose from among Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming. Once the group reaches 20,000 commitments, members have five years in which to move to the chosen state. Some members have already indicated that they will move as soon as the state is chosen, Parker said.

Dennis Brossman, a Wyoming Libertarian, said the project is very appealing.

" I am tempted by the project even if Alaska or Vermont were to try it. I prefer Wyoming, the climate and terrain and being in the heart of the 48 states, but the freedom experiment is very alluring to me," Brossman said. " I'd be willing to move to Alaska."

Brossman said the idea of newcomers changing the way things are done in Wyoming is nothing new.

"I think it's done in other realms, but not so openly and honestly," he said. "For example, in Lander and Jackson in the last 10, 15 years, we've had a large number of environmentalists move in and they heavily affect the policy in these areas."

He said he thinks the plan has a shot: "I think it's something that would be workable and doable. I don't think it's a pipe dream."

The Free State Project posts additional information on its Web site, (http://www.freestateproject.org).

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Libertarians checking out N.H.

Libertarians checking out N.H.

LANCASTER, N.H. (AP) – A group of Libertarians is in New Hampshire this week to see if the state might make a good home for a new national movement.

It's called the Free State Project and the idea is to move 20,000 followers to one state, where they'll work toward reducing the size of government.

Project Vice President Elizabeth McKinstry says they're just trying to get a bunch of people who think the same way, in the same place, and see what happens.

The group is looking for a small state that tends toward fiscal conservatism and social liberalism.

When they find it, group members will run for state offices on a traditional Libertarian platform: no gun-control laws, elimination of taxes and reduction in government spending.

New Hampshire and Wyoming are the strongest contenders among ten states being checked out.

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These media articles are maintained on a non-commercial basis by The Free State Project, a non-profit organization, for historical, educational, scholarship, and research purposes. (For information regarding "Fair Use", see US Code Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 107).