NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
Pointers for Handling New Hampshire Winters
by Howard S. Katz • 1/10/04
The temperature here in the White Mountains reached ten degrees this
morning – ten degrees below zero!
As a long-time New Hampshire resident, I would like to offer a few
(sometimes irreverent!) pointers on making it through a chilly New Hampshire
winter:
-
With the exception of those from Alaska and the northern border of
the U.S. from Montana east to Maine, you all have thin blood. :-) Thin blood is
good in warm climates because it helps to dissipate heat in the summer.
Natives of New Hampshire have thick blood, which helps the body to retain heat.
It will take you one winter to thicken up your blood; so expect to suffer that
first winter. Don't give up. Tough it out. It will be better in subsequent
winters. It is my understanding that they built the Appalachian mountains to
keep the cold Canadian air from getting to the East Coast, but the mountains
are just not doing their job.
-
Dress in layers – flannel shirts and sweaters. The air space
between the layers helps keep you warm. And if you get overheated, you can
always shed some layers. It is important not to get overheated during a
5-minute dash into some building to do some errand as your body's temperature
mechanism then starts trying to cool you down; and this is not good when you
rush back outside.
-
Wool is warm; cotton is cold. Cotton may be king in the South, but
it doesn't do the job up here. In particular use wool for your extremities.
Wool socks are a real plus.
-
Check your car's battery in Nov. or Dec. and make sure that it is
tough enough to make it through a winter. Batteries suffer a serious loss of
power in cold weather, and it is most definitely not fun to face a bitterly
cold winter morning with a dead battery. Remote control devices which can
start your car from inside your house and let it warm up while you are dressing
are a welcome innovation. I haven't gotten one yet, but I believe they retail
for under $100. For those naﶥ persons from south Texas, San Diego and
Florida, learn about anti-freeze and make sure you are checked out for 30-40
degrees below zero (F).
-
If you intend to live in one of the rural areas (which is most of
the state), then an American car is better (in my opinion). I used to prefer
foreign cars (because of the gas mileage). But with the American car you have
more car under you. You are better able to climb a snow-covered hill in a
storm or bull your way through a mound of snow. Ice melt and sand are quite
helpful, and it is not a bad idea to carry a small shovel in your trunk through
the winter.
-
Deceive yourself that the winter has not yet come until late
December; then start looking forward to spring on March 1. The weather breaks
sharply (for the good) right around March 15. That way you only have to make
it through 2 months. You can suffer for 2 months to live free.
-
The sun is low on the horizon and is often in your eyes. Pick up
some UV-blocker sunglasses. You can buy them at Dollar Store for $1.00.
-
(For autumn) New Hampshire is apple country. Johnny Appleseed was a
real person and lived just south of here. Eat apples; drink apple cider; and
use apple cider vinegar. This keeps the doctor away – which is why New
Hampshire has not had a problem with socialized medicine.
Howard S. Katz
614 Nashua St. #122
Milford, N.H. 03055-4917
(603) 654-4321
NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
The Maples of Manchester
by Philip Denisch
(With feelings of great admiration to the original
Rudyard Kipling
What Say the Reeds at Runnymead?)
At Manchester, at Manchester,
What say the maples at Manchester?
The hardy wood that never breaks,
That braves the cold, and never quakes,
The patriots, their souls awake,
With tales of Jās at Manchester.
At Manchester, at Manchester,
Oh, hear the trees at Manchester: -
"You mustn't tax, run, oppress,
A Granite Stater's true noblesse,
It ticks 'em off when you transgress
We see the fruit at Manchester!
When through the state the toadies came,
To try and make the fed'ral claim,
They only made our hearts inflame.
They bumbled up to Manchester.
While there, they launched a plan, most foul,
And for our money they do prowl -
So, soon the free began to growl,
Thus called for Jās at Manchester.
At Manchester, at Manchester,
Your rights returned at Manchester!
Mother of Rivers now unbound,
unchained children on barefoot ground,
Mountain and trees and seas surround,
This trip begun with all our cheers,
Forget not, in future years,
The state re-gained at Manchester."
And still when Massholes try their ways,
Be sure to let the beacon blaze,
The freedom-light will cut the haze,
Across the trees at Manchester.
And Merrimack, loather of tyrants and kings,
And sachems and sultans and suchlike things,
Rolls deep and certain as he brings
The porcupine to Manchester!
Back to Essays
NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
Let Me Call You Home
by John Connell, 7/04
MP3 (2.0 Mb) •
WMA (1.1 Mb)
|
First I came to meet you on those early summer days
Your awe-inspiring beauty (well) it truely did amaze
And far beyond the sight of you was your spirit burning free
I knew that I'd come back some day – it really had to be
I had to go away but I came back whenever I could
And you welcomed me each time I did, just like you said you would
You did not ask me where I go and you did not ask me why
Your welcome back each time I came was just Live Free or Die
I had always heard that love can come at the first sight
And the values you and I share we both hold with all our might
Most other folks around this land are really very kind
But their Vigil over Liberty has somehow slipped their minds
New Hampshire if you'd have me, I'd love to call you home
You have everything I need to rest my mind and bones
And when I cross your border, it won't be just to roam
I'll always stand by Liberty – just like one of your own
|
Back to Essays
NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
Democratic FUDdites
It is several weeks since the Free State Project announced New Hampshire as the
winning state, but the comments of Kathy Sullivan, chairwoman of the New
Hampshire Democratic Party, are still echoing. In The Fosters Daily Democrat
on October 2, 2003, Sullivan had said, "Why is Governor Craig Benson supporting
a group that wants to legalize prostitution, legalize drugs and eliminate
public schools?" Shamelessly working to instill fear, uncertainty, and doubt,
Sullivan went on to say, "Craig Benson should explain to the voters why he is
supporting such a radical, anti-family agenda." Perhaps it is Kathy Sullivan
who should explain to voters why she is so afraid that she has to resort to FUD
tactics?
For over a year I have been a member of the Free State Project, and for (far
longer) I have been a member of the New Hampshire Republican Party, in the
libertarian wing. I supported Governor Benson-New Hampshire needed a
non-politician governor with innovative and 'radical' ideas. I have seen him
work hard towards the budget cuts that the New Hampshire economy so badly
needed. Sullivan's predictions of Benson losing votes because of his support
for the Free State Project are wishful thinking, but it is her comments on
public schools that I wish to address in detail.
Since the publication of my essay
Happily Homeschooling in
NH on the FSP web site, I have been contacted by several individuals from
all over the United States about homeschooling in New Hampshire and
homeschooling in general, and from non-FSP people who wanted to know more about
the Project. While I cannot speak for all members of the FSP, I have not heard
from one who believes that the public schools will be "eliminated" in a free
state. Sullivan's accusation is an unfair attempt to exploit fears and cast
doubt on the Project, with obvious political motivation. The FSP mission does
support a family's right to homeschool their children without government
intrusion. It is my goal and that of several others I know to work within the
existing political system to preserve and perhaps enhance a family's right to
homeschool in a free state.
Homeschooling our children has enhanced the bonds within our home. We are a
stronger and closer-knit family then we ever dreamed of being when our children
attended the local public school. I do not see any "anti-family" agenda in
homeschooling and enhancing homeschooling laws. In fact the only square peg in
the house is the one child who does attend the local public middle school. I
am not mindlessly opposed to schools; as a mother I want what is best for my
son, and in his case homeschooling does not work well, so I enroll him in a
traditional school. I would never politically strive to deprive another family
of that right.
My own political goals include opening doors of free competition, which I
believe would ultimately improve public schools in New Hampshire. With the
threat of competition, organizations improve. I view the public school as
nothing other than a municipal business which, if faced with real competition,
would find ways to improve. That improvement would benefit all children in New
Hampshire. How is that political view "anti-family"?
We must protect the rights of parents who choose to have their children attend
schools, whether public or private. There is very little recourse for parents
in New Hampshire if they find that the teachers and administrators of a public
school are not performing satisfactorily; even amidst allegations of serious
misconduct, unions protect the teachers. I base these comments on what I have
witnessed myself as a parent.
Democrats who are truly pro-family, want our children to get the best education
possible. I have several liberal democratic friends who are very interested in
the Free State Project. I reject Kathy Sullivan's fears and I do think that
there is a welcoming spirit here in New Hampshire!
Back to Essays
NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
Happily Homeschooling in NH
by Julie DiCarlo
I recently attended an informational meeting for the FSP in Dover, New
Hampshire. It was a very small crowd, which unfortunately, did not include
interested non-members. We did, however, have a nice talk about what New
Hampshire has to offer. A comment was made about how hard it is to homeschool
in New Hampshire. Until that very moment, I had wondered if I had anything to
offer to the members of the Free State Project. It suddenly occurred to me that
if and when people start to migrate to New Hampshire they may actually need me
as a resource for homeschooling. I started to talk about how easy it had been
for my husband and I to start a homeschool program, even though we started in
the fall of the 2001-2002 school year. It was suggested that I write up a
little article to help dispel the notion that New Hampshire is tough on
homeschoolers.
From the time that our oldest son was in first grade until he was beginning the
fifth grade, my husband and I became increasingly dissatisfied with the
elementary school here in town. The school principal did not act quite right,
and became quite aggressive towards the children and me. The principal's verbal
abuse peaked during November 2001 and it became clear to Ron and I that we must
take action for the safety and emotional health of our children.
The very same day that we "pulled the children," I hand-delivered a letter of
intent to our local school administration unit. The basic requirement of the
letter is to state that you intend to homeschool your child, the date that your
homeschool program starts, the full name of the child, the age of the child and
the child's birth date. From the date of that original intent letter, a
homeschooling family has 30 days to submit a scope and sequence letter which is
a basic outline of the materials that the family intends to use for the school
year. This letter should include a statement that says, "We reserve the right
to change any and all of these materials to meet the needs of our child."
Within 3 weeks, the homeschooling family should receive a letter that
acknowledges the homeschooling program.
At the end of the school year, the family has two choices for evaluation of the
child. The results must be submitted to the participating agency no later then
July 1st of that school year. The first method is to have the child complete a
recognized standardized test, for example a CAT test. The second and most
popular method is the portfolio evaluation. The portfolio consists of samples
from the beginning of the homeschool program year and samples from the end. The
portfolio is then examined by a licensed evaluator of the parent's choice. A
letter is then sent to the participating agency stating that the child has made
progress and is at an appropriate level for age and ability. These letters are
very standard, and each family tends to use the same set of letters each year
by simply changing the dates and ages of the children. Examples of these
letters can be found
here.
We have just completed our second year of homeschooling. The 2002-2003 school
year was the first full year for us. This year I filed my paperwork directly to
the State of New Hampshire Department of Education. So our participating agency
this year was the DOE rather then our local SAU 16. Due to our conflict with
the Newfields Elementary School, we felt it was best to work around the local
school district. This turned out to be a blessing for us, as the above
mentioned principal was arrested this past March for unspeakable behavior.
I found the homeschooling division of the DOE amazing. These people work hard
to make sure that the freedom to homeschool here in New Hampshire is preserved.
I find the team up there hard working and dedicated to the homeschooling
alternative. Ms. Angie LeBel keeps the files on homeschoolers who file directly
to the state. She works very hard to educate the superintendents in the state
as to what is required of homeschoolers. She has written a booklet and has
spoken to school administration all over the state. Ms. LeBel is currently
working on a book about homeschooling being an alternative for education in NH.
She invited my children to her office in Concord last week so that we could
bring our portfolio evaluation paperwork in person rather then mailing it. The
children were able to stamp their letters with the official "received" stamp,
which made them feel so important. The children were also able to meet and
thank the individual who takes care of the legal requirement so that they can
continue to learn at home.
There are dozens of support groups here in New Hampshire. A family can find a
group with or without religious affiliation. These groups usually have
portfolio seminars in the spring which are very helpful. There are also dozens
of email support lists. If the FSP group moves to New Hampshire I intend to set
up a homeschooling email list for FSP members for example, possibly through the
NHHR. I am also available for support once the project moves here. I am
actually looking forward to the day when a large group of homeschooling FSP
members can gather to exchange ideas and to let the kids socialize. I am urging
people to give New Hampshire a chance for the first Free State as NH offers
much in the way of freedom in respect to the choice for homeschooling. I am
available for any questions that you may have at any time.
Please feel free to write me, or to call if you need any help. We welcome
visitors to our family web-site for additional information and resources.
Happily Homeschooling In NH,
Julie Ann DiCarlo
ilove3kids@prowebtechs.com
www.LittleRedHomeschool.com
Back to Essays
NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
New Hampshire – the Luckiest State
Tim Condon's Speech at the FSP Announcement
Press Conference
10/1/03
(Note: A video of this speech is available
here)
Good morning, my name is Tim Condon, and as Jason said I'm a lawyer from
the state of Florida. I'm on the board of directors of the Free State Project,
and I'm director of member services. I wanted to speak just a little bit about
the changes that may come to New Hampshire as a result of it being probably the
luckiest state in the history of the United States, to be chosen by the Free
State Project. (applause)
There are going to be great economic and social benefits we believe that
will accrue to the state as a result of being chosen by the Free State Project,
and the reason I wanted to make a few remarks about that is because change in
general is very difficult, a difficult process, and made even more difficult if
the change is in the direction of individualism and more individual
responsibility and more individual freedom and a more open social system, which
is what we advocate. We hope that the prospect of the great economic benefits
that will accrue to the state will help to allay any natural suspicion of the
Free State Project members.
Throughout history some societies and some governments and some countries
have prospered, while others have stagnated. And for generations of economists,
they have scratched their heads over this, saying, "Gee what makes a successful
economic system? Why do some societies stagnate and others are wildly
successful?" How can Hong Kong, a couple of hundred barren square miles of
coastline in China turn out in the 1960's and 1970's to have one of the largest
economies in the world?
Well, even though a lot of economists have scratched their heads over that
issue, other economists such as Nobel laureates Milton Friedman, Frederick
Hayek, and James Buchanan have had no problem explaining the big mystery. The
answer is what the Free State Project stands for: Individual freedom, property
rights, equality before the law, low taxes, and minimal governmental power to
interfere with all of that (otherwise known as bureaucracy, which we hope to
cut back). Those are the conditions that we will want to safeguard if they're
already in New Hampshire and exist; we would like to strengthen them if they're
there but they are weak; and we would seek to establish them if they do not
exist.
In addition to the salutary political, economic, and social beliefs that
are held by Free State Project Porcupines, as we call ourselves, we will also
bring an influx of very high energy, hard-working, and entrepreneurial good
citizens. To the people of the fiercely individualistic state the Live Free or
Die state of New Hampshire I would say: We come as good citizens with the aim
of working with you to make New Hampshire an even greater state of freedom than
it is today. Therefore I would say, as I've told lots and lots of people at the
Free State Project as we've grown our movement, "Next year in the Free State!"
NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
Benson allies gain ground but lose Benson
How should Free Staters react?
by
Dada Orwell
Tuesday's gubernatorial election brings a new governor to New Hampshire,
John Lynch. Lynch came to power promising an end to our statewide property tax
and pledging to veto any sales or income tax. In any other state this would be
considered some sort of anarchist coup. But here liberty lovers see it as
setback for freedom because his opponent, Craig Benson was far more
anti-tax than that. Most observers, including me, expected the incumbent Benson
to win. In the event, his allies in the legislature did well...but Benson
didn't. Stung by a series of scandals and various other problems I will
recount, Benson failed to win re-election, by a margin of 2%. The news is not
all bad, not by a long shot. I'll go into detail on that later. But this piece
of news is bad enough to cancel out quite a bit of good. Benson is an unrivaled
champion of liberty in New Hampshire; when compared to him even Lynch is not.
First, let's look at why Benson lost, or at least my take on it. I'll
concentrate only on the factors that were under his control or ours, and as you
will see...if any one of these problems had been dealt with, Benson probably
would have won.
Winston Churchill once said you shouldn't criticize others for something
they did in the past unless you can prove that you sounded the alarm bell at
the time. So I'm attaching links to our discussion of these problems in the
months preceding the election. Now...the problems:
Benson didn't start fighting soon enough. See
this thread (in the Participants-only forum).
We didn't start fighting for him soon enough, although Kate Rick
did sound the alarm starting in August.
Thread (Participants-only forum).
Benson's campaign did not adequately mobilize the volunteers who signed
up as such on his their website, or at least when they did it was too late.
Forum thread.
His administration had too many perceived ethical breaches.
Forum thread.
Finally, at this early stage, there simply are not yet enough Free
Staters in-state to have a major impact. Sixty of us have officially moved
since state selection a year ago, with perhaps another sixty movers not yet
counted. One hundred and twenty green, early-arriving activists constituted a
helpful force, but not a major one. And only a fraction of us were
concentrating on the Benson-Lynch race. As best I can tell, recently moved Free
Staters made up somewhere between 3 and 7 percent of Benson's active volunteer
base. I'm basing this educated guess on the number of recently relocated Free
Staters that showed up at the last two debate rallies. Others, of course,
contributed in different ways or helped a different liberty cause.
Perhaps we recent movers were able to gain Benson an extra percentage
point. If things had been just slightly different our efforts would have pushed
him over the top and changed the course of New Hampshire history, perhaps
American history. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, but this
won't be our last chance.
Significantly, there is one thing that did not contribute to his
loss, as best I can tell, and in this we should take heart. His association
with the Free State Project does not seem to have hurt him; in fact it appears
not to have been an issue in the race. If Lynch ever attacked him for
supporting us, it wasn't reported in the press. As best I can tell, the last
media-reported attack on Benson for associating with us was back in
June. Since then we have apparently not been a point of contention, just a
happy bunch of freedom lovers coming into the state at the rate of about two a
week. If we were too small to affect the balance positively, we were too
accepted to affect it negatively. This is great news considering the extent to
which we had expected to be resented at this early stage.
Speaking of good news, here is the rest of it, at least the parts I know as
of now.
The "liberty-hawks" in the NH House did significantly better than the
ultra-authoritarians.
Forum thread.
There were some positive results in the Senate. Two key Benson
opponents (moderate Republicans) lost their Senate seats to conservative or
liberty oriented candidates during the September primary. Both of the upstart
conservative Republicans won again Tuesday against Democrats. However the
Republican majority in the Senate has dwindled slightly. I haven't yet run the
"liberty numbers" to see how libertarians and authoritarians did in the Senate,
but these new Senators make up 8% of the Senate and should be better champions
of freedom than their RINO predecessors. We're still crunching the numbers over
at this
forum thread.
Having a Democratic governor and a Republican house should, in theory
at least, tend to bring about a bit of gridlock...that's usually good for
keeping government growth in check. In any case, Lynch had to repudiate most
of the things that are associated with Democrats...otherwise he would have
lost.
New Hampshire Republicans won all four of the national races they were
in. Each of the four have decent or bearable rankings from the Republican
Liberty Caucus. The Caucus rates Bradley as a conservative, Sununu as a
libertarian, Gregg and Bass as enterprisers (which means they are
libertarian-leaning by Congressional standards). Though none of them are pure
libertarians, each is more liberty-oriented than their Democrat counterparts.
New Hampshire voted for Kerry by a hair...I'm not sure why but if they had
gotten their way we would probably have seen Federal government growth slow to
crawl. Divided government usually does.
With regard to the effect on us Free Staters, many of us have gained
experience and knowledge as political volunteers. This we will pass on to the
hundreds of new liberty immigrants expected over the coming year. I know I've
learned a thousand things I can't wait to share!
Many of us have made new contacts and friends with whom we worked on
these campaigns, many of them already in state government. Some of these bonds
will carry on deep into the coming century. Speaking for myself I got to meet
five state reps and will be staying in touch with three or four of them, not to
mention the dozens of candidates and staffers who have worked to make us freer.
Ultimately, it's all a matter of how we respond to the week's events. We
now realize that our untested, unprepared troops probably came within an ace of
turning the governor's contest, in favor of liberty. If we had been a bit more
active, more skilled or more numerous, Benson probably would have won, and we
could have rightly claimed to be the decisive factor. This should inspire us
all to action of some kind, regardless of where or who we are. The most
"happening" list of things you can do this month seems to be
Kate Rick's thread.
Whatever constructive thing you do I don't care...the point is, just go
out, do it and tell us about it!
If the result of this defeat is more activity and closer bonds with our
newly acquainted brothers & sisters in liberty, it will not have been a
defeat at all.
Discuss this article
Back to Essays
NOTE: The opinions and commentary expressed in this
essay are those of the author and are an exercise of free speech. They do not
necessarily represent the views of Free State Project Inc., its Directors, its
Officers, or its Participants.
FSP meets NH's Governor!
by Amanda Phillips • 6/30/03
Governor Benson Welcomes Free State Members
New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson is a rare breed of politician…
he's the kind who keeps his promises even after the campaign is over. I met him
the day after he vetoed an $8.8 billion budget, stamping the budget with a
custom-made 2-by-4 red VETO stamp that his staff had purchased for him. The
budget would have resulted in a $200 million deficit, which would eventually
have to be paid down with tax increases. With his budget veto, he kept his
campaign promise to keep taxes low and rein in state expenditures.
The entire state is buzzing with the news of his veto. Many in the media
are comparing him with Mel Thomson, who similarly butted heads with the
legislature by vetoing over-spent budgets. Thomson ran for governor on the
platform, "ax the tax." Though lawmakers may have been frustrated with Thomson,
he was a favorite with New Hampshire taxpayers who re-elected him twice. It
appears that Governor Benson also admires Thomson; a prominent portrait of Mel
Thomson with the quote "Low taxes are the result of low spending" greets all
visitors to the Governor's office. Granite (and Free) Staters can expect him to
continue to follow Thomson's fiscally responsible lead.
The budget veto wasn't the only promise Benson kept last week. Despite the
extraordinary demands on his time from lawmakers, media, aides, counsel and
cheering taxpayers, he kept his appointment with around 20 members of the Free
State Project (FSP). Free Staters are evaluating the "Live Free Or Die" state
as a leading candidate for the migration of 20,000 liberty-oriented activists
whose goal is to build upon and expand the existing freedoms in the chosen
state. Instrumental in arranging the meeting was John Babiarz, FSP member,
Chair of the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire (LPNH), and Benson's appointee
to New Hampshire's Efficiency in Government Commission. That we could have
access to the Governor on one of his busiest days is a testament to the
political savvy of both Babiarz and the LPNH.
Benson greeted Free Staters visiting from Oregon, Nevada, Texas,
Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire
with grace and a natural charm. As busy as he was that day, he was genuinely
happy to see us. I congratulated him on his bold move in vetoing the budget,
and asked him how he thought the situation would play out. He candidly replied,
"Nobody likes that budget. … It has become a political game of 'me beating
you,' and that's unfortunate. All I can say is 'Do the right thing.'" Later in
the conversation he shook his head and added, "I see these bills come across my
desk, and I wonder 'Where do they come up with these things?'"
As refreshing as it is to encounter a statesman who doesn't want to play
political games, it's even more refreshing to note the many New Hampshire
legislators supporting him on his budget veto. Today they managed to sustain
Benson's veto, despite strong opposition, and passed a continuing resolution to
avoid a shutdown and allow time for a new budget to be written.
Keith Murphy asked the all-important question on every Free Stater's mind,
"Governor, how would you feel about 20,000 libertarian activists moving to New
Hampshire." Smiling broadly, Benson replied, "Come on up. We'd love to have
you!" Contrast Governor Benson's response with those of the
other candidate states' governors. Montana's governor advised us to choose
Idaho, while Idaho's governor advised us to go elsewhere. New Hampshire's
Governor Benson not only welcomed us, he welcomed us enthusiastically. He is
the only governor who has done so.
As the rest of the group soaked up this happy news, I followed up with,
"Would you consider becoming a Friend of the Free State Project?" Benson
replied, "I'd love to be. I'll be a part of anything that John (Babiarz) is a
part of. … Send it to my office; we'll look over it and consider it."
Babiarz had campaigned against Benson in the governor's race, but you'd never
know that they were once political opponents. Benson added, "John and I had a
great time campaigning. We agreed on everything. We had a nice conversation
during the debates."
James Maynard, who is running for Keene City Council, chatted with the
Governor about how "We share another distinction. In yesterday's (6/27/03)
issue of the Keene Sentinel, they spent half their op-ed page attacking you,
and the other half attacking us." The Governor smiled and commented, "Then you
are in good company." Maynard also thanked the Governor for vetoing the
proposed budget, calling it "both bold, and the right thing to do."
As we continued to chat about various issues, Benson asked us to call him
Craig. Dave Mincin jovially commented, "I've never been on a first-name basis
with a governor before." Benson was very candid with us, at one point
commenting "I'm trying to put myself out of a job." When was the last time you
heard that from an elected politician?
Devera Morgan asked him about his position on victimless crime, to which he
replied, "We would have to look at those one issue at a time."
Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Benson which issues he thought
were "low-hanging fruit" for libertarian activists in his state. He mentioned
the next two items on his agenda are a Taxpayer Bill of Rights and School
Choice. I couldn't have been more pleased with his answer.
After a few more minutes of chatting, an aide informed the Governor that he
needed to keep another appointment. Benson had been gracious, welcoming, and
generous with our entire group. After smiles, goodbyes and hearty handshakes, I
left the meeting with no doubt in my mind that New Hampshire should be the Free
State. It's already most of the way there, and we have an ally in the state's
highest office.
|
|
New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson, Free Stater Amanda Phillips, LPNH Chair
John Babiarz, under portrait of Josiah Bartlett, a NH signer of the Declaration
of Independence. John Babiarz arranged Benson's meeting with Free Staters, at
which Amanda Phillips asked him to join the Free State Project as a Friend.
|
| |
| |
|
|
New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson welcomes visiting Free Staters
|
Note: this article was originally at
www.livejournal.com/users/amanda42/312314.html
Welcome from NH Residents
(If you are a NH resident and would like to submit a welcome message to the FSP, please send us an email).
Killington Ads
This "shadow ad" campaign consists of three, half-page, week-long ads in the
Mountain Times newspaper, in
Killington VT.
The issue revolves around Killington's threat to secede to New Hampshire,
due to the high taxes in Vermont. See related news stories in:
CNN,
Boston Globe, and
Newsday.
These ads welcome Killington to join the Free State Project in New
Hampshire!
Thanks to FSP Advertising Coordinator, Amy Knickerbocker.
[Other Advertising]
Participants
in New Hampshire
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
LinkedIn