Analysis of Presidential Elections

Analysis of Presidential Elections
in the 10 Candidate States

by Keith Carlsen

In Tennyson's report Analyzing the Freedom Orientation of Existing State Populations, he analysed the results of the 2000 presidential election and what it means to the FSP and its members. The gist of that report is in this table:

Voter Predisposition to Vote for Small-government Candidates
(2000 Presidential Election)

Rank	State	Percentage
1	Wyoming	151%
2	Idaho	141%
3	North Dakota	73%
4	Alaska	70%
5	South Dakota	66%
6	Montana	53%
7	New Hampshire	-3%
8	Delaware	-35%
9	Maine	-21%
10	Vermont	-37%

Source: Analyzing the Freedom Orientation of Existing State Populations

By looking at the 2000 election, we see that Wyoming and Idaho come out far above all of the other candidate states. However, one election is just that – one election, and cannot be considered the whole picture.

Nine most recent presidential elections

Here is the data from the nine most recent presidential elections: 2000 – 1968. This data presents a more complete picture of all recent Presidential elections.

	2000		1996		1992		1988	1984	1980	1976		1972	1968
State	Candidate	%	Candidate	%	Candidate	%	Cand.	Cand.	Cand.	Candidate	%	Cand.	Candidate	%
AK	Bush (R)	58.6	Dole (R)	50.8	Bush (R)	39.5	Bush (R)	Reagan (R)	Reagan (R)	Ford (R)		Nixon (R)	Nixon (R)
DE	Gore (D)	55.0	Clinton (D)	51.8	Clinton (D)	43.5				Carter (D)	52.0
ID	Bush (R)	61.2	Dole (R)	52.2	Bush (R)	42.0				Ford (R)
ND	Bush (R)	60.7	Dole (R)	46.9	Bush (R)	44.2
NH	Bush (R)	48.1	Clinton (D)	49.3	Clinton (D)	38.9
ME	Gore (D)	49.1	Clinton (D)	51.6	Clinton (D)	38.81							Humphrey (D)	55.3
MT	Bush (R)	58.4	Dole (R)	44.1	Clinton (D)	37.6							Nixon (R)
SD	Bush (R)	60.3	Dole (R)	46.5	Bush (R)	40.7
VT	Gore (D)	50.6	Clinton (D)	53.3	Clinton (D)	46.1
WY	Bush (R)	67.8	Dole (R)	49.8	Bush (R)	39.5

1 Ross Perot beat George Bush in Maine with 30.44% to 30.39% of the popular vote.
Sources: www.multied.com/elections and www.uselectionatlas.org/USPRESIDENT/frametextj.html

(Note: I stopped doing research at the 1968 election because in the 1964, 1960, and 1956 elections, most of the candidate states voted for the same candidate and because the farther back you go, the less representative the data is to the reality of today. Even in the 1970s and 1980s most of the candidate states voted for the same candidate. Before 1956, well, most current Americans were not even alive or at the very least, not even voting back then.)

Republican Totals

The Republican presidential candidates from 1968 to 2000 generally sold themselves as, or were perceived as, or pretended to be, more pro-small government than the Democratic Party presidential candidates. Generally this is the case and is clearly evident by the specific campaign literature and ads of the above presidential candidates.

So we can rank the states by the number of Republican presidential candidates that won their state elections:

Amount for Republicans from 1968 to 2000

Rank	State	GOPs Won
1	Alaska	9
	Wyoming	9
	North Dakota	9
	South Dakota	9
	Idaho	9
6	Montana	8
7	New Hampshire	7
8	Vermont	6
9	Delaware	5
	Maine	5

Reagan and Goldwater

What about races where a candidate from a major party ran on downsizing the federal government?

This has occured twice in somewhat recent times. In 1980 Ronald Reagan (R) ran for president and in 1964 Barry Goldwater (R) ran for president. Both times, their major issue was Downsizing DC. Reagan communicated the message better and won the 1980 election while Goldwater lost his election.

According to Harry Browne and many others, the media even tried to portray Reagan as more libertarian than he was. Ronald Reagan did not act as a libertarian once in office, but that is how he ran for his first election.

(Note: Votes for the LP candidate, Ed Clark, are included with Reagan's, because Reagan used many of Clark's ideas and this is the best election ever for an LP candidate.)

1980 Election - Vote for Ronald Reagan

Rank	State	Percentage
1	Idaho	68.4%
2	Alaska	66.0%2
3	North Dakota	65.5%
4	Wyoming	65.2%
5	South Dakota	61.7%
6	Montana	59.5%
7	New Hampshire	58.2%
Entire U.S.		51.8%
8	Delaware	48.0%
9	Maine	46.6%
10	Vermont	45.3%

2 Ed Clark got 11.7% of the 66.0% total.
(He got < 3% in all the other FSP candidate states)
Source: www.presidentelect.org/e1980.html

Barry Goldwater only had the opportunity to run for office because the paleo-conservative and the libertarian Republicans were able to take over the Republican Party primary and hand the nomination to Barry Goldwater. The national GOP did not even support his bid for president after he was nominated. All records show that Barry Goldwater was set on dramatically reducing the size of government and those in change of the GOP wanted nothing to do with him or such ideas.

1964 Election - Vote for Barry Goldwater

Rank	State	Percentage
1	Idaho	49.1%
2	South Dakota	44.4%
3	Wyoming	43.4%
4	North Dakota	41.9%
5	Montana	40.6%
6	Delaware	38.8%
Entire U.S.		38.5%
7	New Hampshire	36.1%
8	Alaska	34.1%
9	Vermont	33.7%
10	Maine	31.2%

Source: www.multied.com/elections/1964state.html

Average of Reagan and Goldwater elections

Rank	State	Percentage
1	Idaho	58.7%
2	Wyoming	54.3%
3	North Dakota	53.6%
4	South Dakota	53.1%
5	Alaska	50.1%
5	Montana	50.1%
7	New Hampshire	47.2%
Entire U.S.		45.1%
8	Delaware	43.4%
9	Vermont	39.5%
10	Maine	38.9%

Conclusions

I computed this table by averaging the "Amount of Republicans from 1968 to 2000" and "Average of Reagan and Goldwater elections" rankings:

Total Average Ranking According to this Report

1	Idaho
2	Wyoming
3	North Dakota
4	South Dakota
5	Alaska
6	Montana
7	New Hampshire
8	Delaware
	Vermont
10	Maine

Now that we have the whole picture, let's compare it to just the 2000 presidential election:

State Rankings

Rank	Tennyson 2000 Report	This Report
1	Wyoming	Idaho
2	Idaho	Wyoming
3	North Dakota
4	Alaska	South Dakota
5	South Dakota	Alaska
6	Montana
7	New Hampshire
8	Delaware
9	Maine	Vermont
10	Vermont	Maine

Amazingly, they are very similar, almost eerily similar. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe, just maybe, the 2000 presidential election really does provide us with a very good look at the ideology of the candidate states. None of the candidate states move more than ONE position in the state ranking.

Whatever the conclusion, one thing is for sure: Time and time again, both Idaho and Wyoming stand out in the above rankings.

NH for Porcupines?

New Hampshire for Porcupines?

Tim Condon, FSP Member Services Director
Speech at Lancaster, NH FSP Gathering
6/22/2003

 

Before we get started, I just want to ask all of you: Have all of you been having as much fun looking through this (hold up atlas) as I have? I mean, I'm lying around reading this thing like a 12-year-old boy reading a secret copy of Playboy. Checking every little twist and turn (hold up a state like a Playboy centerfold). Woo WWOOOO! It's a book of *maps*! We must be crazy!

Okay, okay. First, "What am I doing here?" I'm the guy who wrote an article for the Free State Project saying that North Dakota would be the best state to choose for the Freestate (!). THEN I wrote another article changing my mind, and saying "Mea culpa! *Wyoming* would be the best state for us to choose! And here I am giving a speech saying, "No, no, let's choose New Hampshire!"

Actually, I'm here because I got in trouble with all the rest of the Free State Project leadership. Every one of the rest of them has been scrupulous and I mean *scrupulous* about being evenhanded and secretive about what state or states they favor. I mean, *I* don't even know what states Jason likes...or Elizabeth...or Debra Ricketts...or any of the rest of the FSP leadership.

Of course, it wasn't an *announced* policy...it was just sort of agreed upon among everyone else. But...as you may have noticed...I love to get out there in the middle of the fray, and flail away (and haven't we been doing some *flailing* lately...). So I couldn't resist writing about what state *I* thought we should choose. The problem was, I didn't know all about the previous history where the FSP leadership had first been accused of being "pro-eastern." And then later on they got loudly condemned for being pro- *western*. And then back to the East. And then the West again. Once I found out about it, it was like watching a ping pong match. East, West, East, West.

And so into that mess I threw my hat. Then Whoa! Here comes the rest of the leadership at me! "You blew it Condon! You were supposed to keep your opinions to yourself! We're supposed to be publicly neutral!" Blah, blah, blah. Of course I'm saying "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Hell, I didn't know the conspiracy-nuts were going to say "AHA! That *proves* it, for once and for all! They're Pro-West!" Oh sheesh. I offered to remove my Wyoming mea culpa article, but Elizabeth said, "It's too late, you've already let the cat out of the bag."

And even *that* remark was seized upon: "AHA! That proves that the whole leadership is pro-Wyoming! Condon let the cat out of the bag!" Oh man...I felt terrible.

But then I had an idea. Jason and Debra went to the Grand Western Conference. Why not have me go to the New Hampshire Conference along with Elizabeth? Not only could I visit, but I could and would talk about what a great choice New Hampshire would be! Easy for me to do, too! Because I've been very public that I will move to *any* state that is chosen. I like them *all*! And not because they are "equal" in desirability, but because I cannot imagine a better place to live than the Free State. No matter *where* it turns out to be, it will be a place where people are left alone to pursue their own happiness.

What, I ask you, is so hard about that? There must be *something* hard about it...because it seems so...*radical*.

So that's what I'm doing here. I want to talk to you about just how *great* a choice New Hampshire would be for the Free State! And in saying that, I thank Rich Tomasso, Michele Dumas, and *all* your activists who have been so tireless in promoting New Hampshire. Remember, the *national* libertarian executive committee refused to endorse the Free State Project after a full presentation by Jason Sorens. You all, by contrast, have stepped right up to the plate, and I am both impressed and thankful for what you're doing.

So onward. The first thing I thought of when I discovered I was reeeeally going to talk about New Hampshire was to re-examine my own thoughts and prejudices. What I found was that my whole position was based upon giving overwhelming weight to population. Anyone who has read my North Dakota and Wyoming articles is aware of that.

Well then, I thought, what better thing to do than tear off my population-centric blinders, and take *another* look *without* thinking about population first, last, and always. A very interesting thing happened. I found myself looking at New Hampshire through new eyes. My new view related more toward "Niceness," whereas my former view had been concentrating almost solely on population numbers. "Niceness versus numbers." I like that. All of a sudden, New Hampshire starts looking better, and better, and *better*.

There's another reason it was pretty easy to get rid of my population- centric view. As I realized, really *all* the 10 Free State Project candidate states are "low population." Including New Hampshire! Only when we look at New Hampshire in relation to the other 9 candidate states does it become "high population." But in relation to the other *40* states in the U.S., it's *low* population. And that is why I say that *any* of the 10 states will be a good choice, and I'll move to whichever one is chosen.

 

So let's take a look at New Hampshire now without an emphasis on population. How does it stack up then? Quite well, as it turns out, especially when given the weights of characteristics that *I* think are important. Let's talk about them now.

The Free State Project "state data lists" are divided into two parts:

1. The "General Data" which includes stuff like population, land area, geography, crime rates, urbanization information, etc. We've all pored over all the variables forever, so I don't need to list them all.

2. The *second* data list is labeled "Economic and Political Data." To my mind it includes much more important variables such as federal, state and local government spending; dependency on federal monies flowing back into the state, taxes as a percentage of income, levels of 2nd amendment freedom, etc. Again, we've all seen them all.

In total, there are 24 separate variables, and that doesn't count the constant drumbeat of debate and further information supplied through the forums and email lists. No matter which state wins, this is going to be an extremely well *informed* vote.

 

Now let's take a look at some of those variables individually. First the general information list. Other than population, I don't think most of those variables are very important. Big state? Little state? Who cares, as long as we're free? Many people argue that a small state gives freedom-fighters an upper hand, I know; but socialists and other statists have the same advantages and disadvantages that we do, so we're all on pretty level ground. Out of these 12 variables, I'll only mention four that I think are important other than population:

1. Many people argue that a coastline and/or an international border are extremely important features. I do not, although I will say that they're both nice to have. New Hampshire is the only state other than Maine that has both, other than Alaska, which is just. Too. Far. Away. So that's a nice feature of New Hampshire, but not dispositive in my mind.

2. Insularity is another piece of data that I think is more important than most of the other variables. We try to measure this by looking at how many people living in a state were *born* in the state. If the percentage is high, they're probably not going to welcome "outsiders" with open arms. If there's a large non-native population, they'll probably be more welcoming. New Hampshire comes out nicely on this measure: It has the third lowest percentage of native-born residents, after Alaska and Wyoming, so it's definitely in the running.

3. Another somewhat important variable is the "livability" rating. New Hampshire comes in first out of all the 10 candidate states.

4. Crime statistics. *Again* New Hampshire comes in first. Not bad! In the general data specifics that I regard as most important, New Hampshire shows as very strong; it's either solidly in the running, or is first among the 10.

But let's take our leave of the General Data list and go over to the Economic and Political Data list. To my mind these variables are far more important. And BOY! does New Hampshire *shine*! Out of 12 variables, it comes in #1 five times (tied for first place in two of them), #2 three times, and #3 in two more. That means that out of 12 variables New Hampshire comes in in first, second, or third place TEN times, or 83.3% of the time! NO other state racks up a score like that.

 

Let's just stroll through a few of these, often the ones I think are the most important, and see how New Hampshire scores on each one. Remember, these are the variables that *I* think are most important, after we put aside the population and voting population variables:

1. Federal, state, and local government spending as a percentage of gross state product: First place.

2. State and local government spending as a percentage of gross state product: First place.

3. Dependence on federal monies; that is, the amount of money that comes back into the state for every dollar sent to Washington: First place. (This is a variable that I originally didn't think was that important; but now I see that it can have a huge effect on Liberty in our Lifetime.)

4. State and local taxes as a percentage of income: Second place, and that only behind Alaska, which is too far *out* there. So *really* we can call New Hampshire first in this variable also.

5. New jobs generated. Lots of people argue that this is a crucial dataset; I'm not so sure, because I believe it's a sword that cuts both ways. However, it's worth noting that New Hampshire comes in #2.

6. Gun freedom. Okay. I admit it. I'm a "single issue voter." I'm not a big hunter, and I don't even shoot that much for fun. I haven't been to a shooting range for *years*. And yet...I will never under any circumstances vote for a candidate who doesn't support the 2nd amendment..no matter *how* good they are on other issues. New Hampshire comes in #2 in this measure, and only behind its next-door neighbor Vermont. Not bad!

7. Percentage of state population employed by state and local government. Well, I don't think that this is one of the more important measures, because there are going to be Porcupines who work for government; gotta make a living, and there's got to be *some* government, with good people working in it. Nevertheless...New Hampshire is #1 along with Delaware, of all places.

8. And finally, NEA and AFT membership. Teachers unions are a huge mainstay of socialist political candidates in America. Along with other public employee unions, they are one of the most important constituencies of the Democratic Party. And I am proud to say that I'm married to a public school teacher in Florida, who is a flaming conservative Republican...and she refuses to join the teachers union. New Hampshire? #1 along with Idaho.

 

There are two other variables that don't show up on the state data lists, but they're worth mentioning here. One is the incredible energy and dynamism of the libertarians and Porcupines already in this state. My hat is off to you all. And the second is the "political angle," that is things like fusion voting, small legislative districts, part-time representatives, etc. As a result, New Hampshire has far more libertarians who have already been voted into office than any of the other candidate states. Hats off to you again!

Only in government land control schemes and presidential voting does New Hampshire fall back in the pack. We'll just have to work on those.

All in all, I must say that New Hampshire has great advantages to offer a movement seeking Liberty in our Lifetime. As someone wrote recently on one of the FSP email lists, "What's not to like about a state that has Live Free or Die as its state motto?" I can only echo that feeling.

The state motto may be part of what we might call "intangibles." People "feel" better about one state or another, and often plan to vote accordingly. I must say, after driving through some of the state yesterday, it's one of the most beautiful states in the country, bar none.

 

Summing up...New Hampshire has got a real shot at it. No question about that. But it's not a slam-dunk either. Keep that in mind. I think it's clearly "the choice" on the east coast of the U.S. In the meantime, Montana and Wyoming are fighting it out in the west. And that brings me to the last part of my talk. I want to talk to you all about unity. I want to repeat the mantra here, "united we stand, divided we fall." I have been preaching that for several weeks now on the FSP email lists, and I am gratified to see that at least Ben Irvin has piped down, and even extended an olive branch by saying that he would be here if he could be, and he wishes he could attend.

In the meantime, it seems like many of the Porcupines are just going crazy on the email lists and forums. All of us in the leadership have noted how touchy and explosive people are getting. It's obvious that people are getting itchy as "The Vote" approaches. Possibly the most important vote in the history of America.

As I have written, the state chosen as the Free State is going to be the luckiest state in the history of our country. It is going to be a beacon. It is going to be a model. I like to refer to it as "America's little Hong Kong." It will foster an explosion of human potential, creativity, economic energy, and entrepreneurial activity such as has never before been seen in the world. It is going to be extraordinary.

But in order for it to happen, we must unite under the banner of the Free State Project. Not a Free State east. Or a Free State west. But THE Free State. We have to do it together. Why? Because lots and lots of people don't think it can be done. Even libertarians, as we have seen, are pooh-poohing the idea. And if we split our forces now, if we weaken ourselves by dividing our numbers...we. may. *not* succeed.

For those of you who don't want to move out of the east, I say that's fine. I say the same thing to those who won't move out of the west. But listen to me, Porcupines: "There will be a second Free State." But there will only be a *second* Free State if we are successful in the *first* Free State! If New Hampshire is chosen, give us five or six years to start the transformation, to show some results, and *then* we can look west, to start the second Free State, probably either in Montana or Wyoming. If a western state is chosen, give us five or six years to make some changes, win some elections, and show what can be done, and *then* we can cast out eyes east, and look to starting up a second, eastern Free State.

But today we must all unite in the Cause to ensure our success in the *first* Free State. I wasn't able to get Ben Irvin to commit to moving east if an eastern state wins. More's the pity, even though I got in his face online about it. And I'm sure there is a core of eastern state supporters who have opted out of all the western states. They will not move west no matter what. And that is within the rules; that's why we allow you to opt out of whatever states you want, as long as you don't opt out of them all. All I can say, to those who won't move east, and those who won't move west is, at least keep on supporting the Free State Project. At least don't fracture and divide us at this crucial juncture. At least be supportive of those pioneers who *are* moving to the Free State. For if we do all of us---then our movement for freedom, human dignity, and Liberty in our Lifetimes can spread everywhere...from the mountains...to the prairies...to the oceans...and from sea to shining sea.

Thank you all.

State Report NH 2: New Hampshire Report 2

New Hampshire Report

by Michelle Dumas

(See also New Hampshire Report #1 and Live Free before You Die: Join Us in N.H by the New Hampshire Libertarian Party.)

My husband (Jim) and I (Michelle), both grew up in Southern Maine, in a town bordering New Hampshire. We are both in our mid thirties, have been married 15 years and have one 12-year-old daughter. About 11 years ago we moved to a New Hampshire border town, Somersworth, in the Seacoast region, and have lived here since. We have both had libertarian leanings for many years, but it was only several years ago when we began actively re-educating ourselves (undoing the damage of what we now understand was a terrible public education) that we joined the LP. We are slowly becoming more politically active but are already frustrated by what seem like insurmountable challenges. FSP offers the most practical, action-focused plan we have seen. The promise of the FSP, "Liberty in Your Lifetime" is one we are committed to and while we would certainly follow 20,000 liberty-oriented people wherever they go, we feel that New Hampshire is certainly in the running for the top few states that should be considered by the FSP.

New Hampshire Constitution

The New Hampshire Constitution is the second oldest state constitution and predates the U.S. Constitution by five years. It is unique in that it was the first constitution to use the term Bill of Rights, and includes in its listed 39 rights, the right to revolution, promised in no other American constitution. New Hampshire has the largest legislative body and the weakest governorship of all the states. New Hampshire's governor shares power with five members of an executive council. Summarizing the philosophical beliefs on which the NH Constitution is founded, is that government is the servant, not the master, of the people who create it, a strong foundation for the "Live Free or Die" tradition and state motto.

People, Politics, and Culture for Freedom

The median age of New Hampshire citizens' is 37.1, with 25% of the population under 18 years of age and 12% age 65 and older. There are 474,606 households, with an average size of 2.53; of those, 323,651 are family households, with an average size of 3.03. As of April 1, 2000, there were 547,024 total housing units. Profiles of 234 incorporated cities and towns may be found here. 2001 population statistics by town can be viewed here.

There are currently 26 Libertarians who hold public office in New Hampshire. LPNH is quite active and there are 17 Libertarians running for public office in 2002; in 2000, 70 Libertarian candidates ran for office. The voter registration is approximately 30% Republican, 30% Democrat, and 40% Independent. Currently, the legislature is about 60% Republican and 40% Democrat. Until just recently, when we were beat by Alaska, New Hampshire had the highest number of Libertarian Party members per capita of all the states.

The people of New Hampshire are notoriously independent and tax averse. While it is true that we have had an influx of people moving in state from Massachusetts, and bringing their liberal politics with them, for the most part (although difficult to measure), most long-term NH residents are resentful of this; this resentment could actually work in the favor of the FSP. It is reasonable to predict that the GOP will win the race for Governor this year, perhaps reflecting some of this dissatisfaction and a desire to return to more conservative policies.

It is interesting to note that the LPNH's 2002 candidate for governor, John Babiarz, is attracting a fair amount of favorable press and that the people have been quite receptive to his ideas. In 2000, he experienced some difficulty in getting the press to notice him and in being included in debates. He is running an aggressive campaign to win in 2002. This year, the press has been quite favorable, he is being invited and welcomed in the debates and forums, and the public response has been more than favorable. For example, the Keene-Sentinel profiled Babiarz on the front page of the Saturday edition (highest circulation day of the week) on 8/17/02. Other LP candidates in 2002 are running for US Senate, US Rep, State Senate, State Rep, Executive Council, and Town Selectman.

Of concern is the recent House redistricting. Unable to overcome partisan politics, the legislature failed to agree on a redistricting plan. Thus, the task was taken over by the Supreme Court. The plan sets the boundaries for 400 representatives in 88 new house districts. Unfortunately, under this plan, 215 representatives (54%) will serve 6 communities or more. Prior to this, districts were much smaller and every citizen was virtually assured of personally knowing a representative or at the very least, having easy access to voice concerns to the representative in their town. This means that the cost of campaigning will increase, it will be much more difficult to reach individual voters, and the voters themselves will not have as easy access to their representative in the House. This issue does negate one advantage of New Hampshire to the FSP (small districts easily won by liberty-minded candidates), although the fact that the NH legislature is the largest in the nation remains true.

Geography and Recreation

New Hampshire is bounded on the north by Quebec province in Canada, on the east by Maine and the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Massachusetts, and on the west by Vermont. Offering both coastal access and a Canadian border, New Hampshire is one of the strongest states being considered by the FSP in regards to its geographic location. It is undeniable that isolation could play a large part on the steps that the federal government may take to suppress the free state. The importance of both coastal and international access cannot be understated. If secession were to become an issue, coastal and international borders would be critical.

New Hampshire is a small state, about 180 miles long and 50 miles wide, although the extreme width is 93 miles. The coastal area is approximately 18 miles. While New Hampshire clearly does not offer the "wide open spaces" of the west, it is reasonable to expect that a successful FSP effort in New Hampshire would "spill over" to its neighboring state, Maine, or perhaps Vermont, giving us the "space to grow" that so many advocate. In the early stages of the FSP, the small geographical size of NH may also prove to be an advantage, facilitating the ability of FSP members to easily meet and work together. It should also be pointed out that most New Hampshire towns are small, rural towns, no different than any other state being considered. The difference is, and this is a potentially important one, that while the towns are similar to those in many other considered states, we do not have vast open spaces of **federally claimed** land between them. I think there is a lot of misperception about crowding among those who have never visited the New England states. While I agree that there are areas of New Hampshire that are somewhat crowded, for most regions, this is simply not the case. For that reason, I will go into some detail describing the various regions of New Hampshire.

With its seacoast areas and beaches, 1,300 lakes and ponds (covering 115,000 acres - the largest, Lake Winnipesaukee, is 22 miles x 8 miles), 40,000 miles of rivers or streams, and the White Mountains, New Hampshire offers virtually every possible recreational activity within very scenic surroundings. Boston, Massachusetts is only a short commuting distance for those free staters desiring access to a major metropolitan area (for example, it is only 55 miles from my home in the Seacoast Region) or a major international airport.

For those who enjoy wildlife or hunting, New Hampshire is home to more than 500 species of vertebrate animals, including black bear, coyote, bobcats, moose, white-tailed deer, and beaver.

The Seacoast Region

New Hampshire's 18-mile coast offers history, culture, and beauty. Private and public beaches can be found in Hampton and Rye. Ferry rides to the Isles of Shoals, deep sea fishing, and whale watching cruises are popular with both tourists and locals. Many lobsterman operate off the New Hampshire coast. Live lobsters are available virtually everywhere and we usually feast on them at least once each summer. My husband enjoys going out deep sea fishing with his friend who owns a charter fishing boat, helping out with the customers in return for filling out freezer with all the haddock, cod, cusk, tuna, and flounder we could want. The seaport city of Portsmouth is home to many shops, restaurants, taverns, and art galleries in the downtown area. Portsmouth offers Prescott Park, cobblestone sidewalks, and a picturesque harbor. My daughter and I enjoy going to Prescott Park for the outdoor, live theater productions put on each weekend throughout the summer. I've never been, but local bands often play in the park during lunch hour and on the weeknights.

Settled in 1693, the nearby town of Dover was New Hampshire's first permanent settlement and Durham is home to the University of New Hampshire. The town of Seabrook is best known for its nuclear power plant. A great deal of the surrounding inland area (including our town of Somersworth) is farmland and countryside. As with the rest of the state, many old buildings still stand as meetinghouses, covered bridges, and town halls. I once saw a family tree that traced my direct ancestors back to the Dover area in the mid 17th century. There is a lot of history here.

Dartmouth Lake Sunapee Region

The western border of New Hampshire is the Connecticut River and neighboring Vermont. This part of the state is best described as hilly, lush, and green, with many old barns, curving back country roads, and covered bridges. The region around Lake Sunapee offers golf, swimming, canoeing, fishing, and cross-country skiing. The lake is a favorite for fisherman of trout, bass, salmon, and pickerel. Hiking and biking trails up Mount Sunapee offer three-season recreation and the region is a favorite among many skiers and snowboarders in the winter. We have personally never done much more than drive through this region, but it is gorgeous.

The center of many towns, like Newport and Claremont, revolves around mills and churches. In Cornish you can find four covered bridges, including the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States, connecting New Hampshire with Vermont. Warner is the home of Mount Kearsarge, which rises 2,937 feet above sea level. The Blackwater River in Webster is known for its white water rapids.

The town of Hanover is home to Dartmouth College and New London is home to Colby Sawyer College.

North Woods Region

The North Woods of New Hampshire is the region that may be of the greatest interest to those Free Staters desiring space and solitude. You can drive for miles and not see another person in this region that is best known for its snowmobiling trails, deep forests, and moose sightings. Besides snowmobiling, this is a haven for those people interested in camping, hiking, boating, fishing, or hunting. It is quiet, serene, and secluded. It is home to towns like Dixville, where the first votes in the Presidential Election are cast and Colebrook, where hunting and fishing are primary recreational activities. The town of Pittsburg, is a favorite among snowmobilers and is also known for frequent moose sightings. My sister-in-law spent a weekend in Pittsburg last fall and said she could hardly believe all the moose.

Beginning where the White Mountain Region ends, the North Woods borders the Canadian Province of Quebec to the north, Vermont to the West, and Maine to the East. The Connecticut River begins in Pittsburg and breaks off into a group of lakes known as the Connecticut Lakes. Fishing is popular, with fish ranging from rainbow trout to salmon. Lake Umbagog on the Maine border is popular for smallmouth bass angling.

Lakes Region

The Lakes Region is most popular in the summertime, but offers something in every season, from skiing and ice fishing in the winter, to fall foliage viewing and antique shopping in autumn.

Towns in the region include places like Laconia, where the annual "motorcycle weekend" is held, an event that attracts 300,000+ motorcyclists from across the country. The town of Holderness and Squam Lake was made famous by the movie On Golden Pond. Plymouth State College is located in this region.

Of the 273 lakes and ponds in this area, Winnipesaukee, covering 72 square miles and up to 213 feet deep, is the largest and most popular. Boating, scuba diving, lake cruises, scenic rides, swimming, and antiquing are popular in this region. Surrounded by mountains, other lakes in the area include Newfound Lake, Winnesquam, Lake Chocorua and Ossipee Lake. This is a beautiful region and our family enjoys taking leisurely drives around the towns or boating on the lakes, especially in the summer and autumn. Truly, there is nothing so spectacular as a boat ride around Winnipesaukee in autumn. The colors of the foliage on the mountains surrounding the lake are incredible.

Merrimack Valley Region

The Merrimack Valley is named for the river that runs through it and is a popular recreation area for kayakers, boaters, and fishermen.

Manchester, the state's largest city, was at one time a mill town. Today, the mills have been refurbished to accommodate high tech industries, insurance companies, shops, and restaurants. Concord, the State Capital, also sits on the Merrimack River as do farm towns like Litchfield and the state's second largest city, Nashua.

The Merrimack Valley boasts New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon. There are several lakes in the area for swimmers and picnickers and covered bridges span smaller rivers in this region, like the Henniker Bridge at New England College. Farmers Markets, antique shops, and apple orchards are all easily sighted on a drive through this region. The town of Milford is well known for its wide variety of antique and craft shops. Not unlike most of the state, there are many places in the region to pick your own berries in the summer, and pumpkins or apples in the fall.

Monadnock Region

The Southwestern corner of New Hampshire, the Monadnock Region, is known for its hilly terrain, fertile farmland, antique barns, and two-hundred-year-old town halls, churches, and meetinghouses. Writers like Samuel Clemens, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Louisa May Alcott spent time in this region. It's the setting for Thornton Wilder's play Our Town. It's where the Yankee Magazine and Old Farmer's Almanac are published.

Fresh produce and maple syrup is available from roadside farm stands. Mount Monadnock is the second most climbed mountain in the world and there are multiple covered bridges in the region. The Connecticut River passes through the region and is a favorite fishing spot. Towns in the region include Keene, Hinsdale, and Chesterfield.

White Mountain Region

The White Mountains are home to New Hampshire's "Old Man of the Mountain" and hundreds of other natural attractions. This is the favorite region for hikers with more than 48 mountains reaching heights of more than 4,000 feet. The Appalachian Trail, beginning in Maine and ending in Georgia, winds through this region, through Crawford Notch, up the summit of Mount Washington and on to Pinkham Notch.

Scenic drives and the landscape are breathtaking in this region. Our family owns a (very) rustic mountain cabin in the tiny town of Gilead, Maine, bordering Gorham, New Hampshire, and spend many long weekends enjoying the scenery, attractions, snowmobiling, and skiing of this region. The entire White Mountain Region has some of the finest ski terrain in the east for both downhill and cross-country skiers. I can also personally attest to the abundant wildlife in the region. There are bear scratches on our cabin from the black bears trying to get in (luckily, never when I have been there, although Jim promises that they aren't aggressive to humans unless threatened!), the coyote in the distance have convinced me, more than once, to use the port-a-potty rather than venture to the outhouse in the night, and we've seen many white-tailed deer, moose, fox, and hare while on our way to or at our camp.

A popular trip in the region is a scenic byway known as the Kancamagus Highway, a 34-mile road that runs from Lincoln at the Pemigewasset River to Conway. Along the Kancamagus, many people stop at Lower Falls to climb on the rocks and slide on the natural water slide, created by slippery rocks and a deep basin of water that serves as a pool. There are numerous waterfalls along this road and others throughout the White Mountain region. Bear Notch Road, off the Kancamagus, is a shortcut to the town of Bartlett for those who do not wish to travel the entire byway. I will never forget coming around a corner on Bear Notch Road fifteen years ago and being surprised by a large black bear, sunning himself in the middle of the road. Bear Notch Road is closed to cars in the winter, but is a favorite spot for racing snowmobiles up and down the road.

Mount Washington is the highest mountain in the northeast at 6,288 feet. It is known for having the world's worst weather, with winds at times of well over 100 miles per hour during the winter. The Auto Road up the mountain is the oldest man-made tourist attraction in America.

The Old Man of the Mountain, one of New Hampshire's most famous landmarks, can be found in the town of Franconia. The town of Bath boasts the "oldest general store in the country" and has two covered bridges. Haverhill houses New Hampshire's oldest covered bridge still in use.

Climate

Like most New England states, New Hampshire is known for it's highly changeable climate where the weather can be warm and sunny one minute and cold and snowy the next ("Don't like the weather - just wait a minute!"). Each of the four seasons vary greatly in their daily temperatures and weather patterns. Climate variations are also due to distance from the ocean, mountains, lakes or rivers.

Month	Average High	Average Low	Mean	Average Precip.
January	29?F	7?F	19?F	2.50 in.
February	33?F	10?F	22?F	2.50 in.
March	42?F	22?F	32?F	2.70 in.
April	56?F	31?F	44?F	2.90 in.
May	68?F	41?F	55?F	3.10 in.
June	77?F	51?F	64?F	3.20 in.
July	82?F	56?F	70?F	3.20 in.
August	79?F	54?F	67?F	3.30 in.
September	71?F	46?F	59?F	2.80 in.
October	60?F	34?F	48?F	3.20 in.
November	47?F	27?F	37?F	3.70 in.
December	34?F	14?F	24?F	3.20 in.

Taxes

New Hampshire has a long history of shunning taxes. Proposal of taxes basically meant death to the campaign of whatever politician dared suggest them. To this day we have no sales tax and no income tax although to compensate, property taxes are relatively high in some areas. Retailers on the NH borders do really well from people crossing the border to avoid the high sales tax rates in the surrounding states. Unfortunately, we have had an ongoing problem in the state regarding funding of public education. Funding of schools on a local level by local property taxes (as had been done for as long as I can remember) was ruled unconstitutional. Currently this has been "resolved" by a statewide property tax and redistribution of funds, resulting in huge controversy between "donor" towns and "recipient" towns. There is a great deal of animosity over this issue, and even talk of secession by some of the donor communities. Although there has been a great deal of discussion about income and sales taxes, given the adversity of NH citizens to taxes, this does not seem likely. Whatever the ultimate "solution", there is likely to be a great deal of resentment and controversy surrounding it, a factor that could be an advantage to the Free State Project if we loudly promote our tax-free solutions to education.

I have a report titled "Where Taxes Are Lowest" published by Liberty Magazine; I just received my latest copy of the magazine (September 2002) and see that the report has been reprinted in it. Published in 2002, it ranks states using data from 2000. New Hampshire won the #1 spot of all 50 states when ranked as a percentage of gross personal income. New Hampshire is lowest at 4.54% followed by South Dakota (5.05%), Texas (5.09%), and Tennessee (5.52%). However, when taxes are ranked per capita, New Hampshire ranks #4 ($1,372), beat by the three previously mentioned states. This is a rather simplified summary of a detailed report, but ultimately, the author concludes that while he had rated New Hampshire as the champ for having the lowest taxes of all states in his last report, its increase in per capita taxes caused this rating to slip, to be beat out by South Dakota.

The bottom line: while New Hamphire is no longer the winner for lowest taxes, taxes are still much lower when compared to most states. Coupled with its long history of rejecting taxes, combined with low federal, state, and local spending as a percentage of gross state product (the best of all states under consideration), and low dependency rating on federal dollars (the best of all states considered), the Free State Project would be entering the state closest to its economic ideals and in which many of its citizens will be welcoming.

Jury Nullification

There was some talk on the FSP e-mail discussion list about New Hampshire being the only state to let all defendants expressly advise the jury of the right to acquit if they object to the merit, intent, or constitutionality of a law. Unfortunately, I researched this, and it is not true. Of course, juries in all 50 states have the right of jury nullification; the advantage would have been if New Hampshire expressly allowed defendants to advise juries of this. However, a bill for jury nullification did pass the NH House in 2000, 189-138, but was later killed in the Senate. Thus, while it was never enacted, there is some public awareness and legislative support surrounding this right.

Gun Laws

Our gun laws are probably average; definitely not as favorable as Vermont, but nowhere near as restrictive as Massachusetts. The New Hampshire Constitution, Article 2-a states: All persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property and the state.

My basic understanding is that anyone can carry an unconcealed weapon (open carry) and we have a "shall issue" regulation for concealed weapons permits. Basically, application is made to the mayor or chief of police and they are required to issue the permit within 14 days to "upstanding citizens" who state a valid purpose (hunting, target shooting, and self defense are cited as valid reasons). The only glitch we ran into when Jim applied for his permit is that our chief of police "required" him to submit to fingerprinting. He claimed that a whole list of other NH towns require this, but Jim called dozens of towns and this is simply not true. Although he was issued the permit, Jim (obviously) wants his fingerprints back on principle. Although he has met with the town manager and chief of police several times, this is still not resolved.

Homeschooling Regulations

In New Hampshire, those families wishing to homeschool must notify the district superintendent of their plans and provide written information about any correspondence courses, curriculum, and educational materials to be used. Parents are required to keep a log of reading materials and a portfolio of each child's work for the first two years. However, this portfolio is the property of the parent and the superintendent cannot require that it be submitted for review. Parents are also required to have their child's progress evaluated once each year by a certified teacher, through a national achievement test or state student assessment test, or any other measurement tool agreed on in advance between the parent and the superintendent. I am not familiar enough with the laws in other states to judge whether these regulations are more or less restrictive than others.

Agriculture

I know that there are many members of the FSP who are interested in homesteading and agriculture. Basically, the soil in New Hampshire is suitable for most fruits, flowers, and vegetables. The forests are made up of pine, spruce, and hardwood trees. New Hampshire is also famous for products made from the sap of the maple tree. These figures are ten years old (1992), but should still be fairly accurate. There are 3,100 commercial farms. Of 5.7 million acres, approximately 6.7% is currently used as farmland; 35.1% of this is cropland, 56.7% is woodland, 2.5% is pastureland, and 5.6% is categorized as other farmland. New Hampshire's agricultural industry is over $675 million. The state exports $20 million annually in food and agricultural products to international destinations.

Agricultural revenues

• Ornamental Horticulture: (One of the fastest growing segments) $380 million
• Specialty & Processed Food Products: (ice cream, yogurt, jams, baked goods, etc.) $125 million
• Dairy: (40+ million gallons of milk are produced each year on 190 dairy farms) $54 million
• Horses: $30 million
• Hay & Forage Crops: $27 million
• Vegetables: $20 million
• Livestock: $16.5 million
• Apples: (1 million bushels of apples annually) $9.5 million
• Christmas Trees & Evergreen Products: $6 million
• Berries and Other Fruit: $5 million
• Maple and Honey: $3.5 million

While not comparable to real farming, for those interested in gardening as a hobby, my experiences may be of interest. While I am uncertain about other parts of the state, here on the Seacoast I can usually start my raised-bed kitchen-garden with cold-hardy veggies sometime in mid-April (I've had success with peas, lettuce, and radishes as early as mid-March) and rotate crops through the season, winding down in late September or early October. While early or late frosts are sometimes a problem, I just keep an eye on the weather and cover everything with plastic sheets when I am concerned. This even protected my garden from a freak 6-inch snowstorm in mid-May this past year, the latest in history.

Property and Real Estate

This is difficult to summarize because, as it does everywhere, the price of real estate really varies depending on so many factors. However, some real estate summaries from 2001 can be found here. To get a better idea of what is currently available and prices, you can search here. Here, in the Seacoast region, property values are appreciating quickly, but I am uncertain if this holds true for the rest of the state.

Job Outlook

New Hampshire's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July 2002 was 4.2 percent, down 0.3 percentage points from the June rate. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for July 2002 was 5.9 percent.

In July of 2002, non-farm employment of NH citizens was broken down as:

• Total All Industries: 626,900
• Total Private Employment: 551,200
• Mining: 600
• Construction: 28,900
• Manufacturing: 99,300
• Durable Goods: 72,600
• Nondurable Goods: 26,700
• Transportation & Public Utilities: 20,400
• Trade: 169,400
• Wholesale Trade: 33,200
• Retail Trade: 136,200
• Finance, Insurance, & Real Estate: 34,400
• Services: 198,200
• Government: 75,700

 

Many people, particularly here on the Seacoast, commute to Boston for work. Although he could easily find work in New Hampshire, for personal reasons, Jim works in Maine. The downfall of working in the neighboring states is that your income is subject to income taxes in that state. In recent years, in part based on employment outlook combined with low taxes (I would guess), Manchester and Nashua have been named "best place to live" by Money Magazine. Portsmouth also ranked highly. New Hampshire supposedly has the highest concentration of high-tech workers in the nation.

The two fastest growing jobs in the state, computer support specialists and systems analysts, are expected to add 4,000 jobs by 2008. Occupations in the professional, paraprofessional, and technical are expected to grow the fastest. Desktop publishing, database administrators, home health aides, instructional coordinators, physician assistants, computer engineers, medical assistants, and medical records technicians are the other fasted growing occupations. More than 105,000 new jobs are expected to be created in New Hampshire between 1998 and 2008; more than half of these will be in service industries. Employment in Belknap County is expected to grow faster than other NH counties. All of this and more, is summarized in a brochure here.

A detailed report on NH projected employment by industry and occupation to 2008 can be found here.

Overall, based on my review of the job outlook data, I believe that New Hampshire could (relatively easily) absorb and support 20,000 free staters moving in over a period of several years.

Small Business Friendliness

A report prepared by the Small Business Survival Committee indexes the states on how the state and local governments treat small businesses and entrepreneurs. Many factors were considered, including personal and corporate income tax, capital gains tax, state and local property taxes, crime rates, number of full-time government employees, and many more. Of the states, New Hampshire ranked #6, beat only by South Dakota, Nevada, Wyoming, Texas, and Florida. This ranking could be of primary importance to those free staters who choose to or need to start their own businesses as an alternative to finding new employment.

Low Crime Rate

New Hampshire boasts one of the lowest crime rates of all the states under consideration. Beyond stating this, the best I can do is describe our own experience. Even though we live in a relatively high population area, there is hardly anyone in out community who would worry about leaving doors unlocked while away for a few hours or even leaving keys in vehicles overnight. Basically, our neighbors keep an eye on our property and we keep an eye on theirs.

Universities and Colleges

For free-stater-students or parents who have children considering higher education, the choice of colleges and universities in New Hampshire may be of interest.

Besides the University System of New Hampshire and the Regional Community Technical College System New Hampshire offers:

Antioch New England Graduate School, Keene

Colby Sawyer College, New London

Daniel Webster College, Nashua

Dartmouth College, Hanover

Franklin Pierce College, Rindge

Franklin Pierce Law Center, Concord

Hesser College, New Hampshire

Lebanon College, Lebanon

Magdalen College, Warner

McIntosh College, Dover

New England College, Henniker

New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester

Notre Dame College, Manchester

Rivier College, Nashua

Saint Anselm College, Manchester

Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester (formerly NH College)

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, Merrimack

White Pines College, Chester

 

Summary

The statistics and objective data are well presented in the FSP state data. Thus, I have tried to focus this report on more subjective factors that may make New Hampshire an attractive state for the success of the Free State Project; I have also tried to be realistic and present some of the potential pitfalls. Yes, I am biased; there is nothing more that we would like to see than 20,000+ liberty-minded people move to our beloved state to secure a free society. However, the success of FSP is more important to us, and if another state is judged to be more suitable for the achievement of our goals, we are behind that decision 100%. Ultimately though, combining its high ranking in most of the objective data categories, its geographic advantages of offering both a seacoast and an international border, its possibilities for expansion into two neighboring states also under consideration by FSP (Maine and Vermont), its native culture historically known for orientation toward liberty, and its viability as a state where the immediate quality of life is likely to be most comfortable for free staters, we believe that New Hampshire should be considered one of the top contenders in the final decision.

Major sources for this report included: http://webster.state.nh.us/nhinfo/ and http://newhampshire.com/.

August 20, 2002

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of the Free State Project, its Officers, or Directors.

State Report MT 2: Montana: Bring Guns And Money

Montana: Bring Guns And Money

by Quincy OrHai, Bozeman, Montana

I find it highly ironic to be writing an essay extolling the reasons why Montana should be the Free State of choice, when for years I've been downplaying the awesome beauty and easy, relaxed social atmosphere of my adopted state. Frankly, I and most Montanans don't really want a bunch more city folks moving up here and jacking up land prices and diluting the laid back ambience of our state. So generally when we are traveling out of the land of the free (as I usually refer to Montana) and queried by some city dude about what it's like up here on the highline, we will say something about how we really like nine months of winter (the other three months are road construction). It barely got cold last winter, only fifty degrees. Below. Or we marvel about how few of our children were killed by rattlesnakes last year. Maybe we'll casually suggest that you don't hug the grizzlies, pet the elk or try to ride the buffalo, as these critters usually score at least a few human casualties every year. Anything to discourage would be immigrants.

So why am I daring to promote, on the internet no less, a place I dearly love and wish to remain untrammeled? Well, I guess I'm hoping that anyone with the gumption to consider packing up and moving to a state with the hope of helping create political influence for liberty will actually be an asset here, rather than another "Let's remake the place in the image of LA" type.

As Ben Irvin succinctly states in his Montana Report "...If freedom alone is the primary objective, no other state comes close." That's why I'm here. I immigrated from New Mexico over eighteen years ago, fell in love with the scenery and society, and I've gotten to where I seldom venture out of state anymore. Too depressing.

Montana has a kind of blank slate quality to it. It's still high, wide and handsome, and plenty of room to throw a loop, so to speak. I've always felt that what I love most about this place is how no one has ever bothered me here. If people don't like me, they just ignore me. The people that move here generally think that they know what they want, and they deserve to get it good and hard (to paraphrase H. L. Mencken). The emerging problem, from my perspective, is that like so many other Americans in this day and age, quite a few of our recent newcomers seem to want another Nanny State to replace the one they are running from. The way some of these pilgrims vote, I reckon they want to remake Montana into another California, but with grizzlies.

So as I see it, we need the folks like you fellow liberty lovers to counter-balance the statist immigrants that are becoming altogether too common, especially in the fastest growing "big cities". For instance, my home town, Bozeman, has grown to 27,509 in 2000 from 22,660 in 1990, an increase of 21.4%. Montana's population as a whole grew 12.9% during this ten year period. My home is in Gallatin County, which grew from 50,484 in 1990 to 69,422 in 2001, a startling 37.5% increase in 11 years! In my personal observation, many of these newcomers seem to be well heeled liberals, with lots of new imported cars and new Carharts, providing a considerable contrast to the older style of poorer working class, more conservative immigrants (like myself) from the 1980's and earlier.

Just to further complicate the picture, there is what we call the slow churn factor. Back in the 1980's a Montana State University sociologist, Patrick Jobs, studied the population turnover of Bozeman, and of Gallatin County residents (excluding Bozeman). He left town in 1993, but to roughly summarize his findings (now dated, but still relevant), he found that Bozeman residents turned over an incredible 85% in five years, and Gallatin County (rural) residents turned over 80% in ten years. I used to have the source for these figures, but unfortunately I can't find it now (pre-hard drive :>).

Basically, the way things work around here is like this. Mr and Ms Immigrant move here from California, or Minnesota, or New York or ????. They have sold their last house for a tidy profit, and they are tired of the crime, the traffic jams, the general rat race. So they are making a fresh start in scenic Montana. He wants to be an elk hunter, or fly fisherman, or to ski uncrowded powder slopes. She wants to raise the children "someplace safe". (Please excuse the stereotypes, I'm just trying to make a point here.) So they move. Maybe they buy (the smart ones), maybe they rent. Anyway they join the slow churn. They get Montana driver licenses. Their kids enroll in school here. They go to work, usually at about half the pay they were making elsewhere. And they discover that, as the saying goes, "You can't eat the scenery." Most will find that it is very hard to make a living here. Some will stick around. Most will leave, within three to five years. But as they head out, others are moving in to take their place. The good news is, a good bit of their "nestegg" got scrambled into the local economy.

One result of this New West social situation is that Bozeman is really two social scenes. One set of citizens (the smaller set, say 10-20%) are oldtimers, either born here or been here for decades. We know each other, at least in passing. We party together, we network together, and to some extent, we stick together. The other (larger) set of citizens, from our point of view, are just passing through. If they stick around, eventually they will become part of the oldtimers. In the meantime, on the downside they are speeding up the traffic pace, inflating the real estate market, and trying to bring in strange laws and customs (like zoning). On the upside, they are spending a lot of money here that came from somewhere else, and they also bring in fresh views and culture, as well as being, in most cases, decent human beings. On the whole, this human churn is a source of public vitality and social excitement. Newcomers [as long as they respect the code of the west (see www.co.gallatin.mt.us/code.htm)] are generally welcomed here, or at least cheerfully tolerated. After all, they will soon be gone.

Out in the boondocks, Montana is quite different than around a swinging town like Bozeman. Some towns are so small, they play three person basketball. (By the way, basketball is a BIG DEAL in rural Montana. See the novel Blind Your Ponies, by my friend Stan West for details). Tolerance isn't just an abstract idea here, it's reality in the hinterlands. If your neighbor seems a bit odd, well, he or she probably is, in a harmless sort of way. Social isolation does that to people. Lots of eastern Montana is not measured in people per square mile, but in square miles per person. In my experience, rural Montanans are a quirky combination of tough and kind, clannish and hospitable, loyal to a fault, hardworking and laid back, and surprising open minded about things out in the wide, wide world. Just don't try to tell them about environmental matters. Most ranchers have forgotten more about nature than other folks will ever know. Don't judge us by appearances. The unshaven old guy with tobacco juice stains on the side of his 1976 F-250 might well turn out to be a Harvard PhD with a multi million dollar brokerage account and a seat at the statehouse. Or not. The waitress at the cafe might own half the town, or be the mayor or school board chair. Or not.

If any of you folks reading this decide to give us a whirl, just remember to be patient. If in doubt, act western. Think carefully before making enemies. Lots of folks here have mighty long memories, as well as kind hearts. Stick around for a decade or so. You might find you don't need to make so many changes after all, to experience liberty in your lifetime. Oh yeah. Bring guns and money.

State Report MT 4: Living in Montana

Living in Montana means taking responsibility for yourself

by Susan Duncan, Country lifestyles

A popular perception among newcomers to Montana is that we have no rules here. No county building permits. No hassles. Ahh, and all that open space. No limits. No boundaries.

When you come from a place with so many people who don't talk to each other, I guess regulations for everything are necessary. Montana is different. We assume people have common sense and respect their neighbors. So, not every detail has to be codified in law. As a result: You have to accept responsibility – if you live in Montana.

Unfortunately, American culture is going in the opposite direction. Lawsuits show that more and more Americans are refusing to take responsibility for their own actions. No wonder newcomers are in culture shock and need a copy of Gallatin County's "Code of the West" to adjust. Despite what newcomers think, we do have rules here, but they are not written down. The rules are in the climate, in the open space and in the culture.

Climate rules here. It's more arid than it looks and prone to serious wildfires. Growing seasons are 60 to 90 days. Frost can occur anytime. Microclimates challenge even the best gardeners.

Newcomers find this out the hard way. "All I want is a ripe tomato!" "Why don't I get any corn?"

A visitor from back east contributed his back-east wisdom: "Put wood ashes on your garden," he said. (My garden soil is already alkaline. Wood ashes would make it more alkaline.) That's good advice back east where heavy rainfall leaches out the bases and makes the soil more acidic. It's bad advice in rainfall-short Montana.

"Why do they burn the grain fields? All that pollution!" Because it's not wet enough, warm enough, long enough for stubble to rot over winter.

A man from Maryland moved into his dream home – a log house in a dense pine forest with a frosting of dry pine needles on the shake roof. Ahh paradise. The fires of 2000 made him realize his paradise was a firetrap and he set to work fireproofing it.

Everybody loves open space, but open space means you are on your own. You have to take responsibility for your own welfare – if you live in Montana. If you are on a well and septic tank, you are your own sewer and water company. You need to learn to fix things for yourself. If the clothes washer breaks, the nearest repairman is at least five miles away and probably 15 to 20. Service calls will break your budget.

Who grades the road? Who plows the snow? Who controls the weeds? Chances are you do, or you and your neighbors, through a homeowner's association.

Don't expect the fire department, police or EMTs to arrive at your door in five minutes. They have a lot of territory to cover. What can you do in the meantime with first-aid training or a garden hose?

You may want to be left alone, but in Montana, neighbors are still important to fill the gaps in all that open space. You can't afford to threaten to sue your neighbors for trespassing on your property. Who will help you if you have a medical emergency, if your car is stuck in your driveway or your well goes dry? One former resident passed on this bit of advice to a new homeowner: "One thing I can say: The neighbors will help you even if they don't like you." Montana law doesn't require you to be a considerate neighbor. But you have to accept responsibility for the welfare of your neighbors – if you live in Montana. Call it enlightened self-interest.

The rules are in the culture. Newcomers choose to move to this scenic area for its low population density, its rural lifestyle, its rural culture. The reality of a rural lifestyle is dusty roads, machinery and animal noise, pesticide and fertilizer application, and odors like manure and fermented ag-bagged hay. The rule is: Accept the reality of rural life rather than trying to force others to conform to your vision of rural Eden.

Never rat on your neighbor to the cops. If the neighbors do something that offends you (ATVs going up and down the road or an underfed horse), give them the courtesy of talking to them privately about it first.

Never pretend to be someone you are not. Montana was settled right after the Civil War. Northerners and southerners traveled west in the same wagon trains to become neighbors. For the sake of harmony, no one asked about a person's past. Then and now, we accept people at face value. We give you the chance to be who you say you are. You will be judged only on how you treat each individual since they have known you. Even today, those who try to transfer former accomplishments (done elsewhere) into prestige in the present time (here) are unsuccessful. Often, they give up and return to the site of their former glory.

Those with a past do have a chance to start over in Montana, but they have to leave their past behind. If they represent themselves as honest and it comes to light that they did not settle their past debts, did not serve their time, or continue to take advantage of their neighbors for personal gain, they will find no sympathy and no second chance. You have to accept responsibility for your behavior – if you live in Montana.

Montana still has a rural culture. The rules come from internal controls imposed by adaptations to climate and open spaces and by social controls (neighborliness and honesty). You have to accept responsibility if you want to live in Montana with fewer government controls.