FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Eddie Bradford, FSP Houston
Eddie_G_Bradford@hotmail.com
(713) 213-0016
Freedom Movement Welcomed in Houston
Houston, December 19 - The Free State Project, brainchild of Libertarian
Jason Sorens (26, political science doctoral candidate at Yale University) is a
plan to enlist 20,000 "liberty-oriented individuals" to move to a state, where
they could reform everything from criminal codes to tax structure.
Since its founding in September 2001, the Free State Project has blossomed
into a full-fledged freedom movement with more than 2,000 members from across
the US and World. Local groups have been organizing, and Sorens will be
speaking at a local meeting in Houston on Tuesday, December 24th to promote the
Free State Project to area libertarians and to answer questions about the
progress and goals of the Free State Project.
Sorens graduated from St. Thomas' Episcopal School in Houston and is looking
forward to returning to his hometown. "There is a strong movement in favor of
individual rights and free markets in the Houston area," says Sorens. "It's no
surprise that the Houston chapter of the Free State Project is one of our most
enthusiastic and active groups."
The Free State Project was founded out of disappointment with the
libertarian movement's long-term lack of progress at the national level.
According to research published on the group's website, 20,000 political
activists could win statewide majorities in several low-population states
around the country.
The group is planning to meet at noon at Escalante's (Meyerland) restaurant.
For more information on the Free State Project, see the website at
www.freestateproject.org.
END
Nothing to lose but Texas roots
For those considering NH project, freedom's not just another word
by Jim Getz • 01/11/04
If you think that Texas – with its individualistic, don't-fence-me-in,
Remember-the-Alamo, wildcattin' heritage – is the picture of liberty, then you
haven't met members of the Free State Project.
Over the next several years, 5,229 of them from across the United States –
including at least 286 Texans – have pledged to move to more libertarian New
Hampshire. Once 20,000 are there, they say they hope to use their influence to
create the most freedom-oriented, get-the-government-off-my-back state in the
Union.
"I would say Texas is independent, very individualist, but it seems Texas
has changed in the past few years," said Mark Coleman, a 35-year-old multimedia
developer from Plano. "Our government has gotten way too big. You think we have
no income tax, but if you look at the other taxes, it's gotten way out of the
control."
"Let's look at the past two legislative sessions and look at how many new
laws they passed that restrict the freedoms of the people of Texas," said
Devera Morgan, 34, of Royse City, who uses her computer skills to design the
organization's monthly newsletter, The Quill. "Last session it was what – 1,800
laws? That's just unacceptable."
Last month, Ms. Morgan, Mr. Coleman and a dozen others from the Dallas-Fort
Worth area united for their regular monthly gathering at a steakhouse in
Dallas.
Under the watchful eye of the mounted head of a longhorn, they bantered,
railed and picked each others' brains about the war on drugs (pointless),
privatizing education (try it), gun rights (defend them), business regulation
(reduce it) the USA Patriot Act (repeal it) – and, of course, eventually
relocating to the Granite State.
"That's the question here," Mr. Coleman said over plates of steak and
salad. "What do people really think is going to happen?"
"There's the comfort," replied Austin Marshall of Richardson, "of living in
a freer state."
"I think a lot of people," Mr. Coleman continued, "think it will be a ...
a..."
"Revolution?" offered Joey Dauben of Ovilla.
"Yeah," Mr. Coleman replied. "Or that it will be perfect for business."
Joe Hill, an Irving resident who has yet to pledge, was philosophical. "I
think the people behind this know it's a long-term thing," he said, "that maybe
it'll take 20 years to privatize the schools or whatever."
Slow starting
Indeed, the movement's Web site, www.freestateproject.org, predicts that at
the current rate of pledges, it will take more than six years to achieve the
20,000-member mark needed to trigger the pledges' mass movement to the
Northeast.
About two dozen Free Staters already have made the move since Oct. 1, when
New Hampshire was chosen over nine other states in mail-in balloting among
members. The nominated states all had low populations and low costs to finance
elections, important to a fledgling movement looking for influence. But New
Hampshire, where a 400-member House of Representatives enables each seat to
represent only 3,000 residents, was the only state to outright welcome the Free
Staters.
"We'd love to have you," Gov. Craig Benson told the group Nov. 1 at the
annual convention of the state Libertarian Party. About half of the Free
Staters are party members, but the remainder is just independent-minded folks.
And some of them vent frustration that the big "L" party has elected few
candidates beyond local offices in its 32 years of existence. New Hampshire,
for example, has only 29 Libertarians in office.
Michael Badnarik of Austin understands that frustration. He freely admits
that getting freethinking libertarians together – small "l" or big "L" – is
like herding cats. But that hasn't stopped Mr. Badnarik, 49, from seeking the
Libertarian Party's nomination for president, financing his shoestring campaign
by teaching eight-hour courses on the Constitution around the country.
And should he not win the presidency, look for him in New Hampshire in a
year – and running for the state House after that.
Various political scientists, however, have expressed doubts over the last
couple of months that the Free Staters can truly have influence even in a small
state.
"Oftentimes the number of people who vote isn't that large, but it's still
in the quarter-million range," said Cal Jillson, a professor of political
science at Southern Methodist University. "So they need to find a close race
where they can do a fusion with the Republican Party because electing their own
candidate is unlikely."
And this, Dr. Jillson said, is if Free Staters live up to their pledge to
put down roots in Manchester, Concord or Dixville Notch.
"Lots of people talk about it, but to leave for another place that fits
your ideology is rare in American politics," he said. "There's a huge
difference between going into a chat room and talking nonsense, and actually
packing up your things and moving to New Hampshire."
Confronting barriers
Indeed, there are obstacles, both practical and personal. Many in the
movement are tech-savvy, but thousands of tech jobs may not be awaiting them in
New England. Some have not broken the news to spouses or fianc饳 about the
movement; they need time to ease their partners into the idea.
Others joke about leaving warm Texas for cold New Hampshire, but it's more
than weather that tugs on their soul.
When Ms. Morgan, a native Texan, became pregnant with her son in 1997
during an 18-month stab at living in Mississippi, she insisted to husband Bruce
that any child of hers must be born between the Red River and the Rio Grande.
"I'll move to go to a freer place," said Ms. Morgan, who intends to trek
northward with her family next spring. "But I'm not thrilled about leaving
Texas. This is a big deal for me."
But the lure of seeing more than a dozen of their kind in one place, doing
more than talking, has a stronger pull than Texas.
"We can sit in our armchairs and complain about the world, or we can go
there like people before us did and say, 'It's time for a change, and it's for
us to make the change,' " said Mr. Coleman. "You just don't have the
opportunity much in the world today to be part of a real political change."
E-mail jgetz@dallasnews.com
More media articles about the FSP
These media articles are maintained on a non-commercial basis by
The Free State Project,
a non-profit organization, for historical, educational, scholarship,
and research purposes. (For information regarding "Fair Use", see
US Code Title 17,
Chapter 1, Section 107).
Onward to New Hampshire!
Austin's Free State members pledge to create a Libertarian bastion
by Mark Lisheron • AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF • 11/16/03
Alan Weiss, Michael Badnarik and Rick McGinnis want to experience their ideal
of liberty in their lifetimes.
To secure their freedom, they have pledged to move from Austin to New Hampshire
along with men and women from all over the country.
Once there, these people, members of the Free State Project, intend to set
about creating a place to prosper without government interfering in how
citizens live. Now, if they can only put up with the cold.
The idea for the Free State Project is not unlike that which led to the Mormon
migration to Utah in the 19th century. After years of trying to effect
political change in their communities, Free Staters believe that their one last
hope is to gather in a state where their like-minded numbers would make a
difference.
In little over a year 5,055 people nationwide, 274 of them from Texas, have
joined the Free State Project. Organizers say the project can succeed if 20,000
people pledge to move to New Hampshire. Far from being political kooks, as
their intellectual predecessors have sometimes been portrayed, organizers say
the core of the movement is middle class, educated, high-tech savvy and
entrepreneurial.
Whether the Free State Project will fail if the goal isn't reached is a matter
of debate among members. Political experts doubt that the movement will succeed
in New Hampshire, no matter how audacious and intriguing the idea or how many
people ultimately immigrate.
But at a time when citizens debate the USA Patriot Act and the erosion of civil
liberties, Free Staters believe that something dramatic must be tried.
'Fighting for an idea'
"This is very much like the Alamo," Badnarik said over a plate of crepes at a
local IHOP recently. "We're fighting for an idea. The question is not whether
or not this is worth it. I feel the government is so out of control that this
drastic step is necessary. I'm afraid the next step would be some sort of
revolution, and I don't want that."
Badnarik is one of five people running for the Libertarian Party's nomination
for president of the United States. He has managed to visit 12 states on
$5,000, sleeping on couches and otherwise living on the cheap.
His success campaigning at Libertarian conventions in 16 key states from
January through April will determine whether he carries his party's
presidential banner. The Free State Project will have to wait at least a year.
The Free State Project is a libertarian idea. Libertarian philosophy is simple
in design and, for most Americans, impossible in execution.
Libertarians derive their rights and their responsibilities from the
Constitution. The individual is expected to shoulder the biggest
responsibility, not to interfere with the rights of other individuals.
Government's responsibility is to protect this covenant, not to protect
individuals from themselves, a libertarian would say. A libertarian supports
some form of national defense, for example, but does not support
government-sponsored welfare or school programs.
Badnarik, 49, has twice been a Libertarian candidate for state representative,
collecting nearly 17 percent of the vote in Texas' District 47 in 2000. Weiss,
44, is a Libertarian serving on the board of Municipal Utility District 41 in
Austin. McGinnis, 49, is the vice-chairman of the Travis County Libertarian
Party.
But though roughly half of the members of the Free State Project describe
themselves as Libertarians, according to national spokesman Elizabeth McKinstry
of Ann Arbor, Mich., the other half is made up of independents, conservatives
and liberals, she says.
Internet genesis
Libertarianism, as a political movement, stalled long ago. After coming out of
nowhere at its inception in 1972, Libertarian Party candidate Ed Clark got more
than 900,000 votes, or 1 percent of the total, in the 1980 election that Ronald
Reagan won. No Libertarian has amassed as many as 500,000 votes in any
presidential election since.
Jason Sorens, a 26-year-old political science major at Yale University and a
Libertarian Party member, critiqued the flagging fortunes of the party in an
essay he submitted as part of his candidacy for a Ph.D. In July 2001, Sorens
posted the essay on the Internet. It included a detailed call to all
libertarian-minded people to create a free state.
McKinstry, who has a degree in philosophy and works in marketing for an
environmental group, says she read the essay and immediately began discussing a
move with her husband. Though he is not as libertarian as she, McKinstry's
husband says, he supports a move. McKinstry is Free State Project member No. 5.
"I read the essay and thought, 'Hell, yes, this is absolutely what we ought to
do,' " she said. "I told my husband that if this works, it is something I can't
not be part of. This has been the most exciting two years of my life."
As membership grew, Free State Project organizers created a list of 10 states
as a possible destination: Alaska, Delaware, Idaho, Maine, Montana, North and
South Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming and New Hampshire.
Some Free State members complained of the remoteness of some states. Many
complained about the climates. Organizers stuck with the list because the low
populations of these states would make it possible for 20,000 Libertarian
thinkers to make their biggest impact.
When the vote was announced Oct. 1, New Hampshire had received the most
first-place votes, 749. North and South Dakota received the fewest, a combined
56.
'Live Free or Die'
"We'd love to have you," Craig Benson, the Republican governor of New
Hampshire, told Free Staters at a Libertarian Party convention in Manchester in
early November.
In an e-mail interview, Benson said that though Republicans are loath to
consider some of the Free State platform -- repealing gun laws and legalizing
drugs and gambling -- New Hampshire would benefit from new involvement in the
political process.
"They indicated to me that they were small-business owners who believe in
limited self-governance. These are ideals we share, and I welcome them as
law-abiding citizens."
Benson's enthusiasm is one reason Free Staters are excited about New Hampshire.
The state motto is "Live Free or Die." The state levies no income tax or sales
tax. New Hampshire's gun laws, a threshold issue for Constitutionalists, are
fewer and more lenient than elsewhere. Seat-belt laws and motorcycle-helmet
laws do not exist.
Perhaps most important to a group seeking political change, New Hampshire might
have the most localized government in the union. The state's 1.2 million people
are represented by myriad boards of selectmen and city councils.
Voters elect 400 state representatives to the House, the largest legislative
body in the country next to the U.S. House of Representatives. The average is
one representative for every 3,500 or so voters. The stipend of $200 per
legislative session curbs professional politicians.
John Babiarz, chairman of the Libertarian Party of New Hampshire, cannot
believe the state's good fortune. "We're ecstatic. New Hampshire is a
libertarian-leaning state. A lot of people here welcome this as a way to
rejuvenate state politics," he said.
Calling Davy Crockett
What surprised Alan Weiss when he visited New Hampshire early this month was
the economy's vigor and diversity, particularly in the largest cities,
Manchester (population 107,006), Nashua (86,605) and the state capital, Concord
(40,687).
Weiss runs two small software and hardware testing and analysis companies in
Austin. One of his companies certified the vote for the selection of the Free
State at no charge.
Weiss says he came to his political philosophy at 15. He fell in with
free-market economic theorists at the University of California at Northridge.
After a sour experience with Clark's 1980 campaign, Weiss stayed away from
party politics. The Free State Project was different, a movement ready to back
its ideas with action.
"This is the grand experiment of our time for a family who believes in
liberty," he said. "This is the quintessential American experience. David
Crockett said, 'You can go to hell; I'm going to Texas.' Well, I'm going to New
Hampshire."
This is no headlong rush. Weiss' wife, Jane, has her own career, and though she
has kept an open mind, she has not yet visited New Hampshire. He'd like his
daughter, Robyn, to finish her senior year in high school here this year.
Jane's 83-year-old mother-in-law is in a nursing home here.
Weiss says he intends to fly his family to New Hampshire in the teeth of winter
before asking them to help him fulfill his commitment. The Free State Project
is a pledge, not a binding contract, he says.
"I'm not moving this year," Weiss said. "Austin is my home. I love Texas. I am
a Texan. But it is changing into a big government state. It isn't the state I
moved to 12 years ago."
Grass roots
Badnarik shares the same concerns about the political shift in Texas but says
he would be leaving for New Hampshire after his campaign anyway.
He says he fled the "socialist state of California" for Austin in 1997. A
chemist by education and a former nuclear systems analyst, Badnarik lost his
Web development training job two years ago. He used the time to create an
all-day course on the Constitution that he teaches small groups for a fee.
Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election in 2004, Badnarik, who
is single, intends to resume teaching the Constitution in New Hampshire.
McGinnis wants to use his Travis County Libertarian Party experience to help
Free Staters get elected in New Hampshire.
McGinnis, who is also single, grew up in Dallas and made himself comfortable in
real estate in California. He thoroughly enjoys Austin and will miss it, he
says. But he will not be deterred, even if the Free State Project doesn't get
20,000 people to move.
"The reality is that this is a grass-roots movement; that's important to
remember," McGinnis said, sipping tea at Threadgill's downtown. "If those of us
who can easily do it don't move to New Hampshire, then what excuse is there?"
New Hampshire political leaders have thought of several excuses. Democrats have
complained that libertarians will further frustrate efforts to raise taxes for
schools. Republicans are worried about the libertarians' free-wheeling attitude
on legislating morality.
But though the Free State Project sees New Hampshire as libertarian leaning,
leaning does not necessarily promise libertarian voting. Although four
Libertarians have served in the New Hampshire House at one time or another,
none currently serves. And of the thousands of elected and appointed positions
in the state, 29 of them are held by Libertarians.
New Hampshire residents have been decidedly restrained for all the attention
the Free State Project has received, according to Richard Winters, a professor
who has taught New Hampshire government since 1969 at Dartmouth College in
Hanover.
Few people are aware of the Free State Project. And those who know of it are
not convinced that 20,000 people are coming, Winters says. And even if the goal
is reached, Winters says, Free Staters will be thwarted by a political system
that appears from a great distance to offer an advantage.
"Precisely because elected officials represent so few people, government is
controlled by two very strong parties," Winters said. "Voters are very
well-informed on political issues but also the issues that pertain to their
communities. These people coming in from the outside are going to be last in
line on the ballot."
Great responsibility
Free State Project founders do not agree on whether the movement can maintain
the momentum to reach the 20,000-pledge goal. McKinstry is particularly worried
about the next 5,000, now that the novelty of the idea has played out.
Without the necessary numbers, McKinstry says, she is afraid that nothing will
change in New Hampshire. Worst of all, the Free State Project will have sent a
message that nothing will change anywhere. If that happens, McKinstry says, she
won't be going to New Hampshire.
"In making these grand statements, I think we bear a terrible responsibility,
not only to our membership but to the ideals of libertarianism to make this
work," McKinstry said. "If we fail, I think it will doom the Libertarian
movement. I find the thought of it so sad and so frightening."
Badnarik couldn't disagree more. The success of the Free State Project will not
rest with numbers of people, he says, but in the conviction of those who go to
New Hampshire.
"There are already people moving there," he said. "As we continue to improve
life and liberty in New Hampshire, other people will come."
mlisheron@statesman.com; 445-3663
More media articles about the FSP
These media articles are maintained on a non-commercial basis by
The Free State Project,
a non-profit organization, for historical, educational, scholarship,
and research purposes. (For information regarding "Fair Use", see
US Code Title 17,
Chapter 1, Section 107).
We Made the Move! – Kat Dillon
Date of move: June 20, 2004
When I first heard about the Free State Project, I was actively looking for
a good place to resettle. I had landed in the tiny town of Frost, Texas with my
daughter in 2002, but never planned to stay. The Free State Project struck us
like a lightning bolt: An opportunity to move to a beautiful part of the
country, and to be a part of an important movement for liberty in our
lifetimes. My home-schooled daughter, Kira (now age 13), and I were hooked!
Once the decision was made to be a part of the Free State Project
migration, I had to get ready to be able to make the move. First, I spent many
months living frugally so we could get out of debt. Then I had to start saving
for the move; that took many more months. Right at the end of 2003, I
took an exploratory trip to New Hampshire to check out the lay of the land. I
had never been to the state before.
What an eye-opener! After a year in Texas, landing in New Hampshire and
seeing all the trees, hills, and beautiful old houses brought tears to my eyes.
Even in the midst of winter in December, New Hampshire is gorgeous! Having
grown up on the west coast, I was stunned by all the old buildings, many dating
from the 1700's. And the small towns! Many of them looked to me like something
out of a picture book or a Norman Rockwell painting. It's just a wonderfully
beautiful state.
It didn't take any time at all for me to conclude that Kira and I would be
happy living in just about any part of New Hampshire (other than the larger
cities like Manchester or Nashua). My preference was to be out in the country,
but I had promised Kira that we'd move to a neighborhood with kids, so she'd
have the chance to make some friends (in Texas we had lived way out in the
boonies; Frost had a population of about 300...and we lived outside Frost).
The final decision on where to live was based on several important factors:
(1) It had to be a place where I could afford to buy a place; (2) we wanted to
be as far south as possible, to minimize winter and be closer to the large
population centers where liberty oriented activities would be most pervasive;
and (3) we had to find a place in a good neighborhood for Kira.
We started our search for a place to live in the Free State on the
Internet, looking mainly for mobile homes so I could buy without incurring a
load of debt (the website at http://nneren.com was useful in locating possible
places to buy). As I looked, I made a list of possibilities, then went over
them with Kira. We narrowed the possibilities down to ones we both liked that
were in reasonably nice areas. There were a couple of realtors who were
especially helpful to us, Dave Walthour of 21st Century Energy Shield, and
Matthew Clark of Maisello Group. I then scheduled a week-long "buying trip" to
New Hampshire, and set appointments to see the places Kira and I had agreed on.
During that trip I met a bunch of wonderful Porcupines, including Calvin
and Karen Pratt, who set up a "meet and greet" for me. Besides Cal and Karen, I
got to meet Karl Beisel, Sam Cohen, Dave Mincin, and many others.
As for the properties I was looking at, when I arrived in New Hampshire I
found the better places disappearing off the market very quickly. But I was
lucky: I found the perfect place for me and Kira in Keene, which had been on
the market for only a few days, and even then I found myself bidding against
someone else for it. Luckily, I was bidding with cash, and the owners wound up
accepting my offer only because I wouldn't be financing the purchase. Kira and
I agreed that Keene, in the southwest part of the state, was small enough to
please me, big enough to please her, pretty enough to please us both, and cheap
enough to be practical. We like living here! My only complaint is it would be
more practical to live closer to the "action" going on in state...nearer
Concord or Manchester.
The closing on the property, however, could have become a problem. It was
scheduled for just after the First Annual Porcupine Festival during the last
week of June 2004. Kira and I didn't want to miss the historic "First Annual
Porc Fest," so we took a leap of faith and actually moved to New Hampshire
before we closed on our new home...which meant we weren't absolutely certain we
really had a place to live. (Yikes!)
Readying for the move, I arranged for a storage unit for our possessions in
Keene, and resolved to drive a moving truck across the country, with only Kira
to keep me company. The best price for the moving truck rental turned out to be
from Penske, a 20-foot truck with a towing dolly for my car.
And I had never driven a truck like that before in my life.
Fortunately, there were a bunch of wonderful guys from the Dallas/Fort
Worth FSP group who helped me. They even tried to arrange some publicity for
the move: "First Free Stater Moves to New Hampshire from the Dallas Area!"
Unfortunately, we got no takers on the story. Nevertheless, those local group
members were a wonderful help when it came time to load the moving truck.
(Thanks so much, guys!)
Then, a stroke of luck. I found out that one of the Dallas/Ft. Worth local
group members, Mark Coleman, was driving across the country to attend the Porc
Fest. So we decided to caravan to New Hampshire together, which was a huge
relief because I was majorly stressed out about driving that huge truck across
the country by myself. It was good to know that someone would be able to help
if the truck broke down or some such thing. (Thanks so much, Mark!)
As it turned out, the trip to the Free State took three days, and went
without any problems at all. In fact, driving that big truck was major fun! (I
want to be a truck driver when I grow up!) ;-)
At the end of the three days, when we arrived in Keene, both Mark Coleman
and LPNH chairman John Babiarz helped us unload. (Thanks guys!) And then the
adventure continued as we immediately headed up to the Porc Fest in Lancaster
in northern New Hampshire. Although we got there in the rain, our tent site was
under the trees (like most things in NH), so we were able to get the tent set
up in relative dryness.
The First Annual Porcupine Freedom Fest and Night on the Barricades. What
can I say. It's really hard to describe that week. Kira and I never met so many
good, kind, nice, funny, freedom-oriented people in our lives. We had a blast!
The people were just exceptional. I've rarely met a group of people who I
"clicked" with so easily. (Tim Condon kept asking me, "When are you moving up
to New Hampshire?" And I kept answering, "I just did! I'm not going back!" LOL.
He couldn't believe what he was hearing.)
After the Porc Fest, Kira and I returned to Keene, and the imminent closing
on our new house. With my heart pounding in my chest, it went off without a
hitch. We had our new home! In the Free State! We spent a week cleaning and
painting our new digs, and then faced the chore of moving all our stuff from
the storage center into the house. But once again, an FSP Porcupine came to the
rescue for us: George Reich came over from Dover and helped us move in. (Thanks
tons, George!)
What is it like to have moved to our new home, the Free State of New Hampshire?
Well, living here I've noticed several novelties: Motorcyclists
without
helmets, people
with guns, land
without fire ants, and grocery
stores
with beer and wine (in Texas we lived in a dry county). And the
trees! They're everywhere! And they're wonderful! And the old buildings too!
Plus, when we got to New Hampshire, it seemed that everyone I talked to was
friendly and nice...just be prepared for the inevitable question, "Why did you
move to NH?"
And everyone else wants to know "What about the weather?" It's no big thing
for us. We're preparing for the winter now, and our place has a fireplace to
keep us warm this first winter. I was real happy to get away from the Texas
weather. I hate the heat!
Finding a job wasn't a problem either. I'm a computer programmer, and can
work from home from anywhere, so I "brought my job with me."
Kira and I are finding out that we're discovering new and fun things in our
new home state too. For one thing, we've rediscovered contra dancing! I had
done it once when I lived in California. It's so much fun, and Kira likes it
too. The place we go each week in the town of Nelson has been having contra
dances for the last 200 years (!). In many ways, it's like taking a step back
in time, and the people are incredibly friendly and helpful.
Bottom line? We've never been so happy that we made a move. Come on up! To
the Free State!
Back to We Made the Move!
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NH Visit
by Kat
Dillon • 4/27/04
On my recent house-hunting trip to New Hampshire, I became firmly convinced
that the Free State Project is going to be successful there. The people I met
went out of their way to make me feel welcome and to be helpful in my move.
Before I even left for the trip, I had offers of tours, an offer to take
photos of prospective houses, offers to meet up with fellow porcupines. When I
got there, I had an offer for work, offers for a place to stay while visiting.
It was nearly overwhelming! The caliber of people who I've met from the Free
State Project is amazing. They've almost without exception been extremely
intelligent, dedicated individuals of high integrity. Cal and Karen Pratt made
me feel so welcome that they felt like family by the time I left. I'm so much
looking forward to living in a community of such individuals. I can't wait to
move!
During my visit, I had the chance to meet with people involved in state
government: Bick Bicknell and Don Gorman, State Representatives, Ken Blevens
who is running for Senate, John Babiarz who is on the governor's committee to
reduce waste in government, and representatives from the Gun Owners of New
Hampshire. I was impressed by how much these people seemed willing and eager
to work with the Free State Project. They were discussing with us some of the
projects they are working on: privatizing the prisons, removal of mandatory
permits for concealed carry of handguns among others. We're barely starting to
move people in to New Hampshire, yet we're already getting this great network
of liberty lovers set up.
The two times I have visited, I've not wanted to come back to Texas. The
state is breathtakingly beautiful. As soon as you leave any city, it seemed
like I was right there in lush forest. There are lakes and rivers all over.
The ocean is spectacular, as it is wont to be. I had a great time driving
around, looking at all the old houses. There's so much fascinating
architecture. I've lived most of my life on the West coast where the buildings
are all basically new, and not built to last 300 years as some of these in NH
were.
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