Porc. Fest. News Reports
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Sunday, June 27, 2004
Free State 'Porcupines' fight prickly reception
By Dan Tuohy
Staff writer
http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20040627/FP_004.htm
"LANCASTER -- Free State Project organizer Tim Condon huddled around a campfire pit and doled out advice to fellow Libertarians on how to interact with New Hampshire natives.
He said he saw for himself how ornery or stubborn Granite Staters can be last week when residents in Grafton objected to project members relocating to their town of about 1,200 people with the idea of "taking over."
It was just "a vicious crowd of xenophobes and rednecks," Condon, an attorney from Tampa, said Thursday
Seeing a reporter among his political pioneers -- who want 20,000 people to relocate to New Hampshire to promote limited government -- he quickly added, "That was a joke.""
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Sunday, June 27, 2004
Benson snatches quill votes
Dan Tuohy
Staff Writer
http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20040627/NH_001.htm
"Gov. Craig Benson is still a Republican -- just in case you're wondering.
The first-term millionaire from a tony side of Rye is seeking re-election, but he is also seeking support from Libertarians.
Who says Benson isn't bipartisan?
Benson was the speaker Friday at the Liberty Dinner, a fund-raiser for the lobbying arm of the Free State Project. The Porcupines, as they call themselves, are Libertarians from around the country who are moving to New Hampshire to celebrate the essence of the Live Free Or Die state."
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June 25, 2004
Free State group has 'Porcupine Festival'
By BEVERLEY WANG
The Associated Press
http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showfast.html?article=39773
"Reached by phone yesterday, the governor said he planned to give a “standard speech” on education, health care and the economy.
“I go speak every day to different groups,” Benson said. “The charm of New Hampshire and the charm of America actually is we welcome people from around the world with different ideas and different ways of doing things.”
In a 2001 essay, Sorens wrote: “Once we’ve taken over the state government, we can slash state and local budgets.” Sorens also favors rejecting federal funding. “We can bargain with the national government. . . . We can use the threat of secession as leverage to do this,” he wrote.
Free staters’ interests vary, from decriminalizing marijuana, prostitution and other “victimless crimes,” to advocating for school choice, lowering taxes and protecting Second Amendment rights. They say they are united by a desire to limit government to the protection of life, liberty and property rights.
The Free State Project recently grabbed headlines when a breakaway group called the Free Town Project declared its intention to settle 200 libertarians in Grafton, population 1,200.
“The Free State Project doesn’t endorse special legislation, candidates or political parties. We’re not interested in taking over anything,” Amanda Phillips, Free State Project president, said recently at a meeting Grafton."
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June 26, 2004
Free State Porcupine Festival draws mixed crowd to Lancaster
BEVERLEY WANG
Associated Press
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/state/9021198.htm
"The Free State Project recently grabbed headlines when a member of a splinter group, the Free Town Project, published an "enemies list" that named several Grafton town officials. The member has since been expelled, but Free Staters have learned their lesson. They are urging members to tread lightly when they move to New Hampshire.
"When we move into New Hampshire, we're the new kids on the block," said Tim Condon, a Free State leader. "The people that I've met in New Hampshire do not want to be told how to live their lives.""
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9 Comments:
Excellent compilation! thank you, I was wondering what those darned FSPers were doing this weekend! Interesting takes from the reporters too.
michael
12:56 AM
Hey Graftonites- Micahel says that I am the only one in Grafton that doesn't approve of the FSP/FTP coming in to Grafton. I am sorry to have wasted everyone's time. I wonder who else posted here? Maybe a ghost of a democrat? Because apparently only democrats oppose Libertarians. I know this is NOT true, but that is the story! So Michael is getting comfy as a Graftonite even though he hasn't moved here yet. Well,just as soon as the take over is complete we can take this silly blog down. Unless one of you is successful at having it taken down. This blog was for the residents of Grafton. They were encouraged to post, even if it was anonyomous. We wanted to hear what they might say. Now you are saying all posts are done by ME (which is a LIE) or they were done by an evil democrat pretending to be a concerned Grafton resident. So now all quotes are out of context? Was that 3 hour town meeting out of context? I am sure it was, right? Isn't all of this spinning making you dizzy? REBECCA
8:38 AM
OH BOY! Tim Condon "suggesto" wants to use Robert Hull's land for next years Porc. Fest! I wonder how much money Tim Condon put into this land deal with Robert Hull? It must be a lot for him to already start promoting it for the Porc. Fest. I think all of the men who are clinging to Grafton are doing so because they have put money into it. the almighty dollar is at stake! Hardly anything matters more than money, well money and property rights. Screw happiness, their is no money involved. Big up to money and property rights!
10:34 AM
This IS from a resident of Grafton.
On Sunday June 27 there were many out of state vehicles parked at the general store and the fire house/town offices. FSP/FTP members had come to town to view a few properties recently purchased by Robert Hull (NJ). One of them being the 237 acres off Sargent Hill Road. Later that day they (the viewers) met at the home of John Babiarz for a cook out.Among the attendees were Tim Condon and Mike Lorey, Free Town Project members.
I have also been privy to a video tape recorded at the Porcupine Fest where Tim Condon lied about the Grafton town meeting and Robert Hull admitted that he would be selling off his property to people of the FSP. More to come...
11:54 AM
Hull is saying that he will subdivide 3 six acre parcels. when they sell, he will sell another 3 six acre parcels. and so on..
1:14 PM
why didn't the ftpers aka grafton for freedom visit the grafton history museum? you were all parked right near it.
1:26 PM
oh come on now! Where did I say that you were the only one posting? I 'asked' for others to have some sort of moniker so that it would be easy to tell folks apart... all this anonymous this and that makes it all 'seem' like one person... isn't the point to get to know each other as actual humans... which is part of the problem, need to put happy faces with the posts... well, whatever...
Actually, I appreciate that at least YOU do put your name on your posts, they have alot more 'weight' that way...
Interesting about Tim and Robert doing the Porc fest thing next year... looks like Tim is making a play at converting Robert over to Tim's new group... ah, wheels within wheels, even libs love to play at the 'politics' game... too funny.
michael
9:04 PM
Hey Zack and Jay- did you see Mike Lorrey's questions he wants to send out to the Grafton residents? Are all of you transhumanists? Also, how much money did Mike Lorrey sink into this that he is so desperate as to send out a questionaire to the Grafton residents? Isn't it too late for that crap now?
2:29 PM
"Inflamatory Editorial"-this woman knows NOTHING about the FSP and FTP's intentions. Or does she???
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Concord Monitor
Inflammatory, PENNY S. DEAN, Concord - Letter
July 04. 2004 8:00AM
B
oy, did someone have fun with the ole thesaurus! Inflammatory language, rhetoric and equating libertarians with cults! I expected somewhat better from the Monitor.
Hostile takeover? Libertarian invasion? Targeted for takeover? Frills like public education? Dance around a flaming file of zoning ordinances (zoning ordinances that did not exist even before the Free Staters arrived)? Were you short on newspaper sales or did some paranoid Grafton resident write this? What happened to Live Free or Die?
Grafton residents have had well over a hundred years to create all sorts of unnecessary government entities, and if they have not done so by now, they should quit whining.
The editorial states, "so they plan to pack one small community and impose their will on its residents." Correct me if I am wrong, in order for one to run for office, one must be a resident. In order to vote, one must be a resident. Self-rule, how novel! What a scary concept allowing all residents to vote!
Maybe we should not allow the radical religious, political or certain ethnic groups to vote! That'll stop those crazy Free Staters and be a lesson to other "radicals!" In a democracy (or federal republic as it may be) the majority rules (within certain constitutional parameters). And so the problem is with majority rule is . . .
By the way, I am not a member of the Free State Project, Free Town Project or this group, but I do agree in principle with their publicly stated positions that I have read.
PENNY S. DEAN
Concord
10:51 AM
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