FSP cancels Liberty Forum 2011

[ronpaulhawaii]

http://georgedonnelly.com/libertarian/why-free-state-project-canceled-liberty-forum


Every year the Free State Project (FSP) holds a popular conference for libertarians nationwide called Liberty Forum (LF). It is their flagship event, one of only two they host each year. Liberty Forum has gained the Free State Project considerable credibility and attention from libertarians nationwide. It’s the kind of event that underlined their project with seriousness and depth.

But this year LF organizer Rich Tomasso took the surprisingly quick decision of canceling Liberty Forum due to a shortage of funds, weak advance ticket sales and a lax promotion effort.

Looks like there are deeper problems...

[ItsTime]

Sounds like they should have spent less time focusing on couches left in peoples yards and getting topless in public.

[FSP-Rebel]

FTL talked about this last night and it sounded like part of the problem was that most anarchists were withholding their early registration because the main dinner last year featured a politician, Rep. Itse. They felt they were cheated out of the money for that event. Plus, this year's organizational staff wasn't up to speed in their promotional activities and the like. The event has grown every year in the last four years of its existence and there is likely to be a replacement event in some way shape or form. Also, many people from far away states aren't too keen on air travel these days not to mention the economy has progressively gotten worse. I wouldn't worry too much about the success of the FSP, they exceeded all expectations at the ballot box last November and people continue to move all the time.

[Keith and stuff]

Sounds like they should have spent less time focusing on couches left in peoples yards and getting topless in public.

The FSP doesn't spend any time on anything of that nature. The FSP doesn't do activism other than direct outreach to get people to move to NH. For example, the FSP may have a table at a Campaign for Liberty regional conference or put an ad on the Lewrockwell podcast.

[Keith and stuff]

FTL talked about this last night and it sounded like part of the problem was that most anarchists were withholding their early registration because the main dinner last year featured a politician, Rep. Itse. They felt they were cheated out of the money for that event. Plus, this year's organizational staff wasn't up to speed in their promotional activities and the like. The event has grown every year in the last four years of its existence and there is likely to be a replacement event in some way shape or form. Also, many people from far away states aren't too keen on air travel these days not to mention the economy has progressively gotten worse. I wouldn't worry too much about the success of the FSP, they exceeded all expectations at the ballot box last November and people continue to move all the time.

These are all excellent points. The economy, competing events (CPAC is gonna be huge this year and is only 5 days from Liberty Forum, Boston Tea Party was massive this year, the Harvard Students for Liberty Conference was massive this year also), people with TSA problems, the organizer being slow getting things together and so. Additionally, as people on this board know, the political victories for liberty candidates in NH this year were about equal to the victories in the entire rest of the nation combined. While the FSP doesn't get involved in politics, many of the more active FSP volunteers from past events were busy getting elected as NH State Reps or supporting people that were elected as State Reps. And as I posted here, http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?271114-The-election-after-the-election-how-liberty-took-hold-in-the-NH-State-House , FSPers have moved into leadership positions in many of the NH liberty organizations and so have less time to spending on FSP activism (like running Liberty Forum and traveling out of state to table at events). FSPers are now in leadership positions in 3 of the 4 largest gun freedom groups in NH, in the NH Republican Liberty Caucus, in the only large drug reform group, in the NH State House leadership, in the NH House caucus where many of the current leaders of the NH State House leadership team blog and in the new Natural Rights caucus in the NH House among other things.

This is a SET BACK for the FSP and unfortunate. I don't think people will be concerned with this failure within a few months though. There are just going to be so many exciting developments in NH...

[muzzled dogg]

List of speakers and price tag sucked compared to boson tea party

[speciallyblend]

has anyone in NH considered becoming a republican and winning the nomination for Ron Paul 2012 ,just sayin

[Tinnuhana]

Maybe some of those so inclined in FSP can spend the time that would have been spent on the Liberty Forum getting people to CPAC. Don't they have a table there, anyway? Great for recruiting, great for Ron Paul.Just saying...

[Thomas]

the NHLA made huge gains in the election yes?...

[FSP-Rebel]

the NHLA made huge gains in the election yes?...

Yeah, they own over a quarter of the state house now. Any other states with libertarian-republicans controlling that much of their respective state house?

[Keith and stuff]

has anyone in NH considered becoming a republican and winning the nomination for Ron Paul 2012 ,just sayin

I don't understand. There are many Republicans in NH. It leans Republican and the vast majority of the elected libertarians in New England are elected Republicans in NH.

How can you win the nomination for Ron Paul 2012?

Ron Paul get lots of his seed money before he ran for Prez last time in NH over a NH Liberty Forum weekend. That's my guess as to why this thread was created, because of the historic significance of the NH Liberty Forum to Ron Paul.

[rhelwig]

I would also add that a lot of those who would have come to the Liberty Forum also want to attend PorcFest. If they have to choose between the two events, most are going to pick the cheaper and more fun event. The last PorcFest was incredible, and this upcoming one will be even better I'm sure.