FSP Passes 75% of Its 20,000 Goal: On Target for Mass Migration to NH in 2015

[Keith and stuff]

The FSP is now over 3/4 of the way towards the goal of recruiting 20,000 liberty activists to become FSP participants by signing the FSP statement of intent. If you would like to keep the ball rolling, sign up here. http://freestateproject.org/join

https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/1002560_626813397361910_1187018539_n.jpg


Free State Project Passes 75% of Its 20,000 Goal: On Target for Mass Migration to NH in 2015
See more at: http://freestateproject.org/blogs/press-releases/free-state-project-hits-75-its-20000-goal-target-mass-migration-nh-2015

The Free State Project, a mass migration movement to concentrate 20,000 liberty activists in New Hampshire is advancing to the finish line with more than 15,000 participants now signed up, with thousands moving ahead of schedule.

October 25, 2013 – Manchester, NH – Today, the Free State Project announced that 15,000 participants have now signed up to move to New Hampshire for more liberty. This mass migration movement aims to concentrate 20,000 liberty activists in the Live Free or Die state. At the current rate of sign-ups, the organization anticipates it will “Trigger the Move” in 2015, three years ahead of schedule.

“Reaching 75% of our goal is a major milestone,” said FSP president, Carla Gericke. “I attribute the acceleration in sign ups to things like the NSA surveillance scandal, the TSA, the NDAA, the PATRIOT Act, Obamacare, unconstitutional gun control legislation, and the unwarranted wars under both Bush and Obama. As America devolves into a police state, well-informed people are seeking safe havens. The FSP offers a proven strategy for individuals who are looking for more liberty within a community of like-minded people.”

FSP participants pledge to move to New Hampshire within 5 years of reaching the 20,000 mark, agreeing to the following Statement of Intent: “I hereby state my solemn intent to move to the State of New Hampshire within 5 years after 20,000 participants have signed up. Once there, I will exert the fullest practical effort toward the creation of a society in which the maximum role of civil government is the protection of individuals' life, liberty, and property.” Although not required to do so until the 20,000 milestone is met, almost 1,500 participants have already moved, with more are on the way.

“We know this approach is working,” said FSP founder Jason Sorens, who developed the idea of the FSP as a graduate student at Yale in 2001. The vote to select New Hampshire was taken in 2003. “My wife and I and our 2 year old daughter just moved ourselves, based on the successes we’ve seen other FSP participants achieve on the social and political front.”

Once in New Hampshire, Free State Project participants pursue various forms of individual activism. Some run for office, using the political system to work for reductions in taxation, regulation, and to reform all levels of government to expand individual rights and embrace free markets (successes include: cutting 2010 state budget by 11% or $1 Billion, enshrined jury nullification, passing marriage equality and medical marijuana). Others choose to work outside the system, such as homeschooling, or practicing civil disobedience (successes include Keene’s Robin Hooders). Others bring or start businesses (successes include: world’s first Bitcoin ATM).

Two incidents in the past year resulted in national media coverage, causing spikes in new FSP signers. In December 2012, NH state representative Cynthia Chase called “Free Staters” the “single biggest threat the state is facing today… What we can do is to make the environment here so unwelcoming that some will choose not to come, and some may actually leave. One way is to pass measures that will restrict the ‘freedoms’ that they think they will find here.” And in July 2013 it was discovered that the City of Concord, NH had claimed in a federal grant application for a $260,000 Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck that “Free Staters” together with “Sovereign Citizens” and “Occupy New Hampshire” posed a domestic terrorist threat, saying the groups presented “active and daily challenges.” The Concord Police Chief, John Duval, later backpedaled and allegedly filed an addendum striking references to the groups from the original grant application.

“We saw our website traffic double and got lots of new signers and supporters,” said Gericke. “Frankly, by showing their true colors, these state agents did us a favor.”

For more information, please contact:
Kari DePhillips at kdephillips at FreeStateProject.org
or
Carla Gericke at cgericke at FreeStateProject.org

[Keith and stuff]

If you didn't see the Free State Project participant counter when it was at 15,000, here you go :)
https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1380670_10202354411840331_718583966_n.jpg

Here is the current counter.
Participants:
15,002 of 20,000

[brandon]

I signed up for that about 6 years ago. At this point in my life there is close to a zero percent chance I'd move to NH. I have to assume a lot of other signers are in the same boat as me... especially if they signed up 10+ years ago.

[Keith and stuff]

I signed up for that about 6 years ago. At this point in my life there is close to a zero percent chance I'd move to NH. I have to assume a lot of other signers are in the same boat as me... especially if they signed up 10+ years ago.

I agree that every single signer might not make the move. We find that some folks move without even signing the statement of intent. Sadly, some movers die either before they made the move, or after they made the move. There have been a few earlier movers that moved, but then for some reason, decided to leave NH (though some of these people plan to return once the move is triggered). Either way, some of us try to keep the counter as accurate as we can.

If you no longer agree with this statement:

I hereby state my solemn intent to move to the State of New Hampshire within 5 years after 20,000 Participants have signed up. Once there, I will exert the fullest practical effort toward the creation of a society in which the maximum role of civil government is the protection of individuals' life, liberty, and property.

Please do me a favor. Please email support at freestateproject.org and let the FSP know that you renounce your pledge. Obviously, it's hard to keep the counter number 100% accurate but it is nice to try to keep it accurate.

Thanks for your help. If you ever have any doubts, please consider visiting New Hampshire, perhaps during Porcfest or Liberty Forum.
http://porcfest.com/
http://freestateproject.org/libertyforum

[Keith and stuff]

The blogs are starting to cover this issue.

Free State Project Reaches 75% of Its Goal: 15,000 Liberty Activists Pledged to Move to NH!
October 25, 2013 by Ian
http://freekeene.com/2013/10/25/free-state-project-reaches-75-of-its-goal-15000-liberty-activists-pledged-to-move-to-nh/


Control freaks in NH beware: the Free Staters are coming. Well, some of us (over 1,400) are already here, but we’re the “early movers”. The best part is yet to come! The goal of the Free State Project is to get 20,000 people to pledge to move to New Hampshire and get active to help achieve liberty in our lifetime.

Today, that goal is closer than ever with the FSP eclipsing 15,000 signers! We’re now over 75% of the way there! Once 20,000 is reached, the official move period will begin where the thousands of signers have five years to pick up their lives and move to the Shire!

If you love liberty and have been quietly watching to see what happens here, you already know the FSP is having an impact with people like state representative Cynthia Chase saying that “Free Staters are the single biggest threat the state is facing today” – and she said that back in 2012! Just wait until thousands more liberty activists arrive! If you love liberty and are willing to DO SOMETHING about it, you can be a part of the most exciting and successful liberty movement out there. Please join the Free State Project today and start planning your move to New Hampshire.

If, on the other hand, you love the idea of controlling your neighbor, you may want to start planning your move out of New Hampshire now. Things are going to get awfully uncomfortable for those who wish to control others here in NH very soon!


The Free State Project is less than 25% away from the final goal
October 25, 2013
https://nhfreedom.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/the-free-state-project-is-less-than-25-away-from-the-final-goal/


There is big news in New Hampshire. The Free State Project is now less than 25% away from the goal of 20,000 people joining the Free State Project as participants. If you aren’t knowledgeable on the Free State Project, you can learn more on the group’s website. Basically, it is a group that is recruiting 20,000 people that beleive in the New Hampshire way of life/ state motto to move to New Hampshire.

Here is the image update from the group’s website.

The Free State Project put out a press release. Read it for yourself. http://freestateproject.org/blogs/press-releases/free-state-project-hits-75-its-20000-goal-target-mass-migration-nh-2015.

Here are the first four paragraphs from the release.

The Free State Project, a mass migration movement to concentrate 20,000 liberty activists in New Hampshire is advancing to the finish line with more than 15,000 participants now signed up, with thousands moving ahead of schedule.

October 25, 2013 – Manchester, NH – Today, the Free State Project announced that 15,000 participants have now signed up to move to New Hampshire for more liberty. This mass migration movement aims to concentrate 20,000 liberty activists in the Live Free or Die state. At the current rate of sign-ups, the organization anticipates it will “Trigger the Move” in 2015, three years ahead of schedule.

“Reaching 75% of our goal is a major milestone,” said FSP president, Carla Gericke. “I attribute the acceleration in sign ups to things like the NSA surveillance scandal, the TSA, the NDAA, the PATRIOT Act, Obamacare, unconstitutional gun control legislation, and the unwarranted wars under both Bush and Obama. As America devolves into a police state, well-informed people are seeking safe havens. The FSP offers a proven strategy for individuals who are looking for more liberty within a community of like-minded people.”

FSP participants pledge to move to New Hampshire within 5 years of reaching the 20,000 mark, agreeing to the following Statement of Intent: “I hereby state my solemn intent to move to the State of New Hampshire within 5 years after 20,000 participants have signed up. Once there, I will exert the fullest practical effort toward the creation of a society in which the maximum role of civil government is the protection of individuals’ life, liberty, and property.” Although not required to do so until the 20,000 milestone is met, almost 1,500 participants have already moved, with more are on the way.

If you like what you just read, feel free to join the 15,000+ other Free State Project participants.

[Tod]

How does a gun owner get to New Hampshire from the other side of NY these days? Someone moving there with a dozen AR-15 magazines could get, what, 12x5=60 years in prison if they are stopped in NY?

Are package delivery persons exempt from NY law?

[Barrex]

20.000 people moving in one state:
-Will price of apartments, rents, houses etc. skyrocket?
-Is this going to be like Facebook (from those who pick option "going" only 50% ends up going... or some other percentage)? Chances are that many will have jobs that they can not move to NH.
-How will so many people find work in one place?
-Možeš li osuditi beskućnika na kućni pritvor?

[Keith and stuff]

20.000 people moving in one state:
-Will price of apartments, rents, houses etc. skyrocket?
-Is this going to be like Facebook (from those who pick option "going" only 50% ends up going... or some other percentage)?


Great questions. You aren't the first person to ask them, perhaps because they are such good questions. You partially answered yourself. I don't know anyone that thinks all 20,000 of these people will move to New Hampshire within 5 years of the FSP reaching 20,000 signers, as the signers agree to do.

1st off, a couple 1,000 will likely move to NH before the FSP reaches 20,000, so we are only looking at 18,000 people agreeing to move within 5 years.
Some of those folks will likely have 1 issue or another that will delay them 1 to several years. Some people will die, be jailed or maybe even killed by police in CA/TX/other states/other countries before they even move to NH. Though, on the other hand, some additional people will move. There have already been dozens of people that don't want to actually sign the statement of intent but still move here.

Heck, 1000s of people move to NH every year. 1000s of people move out of NH every year. Less than 40% of the people living in NH were born here. 15,000 additional people spread out of 5 years will slightly increase the cost of housing. But keep in mind, in Berlin alone, there are 1000s of rooms that are empty and waiting to be filled. That's just 1 of the nearly 250 communities in NH. I've known people that paid as little as $100 a month plus a share of utilities for rent to share a place. Others that paid $150. I don't pay much for than that and live near forested hills and see a river from my room. And where I live isn't a dump. Most of the house has been newly renovated and looks nice. If someone wanted to have their own place, you can get mobile homes for under $10,000 all day long. If someone wanted to live somewhere nicer, condos start at $50,000 in southern NH and 4-8 bedroom places start at $50,000 in Berlin.


Chances are that many will have jobs that they can not move to NH.
There shouldn't be much of an issue relating to jobs. It's easy to find a job in NH. NH has the 2nd lowest unemployment rate in the Eastern US. Border state VT has the lowest unemployment rate in the Eastern US. https://nhfreedom.wordpress.com/2013/10/18/new-hampshires-unemployment-rate-falls-again-still-the-2nd-lowest-in-the-east/ Just like with housing, there are massive resources to help people find jobs in NH. Every year, we develop additional resources. We continue to see which websites are best for job searching. Additional temp and employment search agencies continue to open or expand in NH. If you are looking for a job in NH, there are folks that will look over your resume, we post about all of the job fairs, we bring recruiters to FSP events, we create forums where we post job openings. There are several FB groups with job postings and tips. The jobs issue hasn't been a problem at all yet and I doubt it ever will. This in NH, not some place like SC, RI or NV people have a hard time finding a job.
http://freestateproject.org/resources


-How will so many people find work in one place?
They won't. Some people will continue to operate their own business. Some people will open a company. Some people will continue to work at home. Some people will work at Walmart in Hinsdale, NH. Some people will work for Fidelity in Dover, NH. Some people will work for Oracle in Nashua, NH. Some people will work at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, NH. Some will work at the casino in Salem, NH. Others will work at Dartmouth in Hanover, NH. Still overs will work at Harvard in Cambridge, MA. Some will work at the Kittery Outlets in Kittery, ME. I know folks that work out of businesses or DC foundations that live in NH. They take a very quick flight to DC a couple times a month. No problem for them.

Of course, many wouldn't work. 1000s might be retired. 1000s might be non-working spouses. Since the pay is so high in this area and the taxes and cost of living are pretty low, usually only 1 parent needs to work in NH to pay the bills. 100s might really like freedom and work under the table. 100s might be college students when they move and not look for work for a while.

[GregSarnowski]

20.000 people moving in one state:
-Will price of apartments, rents, houses etc. skyrocket?
-Is this going to be like Facebook (from those who pick option "going" only 50% ends up going... or some other percentage)? Chances are that many will have jobs that they can not move to NH.
-How will so many people find work in one place?
-Možeš li osuditi beskućnika na kućni pritvor?

There's over 1.3 million people in NH; 20,000 movers could easily be absorbed, especially over a 5 year period as the pledge calls for.

Realistically only a fraction of those who signed up need to move to make a big difference. The 1000+ people who have already moved already have had many successes, especially as they have worked with and revitalized sympathetic natives. Even just doubling or tripling that number - with actual activists - could have untold effects. Personally I signed up over 10 years ago and still plan on moving eventually.

As far as jobs there's no easy answers but I think it helps that libertarians tend to be technologically sophisticated, with many if not most computer-related jobs able to easily be worked remotely. It's also easy enough to commute to Boston if necessarily, only about 45 minutes from southern NH.

[Keith and stuff]

As far as jobs there's no easy answers but I think it helps that libertarians tend to be technologically sophisticated, with many if not most computer-related jobs able to easily be worked remotely. It's also easy enough to commute to Boston if necessarily, only about 45 minutes from southern NH.

Not only have we already figured out the existing resources to help people find jobs, we built up a bunch of our own. As time goes on, we continue to build up additional resources and are constantly on the lookout for other new resources.

The easiest answer is just to repeat what you said on housing. So if 2k move early and 4k don't move/move late, we are looking at the need to fill at most 14k jobs. But maybe 1k will bring a job with them and 6k will be retired, disabled, non-working spouses or students. That's 7k jobs needed over 5 years if you actually have 16k movers to NH. But as people move to an area, additional jobs will be created.

The other issue is what you said, NH has 1.3 million people. ME has 1.3 million people with 1/3 of them within commuting distance to NH. VT has 200k people within commuting distance to NH. MA has perhaps 3.5 million people within commuting distant of NH. So we are talking about worst case, distributing 7,000 jobs over an area with a population of 5,500,000 people over a period of 5 years.

Then, the idea is to create liberty in our lifetime. Hopefully that would me tax cuts, some zoning restrictions lifted, some regulation lifted... which would make it easier to both live on less money, and create additional jobs.

[Keith and stuff]

12 new participants in the last 10 hours. Loving this sign-up speed. I know it will slow down but sign-ups have been on a roll the last couple days.

Participants: 15,007 of 20,000
Edit: Another signer in the last hour. Now it is up to 15,008 :)

BTW, in case you didn't know, there have been 2 recent developments in FSP land. The President of the FSP is now a paid position. The thought process was that if the FSP President focused on the FSP full-time, she could get a lot more done. And people were getting annoying that it was taking so long to reach the 20,000 participant number. The other new development is that the FSP actually has office space now. The office is in Manchester, NH.

Bonus update: There is also a 3rd liberty place now. 1 in Keene and now 2 in Manchester. Plus the church in Grafton is still around. Folks are in the process of putting the finishing touches on the new place in Manchester. Here's an old photo of some of the progress.
https://scontent-b-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/1384243_250573995089921_1832156733_n.jpg

[KingRobbStark]

How about those people start moving now before people lose interest?

[MichaelDavis]

This is a very, very bad idea. We will loose much of our influence by cramming so many libertarians into one state. If you want more Paul/Amash/Massie types in government, do not support FSP. We cannot elect libertarian lawmakers if there are no libertarians to vote for them.

[Keith and stuff]

How about those people start moving now before people lose interest?
Absolutely. At first, the thought was something like this had never been done before and people would feel better about their decision to move if they knew a bunch of other people were also going to move. It's the same sort of thought process that websites like PledgeBank and Kickstarter are based on.

At some point, maybe last year, people that had moved early started to noticed that earlier movers were starting to make a real difference in liberty in New Hampshire and that it would make sense to encourage new signers to start to move early. So now, it is encouraged.

At the same time, the original idea that people have 5 years after the 20,000 milestone is reached to move, is still there. Hopefully, in a couple years, there will be 20,000 signers and the move will be triggered.

[Keith and stuff]

This is a very, very bad idea. We will loose much of our influence by cramming so many libertarians into one state. If you want more Paul/Amash/Massie types in government, do not support FSP. We cannot elect libertarian lawmakers if there are no libertarians to vote for them.

I see your point. If the FSP wasn't trying to recruit 20,000 liberty activists from around the world. However, my understanding is that there are more than 20,000 current or future liberty activists in the world. While I wouldn't say that everyone voting for Ron Paul in 2012 was a liberty activist, but didn't he have over a million votes? That's just in 1 country.

And while I am excited about getting as many Paul and Amash types in Congress. 100s of years of history has shown us that in the US, we haven't been able to increase overall liberty through getting involved in the federal electoral process. I beleive that state and local elections, especially if something like the FSP happens, is the best chance the people of the world have in sparking liberty, not US federal politics. But, if you beleive that US federal politics is the best chance, consider that NH is the biggest swing state when it comes to federal elections and NH is the most important state (per capita) when it comes to Presidential politics. And if you live in NH, the VT, ME and MA primaries/caucuses are at different times of the year so you can influence the Presidential primaries in at least 4 states, if you can about Presidential politics; so even from your perspective, there is still a lot that could potentially be gained by this.

And let's not forget, that if there weren't Free Staters in NH in 2007 and 2008, it is quite possible that Ron Paul would have never even run for President as a Republican in 2008. Because a very successful fundraiser Ron did in connection with his speaking at a FSP event, the New Hampshire Liberty Forum, is credited as 1 of the reasons he decided to run for President. Perhaps Rand wouldn't have run then? Perhaps Massie wouldn't have run either? We obviously don't know for sure but I'm glad Ron and Rand Paul ran.

The FSP is just suggesting that since all other approaches tried have been failures, why not try something new? And it's not like the 20,000 will be forced by the government to move to NH. And once they move, they won't be forced to live in NH until they die. And look at Massie and Rand Paul, neither of them spent their whole lives in KY. Maybe liberty activists moving to NH for 20 - 30 years, making connections and so on, and then leaving NH and moving to another state once there is extreme freedom in NH, will actually lead to more pro-liberty US Congressmen than without such folks moving to NH in the first place?

[Bastiat's The Law]

I hope they help push Rand over the top in the primary to beat Christie and in the general to beat Hillary.

[Peace&Freedom]

I wish the original FSP project well for NH, but do not think this is the optimal path to increasing liberty influence, or that it has an accountable metric for judging its success (relative to all the energy and time needed to accomplish things in one state). Identifying 1,000 liberty people within each state to move to a selected small town within their state, and take over the local town/city council within 1-2 election cycles is at least as feasible, and could accomplish more in less time. Nor would the local projects have to be locked into the same exact template, but could vary as needed per the region.

[fr33]

The President of the FSP is now a paid position.

Where does the money come from to pay her?

[GregSarnowski]

Where does the money come from to pay her?

http://freestateproject.org/blogs/board-minutes/september-2013-board-meeting-minutes

Says there was a $15,000 donation, could be it. Maybe they finally got a rich libertarian benefactor like Peter Thiel on board (probably not but maybe).

[Keith and stuff]

Where does the money come from to pay her?

From donors. Some rich people like the FSP. Some middle class folks like the FSP. Some working class folks like the FSP. I don't have access to the donor info. Most organizations are very protective of most of their donor info.

The FSP did release this info into the October newsletter. I don't know if it has anything to do with her pay, though.

Or, if you prefer something more personal, come say “hi” at the FSP’s brand, spanking new office! Thanks to a generous donation from Charles Pax (“the 3-D printer guy”), starting in November, the FSP will be leasing an office in Manchester with other liberty-oriented organizations. In addition to the FSP, “Area 23” will initially house the Informal University and Rothbard Stirner & Dobbs. This “liberty lab” is going to be fab, and I can’t wait to get started. Thanks, Charles, for making this possible!

http://freestateproject.org/blogs/newsletters/newsletter-october-2013

There is also a part-time staffer for the FSP and has been all year. Her pay doesn't come from the FSP corporate, though, it comes from participants. She was in an accident and is wheelchair bound. Someone came up with idea to find a bunch of FSP participants to donation x money of dollars a month to help pay her to work for the FSP part-time. The money was raised and now she does things like send care packages to people that sign up to become FSP participants.

Magically, sometimes liberty folks come through and help each other :)

[Keith and stuff]

This news was covered in a few additional places.

Free State Project Meets Milestone
Freedom group claims that 15,000 people have committed to moving to New Hampshire.
Posted by Tony Schinella, October 26, 2013 at 12:20 PM
http://portsmouth-nh.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/free-state-project-meets-milestone-portsmouth-nh


The Free State Project, the organization that is encouraging 20,000 people with liberty minded political viewpoints to move to the Granite State by 2015, announced on Oct. 25, that 15,000 people had committed to make the move.

Carla Gericke, the president of the organization, said reaching the 75 percent was “a major milestone” and probably prompted by the policy actions of the last two presidential administrations.

“As America devolves into a police state, well-informed people are seeking safe havens,” Gericke said. “The FSP offers a proven strategy for individuals who are looking for more liberty within a community of like-minded people.”

Almost 1,500 people have made a move into the state with the expressed intent of exerting “the fullest practical effort toward the creation of a society in which the maximum role of civil government is the protection of individuals' life, liberty, and property,” according to the group’s statement of intent that committed members are asked to follow, she noted.

Gericke said some members have become more politically involved than they had before while others have set up businesses or encouraged homeschooling initiatives.

Gericke stated that two incidents during the last year appeared to cause “spikes” in signups: Remarks made by state Rep. Cynthia Chase, D-Keene, who stated that the group is “the single biggest threat the state is facing today” as well as the Bearcat armored vehicle proposal in Concord.

Chase made her remarks on the Blue Hampshire political blog writing that while there was nothing anyone could to stop the Free State Project supporters from moving to the state, leaders could “make the environment here so unwelcoming that some will choose not to come, and some may actually leave” adding that one way would be to “restrict the ‘freedoms’ that they think they will find here.” Some legislators tried but failed to have Chase censured and impeached for her remarks.

On the Bearcat grant application, Police Chief John Duval likened the Free State Project, Occupy New Hampshire, and others, as domestic terrorism security threats to the community. Duval later apologized for the way he worded the grant application, the application was modified, and the city council approved of the grant.

The two incidents, which garnered national attention, boosted the group’s website traffic and people committed to move to the Live Free or Die state, Gericke said.

“Frankly, by showing their true colors, these state agents did us a favor,” she said.


And Peace News Now covered it.

Free State Project Reaches 15k
26 Oct 2013 Posted by DerrickJ
http://peacenewsnow.com/free-state-project-reaches-15k/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGBMFA8KS0M


NewHampshire.com also covered it. But it just liked to the Free Keene post with a short description. http://www.newhampshire.com/article/20131026/AGGREGATION/131029383/0/SEARCH