The Town Of Hanover, Nh Is Seeking Proposals For The Following Work: Fill & Download for Free

Having moved to New Hampshire almost a year ago — after a six year courtship with the Free State Project — let me tell you what I would do were I just now thinking about the Free State Project and whether I wanted to join it, help it out, and/or move here.So, consider this my suggested steps. What you do and the order you take them are entirely up to you and will very likely be different, but I wanted you to benefit from what I would do now that I’ve experienced the process. :)Here are the steps that I would follow:Connect virtuallyUnderstand its Historical ContextAttend a Big EventChoose a NH RegionSign Your Pledge to MoveVisit/Vacation in NHSchedule Your MoveAfter Your MoveHelp Out: Assist the FSP from your state.Step 1: Connect VirtuallyLet’s get you connected online with the core Free State Project sites. This way, you can get a sense of what is happening today and that will help you envision what you might want to do were you to live in a free state.These four sites will start your journey. [Footnote 1]Free State Project WebSiteRead the tabs for the Mission, the NHAdvantage, and the Community,Do not yet sign the Pledge to Move, unless you are ready to commit to move here . We will be disappointed if you don’t move, so hold off until you are sure.But do sign up to be informed about future Free State stuff. (And then check your Spam folder for whether your less-than-libertarian email filter is throwing your FSP info away in the hope you won’t see it.)And then spend the majority of your time reading the blog contributions of various Porcupines — the personal stories of people, like you.The most pertinent to you will be the “New Mover stories”: how people like you first heard about the FSP, learned more about it, came up to visit, decided to move here, made their move, and what they’ve learned about freedom, about NH, about the FSP, and about themselves since they’ve been here. (There are also stories about events and projects porcupines are undertaking, and various porcupines’ reflections. )Scroll back about a year or so, and then see if you’re up for more.Free State Project Facebook Page This official FSP Facebook page will give you the most curated view of what’s happening today. Click “See notifications first” so that you get this baseline information.Free State Project Facebook Closed GroupThe FSP closed group allows you to read questions from other potential movers. A group of knowledgable Free Staters (“FSers” or “porcupines”) volunteer information and links and suggestions. Look back on prior questions, and then ask your own specific questions and get help (e.g., Plan a visit {Step 6}.).Step 2: Understand its Historical ContextNow that I have you connected, take a step back for some historical context.2a) VideosDedicate a couple of evenings to watch some videos:Who best to introduce you to the Free State Project than Jason Sorens himself:In this interview, Jason reflects on the fifteen years since he first proposed creating a free state.In 2014, we Free Staters crowdfunded a glossy video about why you should move to New Hampshire and join the project: “101 Reasons: Liberty Lives in New Hampshire” Famous libertarians and early movers share the advantages of moving to NH to grow freedom.in 2016, the migration was triggered. In this video, the then leaders of the FSP reflected on our transition from convincing people to pledge to move, to porcupines actually moving to New Hampshire.In 2010, a (nonlibertarian) documentarian featured the Free State Project. It is very sweet.Look in the Comments below for additional links. In the meantime, you can mine the FSP channel:Free State Project YouTube Channel2b) Historical DocumentsThese document the origin of the Free State Project.2001: Jason Sorens: Announcement: The Free State ProjectThis is the 2001 announcement of Jason Soren’s brainchild. Of course, it evolved, but it is alway nice to know the root.2001: Jason Sorens: Update: Free State ProjectJason received a lot of comments on his original announcement. Here he responds. The most important change is he took secession (his area of research) off the table as core for the FSP.2003: Escape to New Hampshire (Report)Michelle Dumas reflects on what turned out to be the first PorcFest, something called at the time “Escape to New Hampshire”, which was an attempt to encourage libertarians to choose New Hampshire for the Free State Project.2003: Choosing NH (Report)Joseph Spear outlines the process by which the FSP selected NH.Look in the Comments for additional documents.2c) PodcastsOf course, the Free State Project has been talked about in detail on a variety of liberty podcasts. A selection:Brian Nichols: Ep86: Carla Gericke and the Free State ProjectTom Woods: Ep1168 Libertarian Victories Do Exist: Here's Exhibit AFree Man Beyond the Wall: EP114: Rodger Paxton on The Free State ProjectLiberty Entrepreneurs: EP86: What is the Free State Project? from Liberty EntrepreneursSurvival Podcast: Ep888- Carla Gericke from the Free State ProjectWe Are Libertarians: EP34: The Free State Project and LBRY with Jeremy KauffmanPart of the Problem (Dave Smith):Libertarian Institute: EP165: Smashing the Myths of the 'Free State Project'2c) Notable ArticlesA few articles written by mainstream sources have been positive, but most media are anti-liberty, so, they eye-roll and fear-monger. Here is a cross-section. (We’ll add more in the Comments section.)2003: Guardian: 'Free staters' pick New Hampshire to liberate for sex, guns and drugsThe Guardian explains to its readers how we, who according to them promote prostitution, have selected New Hampshire to create “an autocratic territory”.2003: NYT: Libertarians Pursue New Political Goal: State of Their OwnA shoulder shrug.2003: Boston Globe: Free State Project pushes limits of liberty in N.H.The Boston Globe warns how government services will be stretched to the limit if Free Staters move to New Hampshire.2011: Slate: Libertarians Pursue New Political Goal: State of Their OwnThis leftist article focuses on those civilly disobedient street activists in Keene NH. (This was a massive focus of early press about the FSP, but only a small part of the FSP community.)2015: Reason: New Hampshire Democrat: 'Free Staters are the single biggest threat the state is facing today'Reason reports on a Democratic representative who calls the Free State Project the biggest threat to New Hampshire.2016: Mother Jones: Why libertarians are (still) plotting to take over New HampshireProgressive/socialist magazine covers us more neutrally than one would think.2d) Media MiningOf course, there’s a lot more (mostly negative) MSM press about the FSP. Here are a few sources to see their concerns, their curiosity, their dismissals, and sometimes their interest.Reason Magazine Articles on the FSPThese will be more positive, although the early ones cover the Keene civil disobedience era more negatively.NH Public Radio Negative and positive coverage from NHPR.The New Hampshire Union Leader articles on FSP The main state paper covers the grittier side of FSP.Free State Project WatchThe main authoritarian opposition to the Free State Projects. It considers bringing freedom-oriented people to NH a bad thing, and emphasizes past bad behaviors of some Free Staters as determinative of all Free Staters. You know you’re over the target when you get directed flak..Step 3: Attend a Big EventThe Free State Project puts on two major events a year. This is an excellent time to visit, to meet porcupines, and to plan on coming back.You have two choices:Option 1: PorcFest - The Porcupine Freedom Festival: June in Lancaster, NHPorcFest is held at the end of June in northern New Hampshire. It’s a pain to get there, but once you’re there, you’ll be happy you have escaped authoritarianism and are now in the beautiful mountains.This event is great if you like parties. There are many official speakers, but most of the fun activities take place in the campgrounds. The costs are dirt-cheap, especially if you camp and get your tickets early. (I usually spring for a room in one of the nearby motels, cause my days of sleeping in tents are over.)Over years it has tried to appeal more to families. I took my pre-teen up there twice and she loved it. <1230> <1230>PorcFest is probably your best chance to talk to a wide array of porcupines about what creating a free state is about.The PorcFest website becomes live with information on the next upcoming PorcFest usually around January, but you can visit it year-round to see the previous event.I recommend the VIP package if you want to rub shoulders with the in-crowd and if you like drinking during a festival.I’ve written a couple of Quora answers using my experiences at the 2019 PorcFest, which should give you a flavor of the festival:1230: What is the Porcupine Freedom Festival (PorcFest) in New Hampshire like?1230: What is the Porcupine Freedom Festival (PorcFest) in New Hampshire like?1246: My Review of PorcFest 20191273: I feel safest amongst libertarians1273: I feel safest amongst libertariansOption 2: Liberty Forum: February in Manchester NHLiberty Forum is held in the beginning of February in the dead of winter in an attempt to prove to non-porcupines that one does not literally die in the cold. It is a conference, held at a hotel and featuring speakers, in the largest “city” in NH. It is much easier to get to, and is much more staid and conventional (at least for more free-form of the libertarians). The informal interactions are primarily around the hotel bar, and your joining folks to eat at one of the many restaurants.Do sign up for the tours, where you can talk to folks informally as you get to see NH outside of the conference. Spend time in the Exhibit Hall talking to the porcupines there. Especially go to the Quill party, which is usually the last night.I do not recommend the VIP package (at least, not from my experiences last year!)When you attend these events, introduce yourself to everyone and tell them your intentions.Collect names and phone numbers. You’ll need them for later steps..Step 4: Choose a NH RegionSo, by now, you have a pretty good sense of what we’re trying to do up here, and if you do have freedom in your bones, you’re itching to shrug off your chains and participate.Select one of the six regions in New Hampshire as your most likely landing place. You can always change your mind, but this will help you focus discussions and visits. :)If you don’t know which region to temporarily select, chat with the people whom you’ve met so far (e.g., on the virtual sites, or at PorcFest or at Liberty Forum). You should have also gotten clues about which is best for you from the big events (e.g., PorcFest features a well-produced event on the last day that introduces all the regions and gives you access to scores of people to talk about their region.)Just so you know, each region has sections that are “great for families” or “picturesque”. My characterizations below are gross exaggerations of tendency. (For example, my town Dover is fairly anti-freedom relative to the rest of NH (but not relative to where we were escaping from — Massachusetts), so you might not want to move to Dover if you might run for office.)Which Region Is Right for You?We porcupines break New Hampshire into six geographical regions, which have some general, different tempos and themes. Decide which you want to explore. (My description is below, but I link to other porcupines’ descriptions so you can get a range of perceptions.)Once you’ve tentatively chosen a region, sign up for the internet group for your region, and introduce yourself to them.Merrimack Valley: Urban, central, tech employment, singles, night activities, political, lots of porcs.Cities: Concord, Nashua, ManchesterMajor Towns: WeareManchester PorcupinesNashua LibertySeaCoast: Borders the Atlantic beach. High priced housing, historic, Bohemian, leftist, entrepreneurial, dining, arts & music.Major Towns: Portsmouth, Dover, ExeterSWELL Website: Upcoming Events - S.W.E.L.L.SWELL - Seacoast Welcomes Every Liberty Lover : The FB pageLive Free Before You Die Group : Social group for folks with more time on their hands (e.g., retired, self-employed)Lakes Region: 273 lakes and ponds, all surrounding the grand Lake Winnipesaukee, beauty, hiking.Major Towns: Laconia, Wolfeboro, and MeredithLakes Region Porcupines GroupNorth Country: Lots of space, quiet, affordable in the beautiful northern mountains.Major Towns: Littleton, Berlin{Additional description, }North Country PorcupinesUpper Valley: Farming. Affordable. Private.Major Towns: Hanover, Sunappee, and ClaremontUpper Valley Liberty CommunityMonadnock: More activism, younger, hiking.Major Towns: Keene, Greenfield, Jaffrey{Additional description, }Live Free MonadnockOnce you link up with your regional virtual group, chat with folks there via the group. Add folks to your list of contacts. (You’ll need them in Step 6…).Step 5: Sign Your Pledge to MoveYou’ve talked to lots of porcupines, heard and read their personal New Mover stories, and have thought about what type of contribution you want to leave the world around human freedom.If you haven’t already, you certainly should be ready now:Pledge to migrate to NH to create liberty in your lifetime:Sign the Pledge to MoveYou’re on your way home… :)..Step 6: Visit/Vacation in NHSo, you’ve attended a big event, you’ve monitored our discussions, you’ve read pro and con pieces about us, you’ve asked questions and met us porcupines, and yet your drive to create human freedom is strong enough that you remain undaunted and actually pledged to move!!?You may well be a porcupine!It’s time to visit us more informally but more purposefully — to explore housing, work, leisure, and connections.6a) Serious Virtual GroupsLet’s get you connected with three more groups. (You should have Signed the Pledge to join these.)FSP Welcome WagonThis FaceBook closed group is for liberty people who are serious about exploring moving. The porcupines on it are very knowledgable and very dedicated to helping you. Post that you are thinking about visiting, and ask for recommendationsFSP Housing Search This FaceBook closed group posts houses and rentals as they come up. This will give you a sense of the market.FSP Job Alert While professional work is not posted here (here will be mostly lower salary postings), this will connect you with others seeking employment. You’ll still have to network to find your professional job. (Or, maybe, start a business yourself.) But use this group to talk about the job scene in NH.6b) RealtorsWe have Free Staters who sell/rent 100s of homes to new porcupines like you. They know about everyone and every place and they can answer your questions and steer you to places that you are more likely to enjoy. There are names, but …<Note: Sorry, but because anti-libertarian trolls are employing Quora’s “Spam” rules to prevent you from getting any of this information, I am not able to list on Quora the names of Free Staters whom you can contact to get advice about living accommodations. But I do have a good list of folks. Feel free to PM me….>6c) Schedule a Date to VisitI recommend that you schedule your visit on dates that give you the most opportunity to meet other porcupines in your selected region, but don’t restrict yourself to just one region:The FSP Calendar of Liberty Events This amazing calendar contains most of the public liberty events that are occurring around the state. There is something happening almost every day!! I wish I had seen this before I moved, so, I’m telling you about it now. Check out this calendar and schedule your trip to attend as many of these events as you can, and introduce yourself to all the Free Staters there. Don’t be a weeny — drive and meet porcupines.Each region has regular events — schedule your visit accordingly. (Events within each region listed in my recommended order.)Merrimack Valley Regular EventsNew Movers Potluck: First Tuesday of every monthMerrimack Valley Porcupines: First Saturday of every month with speakers, in Manchester.Nashua Liberty Social: Every Sunday night for dinnerTaproom Tuesday: Dinner and drinks at a Free Stater’s bar every Tuesday at 5PTGIF Lunch: Lunch on Fridays at a caféCrypto Meetup: Learn about and use crypto, every Sunday night in ManchesterManchester Liberty Market & Mingle: Every third Saturday, in Manchester.Freedom Film Festival: Movie and discussion every Friday night in Weare.New Hampshire Libertarian Party: Dinner on first monday, in ManchesterTwos-Day Liberty Meetup: Every second Tuesday at a liberty bar in ConcordSeaCoast Regular EventsNew Movers Potluck: Third Sunday of the month for brunchLiberty Outreach Meetups: Every Thursday night. Location moves from Dover, Exeter, Rochester, to Seabrook, alphabetically by week of month (e.g., “D” Dover is first week; “E” Exeter is second week)FreeCoast Liberty Market & Mingle: Second Saturday of the month in DoverPortsmouth Dash Meetup: Every other week on Wednesday night. Learn to use crypto at local businesses to buy food and drink.(Most weekends: events at a clubhouse)Lakes Region Regular Events:Liberty Lunch Meetup: Every third Saturday, in BelmontNorth Country Regular Events:Porcupine Potluck: Third Sunday, in various locations, but often Berlin.Carroll County Liberty Meetup: Second Saturday of every month, in MadisonNorth Country Crypto Meetup: Irregular schedule, in various locations (Link)Upper Valley Regular Events:Liberty Tuesday: Last Tue of the month in West LebanonBardo Potluck Dinner at the Farm: First Saturday in CroydonFarm Friday with Friends: Kids event every fourth Friday lunchtime, in CroydonConversations in Crypto: Third Saturday, in ClaremontMonadnock Regular EventsLiberty Thursday: Every last Thursday in AlsteadUMLV (Upper Monadnock Liberty Meetup): Every third Tuesday, in HillsboroSocial Sundays: Have dinner at longest running liberty meetup in NH, in Keene.Breakfast Buffet: Every Wednesday morning in KeeneKeene Crypto Network: Learn about and use crypto in local businesses every six days (different day, different location) in KeeneBTW, I highly recommend that you visit at a time that you can attend one of the New Movers’ Potluck Parties (Manchester on first Tuesday (night) or SeaCoast on third Sunday (Brunch)) These are regular gatherings whose nominal purpose is to welcome people like you. (Service to you is also a great excuse for the community to gather. ) Check the FSP Calendar. (BTW, the name is a bit of a misnomer: as a new mover, you don’t take food to the “New Mover’s Potluck”: we take food for you.) ;)6d) Get a RoomNow, if you attended one of the Big Events (See Step 3), and you’ve been chatting it up on the boards (See Step 1 and Step 6A), you should have plenty of names of porcupines in your region of interest. Give ’em a poke and see if they’ll put you up. At the very least, have them recommend places to stay, things to see, food to eat, etc.Carol and I rented apartments via AirBnB three times in our region, taking three full weeks of vacation across three different years, but we’re a bit anal about our decisions, and I know of no other porcupine who did as much due diligence.Airbnb | New HampshireVrbo | New Hampshire6e) Tell us of your planned visit.Inform the FSP of your visit:Visit Us in New HampshireThis will probably get you in touch with the FSP Mover Coordinator, Chris Lopez. If you don’t hear from her, call her (603-263-0308) as you finalize your plans. She will make sure that you haven’t forgotten anything obvious and she’ll send out a note on FSP Welcome Wagon about your visit, to which I recommend you post the particulars you want to check out on your visit. We got great advice before we came for our last week long vacation.And then contact everyone you’ve collected on your list — from PorcFest, from Liberty Forum, from Porcupines FB page, from the FSP Welcome Wagon, from your regional FB page, etc. And post in your regional groups.Tell us which week you’re coming and where you’ll be staying. Schedule some meet and greets with folks. (For example, we threw a wine and cheese party at our AirBnB in the middle of our first vacation here. About 20 porcupines came.)NH boasts the highest concentration of liberty podcasters, of liberty bloggers, and of liberty Quorans. If you’re a follower (e.g., of me on Quora), send a PM!!!6f) Plan NonFSP ActivitiesSure, you’re moving here because it’s our best chance to experiment with human freedom at this moment of human history. But man does not live by freedom alone!Carol and I used TripAdvisor and friends and FaceBook events (look at the listed Events on the pages I’ve given you) to find a whole bunch of things to try out, given our interests. Let me share what we checked out. (Of course, your activities and adventures will differ by your region and by your interests.)My wife loves to paint and play her viola and sing. So, we visited art galleries, we attended chamber music and we talked to the lead violist of the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra. We went to chorals. She brought her paints with intentions to paint, but we were so busy going to restaurants and dancing in bars that instead she snapped pictures for future paintings. (She’s working on one as I write.)I love more robust activities, so we hiked, and walked, and kayaked, and skied, and sailed, and swam. (A good group to talk outdoor activities is:PORC (porcupine outdoor recreation club)And we both love to dance to rock & roll music all night long, so, I found a different rock & roll music bar every night and we danced to live music.And we did touristy things and went to touristy spots and listened to historical docents. We ate at the Top Restaurants and breakfasted at the Top Breakfast Nooks.And we asked porcupines as well as NH natives we met (the AirBnB hosts are great sources) about what was fun and what was good and what we should definitely not miss out on.And I don’t think we missed out on much! :)Now, in our last visit we spent most of our week doing the touristy things and investigating nonlibertarian opportunities; we only met with Free Staters at one meetup. But we had had two other visits, and I had attended several PorcFests and Liberty Forums, so I had met a lot of folks. (Remembering everyone’s name was another matter. Write the names down!).7: Schedule Your MoveYou have an idea where to live, where you might work, whom to hang with, what to do when you’re here.Now come home to liberty.Welcome Wagon/Move-In Party: Besides all the regular things that one does to move to a new state, the one thing you want to do for sure is call Chris Lopez [email protected] to schedule a Move-In Party for you. Porcupines will greet your U-Haul and help you unload. (You supply the pizza and beer.) It’s is a great way to meet your neighbors, hear the inside scoop, and realize that you are now amongst friends.Inform the FSP/Be Counted: Let [email protected] at the FSP office know that you have made your move. You will then get an official mover number. :) (Mine is 1990, and Carol’s is 1991.)New Movers’ Potlucks: As of Oct 2019, there are two of them. One every first Tuesday in Manchester. The other less regularly on the third Wednesday in Dover. You just must come to these. Both of them!! And often!!And write down everyone’s name and tell them what you love to do and schedule things to do. This is your “Coming Home” party, and we’ll cheer ya, and listen to your stories, and give you goodies and pointers and introduce you to folks and connect you up with your interests. Check the FSP Calendar. (BTW, the name is a bit of a misnomer: as a new mover, you don’t bring food; we bring food for you.).8: After Your MoveYou’re moved in, you have assured your income and safety, and you are all ready to help create freedom.Here are my first recommendations:The FSP Calendar of Liberty Events: Go to as many liberty events as you can fit in every week. There’s something happening almost every day. Introduce yourself. Find out what other folks are working on. Try a few things on for size. (The first few things I tried, did not fit me!!) Put some miles on your car.I made a dedicated effort to go to at least two events a week, and I drove all around the southern part of the state.Porcupines Facebook Closed GroupThis is a raucous site. This is the central discussion board for we who have already moved, so, you can connect with what porcupines are thinking and debating right now. There will be dirty laundry here, but if you’re this whole liberty thing, you should be comfortable with a bit of spontaneous orderp. ;)New Hampshire Liberty Alliance: Join the NHLA (preferably, as a full paying member, but you can become a nonpaying member or (like me) a lifetime member). Volunteer to help out (e.g., read bills and make recommendations). They have regular trainings: after two hours you will be reviewing proposed New Hampshire legislation for its impact on human freedom. Visit a few subcommittee meetings and try your hand at testifying. NH is a small state, and you can have a big impact.Liberty Clubhouses: Visit the current liberty clubhouses (Two as of this date: in Manchester and in Dover) They will be different animals. If you believe that you fit in with either clubhouse, tell them that you would like to be considered for membership. (It might take a year or more!) But remember: You’re a libertarian. You can always start another liberty clubhouse or liberty group. There are plenty of liberty people here. :)New Hampshire - Americans for Prosperity: Join the Americans for Prosperity in New Hampshire. It’s the most libertarian branch, and they have great activities and good trainings. I came from the left, and I have not been uncomfortable with AFP so far.Volunteer: The fastest way to meet an assortment of people is to volunteer to help at one of the two big events (PorcFest, Liberty Forum). (See Step 3.) But if you’re meeting people you’ll hear of other events and shows and activities — jump in!Create: So, here’s the thing: We are starting up. If you have an idea, don’t whine to someone else about making it happen. Create it! Tell everyone about it and ask whether it excites others. But don't bitch; do. <1262>A few porcupines wrote another document about what to do once you’ve moved with some additional ideas.I wrote about the activities I saw in NH after just a few months in NH; it might give you a sense of what else you might want to explore:1153: How is the Free State Project impacting New Hampshire politics?And here’s a reminder of what we have all migrated here to do:1262: What objections do people have to the Free State Project?.Step 0: Help the Free State ProjectLet me end this by reminding you that regardless of whether you’re moving today, next year, or never, you can — and should — help create liberty in your lifetime in the Free State.Join the Free State ProjectSend some of your stored labor (i.e., Donate) to the Free State Project(Check whether your employer matches charitable donations.)Talk to your liberty friends about the FSP.Mention the Free State Project (e.g., friends, family, Reddit, FB, Twitter, radio talk shows, letters to editor)Suggest media interviews the FSP (e.g., newspapers, radio, blogs, TV, podcast, youtube channels)Amazon Smile: Make the FSP your destination for Amazon’s charity contributions when you shop at “Amazon Sign-In”Contribute to advertise the Free State Project on you favorite liberty media..See Related:1262: What objections do people have to the Free State Project?1230: What is the Porcupine Freedom Festival (PorcFest) in New Hampshire like?1153: How is the Free State Project impacting New Hampshire politics?1277: What advice would you give to someone who is moving to New Hampshire?1246: Review of PorcFest1176: Should I move to New Hampshire to build a local libertarian community?1229: How will the Free State Project attract 20,000 pro-liberty people to New Hampshire?0861: Do you plan to participate in the Free State Project?0539: Why live in authoritarian Boston rather than free state New Hampshire?0534: What is the intent of the Free State Project?1273: What do you think about libertarians?1158: Which state offers its citizens the most freedom?0995: I’m Moving To Free State New Hampshire1325: In what should a libertarian invest?1312: Could the US ever become a true free market economy?1244: What economies should economists study?1166: Q: Where’s Dennis? (A: Creating Freedom In NH)1003: How can we get rid of libertarians?→ Essays on <The Free State Project (FSP)> by Dennis→ Return to the <Table of Contents> for Dennis’ Libertarian Essays<, FSP,>