Kindler, Gentler "Secessionist" Group Eyeing Small Pop. States

[/ dave /]

[A bloodless, "democratic" transition to a more autonomous existence for 
New Hampshire or North Dakota? Yes, if this Yale Ph.D. candidate gets 
his project off the ground. Naturally, keeping in step with the times, 
they unequivocally condemn "racism and all other forms of bigotry," as 
well as " violence and fraud." Oh, and of course they also want to 
privatize all the utilities, yadda yadda. If apartment vacancy rates 
suddenly plummet and rents begin to rise exponentially in Fargo, Laramie 
or Montpelier, then be on your guard! Hey, maybe we could get a 
conglomeration of lefties to move to Rhode Island and "vote in" our own 
autonomous zone. Of course, there's always the chance it would just 
result in a larger, more glaringly isolated version of Berkeley...]

http://freestateproject.org

"The Free State Project is a plan in which 20,000 or more 
liberty-oriented people will move to a single state of the U.S. to 
secure there a free society. We will accomplish this by first reforming 
state law, opting out of federal mandates, and finally negotiating 
directly with the federal government for appropriate political autonomy. 
We will be a community of freedom-loving individuals and families, and 
create a shining example of liberty for the rest of the nation and the 
world."

[from the FAQ]:

1Q. Who is welcome to participate?

1A. Anyone who can agree to the clause in the Statement of Intent which 
says that you should support the creation of a society in which the sole 
role of civil government is the protection of citizens' rights to life, 
liberty, and property. In essence, this includes everyone who wants to 
cut the size and scope of government by about two-thirds or more. Put in 
a positive way, everyone who supports unhampered markets, full personal 
liberties, and peace is welcome in the Free State Project. People of 
this disposition may go by many names: classical liberals, libertarians, 
paleoconservatives, constitutionalists, patriots, fusionists, etc., etc. 
They are all welcome (though see 6Q and 7Q below). (...)

4Q. How is it possible for 20,000 people to take over a state?

4A. Highly possible, if you pick the right state. Remember that these 
20,000 people are going to be activists, not just voters. For every 
activist you get several voters. How many? One way to quantify it is to 
look at campaign expenditures. In 2000 the Libertarian Party had 40,000 
members and spent $5 million. So we can expect to spend $5 million over 
any two-year election cycle (probably more - because once we have a 
chance of winning contributions from PACs will increase, which third 
parties don't currently get). There are several states in which $5 
million would be enough to outspend the Democrats and Republicans put 
together. See below for further discussion about the states we're 
considering and this essay for an in-depth examination of how 20,000 
activists could elect majorities in certain U.S. states. (...)

9Q. What states are you considering, and on what criteria?

9A. Obviously population is the critical factor. Our research so far 
indicates that 20,000 activists could heavily influence only states with 
under about 1.5 million population, or which spend less than $10 million 
on political campaigns in any given two-year election cycle. By those 
criteria at least the following states seem possible: Wyoming, Vermont, 
Alaska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Delaware, Montana, Rhode Island, 
Hawaii, New Hampshire, and Idaho. Other important criteria include: 1) 
coastal access (to make ourselves less dependent on the American market 
and by extension American policies); 2) a native culture that's already 
pro-liberty; 3) lack of dependence on federal funds (states that lose 
out on the Union will be more willing to stand up to the federal 
government and will hurt less from rejecting federal highway funds and 
other mechanisms of control); 4) a decent job market; 5) not much 
federally owned land (which can be an excuse for federal meddling in our 
affairs). By these criteria, some states float to the top. (...)

(snip)

  Jason Sorens (email: jason.sorens at yale.edu ) is the founder of the 
Free State Project and currently maintains the website, also serving as 
President of the FSP. He grew up in Houston, Texas, received his B.A. in 
economics and philosophy from Washington and Lee University, and is 
currently a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Yale University, 
writing his dissertation on The Political Economy of Secessionism: 
Regional Responses to Globalization. He lives with his wife, Mary 
Sorens, in New Haven, Connecticut.

Elizabeth McKinstry (email: emckinst at hotmail.com) is the Vice-President 
of the FSP. Her interests are eclectic; in the realm of politics, she 
became a Libertarian after reading R.A. Heinlein at an impressionable 
age. She prefers the practical application and implementation of 
political strategies to endless philosophical debates and accordingly 
looks forward to liberty in her lifetime. Elizabeth will be speaking 
about the FSP at several upcoming Libertarian Party conventions.

(...)

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/  dave  /