Denis Goddard's blog
Free-Staters in the NH Legislature: What Have They Done?
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Sat, 2009-10-17 06:02.In 2006, a Free-Stater was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives. In 2008, he was joined by 3 more.
You may ask, "What have they done? What does it mean to have 4 libertarians elected to state office?" It's amazing to look at the list of bills sponsored by these initial four Free-Staters -- there's some great stuff here! And some of these bills even passed into law.
In honor of the Liberty Forum...
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Fri, 2010-03-19 14:34.... I am posting here, my preferred outcome for when 213 liberty-lovers some day get themselves elected to the NH State Government:
- bill #1: secede
- bill #2, allow competition in all State functions
- bill #3, go the fuck home, stop there, come back in 2 years
Honestly, in their heart of hearts, who could not get on board with that!?!?
Broadbased Tax Repealed, Replaced with User Fee
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Mon, 2010-03-15 10:39.I am proud to say that this past Saturday, the town of Hopkinton implemented a Pay-by-Bag trash system.
As I have been fortunate enough to be a member of the Hopkinton Recycling Committee for the past year, I have had the opportunity to learn in detail about how Hopkinton presently pays for trash disposal, and how the new program will work.
Gold at $15,000/oz ?
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Wed, 2010-02-03 18:42.Interesting assertion. I don't think $15,000/oz is realistic. I do think that it's in the realm of plausible... I also think that the timelines are about right, ie, 5-10 years before the US Dollar has a serious currency crisis, aka collapse, aka "You Just Lost Most of Your Savings (if they were in dollars)"

And of course, I am not a licensed financial advisor. If I were, I'd do like all the other licensed financial advisors and tell you to buy blue chip stocks (which are gonna take a crap when the US Dollar craps) or US Treasuries "backed by the full faith and credit of the US Federal Government" (which are gonna take an even bigger crap).
Open letter to Jack Cole, executive director of LEAP
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Sun, 2010-01-24 08:38.Mr. Cole,
My name is Denis Goddard; I met you when you graciously came to New Hampshire a few years ago to speak to our
legislature in support of legislation to study the impact of prohibition. I very much appreciated your support. I also saw you speak at the 2007 NH Liberty Forum. As I host a cable-access TV program that airs across New Hampshire, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing Peter Christ when he came to speak at the NH Liberty Forum in 2008. I have discussed LEAP with my viewers many times.
I am writing to tell you that I can no longer support LEAP in any manner whatsoever.
My Testimony: Religious Freedoms
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Tue, 2010-01-19 13:25.I'm a big fan of the Religious Freedoms Restoration Act (RFRA), a law which would severely limit the government's ability to limit any citizen who acts based on "sincerely held religious beliefs." Such a bill has been struck down as unconstitutional at the Federal level, but individual states are free to pass such bills -- indeed, 12 of them already have.
New Hampshire HB1330 is such a state-level RFRA bill. I was in the public hearing today to support it, on behalf of the NH Liberty Alliance. For those interested in my take, my written testimony is here.
My Testimony: Fully-Informed Juries
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Tue, 2010-01-12 07:03.New Hampshire HB1347 states that in all criminal proceedings the court shall instruct the jury of its inherent right to judge the law as well as the facts and to nullify any and all actions they find to be unjust. The court would also be mandated to permit the defendant or counsel for the defendant to explain this right of jury nullification to the jury.
Such "fully-informed jury" bills have come up before the NH House of Representatives every 2 years, for the last 20 years. In 2007, the House Judiciary Committee voted 15-1 against informing juries and of course that bill died.
Tired of JERK-Libertarians
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Tue, 2009-12-22 11:40.I am tired of libertarians who act like they know everything, and their answer to everything is "disobey!"
I came to this state knowing one thing: I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING. So I spent a lot of time watching, listening, and learning from the people that had been fighting to keep NH government small.
Then there are jackasses that show up, and the first thing they want to do is form an armed mob ... to protest a gun rule!
I stand by the statement: that's just butt-fuck stupid.
Don't like it? Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.
FREAK-STATERS GO HOME
Ken Wyler Wins Big!
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Wed, 2009-12-09 11:37.Thanks in part to a big push from NH Liberty Alliance members, former NH State Rep. Ken Wyler won his primary by a landslide! Thanks folks... let's keep pushing the most pro-liberty candidates, in both major parties!
Wyler: 546
Melvin: 53
Income tax "summit" -- what did it mean?
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Sun, 2009-11-08 05:14.Ed Naile is chairman of the Coalition of NH Taxpayers, the group which is responsible more than any other for the fact the NH has no state sales or income tax. Ed's been fighting the growth of government for 20 years, and has been successful. So when Ed talks about the income tax "summit" that was held a few weeks ago in Concord, you know you're getting a real, knowledgeable analysis from a veteran freedom-fighter.
This MP3 is a quick, under-10-minute excerpt of Ed Naile and Steve MacDonald discussing the income tax summit, what it means, what it portends, and about effective activism against the growth of government. If you're a free-stater, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen. These guys have been fighting -- and winning - for a long time.
2009 Local Election Results
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Tue, 2009-11-03 21:16.OKAY NEWS
State Senator Betsi DeVries, who cast the deciding vote against medical marijuana in NH, is also an Alderman in Manchester. She won her Alderman race by a measly 48 votes out of nearly 2,000 cast! A real squeaker. But wait, there's more. Sources inform me that she did not want to run for office again, she's tired of the constant calls and emails! Her Party apparently twisted her arm and got her to run. And she won despite a MASSIVE effort by the Firefighters' Union, Teachers' Union, and her Party. Pro-liberty activists at the polls report busloads of people transported to the polling place to vote for her. And still she just. barely. squeaked. in. We'll get you next time, Betsi... if you're glutton for punishment enough to run!
GOOD NEWS
Anti-income-tax Teddy Gatsas defeats pro-income-tax Mark Roy to become Mayor of Manchester.
GREAT NEWS
More victories in municipal elections: Liberty activist David Murotake has been elected to Nashua's Board of Education. FSPer Cam DeJong won his race for Selectman. FSP Friend Phil Greazzo won his race for Alderman. And the SPENDING CAP PASSED!!! This "cap" was the result of much work by FSPers and other NH liberty activists. Manchester's city government has some nice new chains holding it down. Very nice.
BEST NEWS EVER:
NH Liberty Alliance-endorsed Lynne Blankenbeker defeats "big-government conservative" Jim MacKay in special election for State Representative! This is all the more amazing, given that Lynne has NEVER held any political office before -- her opponent had previously been Mayor of Concord, and had been a State Rep for some 20 years. Lynne has NOT lived in Concord all her life. Concord is the NH's capitol city, full of government employees. NH "traditional wisdom" is that only big-government candidates can win in Concord. Yet last election, FSPers helped eject a pro-income-tax Rep Liz Hager (who had been in office for 36 years) and replaced Hager with an anti-income-tax candidate. And now this year "big-government conservative" Jim MacKay is replaced by a strong supporter of fully informed juries, medical marijuana, states' rights, gun rights, and SMALLER government.
Wrap-up
All this amazing action happened with just the activists that are here already... imagine what more will do! Join us. Feel what it's like for liberty activists to win elections!
ELECTION DAY! WE NEED YOUR HELP!!
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Mon, 2009-11-02 12:06.Want to lower taxes AND protect seriously ill patients? We need you on election day in Manchester! Shoot an email to: ( Demote.Devries@gmail.com )
Can't make it to Manchester? Want to help an NH Liberty Alliance-endorsed candidate in Concord? Contact: Lynne Blankenbeker ( 64ferrari@comcast.net )
Feds to Stop Prosecution for Medical Marijuana
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Thu, 2009-10-22 11:03.So, lemme get this straight. The Federal government says they won't crack down on states with medical marijuana laws (see below). Governor Lynch put forward precise specifications that the NH medical marijuana bill (HB648)would need to get his approval. The legislature amended the bill to fit those specifications... and Lynch vetoed it anyway?!?!
Hey, NH Legislators... you folks in the House and Senate... OVERRIDE THIS DAMN VETO!
Disabled the Free Keene feed
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Sun, 2009-10-18 09:16.I have disabled the "Free Keene" feed from this website. The details why are in this thread on the Free Keene forum. In a nutshell, while the Keeniacs are incredibly principled, passionate folks, their tactics are the opposite of "winning hearts and minds." I have concerns for any group that becomes both too insular and too far removed from the rest of civil society, as these folks have.
You can keep up with the Keeniacs by visiting FreeKeene.com, or listening regularly to Free Talk Live.
May the Keeniacs have many successes; may they go in peace.
NH Peace Action commentary on Obama's Nobel Prize
Submitted by Denis Goddard on Tue, 2009-10-13 10:08.NH Peace Action (NHPA) blasted out the following newsletter. I know that a lot of the NHPA members are absolutely appalled at President Obama's actions since taking office (they've complained to me 1-on-1 about him). For them to send a missive at all says something.
Oh, by the way, there are many libertarian and free-stater members of NH Peace Action. It's A Very Good Thing to present groups like NHPA with a true message of non-aggression... one they never heard during their government-run education process...
Anyway, here's the missive.
Dear Members and Supporters,
I chose not to respond to the Nobel Committee’s decision on Friday to award




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