WOW! On March 24, 2011 the State House Finance Committee—which prepares state budgets—met to vote on a budget bill. Rep. Neal Kurk proposed an amendment that would put an end to the so-called "Evergreen Clause" that gives public employee unions huge power in spending negotiations, and an incentive to "stonewall" in order to get what they want. With public employee union people packing the room, spilling out into the hallway, and occasionally screaming and disrupting the proceedings, the Republican State Representatives passed the amendment and turned back an attempt to strip it out. A win for the people of New Hampshire against the political/government/ruling classes! The GOP State Reps weren’t intimidated one bit by the attempted union thuggery, shouting, and intimidation! (It should be noted also that there were a number of anti-statist libertarians in the room—including some members of the committee itself—who came to New Hampshire as a result of the Free State Project migration.) Go to the jump to see the Republican Majority on the committee stare down the public employee unionists in the room and pass an important amendment to reduce union power over the taxpayers in New Hampshire. Watch it now!
Public Employee Union Members Fail in Attempt to Intimidate Republicans in NH State House Finance Committee!
I’ve been political my entire life, starting out with Barry Goldwater and The Conscience of a Conservative in the1960’s. In 1967 I enlisted in the U.S. Marines for four years, spending nearly two of them in South Vietnam. In 1972 I was a Florida presidential elector for Prof. John Hospers, the first Presidential candidate of the national Libertarian Party which was founded that same year. During the late 1970’s and into the 1980’s I was a contributing editor and monthly columnist for Reason magazine, and I’ve authored numerous articles in the print and online media about various subjects relating to individual rights and personal freedom. Today I’m a lawyer by profession; I divide my time between New Hampshire and Florida all year long, spending much of my time practicing law in Florida. As an early supporter and past member of the board of directors of the Free State Project, I was drawn to the Live Free or Die state of New Hampshire in late 2003 when it was chosen by a vote of the first 5,000 FSP participants. In 2004 I founded the Republican Liberty Caucus of New Hampshire, and continue today to work within the state political system to advance the traditional NH values of frugal small government, low taxes, small business, free enterprise, and self-responsibility. To all, I say “Come and see what we are building in the beautiful, healthy, livable Free State of New Hampshire!”
