This column by state representative Mark Warden appears in the Union Leader, where he expresses frustration with the new gas tax and dumb GPS rules:
This year’s New Hampshire Legislature has launched an attack on anyone who drives an automobile. The Democrat-led House passed two major pieces of legislation that will adversely affect commuters as well as tourists visiting the Granite State.
The first is a four-cent (23 percent) increase in the gasoline tax. Driving to work, taking the kids to school and going on a weekend trip will all be more expensive. Then there is the impact it will have on groceries and other products because of the increased cost of transporting goods to market. Trucking and other transportation businesses will pass along higher expenses to consumers.
This gas tax increase will have negative effects on an already sluggish economy. While many agree that the condition of many roads is lacking, it’s not for lack of funding. The problem with this new legislation is that the money is diverted to other uses that benefit drivers in other parts of the state (such as the I-93 widening project). Only 12 percent of the new revenue is earmarked for grants to municipalities.
On May 20th, 2014 NH Governor Maggie Hassan used the back drop of a highway construction site to sign into law an increase on the state tax on gas. This was most likely done to show that they plan on using the extra stolen funds to finish a project that was already started with stolen funds. Further, NH State Troopers were used to shut down the highway when the Governor and the rest of the participants in the signing ceremony were traveling from the staging area to the construction site. Free Staters in collaboration with the NH chapter of Americans for Prosperity joined in a protest of this increased theft by the state. Even though many with in the liberty community disagree with some positions of the AFP(this blogger included), there is a benefit when working toward common goals. Especially when that goal is to reject theft at the hands of the state. I hope to see more collaborative work among Free Staters and any group or organization that shares the same goals of a specific issue. Free Keene bloggers Joel Valenzuela and Rich Paul were also took part in this protest.
New Hampshire has already firmly established itself as the main source of liberty media for the world and more content continues to be created! It appears that “Shire Liberty News”, a new blog, launched online several months ago. Editor Sandy Pierre positions the blog as “Spotlighting activism in New Hampshire” and the site also features opinion pieces, including the blog’s most recent post, about civil disobedience.
Here’s hoping the new blog will keep the content flowing!
Yesterday, Governor Maggie Hassan signed into law a 22% increase on the New Hampshire gas tax, with a bridge construction site near Windham as a backdrop (apparently, there’s some unwritten rule that the state’s theft must be justified by roads).
This would have been another staged press conference victory, if not for a protest staged by the state chapter of Americans for Prosperity. Over a half-dozen Free Stater activists joined with AFP to ruin Hassan’s perfect little photo op. The protest gathered considerable media attention, and got Free Keene blogger Rich Paul prominently featured by the Union Leader.
Most of the battle is just showing up. Some of the most egregious offenses of the state take place because of no visible objection. Just being present to show that the people don’t consent to government coercion is all it takes to derail the illusion of consensus and change hearts and minds.
While skimming down the front page of the Union Leader’s website this morning, I had to do a double take to ensure that I was not mistaken in what I was seeing displayed there. It was surprising to discover that a respected statewide periodical would permit such a crass poll question as the site today so prominently displays. With seemingly no circumstantially associated content to support it, a multiple-choice poll asks, “Which type of driver would you most enjoy Tasing?”
The options presented describe different stereotypes of motor vehicle operators, some more potentially dangerous than others. Trying to get a sampling of which types of drivers most annoy others on the road can certainly be done in a tasteful and mature manner, but the presentation of the question as posed is designed specifically to provoke individuals lacking in civility and class, who resort to fantasizing violence against those with whom they have disagreements. (more…)
This column by state representative Mark Warden appears in the Union Leader, where he expresses frustration with the new gas tax and dumb GPS rules:
