Thanks to Cynthia Georgina and Jim Duffy for the interview on WKBK’s “Talkback” this morning. We discussed making the city into a consensual organization, prohibition, the historic district and more in this 15-minute interview covering my candidacy for the at-large city council race:
Last night the Keene PLD committee voted 5-0 to approve the proposed ban on synthetic drugs in Keene. Many in the community came out to speak on the issue, most of whom spoke for the new prohibition. Led by a group of confused, angry local parents, the prohibitionists won the day with their fear-based arguments justifying the violence the people calling themselves “the city” will soon employ against the poorest of victims – drug addicts.
The commission pretended to care as the opponents of prohibition spoke in favor of freedom and pointed out how prohibition created synthetic drugs in the first place, that prohibition never works, and the war on drugs only makes addicts’ lives worse.
Truth was of no concern to the committee. They overwhelmingly bought the prohibitionists’ claims that their ban will make things safer, when all the evidence points to the opposite. Force does not work and always creates unintended consequences. Force is not compassion for our sick, addicted neighbors.
The matter now goes to the full council where it will likely pass, despite not even likely being legal by their own rules. Of course, when have their own rules ever stopped them from doing what they want?
Here’s the city’s video of the commission meeting. The synthetic drug ban is the first issue raised, and testimony lasts a while. Also, here’s good coverage of the event from the Keene Sentinel’s Kyle Jarvis: (more…)
Garret already posted Ridley’s video “interview” where the Concord police chief dodges Ridley’s questions, claiming he doesn’t understand them. Here are the other three that Ridley has released thus far in the series of videos of him covering the scene outside city hall where he ambushes politicians and bureaucrats with pointed questions:
In an “An Open Letter to the Free State Project: From Selma, AL, to Concord, NH“, Dan Johnson, the founder of People Against the NDAA, pledges to move to New Hampshire as part of the FSP. He cites inspiration from the amazing activism in opposition to the BEARCAT police tank coming to Concord and compares it to the civil rights movement of the sixties.
Of course, Dan is not the only person who has been inspired to move here by the anti-BEARCAT activism – there are likely many more who do not have blogs and/or have decided to not announce their decision to sign the Free State Project’s “Statement of Intent” publicly.
Rest assured, more liberty activists are coming. The more ridiculous and outrageous the NH state-believers become, the more people will move here and get active. The state-believers are not even close to having learned their lesson about not aggressing against peaceful people yet, so I must thank them for inspiring more influential activists like Dan to move here and concentrate their activism! Yay!
UPDATE 9/14 – I have apologized publicly for miscommunicating in this article. Please see the apology here.
Concord police will be receiving a Ballistic Engineered Armored Response Counter Attack Truck, after an 11-4 vote by the full city council in favor of accepting the military-style vehicle funded by a Department of Homeland Security grant to the Lenco corporation. The fire chief closed the building to many attendees, calling capacity at a reported 70 guests. Drum circles, light shows, sign waving, videography, and socializing occurred in the courtyard outside of the council meeting location on Green Street. Media from around the state observed proceedings both inside and outside of the chambers. Dave Ridley has already posted an ambush interview of Concord police chief John Duval to his youtube channel, in which he asks the top cop if he expected anyone beyond DHS bureaucracy to read his grant application. Ridley’s coverage, from which more is to be expected later, is embedded below.
Tony Schinella’s article at Concord Patch includes quotes from city councilors on both sides the issue, who were reportedly offered copies of Radley Balko’s Rise of the Warrior Cop while they were considering their decision. After word of the vote came out to the crowd, the message on the green beam laser pointed at a nearby steeple read, “BEARCAT FOR SALE CALL 911”. (more…)
Filing for Municipal elections closed today for anyone wishing to pay a fee of either $2 or $5 depending on the office. Prospective candidates can still file until the end of the week, if they wish to submit a petition in lieu of the filing fee. Steven Lindsey, Randy Filiault, Bradford Hutchingson, Ian Freeman, Carl Jacobs, Kris Roberts, Emily Hague, David Meader, Beverly Creamer, David Curran & Robert Sutherland have all filed for City Council At-Large, and three candidates filed for the Mayoral position. Kendall Lane has filed for re-election, while he has two challengers; Rich Paul and Darryl W. Perry. The City Clerk’s Office has not yet heard from the State Attorney General if Paul, who is ineligible to serve, will be removed from the ballot.
Of the six Council positions elected in the five ward, there are candidates in half of those races. Ward 1 is electing two councilors this year, as one position is a mid-term special election; David Crawford and Sheryl Redfern are vying for that seat. James “Robinhood” Cleaveland is challenging incumbent Mitch Greenwald in Ward 2, while Conan Salada is challenging Robert O’Connor for the Ward 4 seat.
One other race has competition. William Marcello, Kathleen Richards, Fred Parker and Matthew McKeon will face off for three Selectmen positions in Ward 3.
Political action is alive and well in Keene with a record six activists jumping into the Keene municipal elections this year!
In the Ward and Mayoral races, liberty activists are the ONLY competition to the statist incumbents (This is a list of the current candidates – the main filing deadline closed this afternoon.)!
More information about the candidates will be coming soon. They include David Crawford, James “Robin Hood” Cleaveland, and Conan Salada, in wards 1, 2, and 4, respectively. In the at-large race, I am running and in the mayoral race both Rich Paul and Darryl W. Perry are running. Mark your calendar for the general election date of Tuesday, November 5, 2013! A primary election is scheduled for October 8, one candidate will be eliminated from the At-Large City Council election, and the Mayoral race will be reduced to 2 candidates.
Would you like to be around a bunch of other people who care enough about liberty to do something? Here are 150+ reasons to move to Keene!
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