January 2nd Grafton Friends of Liberty Potluck

January 2nd 2022 Friends of Liberty Potluck Notes


1. New Movers


Another Grafton property owner has six places to camp that can be developed. It would take some labor.

The 5+ acre property for sale could have 10-15 places.


We could use advice for new movers who are unfamiliar with how to deal with the winter. Several free staters have good experience knowing how to winterize trailers. 


2. Building Connections


People can go to the Free Grafron Facebook page or website and get memes to reach their connections in ways they know to be applicable or impactful to network or support initiatives.


In lieu of a community center, several town-owned properties which are underutilized could easily be used for homeschool classes or community groups and events. The town hall, the library, and the East Grafton church. The town hall is expected to get internet. It could also use curtains to improve the acoustics in the room. The East Grafton church is $100/day, but for regular bookings the price could be reduced. According to Redman, a church could rent the building for $25/day if rented weekly. Each space has advantages. I recommended that the applicant should pay the town for the use of the buildings so that the taxpayers do not have to pay. Additional expenses accrued for the use of the buildings is minimal, so the cost would be expected to be low.


A Grafton property owner offered a place to put a sign to advertise the Free Grafton Facebook page to the town off of route 4. Putting tables representing Free Grafton is recommended for community events.


3. The Thick Red Line


Related to the Thick Red Line, a fundraiser was suggested for the police department. This would make a larger percentage of their funding voluntary, demonstrate to the town we are not “free loaders,” and improve relations with the department. However it was argued funds should be carefully directed to those police actions we support–crimes with real victims. Perhaps a fund to help victims of theft or assault.


This was probably a joke, but an LLC could be established to fund victims of tax theft, and the donations could be tax free.


It was asserted that Police Chief Russell Poitras has informants in town who are drug addicts, and that these informants are protected as they commit crimes such as break ins. These assertions should be investigated.


The group discussed what to do about informants. One suggestion was to give them a one way bus ticket to Florida. One suggestion was to put up posters letting the community know who the informants are. I suggested we needed to allow the informants a way back into the community. They should be able to confess their sins and try to make it right. If they will not, they should be investigated, and allowed to defend themselves. If the community determines they are a toxic element, voluntary dissociation can remove them from the community.


It was alleged Russell is under pressure from the Feds, the implication being to enforce federal law. More information on this would be useful.


It was pointed out that a property deed placed under a trust does not go through probate court.


Conversation covered a number of laws. The right to kill in self defense does not extend to property except in the case of arson according to an attendant. There is no law against entering an unlocked car in New Hampshire according to another attendant. Aircraft flying for a public use for the government are exempt from various laws.


4. State Bills


The process for writing a bill is a legislater can submit a general goal to a group of seven lawyers and they have five days to flesh out his goal into a bill. He can then ask for it to be changed not, and can have the lawyer revise it as many times as necessary until the deadline.  I noted that gave the lawyers a lot of power.


I read through most of the bill summaries to tentitively support or oppose. For the most part there was consensus.


For HB 607, there is a question whether this will raise taxes overall. It may be being argued to public schools they shoud support this bill because they are getting funding regardless of whether the child attends school. That is unclear and will need further research. Allowing local education money to go to the education of the parent’s choosing would be a big benefit.


Related to issuing asylum claimants driver’s licenses, it was argued that they could use licenses from their home countries usually, and a driver’s license was a way to get welfare benefits or to register to vote.


For removing vehicle inspections, it was questioned whether an insurance requirement would be added.


For HB 1489, to no longer require titles to register vehicles more than seven years old, it was argued it is difficult to sell a vehicle out of state without a title, but an attendant said that a title could easily be gotten in Vermont.


For HB 1550, there was a lot of question whether allowing twelve year olds to give testimony was a good thing. Could they be coached to give testimony on behalf of one parent? Isn’t it a terrible thing to put a child in the middle of that? What if the child is the only witness to a parent’s crime? When should children be allowed to give testimony? Should we deny their agency forever?


One applicant wanted to know if there is a bill to lower the drinking age to 18. The inconsistency with laws related to age of consent was pointed out. Such as you cannot go into a strip club as an 18 year old, but you can be a stripper. You drink alcohol at 18, but you can be a bartender.


5. Select board. No person announced a run for select board. Brian Fellers is planning to run for planning board. I listed our state representatives and their voting rating by NHLA. All three are Republicans. Were we to replace them, the likely course would be to do so during the Republican primary. It seems they are all up for election in November. Their grades are C+, B+, and A+.


It was suggested we ask candidates the Thick Red Line question–are they willing to put someone in prison for a victimless crime?


To support candidates, Mark Warden’s Get Involved Pack, and the NHLA.


Bonnie Haubrich is the current tax collector. The town is hiring a deputy tax collector who would work with her. It is unclear if Bonnie is getting ready to retire. Bonnie has been a much more exacting tax collector than her predecessor Mary. The position of tax collector would be a powerful one to control to nullify the forced tax collection. There is a question on what constrains a person in that position from declining to use force or threats in the collection of taxes. Are there laws with penalties if this person does not collect taxes? One attendant said that the town is responsible for telling the sheriff to seize properties.


6. Self sufficiency. The garden planners listed on the forum were briefly discussed. They allow mapping, scheduling, and planning for number of people, as well as climate specific species. Information on Hügelkultur is recommended, as well as terrace farming.